Great is Thy Faithfulness with Pastor Robert J Morgan

I'm on it.

We're going.

It says you're live.

I'm Terry Camerizzo and I'm here on.

Behalf of Creation Fellowship Santee and we're excited to have another edition

of our Virtual Fellowship 2020 and we're gonna get things started

by having a word of prayer.

So Michael would you go ahead and lead us in a word of.

Prayer.

Heavenly Father how grateful we are Lord that we can come to you one more time that we can join together as a

band of believers to lift up the name of Jesus.

We're so grateful God that you hear our prayers that you answer our prayers ever before we call them Lord.

And we thank you tonight that even in a world of chaos in a world that doesn't look like we think it

should sometimes that you're still in control that you know all that you see all Lord.

And as we look to you during this time Lord of uncertainty for the USA we ask you for

protection we ask you for providence Lord.

That you would just be there for us be there for this country Lord that you would just help us to remember what we

found it on Lord.

But the United States was founded on the Word of God and we're so thankful for that Lord because your word stands

true your word stands fast and it will stand forever and we thank you for that Lord.

And we pray that tonight as Pastor Morgan comes Lord to share with us that you would bless him that you would comfort him

Lord that his spirit will be lifted up God and that your name will be lifted up most at all but as he

brings forth the word that he's going to give us Lord we pray that peace will be with them that peace will be in that home

that your comfort will be there Lord again we ask for that Lord.

Will you tell us to bring the things that we need to you Lord.

And sometimes we don't even know all those needs but we know that Pastor Morgan loves you Lord and that he

works for you and we're so grateful for that God and we're blessed to have him here tonight and

we ask you to bless our time together Lord and use these words use this message to win some soul to

you.

We thank you that we know that your words are forever and God as this goes forth we pray your.

Blessing upon it in Jesus name.

Amen amen.

So we're happy to have pastor Robert J Morgan with us again this evening.

He is the teaching pastor of the Donaldson fellowship at Nashville Tennessee where he has served for over 40

years.

He's a best -selling gold illuminations and gold medallion winner winning writer with over 35

books in print and approximately 5 million copies in circulation in multiple languages.

Rob has appeared on numerous television and radio shows he speaks widely at churches

conferences schools and corporate events.

He was also a homemaker and caregiver for his late wife of 43 years Katrina who

battled multiple sclerosis and passed away in November of 2019.

He and Katrina have three daughters and 16 grandchildren and they are co

-owners of Roan Mountain bed and breakfast in Roan Mountain Tennessee.

In 2014 Pastor Morgan was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree

from his alma mater Columbia International University.

And tonight we're so happy to have him back a couple weeks.

A couple of months ago I was thinking forward about tonight and it being the Thursday after the election and no

matter the outcome whether what whichever candidate won or or as it is right now

which I kind of expected that we wouldn't even know.

But I had a feeling that there would be some chaos going on and so I thought it would be great if we could have a message

just reminding us that not only is our God not surprised by any of this but that he's already written the last chapter

too.

So Pastor Morgan is working on a new project great as thy faithfulness and he's here to share a message of hope with

us based on Romans 828.

Thank you.

Pastor Morgan for being here.

Well you're welcome.

I'm very happy to be there to be with you and to share this evening.

We have had a chaotic week and I'll be honest with you to say that I was.

I've been anxious through this week.

I think people around the world and across the United States of America have had a lot

of anxiety this week and you know

families have been divided the nation is divided.

We still don't know what's going to happen.

There are important issues in play.

I will say that overall I am encouraged.

There are forces of atheistic socialism that have not

prevailed as they would have thought they might have been.

Some of the elections that we've had and the House of Representatives and the state houses and the state

Congress's and in the Senate so you

know I'm I'm not.

I don't endorse candidates.

There are some issues that I believe very deeply in such as the

care of and the protection of pre -born human beings and

the freedom of religion and of speech

that we need to have as Christians and support for the state of Israel.

There are some things like that that I believe very deeply in but but I don't

endorse candidates and so I'm just waiting with everybody else to see what happens.

But in the meantime I've been thinking a great deal about the

supremacy of Jesus Christ and the way that is revealed in the book of

Revelation and this coming Sunday I'm actually preaching from Revelation chapter 1

that Jesus Christ is in charge he's in charge of history and you know

I think the book of Revelation was written during the days of Domitian

who was the Roman Emperor John the Apostle who was the Bishop of

Ephesus and over a series of churches in Asia Minor was exiled

during the reign of Domitian at the end of the first century.

