'Words of Life' w/ Pastor Mark D. Ingram
'Words of Life' w/ Pastor Mark D. Ingram
A Total Eclipse of Our Hearts
Primary Scripture: Mark 7:18-23
Song of the Week: 'ME AGAIN'
© Mark D. Ingram / RevWrite Music
In this week's 'Words of Life' broadcast / podcast in lieu of eternity, Pastor Mark invites you on a celestial journey, from the onset of sin to the light of salvation, through the prism of an eclipse.
We delve into the heart of our spiritual struggle, grasping the truth JESUS explained to those who would listen that 'defilement' originates not simply from the fallen world around us, but primarily from within.
Within the 2nd synoptic gospel (Mark), we navigate what religious and ritual hypocrisy looks like when it threatens to interfere with our daily walk with GOD.
Through the lens of personal anecdotes and scriptural context, we uncover the pitfalls of counterfeit worship and the essence of a relationship with God built on sincerity and truth. Pastor Mark shares a poignant anecdote of misguided piety, reminding us that our actions must resonate with the spirit of our Creator. This episode isn't just about recognizing our flaws; it's a call to genuine self-reflection and a reminder of the daily need for confession, rooted in the hope and redemption offered by Jesus Christ, our only mediator to the Almighty.
In closing, we gather in prayerful meditation, acknowledging our human frailty and the ceaseless grace of God. Pastor Mark's heartfelt invocation stirs within us a longing to fulfill our role as beacons of light and salt in a world in need of His love and guidance.
With 'the total eclipse of our hearts' reconciled through GOD'S gracious gift of JESUS, eternal hope is a reality.
This week's broadcast / podcast isn't simply a message; it's an invitation to stand with us, in the fullness of frailty, faith, and humility, as we aspire to live in the warmth of His eternal promise.
Join us in this episode for a stirring call to foster the personal and profound relationship with our Savior that will sustain us since JESUS alone, is the only Mediator able to 'blot out' the total eclipse of our hearts for eternity.
In lieu of eternity, sermons and musical artists are featured to extol JESUS CHRIST as the sole hope for the eternal souls of humanity.
We thank you for joining our Words of Life broadcast or podcast, where our mission is making God known for extolling Jesus, the Christ, as the sole hope for the eternal souls of humanity. We now join Pastor Mark for this week's Words of Life message.
Speaker 2:Hey, there again to you, our Words of Life, listeners and viewers. I am Pastor Mark and it is Easter morning and I am just really grateful because the truth of the matter is, my heart is full, just the fact that I know who I am, I know my sinful heart, I know how God's mercy and grace have covered me my entire life and the fact that I deserve eternal death. But God stepped in, jesus conquered death and the grave, and for that I am eternally thankful for the work of Jesus Christ on my behalf on Calvary. And now his Holy Spirit lives within every believer, and so I could not start today's message off without just thanking God for my soul salvation in the work of Jesus Christ. And secondly, I want to start off by thanking you, because the truth of the matter is you could have been doing anything else. You could have been. If you're watching this broadcast, you could have been watching anybody else. If you're listening to the podcast, you could have been listening to somebody else, but the truth of the matter is you have allowed God's spirit to direct you to this ministry to hear a word from him, and for that my wife and I, we truly are grateful. That being said, let's jump right into our message for the week.
Speaker 2:I'm going to ask that you turn to the gospel of Mark. You have the first three gospels in the New Testament Matthew, mark, and then no, that's the second one. Matthew, mark, luke, there we go, I better wake up. No, that's the second one. Matthew, mark, luke, there we go, I better wake up. Matthew, mark, luke, mark is that second synoptic gospel. Synoptic meaning those first three gospels. They tell Jesus's story similarly. A lot of S's there. I'm going to ask that you turn to Mark, chapter seven, verse 18. And I'm going to read down to verse 23. Again, I'll ad lib for just a little bit longer, give you an opportunity to turn to the book of Mark, chapter 7, beginning at verse 18, and I'm going to read the New Living Translation here, mark 7, beginning at verse 18,. And here is our text for the morning.
