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Okay, we're back. And um we're during the Middle of pledge week, and I'm filling in. I'm Pastor Richard Lewis. I'm filling in for Pastor Sanders, who is under the weather. Having a little trouble with uh his chest and uh some uh some things.
Uh he was l little down last night and ask uh John McTern and and myself to uh and Randall Barkley here to uh come in and uh help out.
So uh we're here and doing filling in for him, which are big shoes to fill.
So I just want to remind everybody the Uh Number for the pledge is 888. two eight one one one one zero. And 888. Six seven seven.
Okay, and I don't I have not this screen. I guess I didn't have it on, but we're not sure. For those that have pledged already, but we just thank you so very much for. uh donating to the ministry and uh keeping pastor on the air here. Yeah, we'll try to get those names names out here shortly.
Uh we're getting getting ready to uh Play a clip here shortly. uh on the persecuted church. Um Let me see if we have that queued up. This clip is about the persecution. If you were listening yesterday, we played the clip on the Nigerian.
Um situation, what's happening in Nigeria, and then also the Uh what the Um Islamists are planning to do in terms of attacks on Christmas Day. Uh in Hanukkah. And here we have a clip that we're getting ready to go into. It says: More Christians are persecuted today than at any time in modern history. From underground churches to prison cells, millions risk everything for their faith.
This powerful message breaks down by standing with the persecuted church. Matters in 2025, and as well as we're getting ready to go into 2026. and uh what can be done. Thank you. Amazing.
Well, thank you guys so much for gathering here today and. I believe that what is going to happen here is going to be historic. Should In 2025, as we gather here in Freedom, I want to turn our hearts and attention to the sobering truth that more Christians. Today, they are facing persecution around the world than any other time in modern history. For millions of believers, faith in Jesus is not a weekend routine or a spiritual preference.
It is a daily risk. It is costly, courageous, and a stand that they choose to take even when everything around them warns them not to. Across the Middle East and North Africa. Christians are beaten, imprisoned. And driven from their homes in parts of Asia, believers quietly.
Gather in home churches knowing a stock, a knock on the door can mean an arrest, or even worse. In nations where Christianity is considered a threat to the government, Or culture, pastors disappear overnight, Bibles are confiscated, churches are burned, families are torn apart. I've witnessed this personally traveling around the world over the last 25 years. Investing into the persecuted church, whether it has been on the ground in North Korea. Saudi Arabia, Iraq.
Afghanistan, or even in Mozambique earlier this year. I've witnessed the courage, zeal, and faithfulness of those standing for Jesus in the most hostile environments. To the gospel on earth.
Some are targeted by extremist groups, others by their own communities, many by their own governments. Yet the pattern is the same. The world's most vulnerable Christians stand firm for Christ. even when the cost is everything. It's And as Americans, people who worship freely, speak freely, gather freely, we must ask ourselves: what is our responsibility?
Why are we even here in this room today? What does their suffering matter to us and what are we called to do in response? Just want to give you three truths, three convictions. That makes it absolutely necessary we stand with the persecuted church in 2025. Number one, we stand with them because scripture commands us.
Right. The Bible does not give us an option of indifference. Hebrews 13:3 says, Remember those in prison as if you were with them, not as outsiders looking in, not as people observing from a distance. As if we were in the cell beside them. When Paul was in chains, the early church prayed earnestly.
They didn't scroll past his letters. They didn't turn their heads, they interceded, they wept, they acted. In 2025, the persecuted church is not just an abstract idea. These are brothers and sisters, our family, the body of Christ as one body. And when one part suffers We are all called to feel it.
Number two, we stand with them because their faith honors Jesus. I believe that persecuted believers carry a kind of faith that purifies and awakens the global church. I know that happened for me watching what happened in Nigeria. I don't know about you, but I was like, am I even a real Christian? Yeah, boy.
Their worship has no production, no stage lights, no social media applause. It's raw, it's costly, it's pure. When believers in underground churches whisper their praises to avoid detection, When teenagers are expelled for accepting Christ, when mothers are disowned for their baptism, when pastors choose prison over silence. That kind of faith calls out to us. It stirs us.
