Telling The TRUTH
071611 Telling The Truth 28 Minute Program
[music] You're listening to "Telling the Truth" from Triple T. Christian Youth Ministries, "Telling the Truth to and through Teenagers." Here is Triple T. Founder and President George Dumes. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, choices." Lot's gracious Uncle Abram gave him the choice of choices. Genesis 13-9, New King James Version says, "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right. If you go to the right, then I will go to the left." Sometimes we have decisions that will alter all the rest of our tomorrow's. Sometimes there's that fork in the road where you have to determine which way you are going to go for the rest of your life. What about you today? Are you going God's way? Are you choosing the best way to serve Him? Or are you doing it in a self-centered situation? I hope you will have compassion for the people who don't know the Lord. I trust you will understand that something that you could do today would change every day in the future for someone who doesn't know Jesus, someone with whom you can share and help come to know Him, whom to know right is life eternal. Will you pray? Will you read God's Word? Will you fellowship with other believers and then to gather? Will you go to those who need the Lord? I trust you will. I hope you will do it today. It's your choice. It's your decision. Somebody out there is waiting for you. Will you go? I hope so. And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah like the Garden of the Lord, like the Land of Egypt, as you go towards Zor. Genesis 1310, New King James Version. Yes, Lot lifted his eyes and decided to take the best for himself. What about you? You have decisions to make. Are you going to be making those decisions that will cause you to have the best? Are you looking out for others? Are you thinking in terms of others' interests? It's up to you. You are the one who has to determine and decide moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, week by week. What will you do with Jesus who is called the Christ? First, will you accept Him as your personal Savior? And having done this, will you share your faith in Him with those who don't know Him? Will you diligently pray for those who don't know the Lord? Will you seek God's will regarding the proper way to share the Gospel with folk who need Him? Will you pray with other believers? Will you read God's Word? Will you prayerfully and carefully consider the best way to get the Gospel to someone who needs to know the Lord? I hope you will. I hope you will do the right thing today. Whatever happens tomorrow is determined by your decision now. Abram and his nephew Lot had accumulated so much stuff, so many things that the land could not support both of them. A decision had to be made and Abram gave Lot a choice. Listen to Genesis 1311, New King James Version. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan and Lot journeyed east and they separated from each other. Yes, there comes a moment in life when you have to determine which way to go. Are you going to take the best for yourself or are you going to think about someone else? Lot was self-centered. Abram was very gracious and was open to whatever Lot wanted. What about those people with whom you were in contact on a daily basis? What about the people that you could lead in the right direction? They are watching you. You are the best Christian somebody knows if indeed you are a believer in Christ. What are you doing about those people who don't know the Lord? The Bible says he who wins souls is wise. Are you wise? Are you praying? Are you reading the Word of God? Are you fellowshiping with other believers and are you working out the best way to get the Gospel to those who don't know the Lord? There is a way. There is a way that you can go with the truth today. God has a perfect plan for everyone everywhere but choices have to be made consistently. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. Genesis 13-12 to King James Version. Yes, determinations and decisions and then come the consequences. What will you do today that will make a difference in the life of someone else? Will you pray diligently? Will you then excitedly take the Gospel to people? Will you pray for those people who need the Lord? Will you look at God's Word clearly and then will you fellowship with other believers and together? Will you take God's glorious Gospel to those people who need to know Him? It's your decision. You can decide whether or not you are going to share your faith in Jesus Christ today. Will you? I hope you will. I pray that you will and I know that if you will someone will hear and can believe. Someone can be saved. Someone can receive the gift of God eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Someone can learn that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried that He rose again on the third day. Will you tell them? Be careful and be prayerful where you go and why you are going there. Lot made a choice. He chose what he thought was the best for himself but listened to Genesis 13-13 New King James. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord. Be careful who you hang around. Don't fellowship. Don't involve yourself with folk who are against the Lord. Being for Christ is the only way to live successfully. Being with those folk who are against Him is devastating and will ultimately destroy. When you pray, pray that God will make you usable and then use you to make an impact on your world. Get together with other believers in Christ. Read and study God's Word together. Then do what it says. Go. Praying diligently. Praying deliberately. Praying decisively. Going with the gospel. I know there are people you know who could know Christ if you would tell them how. But will you? Tell them that Christ died for our sins. That He was buried. That He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. That's the gospel. Let them know that by believing they can receive. Listen to Genesis 13-14 New King James Version. And the Lord said to Abram, "After Lot had separated from Him, lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are." Northward, southward, eastward and westward. Where are you? Look around you. Look in every direction and then determine which way God would have you to go that would bring the most glory to Him that would accomplish the greatest purpose for Him through you. There are people in your world who need the Lord. Will you take the gospel to them? Will you prayerfully consider going northward, southward, eastward or westward today to those people you know who may not know Christ but who could know Him if you would tell them about Him? What will you do? Will you tell them? It's your determination. It's your decision. Which way will you go? North, south, east, west. When will you go? Today, tomorrow, sometime in the far, far distant future or immediately today? The Bible says no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Listen to Genesis 13-15, New King James Version. For all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. What a wonderful promise. What a great gesture on God's part toward Abram who made the proper decision and let Lot choose. What God wants you to do is to choose the best for others and then God will reward you. Ultimately, you will be the recipient of something so special that only God could make it happen. Whatever God wants you to do, wherever He wants you to go, do it for His glory and go where you can please Him the most. Make certain that you are in tune with the Lord. Make sure that you are concerned about other people. Make absolute right decisions that will accomplish the furtherance of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has a plan. God has a place. God has a purpose divinely designed perfectly for you. But you have to put yourself at God's disposal. You have to say, "Here, my Lord, send me." And if you mean it, he will. Every Saturday at 7.27 p.m., you are invited to attend a live youth event at Triple T, 13,000 U.S. 41 North at Booneville, New Harmony Road, Midway between I-64 and Evansville Regional Airport. Every first Saturday, a good news club for those in first through fifth grades is available in a separate area. For more information call 812-867-2418 or visit www.tripletchristianyouth.org. [Music] Pray without ceasing. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing in everything, give thanks. For this is the will of God and Christ Jesus for you. Pray about everything, all the time. Never go anywhere or do anything. You cannot ask God to bless and invite him to be with you. He is with you if you have received the gift of God eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord. What? No, you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory, the Bible says. Put the joy formula into effect. Jesus first, other second, your self third. But don't leave yourself out. Lift Jesus high as you pray, always, always in every prayer in Jesus' name. He said, "Anything that you ask in my name I will give to you." Pray by name for others. Pray for people you know who are endeavoring to serve the Lord. Find two other believers and form a prayer triplet. Pray for one another. Pray for those you know and they know who need the Lord. Pray for yourself. Lord, make me usable and use me for your glory. Remember, God's word says, "He who glories let him glory in the Lord." Thank God for all He has done for you and through you. Thank Him for every answer to prayer. Last weekend, I listened to four pastors presenting very similar messages on their national television ministries. All were talking about praying. David Jeremiah from California. Dr. Ed Young from Houston, Texas. Charles Stanley from Atlanta, Georgia. All contemporaries. All people about my age. All people with magnificent ministries. All who believe in praying. Recently, I picked up a book by Michael Cat. I never met Michael Cat, but I know about him. I know that it was his church down in Georgia that put together movies that have been absolutely remarkable as they have been seen by literally millions of people now. Facing the giants. Fireproof. Great, great thing it is to know that a local church with a visionary pastor