Speaker 2:Jesus says to his disciples can't you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn't go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. By saying this, jesus was declaring that every kind of food is acceptable in God's eyes. And then he, jesus, added it is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride and foolishness or folly. All these things, these vile things verse 23 closes come from within, ie the heart. They are what defile or desecrate or profane you. May the Lord add a blessing to the hearers, the readers, but, most importantly, those that intend to do, with God's help, his holy word.
Speaker 2:The title that I would like for us to consider for this week's message is A Total Eclipse of Our Hearts, a Total E eclipse of our hearts, and my initial thoughts have been reflecting because we're approaching this event. All eyes have been looking forward to this rare phenomenon occurring, whereas people are consumed with a celestial event that we know as an eclipse. In simple terms, what is an eclipse? Well, an eclipse is the blocking or the blotting out of the light from one celestial body, and celestial bodies are that belonging to or related to the heavenly realm, ie planets, stars, galaxies, so on and so forth. So an eclipse is the blocking or blotting out of the light from one celestial body by another and its source of light In the natural sense. I want us to think of it as, in the simplest terms, the Earth, the moon and the sun, all celestial bodies. The earth, the moon and the sun, all celestial bodies. They will align, but we on earth are not receiving the light that earth naturally would because of one celestial body interrupting by coming between the pathway or alignment of the other two, two.
Speaker 2:Although this defines an eclipse, you know, it actually mirrors spiritually what occurred when humanity was separated from God. This happened by a fallen, discarded angel who sinned, satan, and, regrettably, death and darkness interrupted and came between the eternal relationship that God has always desired to have with us. But just as an eclipse is a temporary event, god is eternal and he has always had a plan for humanity. Satan and sin. Throughout the history of time, they have purposely wedged itself. Satan, the author of sin. He has purposely wedged himself between our vision, our connection and relationship with a God, the only God of the universe, who loves humanity.
Speaker 2:2nd Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 3 and 4, corroborate this fact. I'm going to read the New Living Translation version. The verses state if our gospel is veiled, if it is hidden to those who are perishing, it is Satan who is the God of this world. These people are already perishing. If you do not and here's a note that pay close attention If the gospel to you is foolish, if you can't really grasp it or understand it, you're just totally lost, lost. It agitates you, like, what is this? The Bible says that if it is veiled, it is hidden from those who are perishing, and the reason this is so is because the God of this world that we must live in, he's not in control of all. God is but God for a season, has allowed Satan to be the God of this world and he has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the good news. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
Speaker 2:So as we begin our message, it is crucial that we understand the condition of the human heart prior to beginning our exegesis. So let's backtrack momentarily to establish a fact. There was something, ie sin, caused by somebody, ie Satan. And sin and Satan came between, and Satan purposely interrupted the original plan for humanity to rule on earth while being securely in God's presence forever. Now, this interruption, this blockage, this darkness which can separate us from God eternally, it has been instantiated since birth for every single human being that has ever lived. Sin is hereditary, it is unavoidable, and we must see our hearts as God sees them, in spirit and in truth, if there is any hope of being securely with God eternally.
Speaker 2:Sin is what causes the darkness, the stain, the hopelessness, all that infects humanity, symbolically blocking and interrupting our fellowship with and, in some cases, an eternal relationship with, god. Thus, sin has caused this total eclipse of our hearts. Let there be no doubt about it Without God's one and only remedy, there is hope for nobody. We are hopeless. That's a fact, period. Or, as my students say, facts, mr Ingram. Without God's one and only remedy, we are hopeless. And so, as we drive towards the one remedy that God has for humanity, let's ponder God's exact words, in case there might be someone watching the broadcast or listening to the podcast and they believe that they're good enough in their own efforts, their own goodness and their hearts can't be as hopeless as God has deemed.