It challenges the comfortable Christianity of the West. It lifts our eyes back to Jesus, the one who suffered first. and who never promised us a faith without cost. Yeah.
Okay, but Thank you so much. Thank you, Sean. Thank you, Gia. For organizing this and being here today. And thank you to all of you.
What a privilege it is to gather here in the United States Capitol and to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ. Is there any greater witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ on which this nation was founded? Let's just go ahead and start offending people right now. This nation was founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ. And is there any greater witness to that that we can gather here in this capital?
In this hall that is the hall of the people, and proclaim in freedom that Jesus Christ is Lord.
So let's do it. Let's go. Yo! I want to take in my text today, if you'll allow me, Revelation chapter 12, verse 11. Here's what it says.
And they have conquered the enemy by the blood of the Lamb. And by the word of their testimony, for they love not their lives, even unto death. That's right. They love not their lives. We see here in the Lord's own word his testament to the power of the persecuted church.
That he says it is those who are persecuted who are willing to lay down their lives for the gospel. It is those believers whose lives turn the tide of history. It is those believers whose blood bears witness to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is those believers who we are here to honor today. You know, what does the Lord say, Psalm 116, I believe it is, verse 15?
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. I want to start today by bearing witness to the death of his saints, to these precious believers whose lives here, who they love them not even unto death. They did not love their lives, they were willing to lay them down. For the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we're here first and foremost to bear witness to that truth and make sure it's not swept under the rug, it's not forgotten, it's not overlooked.
That this is happening now, 380 million Christians persecuted around the world today. We here in this place, in this hall of power, can bear witness to and raise our voice on behalf of those 380 million persecuted Christians. That's why we're here. First of all, You know, last year, these numbers are astounding. Last year, 4,476 Christians were murdered.
for their faith. This last year. 4,476 Christians. Those are just that we know about, that we have the statistics for. 4,744 Christians were imprisoned worldwide.
7,679 churches were physically attacked. Tall in 2025. We see it in country after country. Nigeria has recently drawn global attention and has drawn the attention of our own president. And I applaud President Trump for standing up for persecuted Christians.
I applaud the president for putting Nigeria back on the watch list where it belongs. We need to call out every nation that is engaging in the persecution of Christians. And there are so, so many. In China, where this past October the government there, the totalitarian, secularist, anti-Christian government, Carried out raids on home church after home church. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there were attacks, including one in September, that have killed seventy people at a time.
It was just one attack in September killed seventy Christians. In Syria, church after church. Has been suffering violence, has been targeted by rising Islamists in those places. And 11 other states are currently on our own State Department's watch list. But here's the truth that undergirds all of that.
All of those statistics represent Christians who are willing to suffer on behalf of the gospel. We must do our part. to raise our voice on their behalf. To witness to them. and to give thanks to the Lord that there are Christians in these places who are willing to suffer.
And ask ourselves: what is it that we are willing to do for the persecuted church, and what is it we are willing to do for the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world and in this country? Amen. Amen. What are we willing to do? We need to understand that.
Persecution will happen. It will come. We know that it is real, but we are not just supposed to sit there with our hands folded and do nothing. We're not supposed to just stand there and just let someone just purposely kill us because we know that the word of God says that there'll be martyrs for Christ. No.
Number one, with those that are being persecuted, and it's atrocious the way that these people are being killed and slaughtered and hacked to death and just. Tortured. It is horrible. But the Bible says this in Hebrews 13: Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also. in the body so we are supposed to remember them uh We are supposed to understand, you know, what, what, or shall I say, have concern, have compassion for what they're going through for the most part over here.
Um you know, in America we had been protected, but Listen, a lot of this is already at work, the persecution. And thank God that President Trump got in because I believe if Kamala would have gotten in, the persecution that we would have saw would have gone up probably tenfold. You know, you could see at her rallies already, you know, she was making those statements about, yeah, we don't, in essence, we don't give credence to that, that wasn't exact words, but that credence to Jesus in essence when the young man had stood up. And so I wanted to share this real quick. Because there is something that we can do, and we need to understand that there is power.
