In Season and Out of Season

Guest (Male): Behold, I stand at the door and knock. This is In Season and Out of Season, a Bible teaching ministry with Father Tom DiLorenzo.

Father Tom DiLorenzo: Father Tom here, we do this broadcast live. I was just talking on WEZE about Lydia. I want to continue, and I'm going to show you why people reject the more. So, we're going to just look at the 16th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, verse 14. They went to pray by the riverside and they met some women. There was a certain woman named Lydia, the seller of purple goods of the city of Thyatira, and she worshipped God and she heard us, and her heart was opened, and she attended unto the things that Paul spoke.

Paul was called in a vision to go to Macedonia, and so he goes to Macedonia and meets Lydia and preaches the gospel, and the heart of Lydia is opened. Listen: "And when she was baptized and her whole household, she besought us saying, 'If you have judged me faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay with me.'" And she constrained us.

Lydia wanted more. She wanted more of what Paul had to offer. It was not good enough that she be baptized. As I said, most people are just content with John 3:16, "God so loved the world that he gave his only son." Hallelujah, but there's more. There's "you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire." On the day of Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there's more even than that, more and more and more.

Lydia was a hungry woman. She wanted more of God. She wanted more of the gospel. She wanted to be sold out. She wanted to be sold out. Isn't it interesting how few people are sold out? Let me tell you what it says in 2 Chronicles: "The eyes of the Lord move to and fro across the earth to strongly support those whose hearts are completely his."

I'll read it again. The eyes of the Lord move to and fro across the earth to strongly support those whose hearts are completely his. Well, Lydia's heart was completely his, and she constrained Paul for the more. The Lord's eyes go across the earth to support those whose hearts are completely his.

Now, when I say those hearts that are completely his, I'm not talking about perfect people. The heart of Jeremiah was completely his, yet he cried out, "Cursed be the day when my father was told he had a boy child," because he was suffering. He was in a cistern. The eyes of the Lord found someone's soul that was completely his in Peter, yet he denied the Lord.

The eyes of the Lord are on people that are imperfect, but they always stayed in the race. They didn't quit when hard times came. I'm telling you, my friends, when hard times come, people run away. When difficulty seizes the hearts of God's elect, many people give it all up for a Snickers bar. That's real. Oh yes, many people give it all up for a Snickers bar. That's right.

When hard times come, oh yes, they'll hang in there when everyone's clapping. They'll hang in there when everyone's dancing. They'll hang in there when everyone's jumping. But when the difficulty comes, many of God's elect run away. I tell you, Jeremiah might have complained, but he didn't run away. Isaiah wanted to take the scroll and just bottle it up and not write and preach anymore, but he began to preach again even though people did not understand and hear the message and be converted.

Peter might have denied the Lord, but I tell you, he hung in there whether people liked it or not, and he was crucified upside down. Oh yes, Jeremiah, as I said, said cursed be the day that they told my father he had a boy child. Yes, but he hung in there. When difficulties come, many of God's people start singing "Sayonara" or, as I say, "Okinawa," goodbye. I want to join the circus. I'm going to find something else.

But when you're hungry and you've been seized by God and you've been marked by God, I'm telling you, my friends, even though you might be down for the count of nine, you still have one more number to get up and to start moving in faith and to start doing what God called you to do. I'm telling you, it is very difficult. But I tell you, the ones that stay in the race are the ones that get the prize. The ones that stay in the race are the ones that get the prize and are the ones that bring the blessing.

And yes, I'm not telling you it's easy. I would be a liar to tell you it's easy because it is not easy. I've been down for the count of nine. But you know what? By the grace of the living God, nine is not a finish. I needed one more number and I got up and I keep on getting up. Sometimes it's very difficult. Sometimes I just want to say I don't want to play this game anymore. Oh, I complain like Jeremiah. I complain like Jeremiah. Lord, why do I have to go through this? It's not fair. Look at the people around me. They're all so happy and here I am suffering. Oh God, but you know what? You know what? I'm still in the race by the grace of the living God, by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the blood that was shed at Calvary, I'm still in the race.

I might have been knocked down to the count of nine, and I pray that God would say about me: "My eyes move to and across the earth and I have found a heart that is completely his," even though he complains, even though he's been knocked out, even though he wants to quit sometimes, he stays in the race.