Speaker 2:Let's start in the book of beginnings, with the origin of humanity. After Adam's initial fall, genesis, chapter 6, verse 5, this is the NIV version reads the Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth and that every inclination, ie the intentions or plans of the wheel, or feelings or intellect, all of it of the thoughts of the human heart, was only evil all the time. You see, people see our outside hey, this is me. But God sees our unspoken, hidden inner selves and says, no, this sinful is really you. And we have this habit of you know, we masquerade People, see that outer us and we've got it all together, but the truth is we really don't. Jeremiah, chapter 17, verses 9 through 10. And this is the Berean version.
Speaker 2:The heart is deceitful above all things. It is beyond cure. It fools us into thinking we've gotten it, we got it together. It fools us into thinking, hey, I'm all right. It fools us into believing, hey, don't, nobody know about that. But God does.
Speaker 2:The verse says the heart is deceitful above all things. It's beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve. And in that, god's mercy, god's grace, and I'm thankful for his mercy, his grace and his pity towards me, towards us, it is immense, it's unimaginable, because God hasn't dealt with us, he hasn't dealt with me as our sins, as my sins deserve. But notice what he said prior to Calvary According to a man's way and his deeds way in his deeds, that's what humanity, that's what we really have earned eternal death and separation from God. But again, as I started the message off on this Easter morning, I thank God for Jesus and his Holy Spirit now doing the work in our hearts as believers, because this symbolic eclipse of the heart, it is temporary and it is not eternal for those who will believe and accept Jesus's work on our behalf, because now his Holy Spirit indwells us and he will perfect that which concerns each and every one of his children. So let's read a few more verses before we get to our exegesis and we're just going to really focus in on what God says about our hearts, so that there can be no doubt that, oh my gosh, I'm a wretch.
Speaker 2:Ecclesiastes, chapter seven, verse 20, 20, new Living Translation Version, states not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. In other words, there is nobody. And if you flip that sentence, everybody sins, even Christians. The only difference is we're expecting Jesus to do this work in our hearts and to bring us spotless before the only God, the Holy One of all. That's the only difference. Being a Christian doesn't mean you're perfect. The Bible just tells us that Not a single person on earth, even Christians, none of us, are good and never sin. A Christian still sins. We're just covered by the blood of Jesus and we have accepted Jesus's free gift and we sin less and less as God brings us towards our death date to meet him.
Speaker 2:Psalm 14, verses 1 through 3, the English Standard Version states the fool in his heart says there is no God. They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds. There is none who does good. The verses continue the Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside together. They have become corrupt. There is, the verses reiterate there is none who does good, not even one. And so it is critical, before we get to this exegesis of our opening text, it the verses Jesus addresses the condition of our hearts within a parable because uber religious Pharisees and scribes.
Speaker 2:You know they were present and you know they came to watch Jesus, to interrogate him, and you know, and as they were there watching Jesus and his disciples, they were demonstrating the rituals of hand washing before eating, you know, but at this particular time, the disciples, they weren't doing any hand washing at this gathering. I guess they were just ready to eat. Now there's absolutely nothing wrong with hand washing before you eat your meal, nothing wrong with hand washing before you eat your meal. But for the Pharisees and the scribes, on this particular day, it was a pompous religious I am good enough outward show of religious hypocrisy. And it added this unnecessary spiritual component by treating hand washing as this uber spiritually ceremonial act to be respected. And now the disciples keep in mind, you know, they're following Jesus, they're feeding thousands, they're fishing. At times they knew the law, but they didn't get caught up in this religious traditional display of acting as if washing hands before eating was this religious ceremonial requirement, matter of fact, in verse two, the verse indicates that the religious elders saw the disciples about to eat, but they hadn't washed their hands like they had Thereby. Oh, my goodness, these are the disciples of Jesus. Their hands are defiled, they are tainted, they are not as spiritual as we are.
