The Healing Word

Narrator: The Healing Word Ministry on One Place is brought to you by the generous donations of people like you. At any time during today's message, feel free to send a prayer request or make a donation using the links provided. Now, I pray you will be blessed as Pastor Jack Morris delivers a message from the Word of God that will encourage and strengthen your faith in Him.

Pastor Jack Morris: Friend, there's a lot of things in your life going on right now that absolutely doesn't count for anything. It won't make you happier in this life and it's going to have nothing to do with taking you into the next life. You're wasting your time on things that don't count.

Narrator: Welcome to The Healing Word, a ministry dedicated to offering strength and encouragement through God's word for anyone facing life's challenges. Today's message is here to meet you at your point of need, bringing hope and renewing your faith. Now, here's Pastor Jack Morris.

Pastor Jack Morris: I want to tell you a story that happened. It was December 22, 1989. It wasn't all that long ago and it happened in a city, Brasov, over in Romania. You see, it was on December 22, 1989, that communism fell. The Soviet Union fell apart. Friend, nothing will stand without Jesus being the foundation of it.

The philosophies of men do not work. They sound good. I studied philosophy at New York University and I found out that only Jesus, the foundation of life, will abide forever world without end. Jesus. Well, there was a minister, a young minister by the name of Hans-Dietrich Strauss. He woke up on December 22 that morning to learn that communism was over in Romania. For years, communism told him what he could do and what he couldn't do. There's only freedom in Jesus, friends. True freedom in Christ.

And he was so thrilled that he hurriedly put his clothes on and ran down to the church. It was an old building and way up in the steeple was a big heavy bell. And he grabbed the rope and he began to ring it. And he pulled on that heavy rope for about a half hour. It was cold, freezing out. He pulled on it until he began to perspire and then he had to stop to catch his breath.

And when he stopped to catch his breath, he heard bells all over that city ringing from the churches. He couldn't hear them for his own bell ringing. People were celebrating. They were free. Thank God, free at last. Free to praise and worship and celebrate Jesus. Friend, come on, take advantage of your freedom. The freedom that we have in Christ is not some small thing. The house of God.

So Hans-Dietrich walked briskly to the city square and when he got to the city square, it was still dark and the sun was just coming up. And when he got to the city square, there were hundreds of people there kneeling, many of them. Many of them praying, many of them crying, some standing because Christmas was just a few days away. They were remembering Jesus and the freedom that they had in Jesus and that His freedom will last forever and ever.

All the philosophies of men, the thoughts of men, the ideas of men, they're all of men and we're not God, we're just people. But God had a plan and it came through the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in verse 26, would you put that on the screen? Verse 26. Look at it. "You are all sons of God." If I were to come down and I point to each one of you, if I could go to each one of you, male or female, you're a son of God. You're a son of God. You're a son of God.

We are all sons of God. What is Paul talking about? Now notice, it comes out of the book of Galatians because Paul had established a Christian congregation in a country called Galatia. And now he is writing to the Galatians. Now get this, the Galatians were not Jews. They were Gentiles. And he is saying, "You are all sons of God." The Jews thought that they were the sons of God and you had to become a Jew in order to become a son of God.

And I remember when we were down at the school many years ago, I was teaching that Sunday morning on Judaism and I found a young rabbi. Somebody in the congregation knew this young rabbi and invited him to come out and do the message and talk about the rights of Judaism. And when the meeting was over, he was really a nice young man. I asked him, I said, "Sir, do you feel that Jews are the chosen people?"

And he said, "Not at all. We're not going to be above everybody else or lift up our heads above everybody else. Not at all." It surprised me, but it made me feel good to hear him say that. I've never seen him again since that time. But now notice, Paul says, "You, you Galatians, you who are not Jews, you who are Gentiles, at one time you were heathens, but now you are the sons of God or children of God."

A radical change of thought in the ancient world was that people separated themselves. It all starts in the mind and they separated themselves sexually, men and women, culturally. They were choosing separation. They not only chose it, they insisted upon it. Now we are more subtle here in America about it. Oh yes, discrimination and prejudice still exist. It still is there.

But now in Galatia and now in Christian hearts, Christ comes to make us all equal and one in Him. And we're going to read in just a minute, "There's no Jew nor Gentile, bond or free, male and female. You're all one in Christ." And this is what Paul was trying to get across. Thank God that message came into the New Testament and we have it now in the book of Galatians. But would God's people believe it?

But I have even found God's people still fighting discrimination and prejudice and feelings of separation. The rich having very little to do with those who are not rich. The educated having very little to do with those who are not educated. The educated, most of their friends are educated like they are. Most of the wealthy people, they're my friends because they're wealthy like I am. People, now notice this, "You are all sons of God."

You. Now notice those two words, "you are all." Those next two words, "are all." You are all. See, what Paul was saying, you are Galatians, you are now Christians, but prejudice is still there. Discrimination is still there. I've heard people say, "Well, all white people are this way. All black people are this way. All Asians are this way." Where did they get that? We're not all the same. We all have our DNA.

But sometimes even those feelings creep into our Christian life, even into our Christian testimony. I want to say today, Jesus came born in a manger. God so loved the world. And I see even discrimination among male and female. Why is that? Why does that carry over? Many things and habits and unclean thoughts and behaviors have gone, but somehow discrimination and prejudice, now when Paul said, "You are all," let me say this, I know this to be true, that even within the white race, there are whites that are discriminating against other whites.

Even within the African-American black race, there are black people who discriminate against other black people. Just because we are of one color doesn't make us all the same and we all love one another equally. Even in the Asian community, well, name the culture, name the community. There's discrimination against your own kind. Now notice what Paul says, "You are all sons of God." All of you.

