Lord, what would You have me to do?

We're going into a new year and as we go into a new year, many times will still wear day 2 of 2022. How's it going for you? Is a better so far than last year or you cannot tell a difference or what's going on too early to tell, right? What are your plans? What are the resolutions that you have made? Every other year that you roll over to this year because you haven't done them yet or you think maybe now is a better time to do them. And why do we make those resolutions? We don't follow through on them. Have you ever asked yourself that question. It's a good idea. Okay. Yes. I need to do this. Yes. I take care of myself. Yes. I need to lose some weight. Yes. I need to take care of this and do that. All these things that we can throw out there. But if we don't ever follow through on them, why do we ever even make them? Have you asked yourself that question?

How many you going to, don't raise your hand, your Sandra? I'm going to read the Bible through this year. I said, don't raise your hand.

Yeah, I know. I know but we all know, we got to ask Debbie now, every, have you ever done that have you made it through that? And it's easy to do in the beginning. Hey Genesis, who acts as yet?

Numbers and Deuteronomy, right? But it's always a great wonderful thing to do, you know, if you read 3 chapters a day, you can get through the Bible in a year. But that's reading 3 chapters a day. But what about those days when you're too busy to read 3 chapters? What about those days when, when life is begins to fall apart? And because you said well, I won't do it this morning. I'll do it this afternoon. You need to find that time where you can spend some time alone daily daily with God. And once it take to read 3 chapters, maybe 15 minutes on your life watching, commercials on television. Amen. And I'm not saying okay wait till the commercials. Come on pause. The commercials are read the Bible then that's not what I'm saying. Make a specific moment in time in your life where you can spend some time with Jesus.

What a beautiful name. It is the name of Jesus. Amen. That's why we're here. That's our purpose. This morning. I hope we're going to go to the book of Acts and chapters night. We're going to talk about Saul of Tarsus and in his position as the one out. Persecuting the church is when, when God. Came up with an idea to change his ways. But there's a specific question that he asked Saul of Tarsus. Ask that question in chapter 6, I believe that are adverse effects of chapter 90 of the Lord. What would you have me to do? That's what I love my message this morning. Lord. What would you have me? To do. He didn't ask Lord, how, how can I get other people to change? Lord? How can I get other people to do the right thing? It's for and how what would you have me? To do. That's an important question for us, as Believers. Here saw was he wasn't yet a Believer, but God was directing him and using him and drawing him to a certain position. And you know how he was doing that? By using other believers. By looking at the life of those that he was out persecuting, the one that he was calling name for, give me the name of these people in these people, so I can go and I can persecute them and their household and possibly anybody else related to them. That was Saul's position. He was climbing the ladder of success. If you will, and his world in his day, in his time, by being the one going out and threatening it and carrying out those threats.

And yet as we see what's going on. In the life of Stephen, who was stoned as Saul of Tarsus, stood there, and held the coats of others who threw the stones. They would do, when they had a stoning, they would call the community together. They would put the accused into a pit in the community, would then pick up stones and stone, the accused? So which you starting the one who's being accused of the wrongdoing? And how many of those communities do you think believed, maybe a Steven dead? That were stoning. Steven. Well, if I had to do it, I guess I feel this phone, but I'd miss. Yeah, but not everybody knows you're missing. The office is very important that you know, that is very important even as a Believer what we say and what we do is not only important on a Sunday morning. It's important 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. How we live our lives. It's important. Because others others are watching you. Others are looking at you there. Seeing how you live your life, as a Believer, as a Christian. And if we're not going to live up to the standards that God wants us to live up to, then whose standards. Are we going to live up to? Each and everyone of us have a purpose. God desires for each of us to know him. Through his son, Jesus Christ. But beyond that Beyond salvation, he has a plan for each and every one of us. Did you know that? He's got a plan for you? He's got a plan for me. Listen to the newest before. We're even for us together in our mother's womb. He's got a purpose for you. He's got a purpose for me. He wants us to serve him and do the things he's called us to do.

