I had an exciting experience this week. I was scheduled to minister in San Jose this week to share some of these truths that are so liberating and so real. On the Friday that I boarded the plane I heard somebody call out pastor, so I turned around but didn't see anybody and I heard it again. And I recognized the voice then. I don't mean to sound trite when I say this. But I recognized Gabriel's voice. And the people heard him too and were wondering what was going on. But he said, "I'm bringing a young man to you that God is bringing to Himself." I want you to minister to him because the Lord wants him and has something for him to do. And so I thought this was really going to be a blessing, when I was in San Jose I was going to keep my eyes peeled for this individual. So then he gave me his name. His name was San Run Toro. And so I took out a piece of paper from my pocket and wrote it down. It gave me something to think about on the way to San Jose.
I was wondering just who this individual was and how I was going to approach him. There's a few little unknowns connected to a thing like this. So I went in the plane and took the assigned seat and after a little bit the stewardess came by. The one assigning the seats didn't notice that he had assigned a mother a certain seat and her little year and a half old boy a different seat. And the boy didn't want to sit back in the seat that was assigned him. Would you change places with that little boy. So that's what the stewardess came to ask me if I would do it, I thought it was a good idea but this was all part of a plan.
The plane took off and somebody was concerned because they were in the wrong spot evidently, not sitting next to somebody they were supposed to be sitting with and got the stewardess to move a gentleman. And she got next to him and moved him and here he came and took that empty seat next to me next to the window. I looked over at him and staring me right in the eye was a name tag. It said Toro. There had to be a little juggling to get us together there. So I just told him, "is your first name San Run?" And he said, "Yes it is, where did you ever hear that name?" Nobody calls me San Run, they call me Toro. That was a name my mother named me when I was a little boy down in Cai Phan.
He was just being transferred to a term of service in Korea. So I told him that the Lord had given it to me because He wanted for him to give Him his life. And that he had served himself and other gods long enough and God wanted him now. He said, "I don't think so." He said, "God doesn't know how bad I am." He said, "I'm really the worst one in my outfit. I'm terrible. My mother's Protestant. I even wonder if there is a God up there. I have to be the wrong one."
So I had a chance to let him know that even when we're God's enemies He brings us to Himself and He makes peace. I told him that he was very special to God and that God knew each individual. This almost blew his mind to think that God with as much as He has to do could know everybody's name and be concerned about him. And he turned his life over to Jesus right there. Praise God. All the way to San Jose, this man was praying and talking to the Lord. It was such a new and wonderful experience for him. I heard him telling God, "God I'm going to write every person I know and I'm going to tell them that You care about each person and that this is good news that we can come to you." And at least ten different times I heard him say, "God you can count on Toro." I think the Lord would like a lot of other people tell Him that too.
Toro told me that he was going to tell all of the men in his outfit, he was going to let them know that even though they were far from God, God knew about them. He learned a lot about God just by his thinking, following on from the thought that God cared for Him, things he could tell other people about how wonderful God was, and he was going to talk to his parents. He was so pleased. He had a grin from ear to ear while he was worshipping the Lord there and talking. He said a couple of times; he said, "I'm so glad that they moved me here where I could sit down because this had made my day." He said, "This has made my life." It gave me a lot of excitement to go on down to that meeting.
I told my brother Al and his wife who drove up from San Diego and they roomed in the same motel. I thought it was such a beautiful thing. There's a young man today, he was going to leave early this morning for Korea. He's on a plane telling the one on the seat next to him how God cares for each individual. I don't feel that in any of our lives that it just happens especially when we're walking with Him. The San Francisco airport is a long way from San Jose. It was already arranged for me to be picked up by a limousine at the airport and taken to San Jose. What do you do? Five totally strange men none of them knowing each other riding in a car that long together. After just a little bit of small talk I decided we just as well take advantage of the time. And told them what I was doing down there, I was going to be speaking at Bethel Church in San Jose. And I let them know what God was doing. And I told them about the message that God wants the world to hear what Jesus has done and about the covering for believers. And one man in particular was listening to me. Finally he said it had to be God that put us together here. He was involved in a church in Los Scalos but had allowed fire that was once burning brightly in his heart, allowed it to die down quite a bit. But he said a few years ago when Pat Robertson started the 700 club, he said that he was his chief assistant. He prayed with many, many people but he got a little distant from it. But he said one of the first things he was going to do was to call Pat Robertson and tell him that the fire was burning again.
When we can learn about God through watching Him at work it's exciting. And if you can love Jesus just a little bit more and feel a little bit of that excitement because of what you've heard that God cares, the interesting thing about this man was that he felt he was on the very bottom of the totem poll of his outfit. He's only 5'3 and he doesn't speak English very plain. I was expecting to see some person that might have a great organizational plan and structure that he could work through but in this case God picked somebody who thought he was absolutely a nobody just to let him know and me know that their lives are just as planned out, way, way back somewhere before this whole world was ever made. God had it written out in that book that on that particular time that man would come to grips with God's call for his life. He turned his life over to him.