Speaker 2:Verse 5 then reads so the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. They asked Jesus why don't your disciples live according to the traditions of the elders instead of eating their food with these defiled, unwashed hands. Oh yeah they. They felt spiritually superior. Jesus saw through their motives and their hypocrisy, though, and he replied you are hypocrites. You honor with your lips, but your hearts, your hearts, they are far from God. You worship in vain, but your teachings are merely human rules. You set aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions, thereby nullifying the word, making it of non-effect, the word of God.
Speaker 2:Then Jesus concludes his conversation with the religious community, and he calls the crowd to him to announce truth, and I think that's very important, because sometimes, if we just think about this in context, we can get so caught up in rituals, religions and traditions, and then you have a whole body, a whole church congregation, more focused on all of that instead of what matters the most. And so Jesus not only corrected and addressed the untruth, he caused the crowd to him to announce the real truth. In verse 15, he states nothing outside a person can defile them, can desecrate them by going into them. In other words, no unwashed, dirty hand that touches and then eats food at a table that maybe hasn't been washed. That does not make a person unclean, profane or desecrated. Rather, it is what comes out of a person, originating from inside of a person, ie the heart that defiles, desecrates and profanes them.
Speaker 2:And this now brings us full circle to our opening text, where Jesus specifies what really defiles humanity the things that come from within us. It is a sin-sick, darkened, interrupted, hopeless heart, without God's intervention on our behalf. That is what defiles every human being that has lived. It is what comes from inside that defiles us, rendering everybody no-transcript. Come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these vile things come from within, ie the heart. They are what defile us, the vile things from within our hearts. These are the obstacles that obscure the daily light of God that we need lest we continue going on deceived by sin. And, regrettably, we continue with this total eclipse of our hearts.
Speaker 2:And so how can we get ourselves, as we transition from the text to our call to action application point? How can we get restored or reconciled so that Satan and sin no longer interrupt, they no longer block, our daily fellowship or eternal relationship with God? How can we get ourselves realigned? Here's call to action, point number one we must evaluate if rituals, tradition or religion blocks our view of God. I'll repeat call to action, point number one, if you're taking notes, we must always evaluate if rituals, tradition or religion blocks our view of God. You know, sometimes we can be just like the Pharisees and the scribes. We might do it in another way and today it might sound like you know that religious, pious, hypocritical, you know superior. It can sound like this today, you know what. Today, you know what. You must tithe and you must pay your 10%, or God is mad and you are robbing God. Well, no, he isn't mad and you're not robbing God.
Speaker 2:I've often told members and believers at times you know, if the option remains, okay, it's the end of the month or the beginning of the month Pay my mortgage or rent or pay the tent. Please pay your rent or mortgage. Okay, god does not want you to be put out and then have to go to the church or take out a loan just to pay your rent or your mortgage. No, if the option remains you are hearing it from a preacher Pay the rent or pay the tent. Please pay your rent. Okay, our first ministry is always home, for how can a man or woman oversee the house of God without first mastering and taking care of his own. But you know what that's exactly, what false religion can impose this set of rules and rituals. And you have to do this. And Jesus died for relationship with us, not rules and rituals that we must carry out to please him.
Speaker 2:Okay, false religion will impose that interruption of the relationship that God desires the most. You know, I've visited, I know people that have almost died was I was at the hospital, I was at the bedside and I never saw those spiritual leaders. But now that the person is healed, the first thing that person gets. So when are you going to send your tithes in? And I'm sitting there like wow, but she almost died. That's foolishness. Ok, we, we have to always evaluate and our rituals, traditions and is.