And what many people don't know is that while John the Apostle was on

the book of was on the island of Patmos in exile

because Emperor Domitian wanted to shut down the final

remaining surviving Apostle wanted to bring to an end the

message of the original Apostles.

John had a great revelation of the future.

At the same time in Rome Emperor Domitian who was only in his

early 40s half the age of John the the Apostle.

Emperor Domitian had a dream.

He dreamed that he was going to be assassinated and that he would be assassinated

at the middle of the day about noon and sure enough when he was 44 years of

age and on the on September the 18th of AD

96 an aide that came into his office with

a dagger up his sleeve and he killed the Emperor

and the Emperor's dream came true.

But who remembers Domitian.

Who remembers all of these Roman Emperors who rose and fell who came to power

and who were assassinated.

Nobody really really members remembers them.

But here we are 2 ,000 years later on the verge of the revelation of John the

Apostle.

And I think that some of the events of the book of Revelation we can begin to see as

being plausible in our own day and time.

So it reminds us that I mean it reminds me that the rulers of this

world whether it's Trudeau whether it's Trump whether it's Biden

they come and go they rise and fall.

But the Word of God and the pre -planned providence of God for human

history endures.

And so I don't have my hopes or my faith on any one politician or on

any one individual it's on the Lord Jesus Christ the first born from the

dead who is coming again and who has history in his hands.

And so I want to encourage all of you if you're disturbed about American politics

just to keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ now as it relates to Romans

828 I believe this is the climactic promise in the

Bible because when you read the book of Romans this is the core

book of the theology of the Bible.

It's the book in which the Apostle Paul gives his

delineation of justification by grace through faith.

He wrote it from the city of Corinth.

He wrote it to Roman Christians so that if something happened to him there would be

a deposit and the center of the Roman Empire of his great theology of

justification.

And in chapter 1 verses 1 through 17 he gives his

prologue from chapter 1 18 through chapter 3 verse 20

he talks about the evil that is dominant in this world.

In chapter 3 from verses 21 to 31 he gives the spinning core

of the doctrine of the Bible that we are saved by grace through faith

in the blood of Jesus Christ.

In chapter 4 he says this is a very old doctrine it

isn't something new.

It goes back to Abraham who believed in God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

In chapter 5 he says this is something that gives us access by

grace through faith in Jesus Christ through the one who is our new

Adam.

In chapter 6 he says we have died with Christ we are dead to sin.

In chapter 7 he says even as Christians we may still struggle with sin.

And in chapter 8 he says we have victory by the Holy Spirit who takes

the victory that Christ won on the cross and applies it to our lives.

So this is the core of the Bible.

Romans chapter 1 verses 1 through 8.

And then he comes to chapter 20 to 8 26.

And he says likewise the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses

because we don't know what we should pray for as we ought.

We don't know the future.

So we don't know the very things that we should specifically pray for.

But the Holy Spirit prays for us with deep groans

that cannot be uttered.

And God the Father hears the prayers of God the Holy Spirit and

he knows what is best for us.

And he answers the prayers of the Holy Spirit.

And as a result all things work together for good to those who love God

who are called of God and who are destined to fulfill his

purpose of conforming to the image of Christ.

And then after he says this Paul says in essence what else is there to

say.

What more can we say to these things.

If God is for us who can be against us.

He who spared not his own son how shall he not also with him freely give

us all things who can bring a charge against God's elect.

It is God who justifies who can be condemned.

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who died for us and who rose again

and who is also at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.

What can separate us from the love of Christ.

I'm convinced that neither life nor death nor angels nor things present nor things to come nor

height nor depth nor any other thing in creation can separate us from the love of God

which is in our Lord Jesus Christ.

So that promise in Romans 828 is at the very climax

of the theological explanation Paul presents and the

core book of the Bible the book of Philippians the book of Romans.

And I think that Romans 828 is a promise in the Bible that summarizes

all of the other promises.

So whether it's elections whether it's doctors diagnoses whether it's financial

distress whether it's personal problems or family problems whatever it is

nothing is exempt from that all -encompassing promise that God

gives us in Romans 828.

It is a promise that has no expiration date.

We can never wear it out.

It is effective every day of the year whatever happens to us it is

eternally efficacious.

All things work together for good for those who love the Lord Jesus for those who are called

according to his purpose.

So I keep that promise with me very close at hand.

And I know the Lord Jesus is sovereign in this world he is in control.

And that promise is God's guarantee to us and all of the contingencies of life.

So Terry that's sort of the message that I wanted to share.

I'll be glad to discuss it.

I'll be glad to talk with it.

But but that's that's my heart and my passion tonight.

On this November evening of 2020.

Okay.