So eventually we must ask that question. That's all of Tarsus asked on that Damascus Road Lord. What do you want me? To do. Why the question? What a novel idea that we have asking the Creator? What he desires of his creation. Makes sense doesn't night. The Creator knows the creation. He put it together. He built that, he made it. That's why I went when you go, when you buy a piece of equipment, the people that put that thing together says, here's what you need to do. Hey, if you need to put oil in it, you need to put oil in. If you need to put gas in it, you need to put gas in it. You need to take care of. I don't know why, but I had this crazy dream last night, okay. I dreamed that I was putting gasoline into my vehicle. This is this is real. I dreamed I was putting gasoline in my vehicle. Will, how is that? So different. So knew the reason that's different that's new is because I was putting it where the oil goes.

That's not a problem, right?

Then take as much ass as the gas tank would have taken and it started spewing out and that's when I sort of woke up for the real, I want. What was that all about? I don't know. What did I had to eat?

The problem is that if you do that, there's going to be some issues, right? Was supposed to go with that oil cap is oil supposed to go in there and not just any specific type of oil and then you have your gasoline, whether it's a diesel or where there's a gas leak. You got to make sure you get the right stuff in the right spot and do it the right way or are you going to have problems? When we began to change it up, when we began to change, what the creator has meant for the creation to be.

Then things start going downhill. Real quick. This morning with me, Lord. What would you have me to do? You got to ask yourself? Cuz it's very easy for us to look around and say, well here's what they need to do. And here's what they need. And yes, we may see those things and other people.

But if with every finger pointing at other people, we've got 10 more pointing back at us. A will you need to do this? And you need to do that. We need to look at ourselves more than what would you have me? Do, how do I live my life pleasing to you?

I'm going to say it's something that's very important this morning. And I don't want it taken in the wrong context or the wrong way. As a pastor and I grew up in the All-Star with and I were talking about this a little bit this morning and our early morning breakfast, donut time prayer time. Coffee. All the above. How do we live our life in front of other other other people? As a pastor growing up in a pastor's house? There is there are a lot of opinions on how things ought to run in the church. Everybody got an idea. Everybody's got a flat, everybody's got a direction. And if we did what everybody wanted, we really get nothing done. Would we as true in life? That's true in life around us. If we painted the walls, if we ask everybody, what color do you want to paint the walls? How many answers do you think we're going to get? What color carpet do we? How many answer you think? We'll get you assholes questions, you get the answers, but then you go with what you feel is best. That's the way God works things for us because we can't please everybody. A man, sometimes we can't even please ourselves, right? So, here's the question that we need to be asking her to Lord. What would you have me to do? You might say? Well. Here we have. Saw he was a religious man. And actually, he was a very religious man, but he was a lost man. Religion does not save you. You can be religious and lost. You can do all things religiously. You knew you can quote, the Bible. You can do all things. That sound good. Make you look good. But if you don't have a belief in the Lord, Jesus Christ and follow him looking for that relationship. I'm going to say you're probably you probably don't know him the way you think you should. Oh, yeah, where you think you do? He was a religious man. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. Having had the privilege to have learned at the feet of Gamaliel. One of those who probably held a PhD if you will in the law and the prophets, he knew. He knew what the way the church was talking about. Look at this and verse. 9:20 said them saw still breathing threats and murders against the Disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and he asked letters from the synagogue's of the Mask. So that if he found any, who were all the way the Believers weatherman or women, He might bring them bound to Jerusalem as he Journeys. He came to Damascus and suddenly a light Shone around him from heaven. Paul wasn't just being given that he was asking for names. Give me some more names so I can go get some more people. Give me some more names so I can go after these folks, and we got to do away with the way. Full head live, the law.

