Keeping Watch and Counting the Cost

Horizon national ministry comes from your generous donation. I can and we need you to stand with us to spend together is believed rather than stabbing each other in the back and take him on a competitive edge the world there is hostile can we come together and major on issues. Truly major and not on the minor ones when an enemy is attacking you from all sides you need for hundreds called similar but for some reason, attached is more inclined to quarrel instead of cooperates, welcome back to let my people think what today was sharing the conclusion of the message titled keeping watch and counting the cost. This is a message that all the iambs found that the late Bobby Zacharias delivered to a group of on-demand supposes he is the guy and it's a message based on the story of Nehemiah in his building of the pool amidst great opposition last week.

Ravi points out the fast challenge that Nehemiah faced. He was school and in similar fashion.

Christians him up today because we claim exclusivity. We claim to see the unseen we challenge the sovereignty of man and we defend the sovereignty of God that wasn't Nehemiah's only challenge that lesson as we hit the final portion of this message.

Secondly, he was threatened by force.

What is the force we will kill you hard your families often talk about these things in public. If I don't telephone calls I get the voices and the threats never talked about this a few weeks ago we had a very close incident. Actually, the bomb squad had to be a golden why want to silence not courageous enough to allow healthy, robust, honest sizzle discussion on matters of disagreement has violence become so absolutely the only honest with the psalmist to decapitate you really or otherwise force you know 33 years ago last week friend of mine was assassinated was because Fiji you heard me talk about colas was my closest classmate and I went to the theological studies led by heaven be three years older than me is like a tall guy and as I was writing to his daughter. This is a picture of his family goes on calling and they had have three children at schools assassinated in 1981. He was my closest friend in theological training. When my wife and I will marry the first kiss we had in our home close and calling. I wrote to his daughter Martina two weeks ago I said I just want to get the story straight.

Please let me understand Martina was only two years old when her father was murdered and got at point-blank range in Thailand is missionary short while before that I was going through Thailand and close skin to receive me at the airport. I didn't have enough money to buy a room for him Reebok.

I just feel in the ministry of printed one room for me.

I just toss with two twin beds and goes nicely all night in bed and he was chatting tall guy in his bed is how hands behind his back and I was living next to Phnom Penh 9074 you help me pray with me told me he loved me but he said no I don't think going to survive long.

He says my life is constantly threatened in 1981 when I got the in memoriam thing from overseas missionary Fellowship. My heart set to know who he was. He was a plumber before he went into theological training. He went into plumbing after having started a bakery business and the business with his friend went bankrupt and he said I'm gonna pay back every penny I want to go in ministry, but I'm not going to go into ministry indent to no one except God.

I'm better to pay my debts to mankind. The judge even dismissed him and said you been back in office and no pay back everything I borrowed and so he woke for 2 to 3 years as a plumber earning enough money to pay back everything that he had borrowed and then came to theological training and then we had him as a guest and he went on these in the middle of the prayer meeting.

While some of the red lights of that village going to the prayer meeting comes out is chatting with the Thai people whom you love a man walks in at point-blank range, filled and full of bullets and he collapsed and he was gone and his brother Bill Fiji and another domicile and and Bill said the dreaded telephone call came and said your brother has been murdered, and pick up his body was in 06 that I met Martina for the first time after that.

So you see, she was in this one, 27, expecting her child. CIM made her way to go and see the spot where her father was slain should not going to talk about it and I said I'd like to get to the Martina.

She said she want to talk to me because I wasn't as closest friend should always wanted to hear stories about her father.

She's a missionary in Russia now brother Michael is a missionary in Peru.

She told me at the story a little off the first time I told it so I make sure I could correct it.

I said did you sit next to the lady I said I seem to recall hearing that when we sent you to Thailand you having to sit next to a lady whose husband had paid the assassin to finish off course, is that right. She said the I did meet her but I didn't have to be sitting next to her.

She just came up and talk to me.

My father had sat next to her. The night that he was murdered. She was the last person to really chat with and we walked out and is Facebook bullets force threatened every side, and we know what the future holds us 25 1971, moving to Vietnam and as I went to Vietnam.

I remember being in month but isolate the fringe of the price on sitting in the front veranda in an amber colored style and all the firepower and having just seen the graves of six missionaries within a two minute walk from where I'm sitting babe in their lives. Force is always a reality. You can have the scorning and have the force was totally and very importantly, often happens, you can have scheming from within the ranks scheming from within the ranks.

What I mean by that from within the ranks. You can oftentimes have those who will betray you. Those who will let you down. Those who will hurt you stab in the back. Jason Illinois to be the placekicker farce for the Colorado Rockies and playing for Atlanta Falcons of our great friends and supporters the ministry among Jason Elam telling me you know he said I expect to be booed on the soil that I'm playing with the appointment. It hurts very much when you booed on your home turf. You can often get stabbed in the back from within the ranks of you was not kidding when he said some of the nastiest letters you can get from somebody within the ranks. Naomi will tell you my family will tell you when I summon some editing blazingly. Somebody didn't think I did what I was supposed to do and Christian talk shows this one particular languages rail left me went off to me went off to me went up to me to live my daughter says that undergoing is anything I said no I don't just ignore all of them so that tells your letter and said to leave my dad alone what he's doing is doing for the same cause disposal you're talking about the Malone division. Here's a statement I want to read to receive an awful thing to say and it is true that there arbitrators like shall I annoy Diane.