When we move, there is power when we pray, there is power when we get together, and in Acts. Uh it says now about that time Um Herrit. Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church, and it says that and he would have killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter.
Now, jumping down, uh, which they did take him, it says in verse 5 here, it says, Peter therefore was kept in prison, but listen to this: but prayer was made without ceasing. Of the Church of God. For him And um and moving on real quick, um And the angel of the Lord, because this is when Peter. Uh, was being delivered out of there. It says, And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself and bind on thy sandals.
And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about and follow me. And he did that. And uh it says uh I want to get to right here. Here.
Um They came to them behind. It was verse, uh I'm sorry, just bear with me one second, verse 12. Is where I want to be at. Let me give you verse 12. And it says, And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, and where many were gathered together praying.
And so, again, this shows the importance of. prayer will When we pray, is that indicative that every time we pray that someone is going to be delivered? Not necessarily because we still have to give credence to the will of God, the sovereignty of God. Uh so for um John Uh we know that he was beheaded. Jesus's cousin uh but here with Peter Peter was delivered.
But what we should always be doing is still praying, no matter what that outcome, we should be praying with faith. For the persecuted church. And one last thing is in Luke eighteen. Um It In Luke 18, Um we have where Hold on, give me one second. I'm just gonna.
The pa pages are stuck together. Yeah, everybody. Chattel boop. Mm-hmm.
Okay, here we go. And it says here, and he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought to always pray and not to faint. And it says here, uh, saying, There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterwards said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet Because this will troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
And what I want to pull from that or extract from that is the fact that When there is pressure, when we bring pressure. To our senators, to the congressmen, to the judges, as it were, to those magistrates. When we bring pressure. They have to move. They have to make a decision.
And I can remember so many times you can read throughout scripture, and it was because of the crowd. The Bible will say that they feared the crowd or they feared the people, and that would really stop. Uh, some of the political movements that they would have done because of the fear of the people, and so we have what I'm saying is that we have power in our demonstration, we have power in coming together, and we have power in our prayer. And we need to remember the persecuted church, all of those that are being persecuted and killed in many of these countries. Go ahead, Pastor.
Yeah, amen. Let me just hit these numbers again, please. 888-281-1.
So, I think it's a very good thing. six seven seven nine six seven three. And I want to thank uh Wendy for uh from North Carolina eight hundred and fifty uh eight hundred and five dollars. Thank you, Wendy. Yes, thank you, Wendy.
And uh Lou from Michigan uh pledged one hundred dollars. Anonymous from uh Cleveland area, a hundred and fifty dollars. Tony from Toronto one hundred and twenty five dollars. And Vicki uh from Colorado, one hundred and twenty five dollars. Praise the Lord.
Uh Matt from uh Minnesota pledged fifty dollars. All right. Yes, amen. Thank you, folks. A Mark in Ohio pledged one hundred dollars.
There's another mark that pledged from Ohio, two marks, that's great. Pledged fifty dollars, and Bernie from Michigan pledged two hundred dollars.
So we thank you so very much. Keep those calls coming in, folks. Just give the numbers out again. I'm sorry, 888. two eight one one one one zero and eight eight eight six seven seven nine six seven three And Carolyn from Illinois pledged $100 and Cameron.
Cameron from Connecticut pledged $100. Thank you so much.
So much. That's what we need to do. Is you know, the large amounts are wonderful, and it's always encouraging to get the large amounts. But, you know. We talk about this a number of times on the air.
You know, if people would just donate a little bit, even if everybody was l I would say with the the footprint of this program. If everybody donated five dollars, pastor would have enough. enough money to c stay on the air for a long time. Yeah.
You know, uh but I I know some people uh can't af can't afford to even s uh share, but th for those that can, uh, and like uh Randall said, this is the season of the Oh When you're thinking about gifts for people, think about the gift for donating to this radio station: 888-281-1110 and 888-6811. Six seven seven nine six seven three.