He loved the law, he grew up with the law. He he had done everything. According to the law. He knew the books of History. He knew the law. He knew the prophets. He knew his religion. He was in the process of serving warrants of those who are all of the way. What if today? When you got home from church on the front door of your house, there was nailed a warrant for your arrest for going to church. For being a Believer, person of the way if you will. How would that change your life? Would you ignore it? Would you pay attention to it? Will we be, like, people worried even in Paul's today? It's all day. Yes, we would listen to it and some wouldn't show up next week because you're afraid of what might happen. If someone could care less, because Bring It On. There's some in the middle depending on the moment. Not in the day, whichever direction they want to go. Call Saul knew what was going on. Go back with me to chapter 8 of Acts just for a minute because we first meet Saul in the 7th and 8th chapters of the book of Acts. At the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian. First one to die as a Christian, if you will. Look at the first one of chapter right now, so I was considering to his death at that time, a great persecution arose against the church, which was that Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles and devout men carry Steven to his burial and make great lamentation over him as first song, he made Havoc of the church answering every house and dragging off women men and women committing them to prison. That's who he was. That's what he did. That was his job. And we might say he was pretty good at it. He got a name for himself. He was more worried about himself than he was anything else taken care of me and climbing that ladder and getting to where I need to be. There's nothing wrong with taking care of yourself. God wants us to, this is the temple. The Tabernacle that he is given, as we need to take care of this Temple. We need to take care of this Tabernacle as best as we can. But when it comes to the demise of those around, is when it comes to the hurt of others, because they may not agree with her, or look at us the way we think they should, then we need to be aware. That we're not asking you got a lot Lord. What would you have me to do? We're more. So I'll say, Lord. This is what I want to do. Have you ever been there? I have. I've been there in my life. So I thought he was doing everything that was required. Everything that was righteous. Everything. That was religious. He thought he was on the right path.

But in actuality, he was at mmt with God. He was going against God's children. His going against the way he was going against God himself. He was not working for with God, rather. He was working against God.

Here's the question again. Have you been there? Have you worked against God? We don't want to admit it when we have a, when we do. But there are times in our lives when we individually have worked against God. No God, I don't want to do that. I don't want to go there. I don't want to be a Jonah. Worked against God, why? Because he wouldn't go where God was calling him to go. So instead of going to Nineveh. He went jumping on a ship to go to tarshish. That didn't work out so well. You think 2021 was a bad year. Look at the life. He had there for a few days. And then when he did go to Nineveh, he didn't go with the right heart. Because he hated those people, he despised. And then if I say we're evil barbarians, they really were. And yet God called Jonah to go to them. We don't see Jonah stop because okay Lord. What would you have me to do? We see Jonah getting out of the mouth of the fish running to none of it because he knew that's where he needed to be. Okay. I'll go, I'll go, I'll go and sometimes we do. What we know God wants to do wants us to do, but her heart's not in it, not heart is not right. And as he ministers to the ninevites with a wrong heart. Guess what happens? The scripture says the whole town comes to Faith. Was that because of Jonah? No. If it got is because of that beautiful name that we serve the name of what is it? She's so Jesus said, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men. To me, not if you like MacAskill be lifted up. I I mentioned last week.

Why did God move Lori and I to New York? 36 years ago after church on Sundays and I know why he sent you here for us. I know why he sent you here for us for our family.

We don't know what God is doing, but here's what I know when I moved to New York with Lori and I moved in New York. We had done some research. We didn't do all the research. Maybe we should have done. But we did some research. We knew that the majority of churches in the area. We were looking to seven ran about 60 people. I'm saying. Okay, we'll find it at church running 60 people who I bet that's what I grew up in. I grew up in church is running about 60 people, so they won't care if I can get there. Who who

And God has blessed abundantly above all beyond that, over the years. I took a little church out and cost you enough for a little old. Ladies were there. I didn't want the church. I didn't want to be the pastor of the church. I was Supply. And another guy, and I were taking turns every other Sunday, he preached, and I presume, he preached and I preached, but he decide to take a vacation and asked me if I would preach and his Sunday slot. I said sure I'll preaching your Sunday slot. And when when he took that vacation, they asked me that one day. They said my brother says, here's the thing. We don't want to pick between you or pick between Dennis. We want one of you to be our pastor. Would you be our pastor and in my hat in the back of my head? I didn't say that. I said you can have it.

