The Healing Word

Host (Male): 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, you cannot you cannot complain and thank God at the same time. Your mouth doesn't work that way. But complain and focus on the negative and the glory of the positive will never come.

Host (Male): Psalm 107 verse 20. He sent his word and healed them. Welcome to the healing word, a radio ministry of the Largo Community Church. Here's Pastor Jack Morris with today's message that will grow your faith in God and lead you to a closer walk with Jesus.

Pastor Jack Morris: Now, I've gone to Genesis to Abraham. You'll notice we read Abram in this chapter 11 Abram chapter 12 Abram. Abram means father. But turn the few more pages and you'll find that he made a Abraham made a covenant with God and God changed his name to Abraham, which means father of many. I'm going to ask the people in the booth to put on the screen Hebrews 11 verse 8. If you would put that up, please. Hebrews 11 verse 8 and let's read it in unison. By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going.

Now, notice he did know where he was going. Who knows what a new year is going to bring forth? I don't know what a day is going to bring forth. I don't know what the next hour is going to bring forth. I have some plans, but I can't guarantee that anything is going to happen. But I know this. This is what I know. This is the most important thing to know that God is with me in the next hour, the next day, month, year. He is with me and if I know that I can live, withstand, overcome anything that happens in this new year.

I did last year, so did you. But this new year, who knows? But Abraham heard a call. You and I are alive and breathing. God has called us and is calling us into the new year. Abraham didn't know where he was going. He just knew that he was going with God and God was going with him and that was enough. Friend, listen to me. Is that enough for you to know that God is with you and you're with God? If you know that, then go with God. It's going to be a great year and no matter what life throws at you, you'll overcome it in his power, in his name.

Isn't that wonderful? Going with God, go with God. Now, let's let's look at verse one of I'm going to start through through through the scripture now. Chapter 12 Genesis chapter 12 verse one. Okay, I want you to read that one now. It's on the screen. The Lord had said to Abraham, leave your country your people and your father's house and and go to the land I will show you. Now, I wanted the word leave underline and I also wanted the word go underline. There's two things, two words in that verse leave and go. That's what God said to Abraham.

Leave and go. Now, Abraham first thing happened, he entered into a covenant relationship with God. That's why I'm believing and praying that when we come to this table today, it'll be a new covenant relationship that we will experience Jesus in the very first day of the new year that will be something that we will experience all through the year. That's something being his presence in our lives. Abraham entered into a relationship with the Lord. Now, Jesus said these words. Abraham saw my day. Now, this is what he said. Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day.

And he saw it and was glad. Now, how could Abraham thousands of years before Jesus see Jesus? But Jesus said, Abraham saw my day. Friend, may the Holy Spirit open our eyes that we'll see Jesus today. Abraham saw my day. He rejoiced at the thought. Now, check your thought life because it all starts up here in our mind. It all starts in our mind and we have all kinds of thoughts, good thoughts, bad thoughts, holy thoughts, evil thoughts. Check your thoughts. Abraham saw my day thousands of years before Jesus. Now, he didn't know the name Jesus.

He didn't know that Jesus was coming to be born of a virgin. He knew he was coming, but he didn't know how he was coming. But he he had the thought. God put a thought in his mind. That thought got a hold of him. You know, you are what you think. Or you did you you did get that one, did you? You you are what you think. I saw of a new book that has just been printed. I haven't read it. I just saw the title of it. You are what you love. You are what you love.

Well, Abraham started loving Jesus long before Jesus ever came. Now, here's the faith that you and I come into. Abraham looked ahead into the future and he drew into himself Jesus, not knowing his name is Jesus. The difference between Abraham and you and me is we look into the past and believe on the Lord Jesus and draw the past. Abraham looked forward and drew Jesus. You and I look into the past and we draw Jesus. Abraham had the thought that a Messiah is coming, a savior is going to be born. There's a redeemer coming. Friend, begin thinking that thought and let that thought possess you all during the year.

You have a redeemer. You are saved and that thought caused him to rejoice. Your thoughts will make you sad. Your thoughts will make you happy. Your thoughts will bring sorrow to your heart. Your thoughts will bring rejoicing to your heart. Think on these things. Hey, say hey, boy, I have been thinking negative, negative, negative. Things are going to be bad. Things are bad. Things are going to get worse. Chances are they will get worse. That's not faith. That's doubt. But believe on the Lord Jesus and trust him and you will know great and wonderful things.

So God called Abraham to enter into that covenant and Abraham by faith entered into the covenant with God. Then God told him to leave. Would you put the the map up on the screen for me, please? Okay, there it is. Did you see it where the arrow is? Ur. That's the town that Abraham lived in. The reason I'm putting things like this geography up, I want you to know we're talking about real people who once lived on this earth. And he lived in that city called Ur. And God spoke to his heart. Now, I don't know how God talked to Abraham, whether it was an audible voice or whether it was a conviction of his heart, but somehow God got through to him that there is something better to life than what you are presently experiencing.