Most Christian congregations today.

Men and women over professed conversion to Christ to share in the fellowship and labors of the saints who nevertheless seem to find true pleasure in the form of a Christian leader to his face differently fussy safely, but behind his back to mischief makers and professed loyalty and concern. Unity slips and falls in love to gossip it among the brethren or talk about it around town or what hopping such disloyal brethren gave to Christian ministries fosters superintendents and leaders.

The outcome bias quislings Satan's fifth columnist revival words we need each other.

We need you to stand with us. We need to stand together as believers rather than stabbing each other in the back and taking on a competitive edge the world out there is hostile can we come together and major on issues that are truly major and not on the minor ones name. I have faced all these things scorn from forests scheming what he knew quickly made three responses. Number one he said he went to look to God. Keep looking towards God always realize what it is that has called you into this and who it is that caused you into this. That's why I believe staying in. The word is so important. One of my favorite biographies as to the Golden shore biography about an arm judge the one who was such a ranks skeptic Providence College in Brown University.

They say he was so brilliant that in every competition he was right of the top no one else was anywhere to be seen. His father was a minister.

He would sit and listen to his dad and actually mock his dad's belief and then in a dramatic turn of events as closest friend is skeptic had a horrendous death they were staying in the same in Genesis didn't know the man was in the next room moaning and groaning and pay in the morning many chest. He says to the manager who was that guy Do something the crying subsided, said it was a brilliant student from Brown out here Providence College and he was dying of some terrible thing and we can put them out, but the guide to azaleas in the morning. Good same University. What's his name name is Jacob Ames. So what is his name is Jacob Ames. He was Jess's roommate Justin started to write back. In his biography, he said, as the hooves of my horses bounding into the ground when responding into my heart was home lost we are as human beings and don't know what he surrendered his life to Christ. If you haven't read Johnson's biography he buried his wife.

His children translated the Bible into Burmese seven years before his first convert seven years, 20 years before he had 100 people in a congregation he left in the United States is the first missionary first missionary to leave went to Calcutta dies by William Carey does a mom carries church when Joseph was baptized and then he went on to Beaumont.

Now, in Mark today. The Burmese people as the church is beginning to grow.

Read the Bible that Andrew Jackson translated for them into their language. He died see Megan made it back to his birthplace and modem messages. This intellectual brilliant intellectual bearing so many kids and buried his wife, but he realized what the issue really was from love that asks that I may be sheltered from winds that beat on the phone feeling that I should aspire from faltering when I should climb higher from silken self-will.

Capt. free thyself into would follow the subtle love of softening things like easy choices weakening. Thus, our spirits fortified this.

We went to crucified from all that dims like Calvary or Lamb of God deliver me, give me the love that leaves the way the faith that nothing can display the whole no disappointments tire the passion that will burn like fire. That may not seem to be a clod be life you'll flame of God Amy Carmichael. I challenge you today look to God. Secondly, and very importantly, reflect on the issues.

What is at stake if you and I click the file.

What is at stake your homes, your children, your grandchildren, our families are at stake. That's exactly what Niemeyer said she'll families. But what you're really finding because I saw my two girls up front to speaking to the said Lord I don't deserve this blessing is not in the data would like to have been gone so much to see all my three kids here that espouses the new no settlement ministry and watching them talk about the needy watching them talk about strategic planning and the video you just click and it was done. My son Nathan.

He works in the videography and the rated department out there. Somebody asked me about all of you kids in the ministry is that he said because I don't have anymore they would be in there to for years and years of being gone another God in his mercy allows me the privilege of them working under the same roof. I can't honestly tell you I know where their offices in the building but I can tell you there.

There I just thank God it's a lunch for breakfast now and do not I'm doing this for our families for your families name. I had every family standing in front guard and keeping watch. Please let us remember our children and Lee Iacocca in his book straight talk made an incredible comment and I think I should be able to pull it out for you are not planning on putting it, but he made the statement that I think so powerful in an interview. He says this is a start on the twilight years of my life. I turned back and figure out what it was all about. I'm still not sure what is meant by good fortune and success. I know fame and power. A really for the birds, but then life suddenly comes into focus and destined my kids and I love them matter what you've done for yourself or humanity of Yemen given love and attention to your family. I ask you, what have you really accomplished no I wish this were a simple thing I know some heart when the children are off the mark. We went through that for a short period of time. The universe, and I know how deep the pain is don't stop living with guilt, don't start hammering yourself and start pounding your head against a wall on it in the Bible says train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is only will not depart from it actually says.

And it will not depart from him key key going it will never be able to outrun what you really poured into their life sooner or later, the strong arm of truth turns these lives around doing reflect on the issues I do it for my love for Christ.