I said, well, I'll talk to Dennis and see what he says. I called Dennis on the phone and said, hey lady, they want to make a decision between you and me. And, you know, if you want it, you can have it. I'm, I'm backing out bass, bass. And I didn't say that to him. I was who I was back in the house. What's my plan of what God has in store for me? Then you said what we all said, they will. Let me pray about it. We prayed about it a couple days later. He he called me back. So I prayed about it and I don't want it. You can have it. In fact, I'm not ever coming back. It's all yours.

Lord. What would you have me to do? My heart wasn't in it?

So, I went back to the lady that next Sunday was my Sunday to preach again. Anyway, so if three Sundays in a row, they got me. And I figured they wanted me after 3 Sundays in a row at, that was really something. So, I preached again. I said why you talk with didn't want it. So, I guess, let me pray about it. That's spiritual. Let me pray about it. See what God and then Lori. And I went on vacation to Maine and we looked at a church or to at Main and they heard that I was a minister looking for a church and they are supposed to come check it out. We went and checked it out Monday. We went and talked with her leaders of the church. The small Church of 30 people is a break off of her home church after they had some issues there. A nice new building in 30 people. And I'm looking around. Okay, how do 30 some people afford to build a nice, new build and it was bigger than our own building and how do you start a 30? Some people in the leader of the boys are, well, I'm president of the bank. Don't say that like you're not got to know when to Hold'em know when to fold them. Right? I go. Okay, president of the bank. He's president of the board. Probably president of the church. Right. Right, then. It's just okay, that's not where I want to go. We came back Lori. I talked on our 8 hour, trip back from Maine, to the New York. We talked about before, 8 about it, and we knew, by the time we got back. This is where God wanted us to be. This area is so I went back to cost. You know that next week. I said, okay ladies after church or little old ladies errors, that you've asked me to be Pastor Lori and I prayed about it. I'll be your pastor. How do we make this official? They looked at each other. It's official.

That was us. That was us. That was our church service. On a sunny, my family and four little old ladies. It's official and then God bless it and begin to grow. And For you? Look through all four years later. God moved me here. Why? Why? Because there's a question that have always had not that I'm looking and we do that, we look at other people, we met pick other people, but that's the thing in my own heart. My own life is always been there since I encourage you in 2022, if you haven't done it in your life. Do it Lord. What would you have me to do? Lord, what would you have me? To do. Cuz it's always easy to say. Lord. They need to do this Lord. They need to do that. But it's not between. The Lord, you and them, it's between the Lord and you, and it's between the Lord and them. Lord. What would you have me? To do. He thought he was doing everything required. He was at enmity with God. How many times were in the same condition. We we believe that we're doing everything. We quired everything, right? Is everything religious? And we can be doing everything required everything, right? She's everything religious, but we can also be lost and doing that. One of the biggest problems. I think that we have in today's society outside of Maybe not asking got enough. What you'd have? He would have us to do. Is all things that we carry with us everywhere we go, these days. Those cell phones. Those not so smart phones. Right? Because I get us in trouble. Amen. Are we can't leave home without them. Right by we leave home? We got to turn around and go back and get them out. Cuz we, why are we meet? We can't. We can't live without that phone without having contact with the world and everything and everything. Everybody says our stuff and we read their stuff and we don't know what's truth. We don't know. What's right? And we spent hours upon hours on those things.

And we can't send spend 15 minutes in the truth. Can I get an amen? I'm I'm speaking to you. Alright, I'm speaking to you this morning. I understand. That's what I started doing yesterday. Once again, I'm going to read the Bible through. Okay, I did it. I read it yesterday. You know what? I found myself doing in the middle of my reading. No, I wouldn't go tomorrow. Thinking about everything I should be doing. I got to do this. I need it. It's like what? In the world wide Focus?