with some people who came to him with the vision of doing movies could put it into effect and have reached out to the world from that little town in Georgia. Michael Cat has written a book called The Power of Persistence. Breakthroughs in your prayer life. Jay Strach is a friend of mine and of our ministry. And he says, "What is missing today in our churches?" A profound call to prayer has the answers. As I looked into this book, I saw that even though I've never met Michael Cat, he certainly has met friends of mine. Jay Strach was one. John Bassano, the former pastor of First Baptist Church, Houston, Texas, who Mary and I met when he was the song leader for Hyman Appleman's Evangelistic Crusades. We went out with John and Aldine Bassano every night for two weeks. They had a little girl who was just two years old, and we got to know them very, very well. Then I visited John when he was pastoring in Houston, Texas. He has endorsed this book, and he has quoted in the book by Michael Cat. And then my friend Warren W. Wiersby, when I went on staff of Youth for Christ International, Warren was my boss. I was director of advertising and circulation for Youth for Christ magazine, and Warren was the editor. Because there was no room in the end, my office was just a desk right outside of Warren's office, and we had much, much fellowship together. Every day we would take a break. Many of us on the staff would go together, and Warren would wax eloquently about some passage of Scripture. He would let us know that God is indeed in charge. And then in this book by Michael Cat, one of his dedications is to Roger and Linda Braylen. He says, "Friends for nearly forty years, and certainly friends of ours, for that same length of time." He says, "They have prayed for me, my family and my ministry, like no others, and I would have to say a similar thing." And I try to pray for Roger and Linda and their three boys every day. And I know that they are praying for us. Their lives are a testimony of the power of prayer and faith. And Warren wears B. He says, "A biblical base for praying is a case that is impossible to refute." We need to know that there is power in prayer, and we need to do something about it. God wants us not just to talk about prayer or to read about prayer, but God wants us to pray. He wants us to pray because everything depends on Him. It all is in God's hands, and He will bring it to pass. He's not going to force issues, but He's going to allow things to happen because we pray in faith believing. We've got to ask the Lord to teach us to pray. The disciples asked Jesus to do that, and He gave us what we call the Lord's Prayer, but it's really the model prayer that Jesus gave the disciples. Our Father with short in heaven, how would be thy name? I remember so well that prayer being sung at our wedding several decades ago now. And I remember the impact that that particular prayer has had on my life and the lives of many, many more. Some time ago I made the determination to try to pray every day for seven families, people that are in Christian ministry, people that are serving the Lord, people that have all been in our home, and we have been in their homes. These people have been used of God magnificently. One of them is now with the Lord. His name is Ken Anderson. He has written a book called Bible-based Prayer Power, using relevant Scripture to pray with confidence for all your needs. What a wonderful, wonderful thing it is to see what God has done and is doing. Ken also is the author of the book where to find it in the Bible that has now been sold in millions and millions of copies. What a delight it is to go into a store like Sam's Club or Walmart and see that book on the shelves. We give it to every one of our Tiger team involved people when they move up the ladder to 6,000 points. At 3,000 points they get a special Bible called the Transformer. And to see these teenagers grasp the Word of God and learn how to pray is wonderful. God wants each one of us to go into His Word. Ken has shared the steps formula. Scripture teaches effective prayer strategies. It's a unique approach to prayer, born out of the frustration and ineffectiveness that Christians often experience in their prayer lives. It's not a gimmick or an attempt to be clever. It's an approach for talking to God based on the premise of John 15-7. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. As Christians connect their needs and desires to verses in the Bible, they will begin to enjoy a deepening personal relationship with its author. Prayer that is based on the promises and principles of God will help experience intimacy with the Lord. We can have boldness and confidence as we pray and gain answers and understanding and increase our faith. Will you? Jesus gave us what I call the Ask formula. It's very simple, ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For who asks receives, who seeks will find, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Are you asking? Are you seeking? Are you knocking? God has a perfect plan for you, but you need to get in tune with Him. And again, pray scripturally. Know