Gospel Light Minute X with Daniel Whyte III

1 Chronicles 16:8: "Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people." Out of all of the holidays that we are blessed to celebrate, Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love this time of year. I love the weather. I love the time we get to spend with family and friends. I love the food. I love looking back over the past year to see where God has brought us from. I believe that God gives us these times away from our daily routine to refocus our attention on what is truly important. The Israelites observed certain feasts, celebrations, and holy days every year. These days were observed so that the children of Israel would remember what God had done for them in the past. The verse that we are looking at today is I Chronicles 16:8. This verse is a part of a psalm given by David on one of these important days in the history of Israel -- the day that he brought the Tabernacle of God up to Jerusalem. The people of Israel were celebrating and rejoicing because of this great event. From this verse, I want us to notice three things that I believe God wants us to do not only on this Thanksgiving, but on every day of our lives. + Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Count Your Blessings"

The Thanksgiving Mandate (Part 1)

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #85 Scripture: Isaiah 53 In our culture today, it seems as though one of the hardest things for us to do is to slow down and be still for any length of time. From the time we get out of bed in the morning to the time we turn in at night, we are always busy and always on the go. Many of us rush from one destination to another, running errands, fulfilling job duties, catching up with friends, and handling family issues. Even during "down time" when we should be relaxing, our fingers fly over handheld devices. While we are sitting in the recliner or laying in bed, we are surfing the web, checking e-mail, video chatting, and collaborating with co-workers on job projects. We find it nearly impossible to just be still. In our passage for today, I want us to notice how King David goes into the Tabernacle and takes the time to "sit before the Lord." Just to give you the background of this occasion: earlier in II Samuel 7, the Bible tells us that David is sitting in his newly built palace talking to Nathan the prophet. While they are talking, David says, "See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains." He then expresses his desire to build a Temple for the Ark of God to reside in. Nathan understandably encourages him to do this. However, later, God speaks to Nathan and tells him that He will allow David's son to build the Temple and not David. However, God tells Nathan what we now call the "Davidic covenant" in which He promises that the House of David would be established forever as the ruling house of Israel. After Nathan brings him this message from God, King David is overwhelmed by the grace and mercy that God has shown to him, and he goes to the Tabernacle and the Bible tells us that he "sat before the Lord." Today, I want us to consider the fact that there are times when we need to leave our normal duties and get alone with God. We, too, need to sit before the Lord.

(Gospel Light Minute #21) By his early teens, he was constantly in fist fights, selling hard drugs and sleeping with married women. He continued to slide deeper into a life of violence and crime until he became a Shotgunner - an armed guard for drug dealers. His father, a former marine, grew fond of saying "Boy, somebody's gonna kill you one of these days!" Haunted by his father's words, he became increasingly concerned that he was going to be killed because of drugs and slowly began to distance himself from his former life. Soon, his wife, Lynn, accepted Jesus Christ and helped bring him to Christ as well. After committing his life to Jesus, he kicked his drug addiction, built a church, became its preacher and managed a thriving construction business in Pennsylvania. But in 1998, he went to Uganda as a volunteer for a construction project. That one trip, which was supposed to last only a few weeks, drastically changed the course of his life, his family and of hundreds of children in southern Sudan. Since 1998, he has spent his time in Africa rescuing children from being recruited as child soldiers or being forced into sex trafficking. He also runs an orphanage in Southern Sudan. His name is Sam Childers, and he is now known as the "Machine Gun Preacher."

GLMX #48 It is true, most people are pretty good. However, contrary to popular opinion, not all good people go to Heaven. In fact, you do not have to be a bad person to go to Hell. Notice what the Bible says in Titus 3:5: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us..." The Bible also states in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." You can see that even if you are a good person, and even if you do good works, God's Word declares that your goodness is not enough to get you to Heaven. Another interesting fact found in the Bible is that you are not really as good as you think you are. Ecclesiastes 7:20 states, "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." The Bible also says in Romans 3:10 and 23, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one...For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." It is true that you must have goodness to get to Heaven, but the truth is you do not possess that goodness in and of yourself. Isaiah 59:2 says, "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." You see, everyone deserves to die and go to Hell because of their sin; however, Jesus loved us so much that He shed His sinless blood and died in our place. Three days later, Christ arose from the grave, proving that He had conquered death and hell, and establishing that He alone has the power to give us eternal life. Romans 5:8 says "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." + Plus, listen to Natalie Grant singing "Perfect People"

The Power of Being Still Before God

Former Drug Dealer and Adulterer Meets Jesus Christ and is Now Winning Souls and Taking Names in the Sudan as the "Machine Gun Preacher"

So You Think You Are a Pretty Good Person?