And Abraham lived in that city and then he between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and he started following the Lord north and then facing it, he went off to the left and went all the way to the land of Israel. It was not Israel at that time. He would didn't stay there very long. It was Moses who led the people of God many many years later into that very land, but God gave him the promised land, the land of milk and honey and said this is going to be your inheritance. He left and he followed.

You see, Abraham believed that God had better things for him, a better life, an inheritance that God is a giving God. God gives and he's giving to Abraham this beautiful life, this beautiful gift. Now, let me tell you something about what when it happened. You know the story of Noah and the ark. Noah and his family entered the ark and God saved them from the flood. The scripture says the hearts of mankind was only evil continually. There was nothing but evil evil evil evil, every thought, every imagination. And God the word says God said, I am sorry I ever created man.

We are created to serve God. But when God says I I'm just sick sick to death of mankind. I called them to be holy. The first couple sinned, disobeyed me, didn't believe me. And then they they had two little boys that grew up and one killed the other and from then on it was downhill all the way. I mean, what has gotten into mankind? And God said, I'm going to destroy man from the face of the earth. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and God took Noah and put him and his wife and his sons and the daughters and the families into the ark.

Well, the flood came, destroyed them all. You know, God even becomes impatient sometimes. You know that? I wonder how many times God has become impatient with me. Jack, I saved you. I loved you. I forgave you. I gave you new life. I gave you a family. I gave you a beautiful church to pastor. I have blessed you. I have blessed you. Will you now follow me? Will you obey me? Will you do my will? I I hope I have. I hope I have.

Host (Male): We'll be back with the conclusion of today's message in just a moment. But first, here's an invitation for you to make an impact on reaching souls with God's word.

Pastor Jack Morris: Hello, friends. I'm Pastor Jack Morris. I just want to take a moment to thank you for your prayers and your donations in that order, prayers and donations. I need both from you and it this ministry is to continue and I believe it's God's will for it to continue. I'm going to need your partnership more so than ever before. I thank God for you. I trust that the healing word is a blessing. Pray that God's word will go forth in mighty power to the saving of souls and to the healing of lives, emotions and bodies. God bless you, dear one, in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Host (Male): If the healing word has blessed you or someone you love, we invite you to prayerfully consider pledging your financial support. Simply visit the healingword.com and click on donate now to make your tax-deductible contribution. Together, let's continue to share the beautiful blessings of God's word with a world in need.

Pastor Jack Morris: Noah came out of the flood and do you know it wasn't long after that that Noah himself sinned. His children sinned. They were to replenish the earth. The earth was just about replenished at that time, the known earth. And he the people then decided they don't need God anymore. I can live and work and make money and pay my bills. I can do it on my own. Oh, I'll go to church once in a while and I 'll think of God and maybe read the Bible and yeah, I am not a heathen. I'm not an idol worshiper.

You know, we don't say that, but our actions are saying that. And men right after Noah began to build a tower and they say, we're going to heaven. We're going to God our own way. And they started to build a tower and God looked down and said, they're doing it again. Why can't people love me? The people I love, why can't they love me back? And if we loved him back, we would obey him. And so God said, I've got to come down there and do it again. And he come down and he destroyed the tower of Babel and confused the languages and I mean, poor God, poor God.

He is so patient with us, keeping us, loving us, helping us, doing good over and over to us. But the scripture said, God's spirit will not always strive with man. God is not a yo-yo on a string. He is the almighty and he knows every heart and every life. Then God looked God was so discouraged. Yeah, God gets discouraged at times and we're the ones that discourage him. And God looked at Noah. God looked at the tower of Babel. God looked at all of those people. You know, I saved you from the flood. Now, you turn right around and do almost the exact same thing again.

I don't know what God was about to do, but God saw one man, Abraham. And I don't know what God saw in him because Abraham was an idol worshiper and he came from a family of people who worshiped strange false gods. But God saw something in Abraham. Now, I pray you'll see something in you and me today. And God knew that if I if I speak to that man, that man will just respond. And indeed, God spoke to him and Abraham responded. And all of a sudden, Abraham got that feeling, got that sensation, that wonderful conviction, that that that absolutely knowing so came over him that a redeemer is coming and even though he hasn't come yet, I'm going to believe on him and trust him and be saved by him.

And Abraham had a change of heart and God says, you have become so new, I'm even going to change your name. And your posterity will be like the stars of the heaven and the sta sands of the sea. And we're his posterity today. We are the children of Abraham. So friend, God's calling us like he called Abraham into the new uh to leave and to follow. And Abraham answered the call. Look at verse four, just the first part of verse four. It said, so Abraham left. God told him to Abraham, Abram, leave your country. Verse four.

