After spending all day straining, I prayed that God would help me get it out. I had pushed and pinched, over and over, thrown out sheet after sheet of notebook paper. I said God, what do you want? Anything to do a good one. To make you happy. I heard, just spend time with me. I thought I was, but I realized once again I had been asking God to make me feel better. I was all plugged up, and I needed to get it out by 6pm, or this could be a disaster. To release this plug with everyone around would be completely embarrassing. So, I just decided to stop trying so hard, to spend some time with God.
After spending some time being quiet, it just started to flow.
So, it took all day, but here is what came loose, what I said to the people in the crowd on Wednesday night:
“Hello, my name is Scott, and this is my beautiful wife Linnea. It is a miracle that I am standing here tonight. Four years ago, I was driving a truck and delivering furniture, and prayed that God would give me a new life. Two and a half years later, I have a wife, and four years later, I am standing in Palenque talking to you. I am standing here tonight because I am being obedient to God. I am standing here tonight, because Jesus calls us to follow him, and we said yes. My wife and I have left everything behind and said yes to God. We are standing here tonight because we asked God to help us really and truly follow him! We have said yes to God because God is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all present. He knows all. He is almighty. He is all loving. I know I am not any of those things, and because I want what is best for the future of my family, we have been obedient to God.
God is always teaching us new things, and has filled our hearts with love and joy and peace! We are here because we want other people to know Jesus and have this life of blessing! We want you to be full of love and joy and peace! We want you to know Jesus and his love!
I see in Palenque, so many people have crosses with Jesus still on it. I tell you the truth, Jesus is no longer on the cross! He is alive! Ruling in heaven! Jesus came to the earth he created, born in a barn, lived to preach good news to the poor, freedom for the captives, healing for the sick and forgiveness to the sinners(Luke 4:18-19). Jesus lived to bring love, joy, and peace! Jesus was then crucified and was raised from the dead on the third day(1 Cor. 15:3-8). He appeared to many, then he went up to heaven. Jesus then appeared in heaven to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). This Jesus, alive in heaven, still speaks to us. That is why we are all here tonight, because Jesus told us to follow him.
Jesus is in heaven, preparing a new home for us! Jesus created the earth, the moon, the sun, and the stars in six days, but has spent the last 2000 years preparing heaven for us! Jesus is preparing a feast, called the wedding feast of the Lamb for us, his bride, the church! (Rev. 19:9) Jesus says, blessed are those who are invited to this feast! Jesus has invited all to come, but many people refuse! People don’t believe, people are too busy, people would rather do their own thing! So Jesus sends his servants out to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame! (Luke 14:21)
Just before Jesus went up to heaven he commanded his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19) That is why we are travelling around the world, because Jesus has given us his power and authority!
I have been a christian my whole life, I have always believed in Jesus, but for a long time I didn’t follow Jesus because I believed Satan’s lies. All Satan has is lies. Satan is the father of lies. When Jesus rose from the dead he took Satan’s power, so all Satan has left is lies. Satan told me I wasn’t good enough to follow Jesus. Satan even told me I wasn’t good enough to go to church. Satan even still tells me that christians are hypocrites! Satan made me guilty and ashamed and proud.
Satan lies to all of us, he says you are not good enough. Satan says you are not smart enough. Satan says you do not have enough education. Satan says you do not have enough money. Satan says you are evil. Satan says you drink too much. Satan says you drink so much that God can’t love you. Satan tells you to drink more. Satan doesn’t want you to be happy. All the voices that say bad things to you are from Satan.
Satan even tells people to be good so God will love them. Satan tells the ‘good’ people to judge the ‘bad’. This makes God very angry. In the story of the lost son (Luke 15), when the ‘bad’ son comes back, the ‘good’ son is mad. The ‘good’ son is mad because he does not understand the love of his father. When we turn to God, he runs to us, and hugs us! He loves us! This makes him happy! Many of us are like the ‘good’ son, trying to be good to earn God’s love, and upset when a ‘bad’ person is loved by God! The truth is, even the ‘good’ are not good enough to earn God’s love!
