Don't Love Your Life More Than Christ!

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Your host Mike. Well, if not for God with Mike's wick. We are back for another show and are super super guided to be here. You know I wake up in the morning and say this is the day that the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it and and one of the things I was thinking about this week is that when we first started the show. It was if not for God with Mike's wick and was stories of hopelessness turned in the hope and and every day I'm reminded of all of the stories that I've had happened in my life and all the stories that we had other people happen in their lives as well.

It's it's just been a wonderful, wonderful thing and and and one of the things I was thinking about is just some stories that I've heard of on there's a guy named Pastor Ron Harris and he's out of Burlington, North Carolina with greater love ministries. They go to church over there in Ireland Street. Great pastor great guy and he he was telling me something that happened one time and he said Mike he said one time I was I was driving and we were going to a concert or go to something and he said something just told me to say something to these people who were up there and he says I will. I drove up and he set out. I said to the two guys, Joe said to give me a good parking spot in one of the guys he said just walked away and the other the other guy said to them, Joe Joe and he said the guy pulled him right up and he took him to a spot that was right next to the stadium where he didn't have to drive it all and that was and if not for God's Torah tell you what another story that I'm reminded of and I'll never forget this. It was November 1 of 2011 and what happened was, was I was finishing up my day selling insurance and when I finished up the day one of the things that it happened to me was I was going through the whole thing and were looking at everything. There was a guy that I was talking to and he was a Christian minister and he said I still believe that God heals people today and so I said I do to finish up the day and was a very dark dark area were and it was in German to North Carolina and had finished up the day. There were no lights and I remember at the bottom of the hill. Something told me to put my seatbelt on and now I wear my seatbelt, but at that time there were times where I may not award my seatbelt hardly ever at all and so that is not a good thing. We need to wear seatbelts, but I was at the bottom of the hill and I was listening to a guy named Charles Stanley who actually comes on this radio station and what happened was, was that we were was down there and all of a sudden it was like a voice something just told me it said you need to put your seatbelt on.

Then I was just about to put it on and and something said what you don't trust God and I said no I need to put my seatbelt on, so I put my seatbelt on and we start start driving up the hill and all the sudden Charles Stanley goes off the radio and it starts playing this weird music that I've never heard before. My wife and I drive to the top of the hill and I go off the road, run straight into a tree and the tree splits my car right up to the windshield and I walked out of there without a scratch and I said, man. You know what if it wasn't for God.

If it wasn't for him, the Holy Spirit told me that I needed to put my seatbelt on. I don't know what I would've done you know III was talking to. There's another guy that I was talking to the other day. His name is John and and he was actually telling me something where he went on a mission trip and he said when he went on the mission trip that there was a lady who he was with and she was falling off of a cliff and she probably would've died unfortunately and he said there was a local there who saw her falling and pulled her up so she didn't fall off the cliff. I tell you what, that's, that's, and if not for God story not I I've told you this before but I remember a time I was down in Hawaii with my mother was only two years ago and I remember that night I had eaten something it must just it was something that I had an allergic reaction to and they still don't know to this day. It might've been efficient, but it's macadamia nuts about or whatever but I went out and I was at the pool that night and when I was at the pool.

Something told me to take Psalm 103 and to read it to this other Christian guy who was there because a lot of the people there were not Christians. And so I showed him that I said I felt like something told me to show you that to show you that Scripture why walked out onto the beach and all of a sudden I felt like my head was about to explode and I was about to pass out.

I was have an allergic reaction. Little did I know that that there were only two hospitals on this island in the closest hospital was 45 minutes away and there was only one or two ambulances on this island as well and there was no one that was close by. So what happened was I called my mom on the phone and she says will come back to the hotel and I did and she said when I checked into the hotel.

I got back to the hotel I said I'm having allergic reaction you need to call the endless call 911 they said okay and they said lay down over here and I felt like I was about to die, but right before I lay down something till three times, I said help me, Jesus, help me, Jesus, help me Jesus so funny the third time after I said that I broke out in a cold sweat.

I was completely better that the lady from the ambulance. The paramedic came by and she said I've never seen this. She said if somebody has an allergic reaction. They don't just get over it and I told her I prayed and I remember the next day that she was over by the pool where we were issued just like wow that was amazing. I said I was God so God gives us the stories, not just to say hey there cool, but so that we can tell other people about the good things that have happened to us that point people to Jesus you know and I've talked with Robbie Gilmore about this before but it kinda gets to the point now where it's like so many people had you know they've heard about Jesus, and some people say maybe maybe they believe maybe they don't.