Well then um does anybody have some questions that they'd like to

throw out there to talk with Pastor Morgan about you can.

You can put them in the chat whether you're watching on Facebook or whether you're watching here on

zoom.

If you would like to post a question in the chat or even if you'd like to

turn on your microphone you're welcome to turn on your camera.

We're still live.

If you have a question that you'd like to discuss with Pastor Morgan now would be the time to do that.

So in the meantime I want to mention that I've been studying

Pastor Morgan your 50 final events of war of the world of the

I forget the exact title world history.

Yeah.

Do you want to tell people about that course that you have available.

Yeah this is a.

Course in the book of Revelation I believe that Jesus gave us the book

of Revelation to show us what would happen in the future and specifically

in the seven final years of world history which is a time of tribulation.

And the name of the book is not obscurity it isn't confusion.

It is the book of Revelation he reveals it.

And I believe that the events and Revelation are linear they are

chronological one happens after the other.

And at any moment I think there's going to be a rapture of the church it may come.

Before we're finished discussing this the events of Revelation

will begin to unfold.

There are 50 that I delineate between Revelation chapter 6 and chapter 19.

Jesus comes again in chapter 19 at the end of the book of

Revelation and at the end of the seven years of tribulation he will save the nation of Israel

usher in a millennial reign.

Then there will be the great white throne judgment and then we're ready for eternity.

And I'll tell you as far as I'm concerned I'm ready for eternity right now.

But there is a process in history that God is going to pursue.

It cannot be denied.

No election can deter him.

No president or Parliament or Congress can stall him.

His purposes in this world will be fulfilled.

And we just need to keep our eyes on Jesus who is coming again and his

second coming is absolutely secure.

And Jesus said when all of these things begin to happen around you lift up your eyes because your redemption

draws near.

So we have this.

We have this course on the book of Revelation available at my website RobertJMorgan .com.

But you know I think any of us can open our Bibles begin with Revelation chapter 1

go through all 22 chapters.

And if we just look at the events as consecutive events that will

unfold one after the other then I think that

that we cannot help but be hopeful and be full of the Holy Spirit.

I miss my wife Katrina so much.

But sometimes I look up in the sky and I say she's right there beyond the clouds.

I'll be with her soon.

Jesus is coming again.

All of our problems on earth are temporary all of our blessings are eternal.

So I just say.

Even so come Lord Jesus amen.

And we you know pastor Morgan I've been praying for you because I know next week is gonna make one year

since she went home to be with him so we're we're praying for your comfort through that thank

you so much.

I'm going to go visit her grave site on that day and

and then go do a television interview.

So I'm going to keep occupied.

But you know Terry all of when when when

we buried her in that cemetery in East Tennessee I looked out

over all of the graves and my dad and mom are buried just very close to where she is

and and where I will be buried Lord willing.

And and I thought to myself on the day of rapture

this cemetery is going to become a launching pad and I could in my mind's eye just see

all of these bodies shooting upward like missiles towards the sky to be with the Lord

Jesus and and the air.

And you know our grave sites are launching pads for the missiles of our

resurrection bodies.

And can you imagine what it's going to be like on that day when he comes again.

That's.

Exciting it is exciting.

Okay.

I have one question from Pauline.

What if they steal the election.

Pastor Morgan.

How can we stand the injustice.

Well here in the.

United States if you are a conservative

I'm not going to talk about Republicans or Democrats.

I'm just going to talk about people who have Judeo -Christian beliefs

and who are conservative and their theology.

And in their politics what happened is amazing.

The Senate held strong against

the socialist forces.

The House of Representatives is amazing.

What happened there.

They Pelosi thought that they would absolutely have a blue

wave over the House of Representatives.

They have lost seats.

It may even be possible that they will lose control of the House of Representatives because there's still

outstanding races to be had but Pelosi's in deep trouble in the

state houses.

In the 50 United States conservatives prevailed and an

amazing way.

What is really remarkable is that African Americans and Hispanics and

even the gay lobby voted

conservatively in a way that has surprised all of the experts.

And even if Biden and

and Harris win the presidency they don't have any freedom at all to

enact their agenda because they don't have any power base in

Congress.

In addition to that it was only the providence of God that

gave us a Supreme Court justice who has turned the tide

and the way the Supreme Court is going.

So overall the socialistic forces had a tremendous

defeat.

The conservative voices in America have had a tremendous victory.

You know we've got to pray about the presidency here and be very vigilant and watch very closely.

But overall the election has been a tremendous refutiation

of atheistic socialism and so I take I take

encouragement in that still like a cat on a hot tin roof about the

presidential election.