And I'm reading, I'm reading portion scripture in Genesis. But I can quote, you verbatim, because I've read it so many times that I'm just saying it. I'm not dwelling upon it. You know what? This is. It's a love letter from our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ. God In the Flesh. Wrote this to us about life today and things to come. Yes, the past is part of it, but here we are in things to come. And if we read his word as we would real love letter.

How many times do we read those love letters? Well, you know, most people get a love letter, that they would wrap it up and they would save it for years and years and years and then go back to it and they'd read it from time to time. Just a reminder, right? God has written us. A wrote Love Letter. We have a hard time getting into it. Why? Because we're saying Lord. There's things I want to do. Is this a lord? What would you have me to do? But I want you to look at something here with me this morning as we go back to chapter 9. Interpass, you saw last two important questions. Acts 9:5.

And he said, who are you? Lord? Good question.

So now I am Jesus. Whom you are persecuting. It's hard for you to kick against the goads. It's hard for you to go in to do the things so trembling. He trimming in astonishment. Lord question. What would you have me? What to do? What would you have me to do? That's a good question that we need to ask ourselves, Lord. What would you have me? To do. so he's asking first question Lord, who art thou The second question, what would you have me to do? So when I answer that question of how art, thou Jesus says, I am Jesus. I'm the one whom you are persecuting.

And I'm sure it's all thinking. I never had you stoned. I'm going to pick on you. Skip. Can I pick on you for a second? Okay. Underneath your seats are around you. There's probably Bibles and books. Would you want to pick him up and throw them at? Skip, we're going to persecute. Skip. Why are we going to persecute him? Cuz he's a Believer. Skip, are you a Believer? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you know where you're going? When you died? Where how do you know that? Because I'm a Believer cuz you're a believer in Jesus. That's all he doesn't why, right? So you're one of those Christians? Part of the way. A Jesus follower this doorway over there, get your books. We don't have stones or we'll do books, right?

So, if we truly persecuted him because he is a follower of Jesus. Who we really persecuted? Jesus. So can I pick on you doing?

Dwayne, I got a bone to pick with Dwayne a Lori, right? Cuz few years back. They got married on opening day of rifle season, but that's beside the They just celebrated an anniversary here, a few weeks back a month, or so ago. Right? November.

When I don't like you.

You know, that's not true, right? If I didn't like you because you made me go to a wedding on opening day of rifle season.

Right, but that's not really. Your Christian. I don't like you, because, you talked about that right between Mom and Dad and brothers, and the Baptist right? Which I are one, right? I didn't like that. Normally just getting if I'm picking on you because of your faith in Jesus Christ, if I hate you because some people hate us for that. Did you know that? Who am I really hating? Not Dwayne. I'm hating who he represents. Right. This is why it's always knew. He didn't understand that. I'm persecuting Steve and I'm just doing what? I'm doing what the government has asked me to do. Take that wherever you want. I'm going to follow them, and I'm going to persecute and listen folks. We haven't seen any persecution yet. You think we're being pretty in there. Things are changing, but we haven't seen anything yet. Not one of us have been threatened with loss of life. Have we? Yet? Scripture says that day will come I'm just doing what my job requires me to do. And that is to persecute those who are all of the waif. Those who are following this Jesus guy.