"God who at sundry times spoke by the prophets has in these last times spoken to us by His Son by whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person and upholding all things by the word of His power when he by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High. Being made so much better than the angels as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent than they, for unto which of the angels said He at any time, "you are my son this day have I begotten you." And again, "I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son." And again when he brings the first begotten into the world he says and let all of the angels of God worship Him. And of the angels He makes his angel's spirits and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto his son he says, "Your throne oh God is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom."
I'd like to stop on this verse for a moment. We have been talking about the attributes of God, what He is really like. And one of the highest attributes of God is that He is righteous. Righteousness is not sin; it has no association with sin. Righteousness is the nature of God. And that word righteousness means His unfailing ability to always do that which is right. And when we read here, there are many different opinions that people have. And there are people who are looking up at God's face and are saying God you're not fair. Look at this thing that happened and this thing. And oftentimes believers are questioning God, you didn't do right, you helped this person and you didn't help me. That person, there are even some this morning that are saying, "What did Toro have that I don't have? Look at that guy who hated God and God still met him and He's never come to me that way," and there may be a feeling of unfairness. But God wants you to know that He will do the right thing by you.
God is just so interested in people; He's bringing all types of force into play to move people towards Himself. He's doing it constantly. Underline the words the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. What He's actually saying is that the trademark or the mark of your kingdom God, of your ruling power is that there's not one slightest percentage of a chance that you will not do the right thing. The ruling symbol that you have is because you do the right thing. The scepter was something that signified the king's power and it would identify himself with his power. And he said now the scepter, the thing that identifies Jesus as the ruling power of heaven and earth is that His character is righteous. You can count on Him to always do that which is right. Can you say thank God for that?
The very mark of His kingdom is a mark of righteousness; He is doing the right thing. Then he tells us a little more about this in verse 9. "You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity therefore God even your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows." There are a few people that think if they serve God they'll get into a kind of an insipid sort of a thing where nothing tastes hot or cold, sweet or sour. It's just of a kind of a sterile type living where you couldn't be happy until you were getting ready to die when you didn't intend to have any more fun anyway. But he gives us a little example here. He said that because you loved righteousness and you hated iniquity, speaking of Jesus, and the same thing goes because this is the feeling that there is in God's heart, that when He sees a person who wants to follow Him and turn their backs on the ways of sin and to renounce their old master the devil, he said you're not going into a insipid and flat world, you're moving into life at it's fullest and best. It's a life that has an anointing stream of gladness coming upon you and the very atmosphere of heaven is an atmosphere of gladness.
"You have anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows. And you oh Lord in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of Your hands." When Isaiah was speaking about this he said you took those stars that one out here that's 6 trillion miles on this side and the one that's 20 trillion miles on this side and you reached out and you put your little finger on one of them and your thumb on the other one and you measured them. God's letting you know how big He is. And when he was making reference to this he said all of those nearly 4 billion people, he said after you empty all of the water out of a bucket till you've got it clear dry, tilt it to one side a little bit and you'll see a drop down there, all of the nations of the world put together are like a drop in the bucket to Him. He's that big. But how in the world could a God that big be so concerned, but he said this big God cares for you so much that he picked you up like a little lamb and holds you next to His heart and he cares for you as a shepherd cares for the lamb. He shelters you. Oh God is so big. He's the Lord of all but He's not so busy being Lord of all that He can't be Lord of all. Hallelujah.
I just feel so good I could do some prancing up here because what the Lord is doing is so fantastic that it literally invigorate² d revitalizes His people. All of these things he said are going to perish but You remain. "They shall all wax old as a garment. And as a vesture shall You fold them up and they shall be changed but You are the same and your years shall not fail. But to which of the angels said He at any time, "sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool?" Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be the heirs of salvation. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word that was spoken by angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation. Which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him. And here's how God is confirming it and He's still confirming His message today. God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with diverse miracles and with gifts of the Holy Ghost according to His own will."
This is the Jesus who we're talking about who is present here in the service today. And by His Spirit is living in your life. This is Jesus. He is Lord of all. Just for a moment, I want you to look at the reasons why people are having tremendous difficulties in this world. There is fear at every hand. The world definitely is in crisis. It reminds me of what Isaiah said in the last verse of chapter five. He said that everything was dark in the land; there was no light any place at all. There was a funeral, a king died and at that time God revealed Himself to me and I saw the Lord high and lifted up. I saw what He was really like. And then I had a chance to take a look at the world, he said, "I saw that God was Lord of all. I saw him in the beauty of worship and the seraphim's crying holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty." And then I heard them carrying the message about how things were down in the world. And he said those angelic beings were crying out to the Father the whole earth is filled with His glory. When he saw the Lord it took away all of his guilt. He said, "While I was there in the presence of the Lord I said oh God I'm so guilty."