But you know some of that is out of our hands when it comes to the

point of just trusting God with things.

You know the Lord is still Lord.

History is is still his story.

He allowed Sennacherib to come to power.

He allowed Nebuchadnezzar to come to power.

He allowed Domitian to exile John the Apostle.

But Domitian was assassinated and John the Apostle had a vision on Patmos that has encouraged

us for 2 ,000 years.

So at some point we have to trust God with the zigs and zags of history.

And all I can say is I'm thankful that things have gone as well as they have with this

election against all of the pollsters against all of the media against all of

giant tech that has done everything they can to discourage Christian and

conservative voices in America.

There has been a tremendous repudiation of that and so we've got to watch.

You know we've got to watch diligently the the presidency.

But there is an awfully lot to be encouraged about.

Tonight really to be honest with you amen praise the Lord thank you.

Thank you for reminding us of those positives.

On a.

On a related note though we do have Erica asking where where do we go.

From.

A Biden -Harris presidency.

So if they do get it if they do win how do we obey the government and

render to Caesar.

With how evil the government will be.

Practically speaking well we become.

Aggressively defensive.

We just have a very aggressive defense.

I think that it's a call to all of us to speak up more loudly for the life of the

preborn these innocent human beings who

don't have a voice.

I think we can we can.

I'm determined to speak up more loudly for the preborn than ever have.

We can speak up for religious freedom.

We can push back against big tech when they try to silence us.

We can create more platforms for conservative voices.

And I think we need to remember that whoever is in power tends to lose seats in the next election.

So if if Biden and Harris do win the presidency which is no

given right now but if they do I think that 2022 is going to be

a great year for Republicans or for conservative voices.

And we need to play the long game on this.

I think we have some you know the under -reported story that the media isn't

telling you is how many Republican women won office

in the Congress and throughout America this year.

A lot of conservative women.

And you know I would vote today for again.

I don't want to become political here.

But I would vote today for Nikki Haley.

I would vote tonight for for Condoleezza Rice.

I mean there are some I'm not at all against having a woman as

president in the United States if she shares my values.

I think of what Margaret Thatcher did for England and the fact that all of these

conservative women won seats in the United States House of Representatives

as Republicans.

That is something that CNN isn't telling you.

It's something that MSNBC is not telling you.

And yeah I see the note about Pence.

He's my hero.

You know if Pence and Nikki Haley would would team up then

boy what a great force they would be.

Vice President Pence is a tremendous Christian man.

And I don't know honestly if Donald Trump is a Christian

I have a friend who visits the Oval Office regularly and he told me that

he is not sure if Trump is genuinely born again but that President

Trump loves to be prayed for.

And when you walk into the Oval Office and you say Mr. President can I pray for you.

He immediately folds his hand and bows his head and he wants to be prayed for.

And nobody has stood up for Christian rights for the unborn or for the nation

of Israel like Trump and Pence has been right there beside him.

And Nikki Haley is right there.

And Marco Rubio's right there and Senator Cruz is right there.

I mean we have some people who are genuinely born again.

Secretary of State Pompeo is a wonderful Christian.

I mean there are Christians right now in Washington who are fighting for Jesus

Christ.

Some are Democrats.

I think most are probably Republicans.

But there are genuine believers in Washington.

And I want to remind you Terry that on the Mediterranean Sea we had

three men on a ship with

276 souls in a storm in the Acts chapter 27

three out of 276 we had Paul Aristarchus and Luke.

And the presence of those three Christians saved the entire ship.

And the presence of a deep Christian minority in any nation.

If there had been ten people in Sodom you know things would have turned around.

It's the presence of a strong Christian minority in any society that

saves us from the wrath of God it is only the Church of Jesus Christ and our nation

that is saving us from the wrath of God.

And I think there is a coming revival in the United States.

I think we can see signs of it.

So I'll have to tell you that despite the stress of this week I.

Am pretty encouraged and my eyes are on the Lord Jesus and even

back to the on the pre -born babies.

I don't know if you know this but a few weeks ago we had Seth Gruber as our speaker and so he he

was able to tell us some of the things that that he's been seeing happening.

And and also I heard Jeff Durbin I don't know if you're familiar with him but he's part

of a pro -life movement and they're working right now like like actively about to pass a

legislation in Arizona to make all abortions illegal.

So it won't be the first state there's at least one other state that he mentioned that that's happening in.

This is the.

Civil rights issue of our day this is what slavery was 150 years ago.

It is standing up for the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life.

So I don't have any hesitation about campaigning for this issue.

And and honestly I think Millennials

are attracted to the same thing.