So Abram left as the Lord had told him. Oh, it's wonderful when you do what the Lord tells us to do. It's absolutely wonderful. Abraham acted on faith. See his father and his mother and if he had siblings, they they were idol worshipers. They worshiped gods that couldn't see, gods who couldn't hear, gods who were powerless, gods who were not really gods at all, only gods with a little g. But Abraham came into contact with the living God of heaven and earth, the creator God. And he left. Now, here's here's what God is calling us to do it.

I'll I'll move quickly now. I want you to think of the things that God is telling you to leave. Hurt feelings, disappointments, family issues that were not pleasant, anxieties, fears. Friend, right now, please in Jesus' name, think about it and name it to the Lord. Friend, God is calling you to the new. Now, with your heads bowed, just put your hand up and say, friend, Pastor, I'm I'm leaving behind. I'm going into the new in the name of the Lord Jesus. I have a shepherd God. I know his voice. Forward into the new in Jesus' name.

Amen. Okay, you put your hands down. Look up. Let me finish my sermon real quick now. God called Abraham and he's calling you and me into the land of blessing, into the land of healing, into the land of wholeness. Now, Abraham was called into a geographical area, but he was also called into a faith area that God is saying, I'm going to through you, Abraham, bless all who come to God through faith like you came to God and I'm going to bless all who come to God through Jesus and faith in him. Leave behind, friend, I'm talking to you now.

There are there are fears, troubles, anxieties of last year that that have listen to me closely now, please, that have attached itself to your psychic. By psychic, I mean your mind and your soul. They have attached themselves. They are glued to you. They have attached themselves and now when you try to think the new, the evil, the past, the hurt, it'll come up. It'll come before you. Those anxieties. Anxieties are concerns, fears of of of something impending that's going to be wrong. Somehow it'll come back like this. You know what went wrong last year? Yeah, I do.

Well, it's and this is anxiety talking. You know what went wrong last year? Yes, I know what went wrong. Do you know it's very possible that it could go wrong again this year? And you'll say, yeah, that's true. And then anxiety will say, it is going to go wrong again this year. Do you remember? Do you know? It will happen again. That's anxiety and you'll think, oh Lord, do I have to live another year like that with brokenness and hurt and pain and confusion and anxiety? Friend, it has attached itself to you and you cannot get it out of your thoughts, out of your life.

You can't get it away from you. But God is calling you into the new into the new. Stop talking about the old. When you start thinking about the old, think about Jesus, think about your salvation. Start thanking God out loud, start thanking God. You've got to fight back with the word of God, which is the sword of the spirit that can do spiritual surgery and take that away from you. Take it away. Answer the call of God. Go forward. Now, Jesus died on the cross and when he died on the cross, he took all of that anxiety, all the sin, all the past failures, all the wrong doings, all the mistakes.

When Jesus died, when he was nailed to the cross, all of that in the past was nailed to the cross. When Jesus was killed, he killed your sin. He killed your anxiety. He killed your past failures. They are dead dead dead thrice dead. And then when Jesus came off the cross, they took him and they put him in the tomb and he took those dead corpse, past failures, past mistakes, sins, wrong behavior. They're dead. They're a corpse. They buried Jesus. Jesus took all of that and he carried it into the tomb and buried it in the darkness.

Three days later, the stone was rolled away. Jesus came out of that tomb. He stepped into the light of transforming glory. And he left behind those things that have attached themselves to your soul, to your mind, to your psychic and going to just torment the life out of you month after month after month. Come February, come March, come April, come May, come June. All year long you're going to fight it and fight it and fight it. Friend, you can't win. You cannot win. You have to say, thank you for burying my sin. When you come to this able table, thank you for redeeming me.

Thank you for bringing me into the glory of God, transforming glory. Begin to thank God. Friend, you cannot you cannot complain and thank God at the same time. Your mouth doesn't work that way. But complain and focus on the negative and the glory of the positive will never come. It'll never come. Look to the Lord. Trust in God. Him who is the resurrection and the life and he's calling each of us into resurrection in life. He said, I am the resurrection and the life. Now, if we are in Christ, when he walked out of the tomb, we walked out with him.

When he says, I am the resurrection and the life, that means you are the resurrection and the life. Friend, keep stop living in the cemetery, in the graveyard, in the dark tomb. He is the light of the world. And you are in this church this morning to hear this message because God is calling you to leave and to go into the new just as he called Abraham.

Host (Male): Do you need Pastor Morris to pray with you about a struggle or decision you're wrestling with? The pray now app is available to you right now. Go to the healingword.com. Click pray now and select the topic that matches your request. Pastor Morris will provide encouragement, pray with you and deliver a brief message on overcoming and living in victory. I also invite you to check out all the ministry resources available for you at the healingword.com. There, you can search and listen to messages that match your need and send your prayer request directly to the pastor and he will pray for you and return an encouraging note.

You'll find all these gifts waiting for you at the healingword.com. Join us tomorrow for another healing word message. Until then, blessings on you.