Okay, uh we have a Few articles here you want to yeah I think John John didn't you have something to say on the uh persecuted church Yes, thank you. And thank you for telling me that. Yeah, let me go to um the article here And it's The article has to do about Pakistan. And it says Christian pastor murdered in Pakistan, persecuted. against the Christian minority escalates.
So his name is um It's I uh Reverend Amran Salamet. And he's a Presbyterian, and he is very high in the Presbyterian Church. In Pakistan. The church, Presbyterian Church, has been in Pakistan for over a hundred years But anyways, uh they like my um My preaching On the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, they liked it on looking for the blessed hope, healing the brokenhearted. And they put seminars on And I was invited, I would say, probably about five or six times So I've met him.
And he was murdered on December fifth. Uh he was standing with his daughter. Near the front of the house, and government came by on motorcycles and Shot and killed them. Wow. And he was a very honorable man of the Lord.
And through that, by the way, I think It was a dozen Presbyterian pastors I led to the Lord. They didn't know the Lord and they had no assurance of salvation. Wow. But many, many, many souls. I was able to minister there.
Uh I do it over uh Zoom. Live over Zoom. And uh so he's a great loss. He he is a tremendous loss now for the ministry, but to cold-blooded murder. Dear.
Yeah, I think about I I uh read the uh voice of the martyrs and uh the uh in their magazine it's l uh so many around the c world. There's so many countries. that are just the the persecution is just absolutely against Christians. They're being slaughtered, of course, all the different countries in Africa, but. uh India and all over.
I mean, it's not just um uh that that general area, but it's uh worldwide Christians are dying. You know, we get isolated here in America and we kind of think, Oh, well, you know, this is uh n there's not too much persecution or, you know, we hear about some some churches getting uh uh bombarded or something but uh not not that much but uh Some of these folks are living with this day in and day out. Absolutely. It breaks your heart. It really does.
Like on l let me give you an example. Um I haven't spoken that regularly now in a while, but through the years, I I would speak regularly in Pakistan And the Muslims would come. and they want bribes. Or they'll tell you, that's it, shut down, that's it. And so, what do you do?
They you know, they'll just come and stop it.
So, you have you have to stop. And they want they want money. A lot of them want money.
So uh and then we've had uh Oh, there is We've had a pastor's son was kidnapped. And we had to raise several thousand dollars to pay ransom for his son. We had another man in the ministry, he was knifed and the knife just nicked his heart. and the fraction of an inch more would have killed them. Wow.
So we had to raise money for a heart operation.
So there's always things like that. Not always, but quite often. going on here. Yeah, yeah. Wow.
Well, I I I tell you what, uh Pastor, um I know that we bring up these things, and it's heartbreaking to see, but I'm certainly glad that. We have the ability to go past just talking. Because the Bible says that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
So we're just going to take a moment, and each of us can pray for the persecuted church. And I'll start out here. You know, what I just read coming from Luke 18 about the unjust judge. It goes on and it says And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. In other words, understand that and compare that to what he's saying here.
And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night unto him? though he bear long with him. And he says, I tell you, that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? We walk by faith.
Not by sight. It is so important for us to stand boldly when that fear would try to come, when people try to intimidate us, that we stand in faith. Faith pleases God, and God is the one that commanded that we should always pray and not. Faint. And so we're going to stand with our brothers and our sisters across this globe that are being persecuted tonight.
And we're asking if you would join with us, eternal God, we come before you and we thank you that you are sovereign, that you are in control, Father God. I know that many times people may say, Well, why does it have to be this way? Why does it have to go this route? But, God. You are in control, Father God, and you are long-suffering, not willing that any should perish.
And so, Father God, we know that there are those that they can't even stand the sight of blood, they can't stand the sight of someone being tortured or even hearing about it. But, God, nevertheless, it is still happening. And so, God, we are coming, we are petitioning the throne of God tonight, Father God, on behalf of our brothers and our sisters, Lord God, across the globe that are being persecuted, Lord God. And we are asking, Lord God, for your intervention, Lord God. We are asking that you would deliver them according to your word, even here, Lord God.