I mean there were a lot of young people who voted for Trump this year now not

all of them I mean my own grandchildren.

I shouldn't even tell you this probably but they you know they were biting supporters.

I think they were taken in by all of this but I've been talking to them about it.

But I think Millennials understand that there are some

civil rights that are threatened by socialism and communism that

are embraced by Christians.

It was Christians who changed the Roman Empire from a

society that would leave babies out to perish and would euthanize the old people

you know into a place where human life was viewed with dignity as

men and women who were created in the image of God.

And that is a profound message we have that going on our side that that the

dignity and humanity and hopefulness of human life is something the

Bible embraces.

And that is a very hard message to to counter.

I think we we have a stronger message even politically.

Than we realize when we talk about these issues.

So pastor Morgan we saw that you went to Washington DC on September 26th can you tell

us a little more about your.

Your time there.

Well I took my nephew and we went up a couple of days early.

I wanted to go to the Museum of the Bible with him which I've been to before but it was so

mobbed with people we couldn't even get in really.

But we we were part of the prayer march there.

There were so many people that we you know even communications broke down.

We were supposed to be able to hear in our ears and through our phones the instructions and the prayers.

But there were so many people that the networks broke down.

So you know we just wandered around after the initial opening at the

Lincoln Memorial.

We just made our way to the Capitol praying but a number of people there was amazing.

There is a very strong nucleus of evangelical believers in the

United States that know that the gospel is true that Jesus

rose from the dead that he's coming again.

This is a message that is expanding.

And I think you know the devil sent kovat to try to close down churches.

He sent the media to try to silence us.

But you remember what Gamaliel said in the book of Acts and this man was not even a

Christian.

But he said to the Sanhedrin he said you had better not oppose these people.

Because if this movement is from God it cannot be stopped.

You cannot stop it.

And that is true today.

For the Church of Jesus Christ we are unstoppable because it is

not from us it is from God.

It is what God is doing in this world.

And you know it's interesting to me that the greatest church growth in the world today is

reported to be in the nation of Iran and the ayatollahs are doing everything they can to stop

it.

But the church is growing there.

And I'm just I am prophetically optimistic.

I'm a prophetic optimist.

Things may from time to time seem discouraging.

But the Lord Jesus is in control of everything.

He is coming again and he is doing his work in this world in the meantime.

And I'm not going to be.

Silenced and I'm not going to be discouraged.

Amen.

And I've been listening to your podcast the one about

what's bothering you that series that you did.

Yeah I really I really appreciate the things that you said.

I think the first day that I listened the first episode I was going through a lot of stuff and I've been listening on my walks

in the morning and that morning I was walking through the neighborhood with tears streaming down my face and

if any of my neighbors saw me they must have thought I was bananas.

But that's okay.

But I really appreciate it.

And maybe you could just briefly explain what you said about if you imagine the Trinity

around you with it with giving you a Sharpie.

And a note card.

Right.

Yeah I'd be glad to.

Yeah my podcast is at Robert J Morgan comm.

It's a free subscription to it.

But suppose that God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit

just came down and surrounded you.

And they said what are you anxious about.

What are you worried about.

And they gave you a three by five card and a Sharpie and you wrote it down.

What would they say.

Well my thesis is that God the Father would say do not fret

because Psalm 37 says do not fret because of evildoers.

Nor be anxious because of the workers of iniquity for they shall soon be cut off.

And he goes on to say delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Wait graciously and patiently for him.

And you know Psalm 37 is the Bible's definitive passage against anxiety.

Jesus would say do not worry about tomorrow.

Look at the birds of the air.

Look at the flowers of the field.

Why do you worry about what you will eat.

Or grinker.

About what you will wear.

Seek first the kingdom of God in his righteousness and all of these things will be added to you.

That's from Matthew chapter 6.

And God the Holy Spirit would say through the pen of the Apostle Paul and Philippians

chapter 4 do not be anxious about anything.

But in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving present your requests to God and the

peace of God that passes.

All understanding will be with you.

So God the Father in Psalm 37 says do not fret.

Jesus says and Matthew 6 do not be worried.

And the Holy Spirit says through Paul and Philippians 4 do not be anxious about anything.

So I deal with those.

I do an exposition of those three passages you know on my podcast and I will

tell you they have encouraged me because I'm given to anxiety.

It's very easy for me.

In fact you know I've been anxious this week but I keep going back to those great

definitive passages the.

Anti -anxiety passages of the Bible.

Yes I especially like the one of some some 37 and putting in my own personal

like putting in my name and and when it says like do not fret it will only lead to harm

and I put in a specific kind of harm that it could lead to that I wrestle with.