And then Jesus shows up on the scene. How amazing is that? Why are you persecuting? Me and Ian persecute? I persecuted Steve, and I persecuted this family over there in that family. They're know if you persecute them. You're persecuting me. In John chapter 14. Jesus says, I and my father are one. If you knew the father, you know me if you know me, you know, the father. So in the same message, when we become a child of God, you and me, and Jesus become one. Because if you know me. Lord, what would you have me to do if you know me as a Believer? You should be able to see Jesus in me. If you know, Jesus, as your lord Xavier, I should be able to see Jesus in you. Does that make us? Perfect. No, it does not make us perfect because we're still human. We are human. So wet. Therefore, we will fall. We will stumble, but guess what? If we don't care, when we stumble and fall that we meet need to check on this relationship, we have with Jesus. Because what comes out of her mouth. But no matter who's around. What we do in the darkness with nobody knows and nobody sees is truly Who We Are. Saw wasn't doing anything in the darkness. He was doing it in the light until. Until God blinded him. Look what he says. 460 heat traveling in a sunny-side Lord, what would you want me to do? Then? The Lord said to him, I Rise go into the City and you will be told what you must do. Well has he going to do that? He can't see nobody. Nobody is there that the other guys don't know what's going on this traveling with it. Who's he going to?

What, what happens? And the man who Journey with him and verse 7, stood speechless, hearing a voice and seeing no one then solve a rose from the ground. Let me stop. The men around him. Stood speechless. Hearing your voice. But seeing no one. Anybody else here ever experienced that? Who said that?

God has a way of getting our attention one way or the other. They heard a voice. They saw no one. First late, then saw the rose from the ground and when his eyes were opened. He saw no one, but they let him by the hand and brought him in to Damascus. And he was there 3 days without sight. Neither ate nor drank. I don't think I'd want to eat, or drink either in that situation. What's going on? Just had to Endeavor encounter with God With Jesus. Now, there's something before me to do. What am I going to do? Where we going with this? To the thing is that we seen. Song. Was willing to ask him questions.

What would you have me to do? Who are you Lord? What would you have me to do? Notice when he said, who are you? He use the word Laura cuz he knew something special was happening. Capital l4d.

And Acts chapter 9 verses 13 through verse 16. Wishes read this. Then ananias answered Lord. I have heard from many about this man. How much harm he has done to your Saints and Jerusalem, What's Happening? Here? Will the holy spirit is gone before. God is now, say hey, and a nice. I got a job for you to do this song, who's been persecuting Christians is coming to your house and you're going to take care of. Wait a minute. God don't you know who this guy is. Have you ever tried to inform God on stuff? We do, we do many times in our prayers, especially when we're praying for other people. Just saw the praying for brother so into her sister, so, and so did get them through this situation. Our prayers sometimes go like this. Lord we pray for brother Jerry. I don't know that we have a Gerry here this morning. We pray for brother Jerry. If we do, I'm just throwing this out. You know, he's got lung cancer and that lung cancer has come from years and years and years of smoking. He needs to give that up. Is that really how we need to pray? Lord, let's just pray for brother Jerry to take care of him health-wise the reach down and touch his body. Do it. Do we know that there's some things that need to change? I'm sure there are some things that need to change. But listen, if we're asking God to touch his body, don't you think? He can figure out the rest of it without filling him in? Because really what, we're not what we're doing. We're not feeling him and we're feeling everybody else in.

We really do that. Religious gossip stuff, right?

Ananias. Listen, opsahl's coming to your house. Saul's coming for a visit. Lord, I've heard about this man. How much harm is done to the church verse 13 verse 14. And here he has Authority from the chief Priests of mind. All, who call on your name. I hear what you're saying in tinnitus. But the Lord said to him, go. Go for he saw is a chosen vessel for who? Not for me, not for you. Jesus. He's a chosen vessel for me. Lord. What would you have me to do? Saul. Ask that question? And this is all I'm going to send you. The ananias and ananias is going to take care of you. He's a chosen vessel for me of mine to Bear my name. Before the Gentiles and the children of Israel. For, I will show him how many things he must suffer for. My namesake.

Would you rather be? Saul of Tarsus or ananias.

I want to be whoever God wanted me to be. If God has called us to be in, Anton is being ananias and God has called you to be a Saul of Tarsus be a Saul of Tarsus. But God is not calling you to be a solid person. Go about persecuting the Christians. He's calling you to be a solemn Tarsus to go about taking care of those that need to be taken care of, in his name. See his Hebrew name was Saul, Saul of Tarsus. Because Gentile name became Paul. The apostle.