Shall you not avenge them that cry unto you day and night? And yes, we understand that there will still be those that will be martyred. There will still be those that are persecuted. We understand that. But we also understand that, Father God, you gave us wisdom.
You gave the early disciples wisdom. Even you, Father God, you moved with wisdom and would slip in and out of the crowds when they would want to stone you. And we know that many of the early disciples, the Bible talks about how they escaped, how they were let down in baskets, and all the various things that they did. They didn't just go right to the person and say, hey, just go ahead and kill me, Lord God. We know that they had the boldness that if and when that took place, they would stand, Lord God, even as Stephen the martyr, when he was stoned, Lord God.
But nevertheless, Lord God, we don't want to just sit idly by, Father God, and see, Father God, our brothers and sisters needlessly tortured and killed, Lord God. And we are praying for the Nigerian. Government, Lord God, many of them who are in bed with the Islamists, Lord God, and taking bribes and being paid and different things and allowing them to go in and to massacre these Christians. We're praying for the Trump administration, who announced just some time ago about interacting and interceding on behalf of those that are being persecuted. And we are praying because we know that there are senators, there are congressmen, there are various people that listen to this radio station.
And we are praying that the pressure would come, Father God, that whatever they can do to push this before the president, whatever they can do to help get the help over there where our people are being persecuted, that they would do what they can do, Father God, so that this persecution, Lord God, could be stopped or limited in many cases, Lord God. And we are praying for the families, those that have lost loved ones, Lord God. We even heard Brother John just mention about one of the members who he personally knew. And this person has been executed.
So, Father God, again, we need your help. And we're calling. We know that there's nothing too hard, Father God. And we just pray. I'm reminded of the prophet and his servant, Lord God, who looked round about.
He saw all of the armies. And the prophet told him, as he was scared, you know, he told him basically to look round about. And there were the armies of heaven that were surrounding that area, surrounding that place. And he was able to see that with the opening of his eyes, Lord God. And so, Father God, we know that, Father God, as that word says, there be more that be with us than that be with them.
Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. And so, Father God, again, we pray that. People's faith would be strengthened, although the persecution is coming, that their faith would be strengthened. And Lord God, we look, Father God, for you to protect. And also here in America, we know that there are many people on the side of evil that are plotting and planning to cause these massacres on Christmas and on Hanukkah, Lord God.
And we are praying against the enemy's plan and his plot, Lord God. We pray that the pit that he has dug, Lord God, he himself would fall in. And Father God, we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Uh Let me give those numbers out again. 888.
Eight. I'm sorry, 888 two eight one one one one zero and eight eight eight Six seven seven nine six seven three. And I see um Carolyn from Illinois pledged 100. Dollars and uh Cameron From Connecticut, pledged $100.
So, thank you so much, folks. Please continue to call into these lines. keep our guys in the back, uh Ah, busy, Eric and Carl there.
So we um I was looking at an article here. It's interesting. It says an historical Ten Commandment monument originally. Donated to be used at the state capitol in Frankfort. Uh Kentucky years ago But moved in.
In the nineteen eighties For construction, then banned from returning under the faulty U.S. Supreme Court test of the When in case has been returned. Word comes from the legal team. At First Liberty Institution, which are represents the Uh federation uh Of uh Paternal eagles. Um which has uh protected the monument for all uh these years.
The reinstallation of the monument honors the foundation of American government. Yeah.
Came about after the landmark adoption of the resolution called for the action. It says, there is a long tradition of public monuments like this one. That recognized the unique and important role of the Ten Commandments. Have played in state and national history. The people of Kentucky can now enjoy that monument.
wherever they visit the capital. And that the Ten Commandments is so you know, when I remember when they started taking them out. John, you probably remember that too. They were taking the Ten Commandments out of the uh city buildings or the court buildings? Oh yeah.
Yeah, there was a purge going on. there in the late fifties and in the big court case, There was actually two of them, one in sixty two and one in sixty three. that re separation of church and state they applied. Yeah.
Look at the condition of the in America had the best schools in the world. The best really, the best schools in the world.