So personalizing the passage really makes it makes a big difference.

So that's true Ruth Graham.

Billy Graham's wife said to find a person put your name in it and I've always thought that

was great advice.

Just find a person put your name in it.

That's what my friend Gwen who's here.

She she always reminds us to do that too in our small group so Cheryl is with us and

Cheryl wanted to go ahead and turn her microphone on and ask you a specific question.

Sure.

Hello Pastor Morgan.

Hello Cheryl how are you.

I'm fine I know you don't know me but I've seen you preach Shadow Mountain many times.

I live in San Diego and like you

I recently lost my husband and I when I found out that your

wife had died I I was crying for days because I

know how much that hurts and I searched the Bible for

hope and you know what living

alone now means without my spouse and I was

wondering if you could address that since you're now in the.

Same place.

Yes well I'm still adjusting to it.

Cheryl I have the hardest time in the evenings.

I don't know what to do with my evenings now because Katrina and I had a routine I would fix supper and

we'd watch something in TV and I'd get her to bed.

And and you know during the day I stay busy but in the evenings I

haven't quite.

It's been a year and I've not quite adjusted to that.

But I am happy that she's in heaven.

I can see her in my mind's eye walking and

and leaping and joyful in heaven and being reunited with

with her mother and with my parents and and and

being with the Lord Jesus and that gives me a great deal of joy.

And none of us are here for very long on this earth and the Lord still has work

for you and for me to do.

If he didn't he would have taken us on to heaven.

So I feel like that I need to finish the work that God gave for Katrina and me to do.

So I just keep myself busy and I just you know bought a new commentary on the

book of Acts and in the evenings I read it.

I may watch a TV show to wind down before I go to bed something you know innocent and

simple but I stay busy.

I get up in the morning and have my devotions and and spend time with the Lord.

I say what do you want me to do today I've got you know

things that I can do for him and and I just try to stay busy and then

in the evenings I try to keep myself occupied until I can go to bed a

little bit earlier than I used to and and and try to get get a good night of sleep.

But we can't stop living.

Our spouses wouldn't want us to.

Jesus doesn't want us to.

We have a reunion coming up and between now and then we just have to do whatever God calls

us to do.

So I'm not going to sit around moping or feeling sorry for myself.

I have a lot of grief but I have a lot of joy and purpose in life too.

So I would just encourage you not to give up

and you know to process grief the way we all have to do but to realize that

if God wanted to have taken us to heaven with our spouse he would have but he still has work for us to do

and so we must be about our father's business.

That's about all I know to say at this point you know maybe a year from now I'll have figured it out

better but.

At this point that's about all I know to say.

Well thank you for that that was encouraging and I'll look forward to a book on it.

I I don't know I don't know.

But you know the Bible says that he will never leave

us or forsake us and I need that promise so

I just hold on to it.

You know there's a verse of the hymn from a foundation that says

the soul that on Jesus hath the lane for repose.

I will not I will not desert to expose that soul

though all hell should endeavor.

To shake I will never no never no never forsake.

Amen man.

Wow.

Well thank you for sharing in that part.

And you know you mentioned listen watching a TV show an innocent TV show as you're

falling asleep.

And I I know this is gonna sound a little bit funny but I've realized because I

have the Amazon fire TV stick and so I can listen to two things on

YouTube.

So I've been listening to some of our past creation fellowships some nights when I'm falling asleep and

my mom just mentioned that she's been listening to Bible Gateway.

They have you can listen to the Bible being read and the other night she fell asleep to listening to

Psalm 37 being read.

So that's that's wonderful.

We need to.

Develop those practices because you know what.

What you are thinking about when you fall asleep stays in your subconscious mind

all night long.

And I've learned there was a novel I was listening to a

spy novel and I would listen to it before I fell asleep and I began

dreaming.

I was being chased by bad guys and everything else and I realized I can't do this.

I've got to I've got to have something wholesome in my mind before I go to bed.

I changed my habits.

So you're absolutely right Terry.

Well just so that you know last night I was being chased or having some kind of an emergency while you were waiting

for our fellowship to start and nobody else was here to help me.

It was all it was all my responsibility and I and I had to delay starting like 30 or 60 minutes

because there was some emergency going on and you were so patient

you know our our.

Dreams reveal what is on our

subconscious minds and if there are fears inside

of us they often show up in our dreams.

And so I try before I fall asleep to think of three

things to thank the Lord for in that day.

And I just say Lord thank you for this and for this and for this

and and then I have some Bible verse usually that that if I wake up in the middle of the

night I'll go to that Bible verse.