I'm looking now at 1 Peter 4:12: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing has happened unto you." Don't consider it strange that you are under a fiery trial, beloved, as if some strange thing has happened to you. But rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Yes, the sufferings of Jesus, the persecutions of Jesus. Don't consider it such a strange thing that you're under some kind of a fiery trial. Rejoice. I haven't been able to rejoice when I've been down to the count of nine. I'm going to tell you the truth. I'm going to tell you the truth. I'm not going to lie to you. I have not been able to rejoice when I've been down for the count of nine. But rejoice in so far as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, you shall be glad with exceeding joy.

For if you be reproached for the name of Jesus Christ, happy are you, for the spirit of glory and the spirit of God rests upon you. On their part, he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, as a thief, as an evildoer, as a busybody in people's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf.

I'm telling you, my friends, I know what it is to suffer as a Christian. I know what it is to be knocked down for the count of nine. I know what it is. I know what it is. I am not talking about something I read about in a book. I'm not talking about something that someone told me about. I know what it is to be in a fight and be in the ring and they count one, two, three, seven, eight, nine, and I get up and I'm a little punch-drunk, but I get up and I try to begin again at the count of nine. And might be knocked down again to the count of seven.

I'm telling you, count it all blessings if a man suffer as a Christian. Let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. I know, listen, if I told you what I have been going through for the last four months, you wouldn't believe it. You wouldn't believe it. I came to the point that I couldn't even preach for two months, that I couldn't even proclaim the word of God for two months on the radio. I had to put tapes on. Oh yes, I tell you, my friends, I understand what it means to suffer as a Christian. I understand what it is to suffer as a believer.

And I'm not saying that it was none of my fault. I'm not putting blame on anybody, but I know what it is to be down for the count of nine. But also I know that I've got to get up because maybe one more person will believe. Maybe one more person will be healed. Maybe one more person will come into the kingdom. Maybe one more person will be edified. Maybe one more person might go out and preach the gospel because I preach. Maybe one more person, just one more person would stay in the ring even though they've been knocked down.

Yeah, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing has happened to you. No, it's not strange because I tell you, the devil hates Jesus Christ, and because he can't get at Jesus, he gets at you and he gets at me. And he wants us to quit, to stay in the ring and be defeated. That's what he wants. That's what he wants.

But rejoice. I have not been able to rejoice yet in so far as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, you also will be glad with exceeding joy. And if you are reproached for the name of Jesus Christ, you are happy for the spirit of glory and the spirit of God rests upon you. On their part, he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. Let no man suffer as a murderer, as a thief, as an evildoer, as a busybody.

Yet in any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. Listen, for the time is come that judgment must begin with the house of God. And if it first begin with the house of God, what shall the end be of them that do not obey the gospel of God? I tell you, the judgment of God has been on the church for at least 15 years.

And now the judgment of God is upon the earth upon those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, those who hate God, those who would abolish the name of Jesus from the records, those who would say that God is not the creator of the heavens and the earth. I tell you, St. Paul in Romans 1 says to the pagans that they would know God by his creation, that they would have to come to know God by his creation, that this creation could not have come haphazardly and that the worshipping of idols or snakes or animals would be so stupid to worship the creature rather than the creator.

This was 2,000 years ago. He would say they would have to come to know God by his creation. And yet today in 2011, they forbid intelligent design to be taught as a theory in the schools, for they say it's totally foolish to teach that a God made the universe. St. Paul 2,000 years ago says that the pagans had no excuse for worshipping idols because creation would tell them that there was a divine intelligence that did this.

2,000 years later, with all the scientific evidence that we have and all the brains that we're supposed to have, we say that it was a Big Bang and that something came out of nothing. How foolish, how stupid, how ignorant that we will not let intelligent design be taught in our schools, that we abolish the name of Jesus Christ.

The judgment of God is upon the earth, and you know what it's hitting? Our pocketbooks, our money, jobs, our homes. That's right. I tell you, the judgment of God started with the house of God with the priest scandal. I know that, I know that. And the judgment of God has hit the church in her pocketbook.

Listen to what it says: "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that the judgment must begin with the house of God. And if it first begin with us, what shall the end be to them that do not obey the gospel of God?"