that God will hear and answer your prayer, but always pray in Jesus' name, always expect results, always believe that God will hear and answer your prayer according to His will. Pray this way, not my way, but your way, dear Lord, and He will hear and answer. Today is Jesus Christ Changing World Summit here at Triple T. Creative Christian Communications, Bible, music, speakers, food, friends and fun are happening. Special guest, Leah Mokey, doing a mini cowboy camp. With his wife, Darlene, the lesson is here. The motorcycle, sunny school, mission, vintage vehicle. It's a motorcycle, it's a car, it's very unusual looking, and it has a built-in puppet stage. And when you lift up the hood, there is an osmobile tornado engine, a powerful vehicle, and a great, great thing to see. So if you're possibly able, come and see it. The traveling tigers are here. The fair share team with Teen Missions International, leaders from all across America, teens and pre-teens, and it's going to be a great, great day all day long, and it goes right up through the rally tonight, and there is a free pizza party at the climax. And you are hereby invited. If you can't come, wherever you are, please pray. We're excited about what God has done and is doing. I want to share with you a very special scripture. Listen, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in the Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. That's Colossians 3, 16 and 17, New King James. Please pray for fair share that is going on right now. In the summer issue of telling the truth newsletter on page 4, by the way, if you don't have one, Coloss are right and you'll get one sent to you right away or you can check it on the web. All you have to do is scroll to the right place and you can see in full color the four pages of the current telling the truth newsletter. 2 Corinthians 10, 12 through 18 is quoted. It spells out the sphere concept. It includes this, for we are not extending ourselves beyond our sphere, thus not reaching you. For it was to you that we came with the Gospel of Christ, not boasting of things beyond measure, that is in other men's labors, but having hope that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere to preach the Gospel to the regions beyond you. Every day, we are on radio, 33 stations, 9 states, and we have received communications back, requests for our New King James Bible from 6 different states, from people out there who are listening. Since 1980, we have collabered with Bob and Bernie Bland and the staff of Teen Missions International. It's my opportunity to speak to the students and leaders who go worldwide every summer. And Teen Missions teams have come to Triple T for ministry for many of these years. In 1996, we formed the Tiger Team Impact Coalition with Teen Missions International, Tripletikasian Youth Ministries, and AIDS, orphans, and straight children now encompassing the Motorcycle Sunday School Mission in Africa. Tammy serves as attorney for each of these ministries, and Tammy and I challenge the Teen Missions International Summer Team members to begin or grow on-campus Bible clubs and put together Tiger Team Impact Evangelistic Youth Efforts, reaching out to their peers with the Gospel when they return home from their summer mission trips. This summer, over 200 responded to the challenge. They are from 40 of the 50 United States and four Canadian provinces. Each will receive a Tiger Team Impact action packet shortly after they return home. A team of nine teenagers, five adult leaders, and two leaders children are here at Triple T, and they'll be with us through Fairshare. It began last Monday in Ritson County, Illinois, Warwick County, Indiana, and Davies County, Kentucky. Next week, we begin Fairshare at Knox County, Indiana, McLean County, Kentucky, Edwards County, Illinois, the next week in Pike County, Indiana, and then August 1 through 5, Lawrence County, Illinois, White County, Illinois, and Wabash County, Illinois. And Fairshare will climax with Big Splat, here at Triple T, on Saturday, August 6. By the way, you're invited, and we would like for you to have a copy of "Telling the Truth." I want you to know how you can be a part of all of this. There are three things that you can do. You can be an encourager, and a larger, or an expander. Will you write for yours? It's TTT Christian Youth, 13,000, that's 1-3-0, US Highway 41 North, Evansville, Indiana 477-25, or call. Area Code 812-867-2418. Christ, through you, can change the world. Every Saturday at 7.27 PM, you are invited to attend a live youth event at Triple T, 13,000, US-41 North at Booneville, New Harmony Road, Midway between I-64 and Evansville Regional Airport. Every first Saturday, a good news club for those in first through fifth grades is available in a separate area. For more information, call 812-867-2418 or visit www.tripletchristianyouth.org. For your free copy of The Telling the Truth newsletter, call 812-8672418. 812-8672418, or write Triple T, 13,000, US-41 North, Evansville, Indiana 477-25. Tune in to Telling the Truth next week at this same time, on this same station. ♪♪♪ (dramatic music)