So we have to to condition our minds scripturally

because if we don't the world would just run roughshod over us

but the power of the Word of God.

In our minds that's a very powerful tool.

Yeah that's the.

That's a really great suggestion.

So Michael would like to hear a little bit about your testimony.

Could you share your testimony of how you became a Christian.

Yes you know the.

Funny thing is I cannot remember not being a Christian.

I grew up in a Christian family.

I heard the gospel you know as early as I can remember

and I do not remember the exact moment when I received Christ the Savior.

It seems like I've always known him.

But I do remember a time when I was 11 or 12 years old and we had a preacher that came to our church

and he said if you have never received Christ as Savior

you need to do that tonight.

And I went home and I was troubled because I didn't know whether I had really actually

received Christ the Savior or not.

And I went into the bathroom and closed the door and knelt down by the bathtub and

said dear Lord if I have never received Jesus as Savior I want to do that right now

and I have assurance of salvation from that moment.

I don't know the date but I was 11 or 12 years old now as a teenager

you know like a lot of teenagers I didn't really understand very

much about what life was about but at 19 years old I had a man

challenge me about my spiritual commitment and I knelt down at the

end of the dormitory hall in South Carolina.

I was 19 years old it was September the 3rd of 1971 and as

seriously as I knew how I yielded myself fully to the Lord Jesus Christ

and to me that was the turning point in my whole life.

Everything in life changed from that day now I think I was saved before then

but you know we come to a point where we recognize that

vocationally and and every way Jesus has to be absolutely the Lord of our

lives.

And to me that was the evening when I settled that then when I was

23 I think I was 23 I was

trying to figure out what to do with my life and I went out one evening in a canoe and just said Lord what do you want me

to do.

And it's as though he whispered back and said I want you to be a pastor.

And so from that moment on I felt like that God wanted me to be a pastor and then I got

married.

We pastored together for 43 42 years of our 43 years

and then I had to to leave that full -time pastor role to take care of my wife.

And now I'm just in a post pastoral ministry.

I miss being a senior pastor but I feel like that God has given me this time

to preach and to teach and to write and to create resources.

So I'm just trying to take advantage of every day for the Lord.

But you know that in a summary is is my testimony.

I think we we go through stages

you know from from sometimes we we go through

stages in our Christian life and I feel like that I received him as

Savior as a child I found assurance real assurance when I was 11 or 12 I

yielded myself and pulled surrender when I was 19 I felt called to vocational ministry when I

was 23 and here I am at 68 still trying to grow in Jesus.

So that's that's sort of the summary of my testimony Michael

you know that's that's the short version of it.

I tell the longer version and a book that I wrote called always near and that's

available on Amazon or from my website about and it's a book on the presence

of God in our lives and it's called always near and I open that book

by sort of sharing more.

Testimony.

Okay thank you.

That was that was excellent.

And I I like what pastor Jeremiah said one time and I know you know

him.

Well I grew up in a Christian home as well and my

mom is a pastor and we had I would say like him we had a drug problem when I was a kid.

Every time the doors opened at church we got drug deterred.

So that's right it's a good problem.

It's a foundation though it does.

I you know some people have a dramatic

conversion testimony of the moment they receive Christ as Savior and I used to be

frustrated because I didn't have that exact moment when I knew I became a Christian.

But I came to realize what a blessing that is to grow up

in a Christian environment.

And maybe progressively you come to know the Lord Jesus Christ but you are

spared from so much of the rugged edges of

life that so many people experience.

So you know my I hope my own daughters

appreciate having grown up in a Christian environment.

It really is is a blessing.

That's that's the way every child should grow up in.

The nurture and admonition of the Lord.

So pastor Morgan you've been able to go and visit a lot of different churches.

I think especially since you're not a senior senior pastor anymore that's one of the things that's

probably part of your ministry that it's easier for you to go and and travel and fill in places.

Right.

So um what it.

What about do you have a story that would be the most.

Interesting place that you've ever gone.

Well I loved being in Ghana a couple of years ago I

realized that the people of Ghana are by nature

so happy so joyful you can see it in the streets

and there are so many Christians in Ghana.

The the gospel is just spread through that land.

And I was speaking in the conference with people from many

different nations and there was a young man from Vietnam

and he had tattoos on his arm and I said what are those tattoos.

And he said well when I was growing up I wanted three things

love and life and eternity.

And he said I didn't know where to find them but I had those symbols tattooed on my arms and later he said

I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ and that fulfilled those items

that I'd had tattooed.

And he said now I'm trying to do everything that I can to spread that message throughout Vietnam.

So you know there is a growing

our family is growing.