Speaker 2:Is all of this religion blocking my view and my relationship, my growth, my walk with God? I mean, is this perception of outward religion, the collars that care about looking spiritual but then won't even do the basics of what God really requires Love somebody, be there with them, mourn with them, buy a meal if you have to, just listen, don't talk about it. Be like Christ. That's what we must become. But when we concern ourselves with how others view us instead of how God views us. Well, that's when fellowship with God can be blocked because he isn't pleased, and it's like we're masquerading on the outside. You know I'm blessed, but on the inside we are still a mess, and God sees it all. That's one of the things my dad, god bless his heart. I've been a minister preaching the gospel for some 23, 24 years and, you know, under my dad for those first eight, and he, you know, would always tell me, son, the secret to staying in lockstep with the Lord your, your relationship is secure, but you want that daily fellowship. You address your mess before God gets to it, and that is so true. As parents, we always discipline our children to stop something worse from occurring. And if we do not address and discipline, then the worst possibly would occur. And so we have to stop this masquerading on the outside. Oh, you know I'm so blessed, but on the inside we let stuff slide. No, I'm blessed, but I'm still a mess, and God sees it all. Confess it, god already sees it.
Speaker 2:I'll give you a great example of something that happened recently. One day, a friend of mine she looked pale and she also had this sour mood for the day, and it's all good because she's normally jovial, so she informs me why her mood is so messed up. She said you know, I'm hungry, I'm like, you know. My reply was like, okay, you want something to eat? I got you. And her reply was no thanks, I'm fasting, you know. So my inside silent voice thinks okay, nevermind that.
Speaker 2:Jesus said we shouldn't fast like this, for recognition or sympathy, going around telling everybody. But you know, it is what it is. But it's what she said next that tickled me. She let her stomach growl real loudly in the midst of our conversation and she literally cussed. And you know I didn't judge her, I just laughed because I offered okay, now, shouldn't you, you know, prayerfully, think about relinquishing the fast right now so you can eat and you don't probably faint or fall out? And she responded why would I do that? And I'm like if I cuss, doesn't that render that I can't eat meat? Reasoning null and void right now. And her reply uh-uh, but that's different. And at that I just couldn't help. But you know, I laughed because that really is.
Speaker 2:I'm not laughing at her, but if we are not careful and we don't check ourselves, that is the true condition of our hearts on any given day. I look good outwardly, I'm doing the spiritual things, I'm fasting, I give my tithes, my time, my money, but inside we still have a lot of unconfessed sin and that then brings in this hopelessness that sometimes Satan will whisper in our ear and then that wretchedness that our hearts are man on any given day. That's us. We will do, we will look good outwardly, but inside still we are sinful and it can look hopeless and wretched without the saving grace of Jesus Christ. And we have to understand when we add rituals, when we add traditions, religious works to the simple come as you are invitation that Jesus espouses, it blocks our fellowship and our communion with the God of humanity.
Speaker 2:And so it was this outward display of the Pharisees and the scribes in the text lifting their hands to be seen with this ceremonial washing while letting the water roll off, so that everybody could see that they were indeed clean and deserving and hopeful of. Oh, they are so spiritual and so holy. Jesus said nope. Matthew 23, verse 28. So you are also outwardly appearing righteous to others, outwardly appearing righteous to others, but within the heart you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Speaker 2:John, chapter 4, verse 24, the word says God. He is a spirit and those that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. To say that we must worship God in spirit simply means that it must originate from a sincere heart. Lay it bare, lay it bare. And that literally brings me to our call to action, point number two when we lay stuff bare, we must see, then confess the sin within our heart daily. Again, we must see, then confess the sin within our heart daily. We just don't want it to fester, you don't want it to build up. You know we have to have a sincere heart when we worship and we come to God in spirit and in truth. He already knows it. He sees within our hearts anyway. He knows if we're going to try to be deceitful by keeping up that symbolic guard. Yet Jesus has already laid bare what lies within the hearts of each one of us in our opening text, informing us that we are defiled not by what we do or put into our bodies, but what originates from within our sin, sick heart. And it is crucial that every single day, now, as a believer, our relationship with Jesus, our relationship with God eternally, for a believer it is secure, but the fellowship that can be impacted on a daily basis. So again, as my dad would often say, confess the mess before God gets to it. We have to see into our hearts and then confess that sin within on a daily basis.
