You see, redemption brings a song into the world. All that the world can produce is the blues and rock music—not pretty. Not really joyful—it’s always a plaintive note. And I want to tell you, it’s only redemption that can give you a song. And here we have it. The world sings the blues. The redeemed sing of blessings. The world has its rock and roll. The redeemed sing of redemption. The world plays jazz. The redeemed have the reality of joy. And someday, we’re going to all join in this.
April 19, 2024
We have a living and rejoicing Savior—for His suffering led to satisfaction. He took our hell that we might have His heaven. He is happy, for down through the ages multitudes—yea, millions—have come to Him and found sweet release from guilt, pardon for wrongdoing, and healing from the leprosy of sin. Christ said there’s joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, and that number can be multiplied by millions. Think of the joy and satisfaction of Christ today. Friends, we have a happy Christ, a joyful Christ, and it’s going to be fun to be in His presence.
April 18, 2024
Now suppose for a moment that God did give His Son to die for you and He did make such a tremendous sacrifice. Grant that the cross is God’s remedy for the sin of the world and that it is the very best that even God can do. Now suppose also that you go on rejecting His proffered and gracious offer of salvation. Do you think that you can reasonably expect God to do anything for you in eternity? If God exhausted His love, His wisdom, and His power in giving Christ to die, what else can He do to save you? It’s no light thing, my friend, to turn down God’s love gift to you.
April 17, 2024
You see, when God created the heavens and the earth, it was without effort. He merely spoke them into existence. But when God redeemed man, it required His bared arm, for salvation was His greatest undertaking. You see, one of the objections offered to God’s salvation is that it’s free. Now if you mean by that that for man it’s free, then that’s correct. Man can pay nothing. Nor does he have anything to offer for salvation. The reason that it’s free for man is because it cost God everything. He gave His Son to die upon the cross. Redemption is an infinite task that only God could perform. Salvation is free, but it’s surely not cheap.
April 16, 2024
And I’m here to tell you today, there’s no short route to satisfaction. Even God did not go the short route. He could have avoided the cross and accepted the crown—that was Satan’s suggestion, you remember—but suffering comes before satisfaction always. Perhaps today you are sitting in the shadows of life. Trials confront you. Problems overwhelm you. And if that’s your case right now, then let me encourage your heart and fortify your faith for saying that you’re on the same pathway that God followed, and that it leads at last to light if you walk with Him. “For weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning….”
April 15, 2024
One of the things you’ll note about present-day Jerusalem, you do not find a joyful song anywhere. And that’s true of the churches that are there. I listened. I never heard a joyful song. But the way you’re going to know when we get to the Millennium is everybody’s going to have fun. “Break forth into joy….” There’s going to be joy. God doesn’t care today, I think, for all of us saints walking around with long faces, complaining and criticizing. He wants us to have joy. John says, “I’m writing these things to you that your joy might be full.” Not just have a little fun, but have fun all the time.
April 12, 2024
God says, “I’ll take that cup of judgment away from you. And now, I’m going to bless you.” How can you say that God is through with the nation Israel? Why, even poetic justice demands that after all of these years of judgment upon this land, this city, and this people—that God will bless them, and that God will get the victory. And if you don’t see it, oh my friend, will you listen to Him again. “Awake, awake. Wake out of sleep, because knowing the time, it’s high time to wake out of sleep.” And say, there are a lot of Christians today should wake up and get up and get going for God.
April 11, 2024
I can’t think of a better hang up than right here on this matter of the Word of God. My friend, the greatest sin in the church today is not this or that. The greatest sin is the ignorance of the Word of God and the lack of study of the Word of God. It’s nonsense today to say, “Oh, I believe the Bible from cover to cover. I believe it is God’s Word. I’ll defend it with my life,” and then never study it. My friend, if God has spoken between the pages of Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22, then somewhere between there He’s got a word for us. And if it’s God speaking, we ought to listen to Him.
April 10, 2024
Man’s history is a history of warfare and constant conflict going on. And you will find that this is true today, not only among nations. It’s true among cities, you find it in the business world, you find it in the social world, and you find it today in the religious world. There is this conflict that is going on. And I think that you’ll find it in practically every neighborhood, and you’ll find it in many homes. “No peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” Now if you can make peace in the human heart apart from God, as a wicked man, then you will contradict the Word of God. So far no one has been able to do it.
April 9, 2024
God says, “I carry you.” And I close on that note because there’s a lot of modern idolatry today. And, face up to it—do you get anything when you go to church? Do you get anything when you listen to this radio program? Well, if you don’t, I wouldn’t listen. May I say to you, God wants to communicate something to you. He has something for you. He wants to carry you. And He doesn’t want you to carry Him. May I say there are a lot of people today, they have a god that they have to carry around with them. And actually, churchgoing is a real burden to them. May I say to you, this is the test.
April 8, 2024