Our Christian family on this planet is growing.

It could be that Canada and America are a little bit harder Western

Europe is a little bit harder right now.

I think we're we're needing a revival.

But when you look globally the Church of Jesus Christ around the world is

growing more than it ever has before and we just need to

stay encouraged and recognize that we have brothers and

sisters new ones every single hour on this planet

and we'll meet them all in heaven.

But God is doing something in.

This world and I love traveling around and getting some exposure to

that.

I'm.

Sorry I lost you.

Okay.

So you have quite a few books about hymns.

The then sings my soul.

Is that the name of your hymn books.

Yeah the stories.

The stories.

Behind them.

Yeah I love contemporary Christian music so I'm a great fan of the freshest music.

But I don't want us to lose the great hymns of the faith they mean so much to me and

and they keep coming back into my mind.

And one of the problems with today's music is it doesn't last very long.

I was talking to a one of America's premier worship leaders today and

he was talking about the song that you know that God is a good good father

that was very popular.

And and I mean it hit the top of the charts about three years ago.

And now we never sing it anymore.

I mean it came and went.

And the problem with that is that we need to have some lifelong

music.

Songs that we sing when we're five when we're 10 when we're 20 when we're 30 when we're 40

songs that we know when we're 60 when we're 70s.

We need some great stories and songs that stay in our

hearts forever.

And and then your music is coming and going so quickly that that people aren't

learning it.

And so I'm an advocate for including hymns and every worship service.

And my book then sings my soul my series of books I.

Hope you know helps propel that message.

So we have a few of us are asking the same question is do you have a favorite hymn story.

Well one of my favorites is.

The story behind Blessed Assurance.

This is Fanny Crosby who was the blind writer of the late 1800s.

She lived in near poverty in New York City worked in the rescue mission.

She'd been blinded from infancy but she had a very wealthy friend named Phoebe Knapp.

Phoebe had a mansion in Brooklyn and Fanny would go over and visit very often.

And Fanny Crosby went over one day.

And Phoebe Knapp said I've written the music to a song but

I don't know what the song is.

Let me play it for you.

And she played it.

And Fanny Crosby clapped her hands that little blind lady and she said

that music says blessed assurance Jesus is mine oh what a foretaste of glory divine.

And she wrote the words immediately.

And that was how we gained the great hymn blessed assurance Jesus is

mine oh what a foretaste of glory divine.

And I just think it's so amazing how that music and message came together

so immediately there in the music room of that Knapp.

Mansion in Brooklyn.

That's a great story.

I love.

I love her story about how she talks about how

she doesn't count her blindness.

She didn't count her blindness as a as a bad thing because one of the things that she was excited

about was that when she got to heaven the first face that she would ever see was Jesus.

Yeah she was only six weeks old and she developed an eye infection and a doctor

or a quack doctor came by and prescribed the poultice for her eyes that

blinded her or she was narrowly blind.

She could see light and darkness and and you know some vague shadows but basically she was

blind.

But as a result of that she came to memorize vast amounts of scripture.

Now she wasn't saved until she was in her 40s but after she was converted that scripture

made its way through her mind and to hymns and she would compose

hymns by the hundreds and thousands to God be the glory and all the

way my Savior leads me and blessed assurance.

And so many of them you know it was.

It was something only God could.

Have done.

Yeah okay.

Well Pastor Morgan if you want to share one more time that your website

and also maybe just a brief reminder again about the hope that we.

Can take with us tonight.

Yeah my website is RobertJayMorgan .com and so all of my resources are there in my

podcast and also on Facebook and Instagram.

I put a one -minute sermon every day 59 seconds.

So people I'm preaching through the Bible minute by minute.

So I would love for people to visit my social media pages.

We you know elections come and go.

Jesus is here to stay.

Presidents and Congress's come and go.

They rise and fall.

Nations and empires arise.

And then they they you know disappear into the mists of history.

But God is sovereign.

Jesus is coming.

We are his kingdom.

We are embedded in this world to do his will.

Whether it's Nero whether it's the mission whether it's Charlemagne whether it's Henry the eighth

whether it's Trump whether it's Biden.

Those things come and go.

But Jesus Christ remains true forever.

The same yesterday today and forever.

And we are serving him.

So we've got to keep our eyes on him and and do whatever he's called us to do

as long as we're in this world.

And then we'll be gathered to him.

We'll work till Jesus comes.

Then we'll be gathered home.

And that's that's my.

Great belief my hope and my assurance amen.

Well thank you so much for joining us.

We're gonna go ahead and stop our recording and stop our live stream so.

Thank you again.