I do it for my love for my family doing for the love of my nation.

This is not home for me. I treat North America is my home. I've been hit 40 years. You and he is always on my heart I'm an Indian in my blood and that's why keep going back keep going back there. These three nations which I long. It's part of my DNA when I look at what's happened to America in the last handful of years for God help us. God help us.

Whatever is happening. Keep guard and I bring you to the final point as he says you look to God.

Reflect on the issues and lastly be armed in readiness. How do we get armed in readiness. I want you to seriously understand this Allegis for five minutes and I'll be done know this is not a self propagating ministry for the ministry exists because of the truth I'm going to give to you if we don't prepare our young people how to battle out these intellectual issues. We are actually tossing them to the wolves. If you don't prepare your sons and daughters how to deal with this issue and I am so fearful that all of our sincerity and genuineness. If we are so naïve that we think they'll be okay without helping them up.

We are really floating with weapons of warfare that they're going to face a listing on the sale. I don't get it. I don't know how to answer these questions, there was a man who stood up in the Philippines Asia conference and he said for years and years. He was part of a discipleship group and he said, almost everyone that he discipled along the way, five, 10 years down the line. They were gone from the faith he said is no simple answer but I'll tell you where I failed. I failed to equip them out here. We need both. We need the mentoring we need the biblical spell beneath the teaching. We need all of that but we also need this. Ultimately, thereby defending it from here, but when people throw rocks at them. They have to be able to come up with that seek and respond to my and say I have taught this thing through. I've seen people's lives change. I've seen people's lives transformed. And as I bring this message to a close, I just want to say to you that if you look to God you reflect on the issues and be armed in readiness.

How do we get armed in readiness always arm the inner life. First, your thought life the habits of your heart, your eyes training the eyes training the thoughts what you getting comfortable with you always strengthen the inner life. First, that's where your strength will have to come from the second thing is, how do you prepare yourself to reach those who are genuinely seeking concepts and find they are not getting by the time this the sun would set on December 31 and the Lord's prayer is my life been on the road over 200 days and it's been tough. But you know what God's help me every step of the way I've had some strange emotional responses as I've been preaching this year or half way through a message is almost like a voice that'll come up within me and say keep preaching. I am with you. I'm sure the team will tell you that halfway through message and say I'm with you I'm with you I'm with you I could never do this if you want with me.

Tough tough settings, but you been the raises be stink about my coming there. I knew the guy was who wrote what he did because I use one of his close and I watch my audience.

I want somebody jumping in the ribs and he looked and I said you are one of you said in one of your articles that are philosophical approach my philosophical approaches and told rather than argument in meeting stories. I said do you know what you just did in that comment I knew where since you said your philosophy student, this argument is that the Ottomans anecdotal, not argumentative. Do you know what statement you might don't all of us only as long so the vision stories you must say this is a story of the said do you realize how prejudiced your argument was and let me tell you something else. I said if I want to talk to you about the liveliest people don't believe in God, I had a friend died so miserably is that what's that anecdotal argument anecdotes and argument mutually feed each other. We are committed to training this generation to be armed in readiness. That's why I will continue when did you first help me. From this he kept saying to me and Beverly knows this. Are you sure you want to go the steam are you sure you want to build a stream running on an organization that you have to enter supporting/70. He took my family to Switzerland and he and I sat on a bench top a great mountain top, we prayed and he says this is where you're going to go. 30 years now have gone by and you saw the team's money. We have only just begun.

Margaret Thatcher speaking to the Scottish Gen. assembly years ago and this profound statement the truths of the Judeo-Christian tradition are infinitely precious not only as I believe, because the true but also because they provide the moral impulse which alone can lead to that piece for which we all long here what Jesus said truths of the Judeo-Christian tradition are infinitely precious not only as I believe, because the room but also because they provide the moral impulse which alone can lead to that piece for which we are long.

There is little hope for democracy in the hearts of men and women in democratic societies cannot be touched by a call to something greater than themselves political structures state institutions collective ideals are not enough. We parliamentarians can legislate for the rule of law you the church teach the life of faith. She said we can legislate all we want you as Christians in the church had to teach the life of faith that you and me. Let's take this into the dark world and know the truth and so precious and whether we have scorned, or whether force comes our way, or whether we are's faces of scheming look to him as reflect on the issues and has been harmed in readiness. We do this for the glory of God and for the well-being of our families and our offspring. I am committed to that right into the next generation generation after all, you committed to reflecting the glory of God prescribing the well-being of families and spreading the gospel that we hike this message will help you keep watch and count the cost of that commitments back in cleats this week's methods, but if you would like to practice the company give us a call at one 800-4486 76 thinks we should ask for the title, keeping watch and counting the cost.

When you cool. You can also go to any of our resources online@ancien.lyg allies that I am.ca for days listening and Canada that my people think is a listener supported radio ministry Jesus by Diane and Atlanta to chat. It is your practice and case that help keep this program on the ad. Thank you for supporting ancien as we strive to sad the gospel with those around the clay provide thoughtful onset is difficult