Now look at the conditional. Yeah.
They you're they uh graduate children from uh high school that uh can't read or write, They can't do simple math. It's uh it's it's pathetic. It's uh really is. What what has and you know what what has happened through the years, they've dumped more money into the schools than they've ever dumped before. And all all that uh happens is the uh teachers' union is getting rich and uh the students are suffering.
You're exactly right. The the teacher unions don't give a really a hoot about the uh teaching not some of them do. But I but the Tell some of the teachers. But the union itself Now they just want punny money and power. I mean, they're big.
They got a lot of power in the Democrat Party, these uh Teachers' unions. And they they demand abortion. Isn't that odd? They they Support abortion.
so tenaciously And if they were 100% successful, they'd be out of jobs. There'd be no kids. Yeah, that's so true. Yeah, well Like Pastor Sanders always says, they're totally illogical and crazy. You know.
what they what they do. It's the same thing about all this destruction of uh our country. Where where did these people they come over here and they want to damage our country and destroy it? Where are they going to go? They're coming out from a third world country and they want to make the United States a third world country?
It's uh so Wh what what's the purpose of that? They're coming over here because they say they want a better lifestyle, and then they end up trying to destroy this lifestyle so that Their lifestyle is worse. But remember, they hate Christianity. Yeah, that's a key. That's a Islam in particular.
Uh the the um Christ becoming a a a man. You know, that's co in their religion it's called shirk. And that's the a real bad sin. You know, and the and the fact that the Lord died on the cross and rose rose aga rose again, that's abomination to them.
So uh Christianity the Really, Islam is really true Antichrist. It is a For example on the uh the the dome of the rock there. in Jerusalem, that golden dome. Mm-hmm.
Yeah, yeah. On the outside and on the inside. They have uh Surah. They have we call them we call it verses, they call it surah. And it like they qu they have quotes from the Quran.
And one of them is a God is one and has no son. They blatantly, I think it's 12 times in the Quran. Mohammed claims. That God doesn't have a son. And they it says cease and desist three and one.
They're against the Trinity. Wow. They're against God being the only. And they have that on. that uh shrine.
They have it inscribed those versus on that shrine. That shrine is not a um It's not a mosque. What it is, it's a shrine against Christianity and the superiority of Islam. Wow. I want to just mention Joe from New York pledged to one hundred And Anonymous from uh New York pledged five hundred.
And Louise from Michigan pledged 100. Thank you so much, folks. Thank you. Please keep calling in. We're going to be here for a little while.
888-2888. Two eight one one one one zero eight eight eight six seven seven nine six seven three. Go ahead, Joe. Or John, I'm sorry. I've I finished there.
Okay. Um You know, but yes, there was a big attack who was in the late fifties and early sixties you know, to a lot of the younger people today listening, Yes. They they can't even imagine a time when it was Bible reading and prayer. In school. That's how you started the day.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well but you know Christianity. is why this country was so successful. The principles of Christianity, it's not that this country is a Christian nation, it's the idea they use the Christian principles. And st and stand behind that. That's what God's blessed this country for that.
And look at England. England was blessed for so long and then they went away. All of a sudden they're they're Yeah. They're becoming a third world country all of a sudden.
Okay. You know, uh and you know this our country I g uh you know, it just shocks me. Listening to these people that want to rip down this country or don't want the Christian principles in here in it. But what they came from a country that was shambles using the principles that they're trying to convert to. Yeah.
Yeah.
I've got an article here.
Okay, go ahead. Blessed is the nation whose Lord is the God. Yes, amen. Amen. That's very true.
Go ahead, Randall. You got a article there? Real quick. Climate alarmism: Colorado senators disrupt congressional plans to keep. Government opened.
It says it's been only a few weeks since the government opened up again after Democrat. uh Democrat instigated shutdown that lasted weeks. and costed taxpayers a ton of money. It was a failed attempt to force Republicans in Congress to raid taxpayers' wallets for more than a trillion dollars for benefits for illegal aliens and other Democrat Party priorities.