When Jesus enters n. When we open up to him, let him in Lord, what would you have me to do? Things change. But when we think we've already got it all figured out. When we've been through this all of our lives and we've done it all of our lives. We got it figured out, don't we? The simple favor most of us here is that we know we need to be saved. And for most of us, I would say we are saying, I don't know that everybody here saved. Do you believe in the Lord? Jesus Christ? That's more than the head dollars. Do you have a relationship with him? That's what John 3:16 is all about. Is it not? For God. So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him. It's not just a head. Now is a relationship with him believing in him, needs to participate with him. Believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

We find that saw Paul states that Jesus came. To save Sinners of whom. I am chief. He said, For that. We should be thankful because We are sinners as well. I make this statement and I got people always who always hate it when I say it. That we are sinners saved by grace.

Somebody yell at me or not.

Child of God. Have you lied recent? Have you looked at something? You should have looked at? Have you thought of my bad thought that you have a wrong attitude? Those are so thin. See we try to justify why? I haven't murdered anybody. The same Jesus died for the Adolphus and the murderer died for the liar.

That's a big difference. Well, and in your eyes, I might we try to judge them. We say would like, and I can do this. This is a bad, but I know I shouldn't do this. I shouldn't murder somebody, but I can rip them apart. Verbally.

God has raised the bar for us as believers. The love people. As he wants us to love them. Two more versus we'll wrap this up. Philippians 3:7 through verse 11.

But what things were gained to me, those I counted for lost ye doubtless and I can't all things but lost with the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Jesus, my Lord Paula saying this for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them, but dong that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is true with the faith of Jesus Christ. The righteousness, which is of god by faith that I may know, him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made, conformable unto his death. If it, by any means, I may attain unto the resurrection of the Dead. Paul said, you know, my past life is nothing. I count as dung so that I can gain Christ for me to live is Christ to die is gain. Scripture says, do you feel that today? How do you feel like if you were to die today, your life would be over if you know Christ as your lord and savior. Your life is just beginning. You have eternity to spend with him. If you don't know a like Christ as your lord and savior, you still have eternity. You just not spending it with him. You're spending it with the devil and his angels in torment forever and ever. Virago spend eternity somewhere. A man. The choice is where do you want to go?

As for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord as for me and my house. We're going to be Believers followers of the way 2nd, Timothy 4:6 through verse 84. I'm already being. Poor is a drink-offering. The time of my departure is at hand. I fought a good fight. I finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there's light up for me, the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only but also to those who love his appearing. Do you love his appearing? Are you looking forward to that moment? When you can see Jesus face-to-face? Now, most of us were. Yes, I'm looking for, I can't wait for that. Just don't happen today. We'll do we or don't like and I can't wait for that day, to see you face to face. But I got things to do today and tomorrow. So if you tear your coming to let me be faithful, this is the key. Let me be faithful to you. Not to me. Lord. What would you have me to do? Let me encourage you this year. Wake up every morning. I asked the Lord that question. Lord. What would you have me to do?

That in all things. He might have preeminence. Father. We thank you for your goodness, your mercy and your love. We ask that you guide us and directors as only you can. Father, you know, as we head into a new year. It's really just another day that we we have before us. But we've already made plans for the year. We already are trying to get to the end of this year without living today for you. Father, we know what the past years. Do years have been like We don't want to see that again. We want things to get better and we want our lives to get back to normal. Whatever normal is.

But the best way for us to have a normal life. Is the ask you that question, what would you have me? Did you get her eyes off of one? Another get her eyes off, the things around us, get her eyes on you. It's not being numb to the things going on around weed. We need to be aware. But they look to you for guidance in for Direction. Lord. What would you have me? To do. And when you give us that answer and you do give us that answer. We need to follow through. You know, the need to know the burdens take care of those as you see fit in Jesus name, we pray.