Most people already know they are sinners! They are tormented by Satan! Most people don’t need us to tell them how bad they are, they need us to tell them how loving our Father is! The people of Palenque are these people! In pain because of Satan! We can see it in your eyes: loneliness, shame, sadness, pain. We are here to tell you, God doesn’t want any to suffer! He offers his love! He offers his blessings! Jesus says (Matt. 7:9) how many of you, if your son asks for a piece of bread, will give him a stone instead? How much more does our father in heaven want to give us good gifts?
How many of you are parents? Raise your hands! How many of you parents, when your son poops his pants, just let him sit in his stink? You love him, so you clean him! You love him, even while he is dirty, but you know he needs to be cleaned. You don’t tell him to clean himself, because he can’t. Then he poops again and again and again, and every time you clean him and love him! This is like our father, who loves us and cleans us. We can’t clean ourselves! We can only be cleaned by the blood of Jesus. It is only by calling on Jesus, believing in Jesus, and following Jesus that we can be cleaned and welcomed into the wedding feast.
Jesus is coming back. Jesus is establishing his kingdom. He is coming back to judge the peoples. Jesus is coming back to bring justice and mercy.
You have a choice today, do you want to feast with Jesus? Or do you want to be banished for eternity, where you will cry out for just a drop of water!
The abundant life can start for you today. Heaven on earth can begin for you today! Love, Joy, and Peace is a choice.
Deciding to follow Jesus will cost you everything you have. This will cost you your life. You must leave everything behind. You must leave behind your pride, your selfishness, your sinfulness, even your own self-righteousness! You may need to leave behind your material possessions. You may need to leave even your family behind! We all have.
But this present suffering is a small price to pay in comparison to our future glory!
Brothers and sisters, this is scary! How big is your God? This means you need courage. This means you need to be a living sacrifice! This means taking your inheritance, taking Palenque, and even more! I believe many of you are called to be missionaries to the nations!
The world racers are on a journey which is an answer to prayer for many. When we leave here, it is up to you to continue taking Palenque. It is up to you to follow Jesus and do the work in Palenque that was planned from the beginning of time! Jesus created Palenque for himself and we need to take it back. Be bold and courageous, walk in the power and authority Jesus has given you. Rip Palenque from Satan’s grasp! Free people from this spiritual bondage!
Live a life pleasing to God. He promises his blessings! Learn to be loved by God. Read the bible, meditate on it. The bible is a love letter from God. You were created to be loved by God. He wants you to know his love. He wants you to love him. He wants you to love each other!
God has given you Pastor Nestor and his wife Celina, to lead you and to teach you! Your priority needs to be to follow them and to learn from them. God says to trust him. To follow him, to meditate on his word. God will bless you and your family for generations!
So anyone who wants this new life, who wants to be a part of eternity with Jesus, come up and pray with us! Jesus is calling you, will you obey?
I have been obedient by standing up here and saying what I believe God wanted me to say. If Jesus came back tonight, I know I have a seat at the table, feasting on the richest food, the best meat and the finest wine! I believe this world race is just a small sample for us of who will be seated at the table with us. I also believe the food we eat on this race is just a sample of what we will have at the feast. I hope Celina’s salsa is on the table in heaven.
I tell you the truth, one day you will stand before God and explain to him what you did with your life. You will explain to him why you did it. You will explain to him the choices you made. You will be paid according to the good you did, and the good you didn’t do. If you have been washed in Jesus blood, you will have a seat at the table, but I believe you will still give an account of your life. Were you obedient to God?
I know tonight I have shared God’s word, you are responsible for what you do with what you have heard. I pray you have decided the toughest route, the route that calls out the best you can be- to follow Jesus and come to the feast. I look forward to feasting with you for all eternity.”
Then Pastor Nestor came up and started praying. One man had already accepted Jesus, before we started. Shawna and Amanda brought in a couple more drunks tonight, they are so incredible. Then Chad came up and led to of the young men who had come up to Christ. He then led a young lady to Christ. After this one of the drunks was delivered, he battled, he kept getting to the name of Jesus and saying the name of a false god. So we kept praying and eventually, the man was standing with his arms raised praising Jesus.
This stuff is powerful.