Speaker 2:Proverbs the book of wisdom, chapter 21, verse 2, the English Standard standard version states every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart. Even when we purpose to do good, you know, it's a miss at times and we need God's daily guidance to truly help us because our intent, it might be good in our eyes, but deeper in that, sin filledicks our hearts and comes from without, comes out. It could be our mouth, it could be our actions. It's just a daily fight. And if again I have someone that's watching the broadcast or listening to the podcast and you're like, not me, you tripping, no, that literally happened doing a church service, as I was preaching from the pulpit and an elder lady, she said not me, no, darling, yes, you too, all of us.
Speaker 2:First, john, chapter one, verse eight and nine, 9. The word of God says if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and again the word corroborated that earlier. The heart is deceitful above all things. So if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, that's what we just, that's what we're literally purposing to do in this application. Point number two confess the mess. If we confess our sins, then God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Why is God the faithful promise, keeper? Why is he just to forgive us our sins and then wipe our slate clean, renewing and creating in us a clean, renewed heart? Well, he can do so because of what Jesus did on our behalf this weekend. Call to action. Point number three perfect setup.
Speaker 2:We need to understand that attempting to access God is impossible without accepting Jesus. I want to say that again because this is the only reason, preachers, we have been given and called to preach Attempting to access God is impossible without accepting Jesus. 1 Timothy, chapter 2 and 5, for there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, that is the man Christ Jesus. And so now this total eclipse of the heart. It can be removed because on one side, you the spectrum, there is humanity Lost, hopeful, sinful, defiled, and now darkness has been pushed out of the way because the one mediator that stands right in the middle, that has imparted himself, making like a bridge the cross, we can now cross over to God. It is God's only begotten son, jesus the Christ. And so now that perfect alignment, the total eclipse of the heart is gone and now humanity has been realigned, we have been reconciled to God if we agree to accept the one mediator that stands between God and men and he intercedes on our behalf.
Speaker 2:There are not get this clear as we get ready to conclude there are not many options or ways to God. There's only one are not many options or ways to God. There's only one Jesus alone. He is our go-between, our mediator, who has defeated Satan and death and, as I said earlier, he has now reconciled us. He has restored God's presence. We have him forever now, his eternal light and life. When all was eternally lost for humanity, life is no longer eclipsed or interrupted for the believer. Our sins have been blotted out because of our acceptance of this free gift that God is giving to anyone who accepts his precious offer. There is now no condemnation for those of us who are securely in Christ Jesus. There is no longer a total eclipse of the heart for a Christian who trusts in Jesus alone to complete the good work that he has started within our hearts by his Holy Spirit, who now indwells every believer.
Speaker 2:As I conclude, I'm going to conclude with Psalm 138 and 8, because it's probably my favorite verse, because God is a promise keeper and I am encouraged on the days that my heart is just screaming you're guilty, you're guilty, you're guilty. Mark the verse and I pray it daily. You, o Lord, will perfect that which concerns me. Your mercy, o Lord, endures towards me forever. You will never forsake the works of your hands. You will never forsake the works of your hands, which I am Now.
Speaker 2:I want us to notice something as we prepare for our invitation to Christ. Did you notice that during the preparation for an eclipse, the news everybody warns us that special glasses are encouraged or irrevocable harm to our eyes and vision are foretold. It can't occur. Well, meeting God after death is no different. Irrevocable harm will occur eternally if we reject Jesus as the only remedy that God has provided to mediate and to reconcile us to him. Greater is Jesus who has overcome Satan and death, and Jesus has properly removed him as ruler over those of us who have accepted God's gracious offer. We have been properly realigned God's gracious offer, we have been properly realigned. We are back in fellowship and eternal relationship with God through Jesus alone. But if you have not accepted God's gracious offer or if you reject him through this or any other invitation to claim Jesus exclusively as the only way to safely be guided into the light that God alone is, you are playing dangerously with your eternal existence and risk being cast into utter darkness and unimaginable torment forever.