Now another shutdown could be looming. Again, because of Democrats. It seems like they never learn. The latest conflict arose when Senate Republicans were trying to advance a funding deal before the end of the year. But Colorado Democrats refused.
The work is focused on a five bill spending plan that would remove many of the obstacles that could create issues as another deadline approaches in a few weeks. A report from Fox News said the maneuver ended the vote plans and sent the Senators home for the holiday break without finishing what they wanted. The report said the bills would address the Departments of Defense. labor, health, and human services, education, commerce, justice, interior transportation and housing and urban development. The plan, the report said, appeared primed and ready to advance a government funding package.
But Democrat objections forced Senate Majority Leader John Thorne. uh to accept a delay. The Democrats are indicating that they want to do them. they just didn't want to do them to day. Thone said in the Fox report.
So, hopefully, when we get back, we'll test that proposition and hope that we'll take them to face value and hopefully. will get moving and m uh get moving quickly because we've got a lot to do. And it says the report pointed out the failures I'm sorry, the report pointed out the failure does. tee up what will likely be a brutal January in the Senate. leading up to the end of the month deadline for new spending allocations.
also unresolved, is the issue that caused the first shutdown. Democrats' demands for Obamacare subsidies that Democrats scheduled to expire at the end of twenty twenty five, but now demand an extension. Wow. Same old, same old. Yeah.
Keeps going around in circles, yeah.
Well, you know, it's getting close to that time. It is. Let me get that uh the phone numbers out and let's see. Uh any new uh Ones here we have um Chuck from California placed one hundred. Thank you, Chuck.
And the phone numbers is 888. Two eight one one one one zero and eight eight eight six seven seven nine six seven three. And um John, uh One at you and uh Randall. Give the invitation tonight. You got about I I would guess about ten minutes here.
to end it out.
Okay. Yeah, well, um brother uh Yeah, if you would like to lead on.
Okay. Um I think I want to go back to uh Just what I was mentioning, this is the time of the season that Again, the greatest gift we know was sent. Jesus Christ into this earth. And uh we want to remember And I just want to share this again because it uh again confirms that This is not just of a man. Or any man, but this was divinity.
And heaven said, and speaking with the shepherds that were in the field that night, and the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
So, this is not just black, white, or Chinese, Hispanic. This is to all people, anyone. For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, as the word says. But to go on, it says, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you.
You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.
So, this is a promise to those, anyone tonight who can hear. Uh the master's voice who can hear uh God's voice tonight. And it's important if you're in that place and you're saying, well, I'm not sure if you would ask the Lord to make Himself clear. To you, reveal himself to you. You're not going to get like a big flash of light.
I don't believe that that's how the Lord is going to show himself, but through the word, his word is powerful. Jesus said, The words that I speak, they are spirit and they are life. And I want to say this to someone who may be doubting or struggling. I want to. Let you know, there's a story about Thomas, and it's a true story.
Thomas was one of the disciples, but when Jesus died and when he appeared to the other disciples after his resurrection, Thomas wasn't there. And though Thomas walked with him, and though Thomas had heard that he said he was going to rise again, destroy this temple, and in three days I'll raise it up. Thomas, for whatever reason, they called him Doubting Thomas. He has that nickname, if you would. But for whatever reason, he didn't believe.
And so he said he told the disciples, Unless I see the prince in his hand and I can put my hands in there and see his side, that was they speared him in the side. You know, Thomas was like, I will not believe. And the Bible says about eight days later, Jesus appeared.
So Jesus heard. What he said. And I'm saying that because if you stand in that valley of decision or in that valley of doubt, and you express, Lord, I hear all of this, but I'm just not sure. Maybe you, maybe you were raised in Islam, maybe you were raised in another religion or something, and it's difficult to really discern and know: is this the real Jesus? Listen.
If you would just be real with him and open your heart and say, Manifest yourself to me.
So I want to know that this is you. The Lord is faithful and And he is just, and I believe that God will do just that. And so Jesus did appear. eight days later, and he told him, Thomas, go ahead, put your hands. In my hands, where the nail prints were, and put your hand in my side.