Prayer in the Bible #12 | with Daniel Whyte III TEXT: I Samuel 12:16-25 Today, as we continue our series on Prayer in the Bible, I want us to look at the life of one of the most powerful prayer warriors in history. His name is Samuel, and he was a great prayer partner to the children of Israel because he really knew how to get ahold of God. He was also a prophet and the last of the judges of the children of Israel. You might recall that his birth came about because of the earnest prayers of his mother Hannah who was barren and desperately wanted a child. Samuel grew up in the Tabernacle as a servant of God, and that is where he began his great and powerful prayer life. 1. In Order to Become a Powerful Person of Prayer, You Must Listen to the Voice of God. 2. In Order to Become a Powerful Person of Prayer, You Must Be Willing to Pray for Others. 3. In Order to Become a Powerful Person of Prayer, You Must Understand that Prayerlessness Is a Sin.

How to be a Powerful Person of Prayer

Dear Soul, the Bible declares that one day you will die and then stand face to face with God to be judged. Hebrews 9:27 reads, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Nothing in your entire life could be more important than being ready for that day, because it will determine whether you will spend eternity in heaven or in hell. This judgment will be based on a person's righteousness, which means to be absolutely perfect and without sin. The Bible says in Acts 17:31, "He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained..." The man spoken of in this verse is Jesus Christ. This means that your righteousness must match that of Jesus Christ. Can you make it through your entire life without committing one single sin? Jesus Christ did, and He is the one that you will be compared with at your judgment. + Plus, listen to Andre Crouch singing "There is No One Like Jesus"

(Gospel Light Minute #20) Beyond his stellar college football career with the University of Florida, he played for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. He is the winner of 4 NFL rushing titles, and is the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons. In 2002, he surpassed Walter Payton's All-Time Leading Rushing Record of 16,726 yards to become the NFL's All-Time Leading Rusher. During his career, he led the NFL in rushing 4 times, won 3 Super Bowl Titles, League MVP honors in 1993, the Super Bowl MVP Award (in Super Bowl 28), and has been selected to the Pro Bowl 8 times. He is the only running back to ever win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season in 1993. He finished his career with a total of 18,355 yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, and is the first player from the 1990 NFL Draft to be inducted. A devout Christian and family man, he shows his strong belief in God in his daily life and in projects that he uses to help others such as the Charities for Underserved Children which he heads with his wife. He urges Christians to pursue their God-given dreams and to combine persistence, humility, determination, courage and faith to be a winner in their calling. His name is Emmitt Smith.

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #84 Scripture: Isaiah 53 This past week, America came to the close of its election season. After months of non-stop campaigning, debates over policy, campaign ads bombarding the airwaves, and political pundits weighing in on various issues, the American people went to the polls and made a choice between two candidates. Earlier in the political season, both parties held a convention where they officially nominated their candidate for the office of president. A great deal of planning went into each of these gatherings. There was a lot of pomp and ceremony, balloons, confetti and music. The venues were chosen with great care. And with a rare exception or two, everything was scripted. The conventions were orchestrated to show their candidate as being the most attractive, the most likable, and the most electable. It would have truly been a disaster if, after investing all of that money and effort, their candidate came away as being perceived as unattractive, un-presidential and unlikable. But, as Isaiah 53 tells us, that is how Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, was perceived when He came down to earth. I like what one commentator wrote about this passage. He said, "Isaiah brings us on a personal level to the Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected; His person is refused; and His mission is misunderstood. Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering provides atonement for our sins; and though He suffers death and burial, He will ultimately be exalted. No other Scripture better describes the humble appearance of Jesus as a common rabbi from the city of Nazareth." Isaiah 53:2-3 says that Jesus "hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." The term "no form nor comeliness" shows that Jesus comes from humble origins. When He was born, He was not laid in a crib in the bedchamber of a king, but in the feeding trough of cattle in a stable. Isaiah, the prophet, tells us that he was despised and rejected by men. This means that he was disdained, scorned, and abandoned. He was unattractive and undesirable. Jesus was rejected by many of the people in His day. Yes, He was popular in Israel when he was feeding five thousand people from a little boy's lunch or when He was healing the sick. But, when He called on people to forsake their old lives and follow Him fully and completely, many just walked away. And at the end of his earthly ministry, the majority of the people wanted to get rid of Him. As He stood like a convicted criminal before Pilate, the crowds cried out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Why wasn't Jesus popular in His day? Why did the masses of people reject Him when it came down to choosing between Him and a common criminal? Allow me to briefly share with you today three aspects of who Jesus was that will help us answer these questions. + Plus, listen to Chris Tomlin as he sings "How Great Is Our God" and Israel Houghton & New Breed singing "Again I Say Rejoice".

The Despised and Rejected Saviour is Campaigning for Your Heart

Emmitt Smith: Faith, Success and a Strong Belief in God