Speaker 2:Listener, viewer, we must know this God's offer is time sensitive. Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow is not promised. God set our departure dates before he even placed us in our mother's womb and we took our first breath on this planet earth. And this is the only reason that we stand before you today to extol Jesus, the Christ, as the sole hope for the eternal souls of humanity. No religious rules, no opinions to offer you, no requests for monetary support. And we certainly don't stand before you in our own strength as if we have it all together. If we're being honest, none of us do. I certainly don't.
Speaker 2:Jesus said it, but guess who does God? Does Jesus, does His Holy Spirit that dwells within our heart perfecting and getting us ready for this eternal date with God? He's got it together, and it's why I can confidently offer him to you at this very moment, because he is the only promise keeper. No one can come to God unless God draws them to him, through Jesus alone. And maybe today is the day that God is drawing you. If you're watching this broadcast, if you're listening to the podcast, it's not luck, it's an appointment. God had you list. Maybe this is your invitation day, that God is asking you, drawing you into this eternal relationship and fellowship with him at this very moment. Do not take it for granted. If this is you, all you must do to repeat to secure your eternal security in our Lord and Savior. Just repeat this simple prayer in faith with me.
Speaker 2:Oh Lord, I'm going to A acknowledge that I am a sinner. My heart is as sinful as you have warned us that it is. I cannot come to you in my own goodness and effort, and this is why I will B believe. I believe that you alone. You're the only son of God. You have taken away the sin of the world, of which I am a part of. I am in the world now, but because I believe in you, I no longer belong to the world. I belong to you exclusively, and it is now why I will go forward and do the last thing, which is see, confess. I will confess with my mouth that you alone. Confess. I will confess with my mouth that you alone, you are my sole Savior and Redeemer. You have reconciled me back to God. You have removed the scales from my eyes so that I will now see and understand this glorious gospel of Christ. Because of Jesus, I am saved and I say Amen, or it is so. Well, viewer, listener, we are elated for you that you have made the best decision of your life. And if you are not one of those that accepted Christ today and you are a believer already, there's still some work for us to do, just daily, looking within our hearts to make sure that we don't leave any sin unconfessed in there, because if we do, that's when that darkness and that defilement comes up, and it was the whole reason once humanity started, for the total eclipse of our hearts that Jesus has now taken care of for us eternally.
Speaker 2:This is Pastor Mark again, and I want to thank you for tuning in to this week's Words of Life episode. Also, be on the lookout, because I think my wife's next episode drops and her broadcast and podcast is also called Biblical Thoughts with Twala, and the Words of Life broadcast podcast, as well as Biblical Thoughts, the broadcast and the podcast. Both of those are free. How you might ask? Well, all you have to do is download our Roku channel. Just look for the logo. And if you do find that Words of Life logo, words of Life with Pastor Mark D Ingram, you'll notice that you can download our Roku channel for free for sermons, music videos, short films, as well as the digital app for Biblical Thoughts and Words of Life. If you want that to travel with on your phone, your laptop, you can find our digital app at Amazon, spotify, apple Music as well, and that too, our app is free.
Speaker 2:As I get out of here, man, I thank you all for joining us, but until the next time we meet, same pastor, same words of life, which is the word of life, god's word. I'm out of here, and before I do that, I want to leave you with the song of the week. It is called Me Again. Hey y'all, this is my prayer. It's a long one, but I hope that you find something in there. That, lord, that's me, forgive me, we're out of here. Song of the week. We love you See you next week. Bye-bye, it's me again.
Speaker 2:It's why I'm calling out to you. It's me again, my God. You created me. You know everything about me. You searched my heart from afar To see if I'll keep up the guard or run to you for help. You know my rising up and my sitting down. You live within me and still surround you, formed before I came from mother's womb, not a minute late, nor did I arrive a minute too soon. Time is temporary, so that I will be, because my forever with you is eternally.