And he told him, he said, Because you have seen You believe, but he said this: he says, But blessed are those that have not seen and yet believe. And so I want to say that to you. The blessing is in having faith in him without seeing. Go ahead. John.
Yeah, how much time is left? We have about five minutes, I believe.
Okay, very good.
Well, just let me know when there's like a minute left. Yeah, I want to go back to starting. The way we started tonight And with Christ incarnate the incarnation of Christ, as the with the virgin birth Because of the price for sin, the penalty for sin had to be paid. And remember, God is holy. And God is love.
So, in Jesus Christ, in his ministry, God's holiness. was satisfied in his love. Would satisfy it. But what the Bible says and what I shared. About God being holy.
and that sin cannot be in his presence. And that's what everybody faces in the future. with God, n not being in his presence and that It's an awful place. Actually it's called the Lake of Fire. And God's not willing that all should perish, that any should perish, but come to repentance.
So he's provided the way, folks, and I shared that with you. About that Christ, God was in Christ, reconciling. bringing us together. And that the way he did it was he became sin for us. that we might become is righteousness.
So that's what God is offering tonight. is righteousness through that child in Christmas. Born of a virgin. That was the sinless, only begotten.
Son of God.
So don't neglect this, please.
Okay. God is Provided everything needed for your forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
So let me just share John 316 with you, and then I want to share a verse from heaven. John three sixteen says, For God so loved the world That's everybody under the sound of my voice. that he gave his only begotten son.
Now, of course, when he gave his only begotten son, that's Jesus Christ on the cross. paying a penalty for sin And with his shed blood. That whosoever believes in him should not perish. but have everlasting life. The whosoever is who's ever listening to me.
You're the whosoever.
So God's love You have to apply it. to your life. It's just not enough. God's love hovering over you. is not enough.
What is needed? Whosoever believes in him So you must believe just as that verse said, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. He gave his only begotten Son.
so you can have eternal life. That's how much he loves you. that you can have eternal life.
Now what I like to do with that verse is go to heaven. Remember, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
So we're looking at the multitude there around the throne And it's in Revelation 5:9, and it says they're singing a new song to the Lord. And that's the believers. But they tell us how they got to heaven. This is the whosoever believes in him. for you were slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, Out of every kindred kindred is uh tribe.
every tongue language. and every people and nation.
So all the people in heaven, all the believers in Jesus Christ tell us how they got there. Because you were slain. That's happened on the cross. He was slain on the cross and shed his blood. and has redeemed us, paid the penalty, Redeem those.
brought us back, paid the penalty. He bought he brought us out of sin. But who shed blood? And uh and of every kin every tribe, every tongue. That's every language book.
God so loved the world. If anybody in any place If they can repent and confess Christ, they'll have assurance of eternal life. And and people. People means male, female, young, old. Rich, poor.
uh uh the the uh the different colors of people Um Smart genius and not so smart. That's the people. That's how they got to heaven. Everybody got there the same way. the rich and the poor, got to heaven the same way through the through Jesus being slain and redeemed by his blood.
Doesn't matter who we hear who we are on earth. We all have to come to Christ the same way. Amen. We we got one minute here. John serves every nation.
So in the closing minutes here, closing seconds. Salvation is open right now. Remember, repentance, And confessing with your mouth like this, God, I repent. And I trust Jesus Christ died on the cross. Shed his blood.
paid the penalty for my sin, He rose the third day from the dead. and I confess him as my Lord and Saviour, and believe you have placed his righteousness in me. that I can go be in heaven. And called you Father God. Amen.
Amen. Thank you. And we want to thank everybody for all the donations. Thank you for calling in, and thank you for being here. And we want to say, Good night to everyone.
Good night. God bless and always always always keep fighting the fight fight Thanks for listening to The Voice of the Christian Resistance, What's Right, What's Left, hosted by Pastor Ernie Sanders. To learn more about our ministry, please visit us online at www.wrwl.org. Please tune in next time for another edition of What's Right, What's Left? The preceding program is sponsored by What's Right, What's Left Ministries, and is responsible for its content.
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