But sometimes if you just tell people your story and you tell people how Jesus is used. You are how God has used you in a big wear to show you something that you know absolutely was not from you but was from God. They may not believe what they've heard before, but they'll believe you sometimes will believe your story and sometimes little point people to God. Matter fact is we were was I was up at Pastor Marty's church this past weekend up at First Christian Church of Boone and and I was telling him something he was talking he was preaching about how sometimes Christians have doubts and I told him I said I remember one time when I was it was back and I think was 2008 I was in my mid to late 20s and was finishing up for the day and I don't know what made me do this, but I had a one sheet of paper and that one sheet of paper on only I needed some more papers for for work the next day and I was going through my insurance stuff like that. Whatever. But what I did was I had a notebook and it was all I only had one sheet of paper left and I looked at the book and I close the book and I said God show me something and when I opened up the book again the notebook. There were now two sheets of paper. So of course I said well that's great. That's all I need to know what I did was I said God I'm sorry but I said, just please show me this one more time and so what I did was I close the book one more time and I opened it up and now there were three sheets of paper and I remember Pastor Ron was talking about this a couple weekends ago where he said he said Mike.

He said there was a time where I was a believer and he says, but now I know you I wonder if there's there's been a time in your lives were maybe you said, I believe, or whatever and then you got to the point where something happened and God showed you his glory, and you say now I know feet feel free to share it with us on.

If not for God with Mike Zwick. We have a Facebook page on there you can like it and then join it and just tell us and when we love to tell some of the stories on the air, but you know going through this I mean how many times has God saved us out of the troubles that we were in her chip and not too long ago. He said that we try to live our lives the right way we try to live righteously.

We try to do the right thing but we we know that we all messed up it says in Romans 323 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God says in Romans 623 that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life, but we also know we talked about this on the show many many times were in Luke 18 Jesus said to guy with two guys went up to the temple one day or we would say the church one day and one of the guys was in the front of the church and he says I thank you Lord that I'm not like this other guy. He says I give 10% of my income. I don't commit adultery.

I'm a pretty good person and the second guy in the back of the church.

He could even look up and he beat on his chest and he said God have mercy on me a sinner and Jesus said that second guy, he went away justified not the first said because anybody who exalts himself will be humbled, but anybody who humbles himself will be exalted and so maybe you're listening to the show, you say well I know I've probably done too much, or God may not forgive me right are you know I just I feel like I'm such a mess up. If that's the place that you're in, then you're exactly in the place where God wants you because God can use you to be a testimony. All you have to do is to cry out to him cry out to Jesus heard of a story one time where you heard of the band third day they came out with a song several years ago is called cry out to Jesus cry out to Jesus will little while later they came out with a song and it said I need a miracle I need a miracle. What that song was about was there was a guy who I guess he was formerly a Christian and he got a shotgun, he was ready to end his life and he was driving when he drove he went to a field and he said I want to hear one last song, and he said this song I hear this last song that I hear is good to be at in the blue blow my brains out in the song that he heard was cry out to Jesus by third day, and when he heard that song. He decided that he was knocking to do it anymore. But little did he know his wife. At that very same time was praying for him and she was praying that she said, Lord, I need a miracle because right now things are so bad and are not getting better. When his wife prayed that he heard that song. It changed their lives forever. Maybe you're in a bad place right now.

Maybe you're going through divorce. Maybe some his left you if you had a death in the family. We had a lot of people lately have passed away and really untimely deaths and sometimes we look at this we say why God why is this happening to me will, as we know in first Corinthians 1312 it says now we see darkly.

We don't know but then one day we get to heaven.

We shall no face-to-face, just as we are fully known. We don't always know the reasons why things are happening, we may not always understand why these things are happening but God has a purpose and it and so if you're down right now.

If you're having a tough time.

We just tell you cry out to Jesus cry out to Jesus, you know, one of the things that I've done over the years, when I been going through a tough time just listen to listen to good Christian music listen to good Christian teaching. We have plenty of preaching on the Truth Network you know if your you're in the go to TruthNetwork.com and a lot of people listen to the a lot of people listen to the if not for God with Mike Zwick podcast. You can do that you can listen to do the Truth Network or you can listen little local radio station in a lot of areas. Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point, Charlotte were getting the station now.