What shall the end be to the world that has accepted homosexuality and made it a law in Massachusetts that they can marry, that has accepted abortion on demand and killed children every single day? What shall this judgment look like on the earth with us who have denied the creator and have worshipped man as human, humanism, the religion of humanism?

You see, humanism is a religion. It is worshipped in our government schools, that man is the epitome of all. We worship man. We saw that this poor man, Mr. Jobs, that died, that made the iPad and the iPod and did all these wonderful things. I wonder how many people cared about his salvation.

You know, I don't know where Mr. Jobs is. I didn't die for him. But we hear all the wonderful things that he did, that he was an orphan and that he was adopted and that he always pushed forward. I wonder how many people cared about his salvation. I wonder how many people talked to him about Jesus Christ. I wonder, I have no idea. I don't know Mr. Jobs. I wasn't in his circle. You know, he died one of the most brilliant men in the whole world. Isn't that wonderful? But my God, what about Jesus Christ?

I tell you, this world is devoid of Jesus Christ and we hate him. Anything but Jesus in this world, anything but Jesus in this world. That's real. Anything but Jesus in this world. I could tell you I worship electric lamps and you'd say that's cool. But if I say I worship the eternal Son of God who gave his life for me, you call me a fool.

Judgment has come on the house of God and it is still on the house of God. And now it is on the earth. And what will it look like? It will look like financial ruin. God is judging the world, not only the United States, the world. The world economic system is going into the drink. I saw it in 1996. I proclaimed it from '96 until now.

There is only one solution, and that is to be hungry for God and to be hungry for Jesus and to repent and to get the message out to people because people need to know him. They need to give their life to him. His name is Jesus. His name is Jesus. And if the righteous can scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? I tell you, who has the hunger to preach the gospel? Who has the hunger to preach the gospel? Not many people. Not many people. Not many people.

And yet it's a matter of eternity. It's a matter of heaven and hell. There are so many preachers, but what are we preaching? There are so many teachers, but what are we teaching? I tell you, if you preach Christ, yeah, the fiery trial will come upon you. The fiery trials will come upon you. And you will be partakers of Christ's sufferings. You will be partakers of the sufferings of Christ.

You will be reproached for the name of Jesus. You will be. But rejoice that the spirit of God and the glory of God rests upon you. Yes, the judgment of God has begun with the house of God. But what shall the end be of them that do not obey the gospel? What shall the end be to the world?

There will finally be a battle between light and darkness. There will finally be a battle between Jesus Christ and Satan. There will finally be a battle, and that battle goes on continually in the hearts of people who believe in Jesus. That battle is for the outcome of the salvation of souls or the damnation of souls.

You have been knocked out and you've been down for the count of nine, but it's time to get up in the name of Jesus Christ and it's time to proceed despite what you have felt, despite your discouragement, despite your pain, despite your anger, despite your whatever. It is time to get up in the name of Jesus Christ and it is time to fight the good fight even though you are as weak as milk toast, because the spirit of God rests upon you. Father, make me and us hungry for the living God. Make us hungry for the living God. Make us hungry for the living God.

The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done unto me according to your word. And the Word became flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and dwelt among us. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

And I do need to hear from you. Father Tom is the mailing address. PO Box 602, East Boston, Mass, 02128. Father Tom, PO Box 602, East Boston, Mass, 02128. I need to hear from people. You know, you're not going to hear a broadcast like this. I'm preaching from my own woundedness. I'm preaching from my own inadequacies. I'm preaching depending upon the spirit of God.

I need to hear from you so that we can pay our bills. We have gone off of one station in Louisiana because we have heard from so few people. If I go off one, I'll go off others that I don't hear from if I can't pay my bill. The mailing address is simple: Father Tom, PO Box 602, East Boston, Mass, 02128. You can go to www.inseason.net. www.inseason.net and we have PayPal. You can leave a donation on PayPal. www.inseason.net. Father Tom, PO Box 602, East Boston, Mass, 02128. And your gifts are tax-deductible. You've been down for the count of nine? Up in the name of Jesus. God bless you.

Guest (Male): Behold, I stand at the door and knock. This has been In Season and Out of Season with Father Tom DiLorenzo. And remember that this ministry is supported only by the donations of listeners. So please help as the Lord leads you. Father Tom DiLorenzo, PO Box 602, East Boston, Mass, 02128. In Season and Out of Season.