Speaker 2:So, in spirit and the truth, it's me again. It's me again Cause you know me through and through. It's me again, even when I'm in control. It's me again. It's why I'm calling out to you. It's me again, my God. I am a woeful sinner, saved only by your grace. I can imagine, but I can't picture the glory of seeing your face. Angels cover their eyes, so I'd best recognize that hope is the essence of you. And lest I forget how exalted you are, their feet must be covered too. Though the enemy roam, there's me, let alone Coping with snares that surround. But in confidence I seek, because in every defeat your grace much more abounds. So, spirit in the truth. It's me again, cause you know me through and through. It's me again, even when I'm in control. It's me again, even when I'm misconstrued. It's me again. It's why I'm calling out to you. It's me again, my God.
Speaker 2:Only you alone can perfect every issue that to this day concerns sinful me. Your loving kindness and your patience, my God, can perfect every issue that to this day concerns sinful me. Your loving kindness and your patience, my God, they mean more than this life to me. It endures forever. Your love, that is. You can't forsake the work of your hands that I am. Before you command it, let there be. You anointed me for your plans. Spirit in the truth. It's me again, cause you know me through and through. It's me again, even when I'm in control. It's me again. It's why I'm calling out to you. It's me again, my God. I must admit, this thorn in my side Erases sinful pride, a heart I miss, like the betrayal of a kiss Is why I might not abide In your midst, creating me a clean heart, cause today I'm here, laying at your feet. Where?
Speaker 2:do I start when, enveloped by dark On the days, I feel like defeat. Without you, with sin, it feels like whack-a-mole they pop up, but the show ain't a game. Victory now, but tomorrow comes and I'm stumbling back in the same. So, spirit, in the truth, it's me again, cause you know me through and through. It's me again, cause you know me through and through. It's me again, even when I'm in control. It's me again. It's why I'm calling out to you. It's me again, my God. Everybody's blessed, but am I the only best? Cause the heart you search and you see, blessed and favored, is cool.
Speaker 2:But I'm kinda confused Cause I'm struggling in reality. There are days I wanna cuss and even scream, but trials perfect these temporary things With no condemnation. Relationship is based on you being the one, not me being my very best, for when I confess my sin, you are the faithful one. So, in spirit and the truth, it's me again, cause you know me through and through. It's me again. It's me again, even when I'm in control. It's me again. It's why I'm calling out to you. It's me again, my God, with expectation from the promise keeper. I want to know what you have in store, but with every wish and your will for me. Why am I always at war, can't catch a break, even in my dreams I toss and I turn because I fight. But when I sleep, your thoughts of me, they outnumber the stars. At night, when I feel barren and naked to the world, like you didn't clothe me in righteousness, can I feel your embrace, encased in your arms, just to give me some peace and some rest? It's me again. It's why I'm calling out to you. It's me again, my God, your love for me, unconditional as I am temperamental. But I'm still relying on you. Not one good thing you withhold If I'm just devoted to Trust you, love you, obey you and walk with you, talk to you, listen to you, praise you and worship you. Lord, where else could I go? I might not know much, but this much I surely know.
Speaker 2:So, in spirit and the truth, it's me again. Does you know me through and through? It's me again, even when I'm in control. It's me again. It's why I'm calling out to you. It's me again, my God. You're God, the Almighty alone and Lord, I know there's only you. I know that you're not finished with me.
Speaker 2:So, lord, what would you have me to do? I thank you for brand new mercy, to which start every day anew, want to stand, but I fall, because I realize my dependence upon you and all that you expect in me, light or salt. Help me to pursue Every step, every breath. How, how dare I predict the day, morning, noon or sleepless night? It's you who lights my way, so it's spirit and the truth. It's me again, cause you know me through and through. It's me again, even when I'm in control. It's me again, even when I'm in control. It's me again. It's why I'm calling out to you it's me again, my God, oh Lord, hear my prayer, my plea, as I approach you every day, because it's me and I know I'm in need, bearing my heart before judgment day. I know you're risen and thinking of me, but sometimes I don't understand. So.
Speaker 2:I'm leaning on my faith alone. Lord, it's just me again. Take my hand, help me stand. Lord, it's me, me again.