It gets our Toledo so that's something that you can do but if it is if you're having a tough time right after something that you need prayer for us.

Let us know. Like I said you can go to the if not for God with Mike Zwick website on Facebook or you called called out here the Truth Network or whatever we can do to help you.

We'd love to help you. The other thing is that that I've seen is that a lot of times in my life where I've had a tough time were things been going on a rough is that when I in it doesn't seem to make sense because you're looking at yourself and your saying what can I do but what I found is that when you try to help other people than that's where you see some of the true happiness, especially when it's done for the glory of God you not.

I've had 70 peeps that I've been depressed up and down.

I I've been out on Mike. I don't know what was happening. I don't know what was going on but they said when I went through that that I started to work at the soup kitchen, or I started to volunteer at the church I started to do something to help other people and it's funny when you start helping other people, you get happier so it it seems the opposite of what you want to do you want to do something to make yourself happier.

But a lot of times what you can do to make yourself happier is to help other people and so II hope that helps, but were just so glad to were so glad to have you listening today were so glad to be here and so one of the things that I was just think about were talking about helping other people. I was thinking about a verse in its first John chapter 4 and it says dear friends you not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the spirit of God.

Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world you dear children are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

There are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world and the world listens to them. We are from God, we are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the spirit of truth in the spirit of falsehood, dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his long love among us that he sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love, not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for arsons, dear friend, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one is ever seen God, but if we love one another than God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us.

He has given us of his spirit and we have seen and testify that the father sent his son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the son of God, and God lives and that in they are in God and so we know and rely on the love that God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God lives in them.

This is how we know that love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment in this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment, the one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love we love him because he first loved us.

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar for whoever does not love their brother and sister whom they had seen cannot love God whom they have not seen and he has given us this command. Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and their sister in it so you know so many times we talk about this doctrine that everybody's arguing about her, you know what we don't understand this or we don't understand that, or this is their pretrip or their post River. You note what about this doctrine is. Is it once saved always saved or could you lose yourself in there so many things that people argue about it when I read this chapter when I think about what Jesus said. He said love your enemies as you will love your enemies, love your enemies Auch reading this this morning. Anybody can love the people who love them.

That's natural meaning. He says if you love those who love you, what reward you can have from your father. But it's tough to love the to love your enemies. It's tough to tell one of those who have done you wrong, but it's what he asked of us.

It's tough to forgive people who have done you wrong because a lot of times when they've done you wrong. They're not trying to make it right. But Jesus is not to hold us accountable for what people did to us. He's going to hold us accountable for the way that we responded and if we forgave them or not.

Jesus said this in some people, like, but he this is what he said. He said if you forgive other people.

He said God will forgive you of your sins.

He said if you do not forgive other people, God will not forgive you of your sins. And if you forgive other people of their sins. Especially the people who have done you wrong in the world is to look at you in there to say there's something different about this person there something that they've got that. I want that I want you know it's funny and and we've heard this old expression, and I understand it, and I don't always agree with it okay and I can explain what I'm talking about that the expression is this preach the gospel constantly use words when necessary. Now of course work and have to. Of course, would have to use word of course would have to open our mouths of coursework and have to tell people the good news or else however they get to know but on the other hand, I think what a lot of us to miss out on is what what they're really saying there and it's been attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, but what they're saying there is that the way that we live our lives is important. People are constantly looking at us. I actually saw a story I was reading a book by Erwin lutes or in the story he said was that it was in 1900 and was in China and he said all this, it was the Boxer Rebellion and all of a sudden all of these people. They had they had surrounded a missionary tent and what they did was they closed off every single every single exit but they took one exit and they said okay this is the only way you can get out and what they did was they put a cross right for the exit and they said that if you step on the crop. Then you can leave and you'll have your freedom. But if you refuse to step on the crusher to face the firing squad and you're gonna die the first seven people all stepped on the cross and left the eight was a young lady was a girl and she sat and then she went around the cross after she did that every single one of the people who were there.