So Galatians, stop discriminating against other Galatians. Everyone who accepts Jesus is a child of God. Love one another for love is of God for God is love. And only God can bring about love. Friend, we're living below our heritage in the Lord. You say, "Well, others are doing it." Others aren't you. You be the Christian, the follower of Jesus, the example of Jesus that God has called you.

Now notice, you. You. Are all. All of us. Whether we're rich or poor, white or black, wealthy or poor, you're all sons of God. Now what does that mean when it says sons of God? Ladies, we've got a lot of ladies here today. Do you know that you are sons of God? Sons of God. Now we have to think of the day that Paul wrote this passage of scripture 2,000 years ago, or just about 2,000 years ago.

That was the terminology of the day. You see, only male sons received an inheritance. Women had no inheritance only through their husband. They were like chattel, they were like property. But Paul was saying women and men, you are one in Christ. Don't discriminate. Do you know I've been in places in the country where people had to be so tall in order to get a job in that department store? They measured their height.

Do you know that there is discrimination between young people and older people? There's discrimination between those who have white hair and. Why are we like that? Because there's a part of us that isn't right in God the way it should be. It doesn't matter whether an old person is preaching the word of God or a young person or a child, it's the word of God. You know, even the Bible says God has white hair. How about that? Does that mean I'm getting closer? Friend, come on, let us love one another for love is of God.

Narrator: The season of giving is a time to reflect on the blessings in our lives and share the love of Jesus with others. While so many are filled with joy and peace, others are struggling, facing loss, emotional challenges, and physical pain. That's why the Healing Word is here to offer hope, encouragement, and the life-changing truths of Jesus Christ to those in need.

We love Jesus and we love you. Through your prayers and financial support, you can help us reach even more people with His healing message. Together, we can be a source of comfort and strength to those who need it most. Visit thehealingword.com to make your tax-deductible donation today. Let's end this year by spreading His blessings and sharing His love with the world. Thank you for standing with us. God bless you.

Pastor Jack Morris: Look at verse 28. I've already said it, but there it is. Mark it down, underline it, underscore it particularly in your mind. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. You are all one in Christ Jesus." You have the same love of Jesus. Yes, there are joy bells ringing in my heart. Joy bells ringing.

Christmas bells are ringing. Friend, come on, understand who you are all because Jesus came. Christmas bells are ringing. Mark ye well the song we sing. Gladsome tidings now we bring. Ding dong, ding dong, Christmas bells are ringing. Be a celebrating Christian. Celebrate Christmas. Celebrate Jesus. Now I have to close quickly, but look at verse 29. Would you read it together where the quotes are?

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." Now notice, if you belong to Christ, not because you say you belong to Christ, but because you do indeed. If you belong to Christ, you're going to do this and you're going to stop doing that. You're going to love and you're going to pray God will take all discrimination and hate out of your heart.

You're going to live free from habits and ill will and attitudes. Free. Yes, I hear him say free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, I'm free at last. Are we really free and living the freedom, enjoying the freedom? That was a prophetic statement that was made and I believe it with all my heart. In Christ we're free at last. All because of Christ, all because of Jesus.

Now notice, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed." Abraham was the first person to exercise faith and become a child of God through the effort of faith in the Bible. He was before Moses. We're Abraham's seed and now we're heirs according to the promise. The promises of God: love, joy, peace, patience, long-suffering, goodness and mercy. All of these gifts, your inheritance right now, and then heaven to come when this life is over.

In Romans 8:17, "Now, right now, if we are children of God." Paul keeps saying, "if we are children of God." Why Paul? Why do you keep saying that? Do you see things among God's people that are un-Christlike? You keep saying, "If we are children of God." We're going to love everybody. Even people who are unlovable. We're not going to avoid anybody.

Well, let me go ahead and finish reading Romans 8:17. "Now, if we are children of God, then we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ." Like someone said, when we get to heaven everything Jesus gets, we get the same amount. Heirs and co-heirs. A gift for everybody in Christ Jesus. All these blessings are ours in Him. First Peter 1:4. An inheritance.

Listen, I'm talking about your inheritance. I heard a minister one time. His dad was 85 years old. This is a great minister. He's still living and still ministering. He said it and he laughed but knowing him as I know him, he meant every word of it. His father was 85 years old and went out and bought a new Cadillac. And you know what that minister said? "My dad is spending my inheritance."

I said nothing and he laughed. He meant it. Friend, you have an inheritance in the Lord. A great inheritance. An inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade kept in heaven for you. The inheritance we have now in part but then inheritance then in full. I want to tell you about a woman named Helen Lemmel. Helen Lemmel, she was born in England into a very wealthy family.

This woman was wealthy, she had a lot of money. Quite an inheritance. She married a man and they seemed to have a good marriage until she was stricken blind in her 20s. And do you know that man divorced her because he said, "I don't want to be married to a blind woman." What kind of life some people live. Well, Helen Lemmel, she was a great songwriter.

Between the year 1920 and the year 1950, she wrote a lot of songs. And the one song she wrote that most all of us know, and that is "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." Remember that one? "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." Now she didn't have eyes to see but in her heart, her focus was Jesus.

"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth," friend, earth has too much control over us. Would to God that the things of earth would lose their spell over us and grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Well, Helen Lemmel, beautiful, beautiful lady. 90 years old, she lived down the street, only four doors from a man called Doug Goings.

And Doug Goings was in middle school and he would go down the street with his parents to see Helen. And Helen, she lived in this house, one room. She was so poor. It's believed, at least I believe, that the man that left her took all her money also. She really believed in that man. And she was in poverty. One room in this big house and the county had to pay the rent on that room each month for her. Helen was blind but she had a little plastic organ that sat on a table. It was like a child's organ and it would just.