80 some people all went around and would not step on the cross and they went to a certain death. We willing to do that. Is that something that were willing to do with something that we need to think about know we haven't seen that here in the United States not yet not yet where we can do, what would you do if something like that happen. Jesus said anybody who loves mother or father more than me.

Anybody who loves children more than me is not worthy of me. He said you have to be willing to die for me.

Anybody who loves his life for life more than me is not worthy of me. And it's interesting when I see that the first seven people. They all just followed everybody who was stepping on the cross and they knew it was desecrating the religion desecrating the Christian religion, when the H1 saw there. She said you know what I can't do this.

I can't do this.

This is not something that I can do I have to stay true to Jesus but it's funny how people are watching you because I wonder if she would've just stepped on the cross of everybody else, done the same thing to. But the fact that she was a leader and she says I'm knocking to do this, Jesus comes first. I've given my life to Jesus and I'm not to stop right now that when she did that other people follow suit as as a Christian, just remember that people are watching you. People are watching you is another story that I heard by Chip Ingram a long time ago and what happened was, was there was a there was a young young girl or young boy who was he would become a Christian and they knew in this area. There were I don't know if it was Boca or ROM or or or what it was but there were Islamic fundamentalists going around. They said we are going to kill Christians unless you convert to Islam. We are to kill you. And so what happened was, was this young child 88 years old, went over to somebody else's house who was Islamic and Muslim and what they said they said we don't want you to die. They said what were going to do this, we are going to give you an Islamic name and you can when they come around and they say were to kill the Christians you just say you're one of us in your in your muscle as well and I think at first the child said okay but then the child remember where Jesus said anybody who was ashamed of me in this world.

I will be ashamed of them in front of my father. Anybody who acknowledges me. I will acknowledge them as well and in front of my father and she remembered his and when they came around. She said I can't do that. She said because Jesus said that about acknowledging him in front of other men and what she did was went when they came around a kilt which came around looking for the Christian. She said I'm a Christian and they killed her. They killed her. She lost her life because she didn't love it unto the death.

How committed are we to Christ you know I think right now this is that this is the time were you really have to prepare your mind, you really have to prepare your mind because things are getting tough.

You don't have any of you don't have to be a genius to figure out the rights of Christians in this country are slowly evaporating away and maybe Ken may be coming sooner and sooner. I don't know I don't have a crystal ball and and I like what Pastor Ron Harris said he said Galt God doesn't need to consult me before he does something so we don't always know exactly what can happen but we can kind of see the way that it can happen we have to prepare our minds. We have to prepare a month we have to prepare ourselves.

We have to prepare our children or families that no matter what organist were mistakes stick with it until the end. Matter fact, in his book or when Luther told another story of a Christian family who was living in an Islamic town of what they had said this, this, there were there was a month Muslim group of people and they what they did was they wrote a note and they said we realize that you're going to church now and that this is what can happen. They said you can either convert to a said or were to kill you, and were to kill your children and your girls are to become wives of Muslims and they will raise Muslim children and they said the other things you can flee tonight and that's it. That's a tough situation to be in. That's a tough situation to be in. But we have to realize that no matter what comes we have to stand firm for Christ.

I have to do that it's easy for me to stay and appear on the radio and in and say all the stuff. It's another thing to do. It when you're when you're confronting the enemy face-to-face, but we have a piece. As Christians, that surpasses all understanding, no matter what the world is telling. They have no peace. The peace if they had peace, why would they be doing, what would they be trying to persecute Christian where we try to do were destroyed were just trying to fill people with hope and the good news is that there are millions and millions of people around the world who are converting to Christ, but we also have to realize that we don't always win the battle on this field. At the end of the day when we get to heaven we when we weren't in the end, but sometimes we have to look in them. In the intermediate time it may look like things are getting tough. And they look like things are stacked against us.

But Jesus said were to face persecutions have tough times and have people who betray us have friends who turn away would have people who we thought love Christ all time.

And then when they turn away saying how the heck why would they turn away. We never thought that would happen. We can't control what anybody else is doing what we can control what we do, we can control the time we call our family friend and we can share with them the good news to share with the we love you. Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins that you only have to believe in you have eternal life. You can trust. In this word you can trust the word of God you can trust the Bible, you can trust Jesus asked him to show himself show himself we start reading the Bible because what is happening in the book of Revelation is in the book is playing out right before I exactly what they said we love love you.

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