Those who've seen the Lord realize how weak and insignificant they really are. And the eyes of God and the light of His smile lets us see how we have nothing good in ourselves. And we cry out in words similar to what Isaiah said, I'm undone, I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell among a people of unclean lips. Then one of the seraphim's, a worship angel came and he said, "the Lord has sent me with a coal from the fire of the altar of God to touch your lips and now that I've touched your lips I have a message to give you, a message that comes right out of the heart of God. And that is your iniquity is taken away, your sin is purged."
Isaiah was so discouraged, he didn't want to do anything and suddenly now he heard the new challenge that there's work to be done and he heard God saying who will go for me. And Isaiah said, "Hey I can go now, for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts." Oh what a change, if your heart is weighted down because of the pressures and the fears, the guilt of sin as you behold Him high and lifted up then the things that are bombarding you from this whole world, that are causing such a tension and such nervousness suddenly are pushed back and you can't hear them anymore and another sound is taken place, it's a choir of angels as they sing holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty He is righteous and He will do the right thing. And then as you take another look at the things around you, you see things as they really are, not only the way they look.
When I think of Him as being the Lord of all it reminds me of His word in Matthew 28. Where he told the people that, "all power is given unto me in heaven and earth and lo I am with you always." It reminds me of the word that Peter spoke when Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit and he said He's alive alright, He's alive, He's resurrected, He's in the presence of the Father, He said when He got there He was going to pour out His Holy Spirit and here's His Spirit so He is there. And this Jesus whom you have crucified has made Him both Lord and Christ. Christ his contact, His presence with man that man could embrace and receive who is Lord and Master of all. Jesus the one who lived among us has been made Lord of all.
He's calling people together today for an all out attack against the gates of hell to bring the good news to people still held captive. The good news, though you're in slavery to satan, though the might of hell seems to hold you, you can be free, your dept is paid. And really his real meaning when he speaks of the might of hell, in this place He's talking about His mighty church that He builds going out against the enemy. And he said, "The gate of the stronghold as you move against them though they have demons sitting on the walls shooting at you the might of hell shall not prevail against the church." Think of the stronghold that person is bound in, those loved ones that satan has built about them, but the might of hell will not prevail.
I think of this man that sat there on the plane. The enemy was so secure in the fact that he had this man blinded and no one was talking with him and he had him along with many others. You know satan does not know everything. People have a bad habit of taking the attributes of God and putting them on the devil. That he can know everything that he can be every place, he can't. And God is beating down the strongholds of hell because there's an army that's marching today. People who have been liberated and freed are marching in that army. And the gates of hell cannot keep them out as they move and liberate people who are bound. Aren't you glad that you are a part of that army?
Oh what a challenge, what an opportunity God has given us to be a part of the great moving army of God. He is Lord of all, death could not hold Him. While He was in this life, death still reigned but death could not hold him. He came forth victorious. Demons have to bow at His command, angels obey and do His bidding, all nature is subject to the voice of Jesus, and all creation hears His voice and the stormy seas and the gusty winds have to listen to His voice, all of creation from the largest animal to the smallest insect. Do you know that they obey the voice of God?
Of all of God's creation mankind is the only type of his creation who refuses to obey God. He is Lord of all. This is why he is saying you who have not listened to his voice and obeyed him let Him be Lord of your life too, He is Lord of all else. Just the little tiny insects have to obey Him. When an army did not want to move, God told a bunch of bees, gave them each a secret order, said, "go put your fiery end against these individuals or at least make them think that you're going to do it." And a swarm of bees got things moving.
Let me share with you a truth that I have held back because I didn't know what impact it would have but I'm going to share it with you anyway this morning, I feel God has given me a little release for it. In that experience that God gave me over two years ago He talked to me about His creation and that even the bacteria that He has created, it's His creation and has a purpose in this life. And in diseases that take place in people's lives, it's just part of the depravity, the change of direction or purpose even in these insects because of man in sin and his life going astray and has given ground, affliction all came because of sin you see.
All creation groans and travails together and just as mankind has fallen and did not fill the purpose that God had for him. The earth is groaning and the germs that God has placed on this earth for a definite purpose, satan didn't create those. They had a purpose. Bacteria for example are very necessary for the cleaning up of the earth and for the deterioration of things that need to be changed from one substance to another and there's a definite purpose. But the result of sin even changed the purposes that were at work that were being done as a result.
I just mentioned this to you because God spoke to me that this is the reason why diseases, they're not demons, why diseases because the germs themselves and the bacteria and the virus, all of this is also subject to the voice of Almighty God. And when He says to a germ hey get out of that person, they have to go, because all things are subject to the will of God. The demons tremble, when he says, "go," they go. Do you know that demons obey the voice of God a lot better then people do? He tells people you're going to have to choose yourself. They don't have a choice when He speaks to them. Don't let this hang you up, just do a little thinking about it sometime when your mind is fresh how that the Lord is Lord of all, over all creation. And you've wondered how a person can say something to some germs and it has to go, "tuberculosis leave this body," and that tuberculosis is gone. This has happened many, many times. Other types of viruses have to go. They're not demons; they're part of God's creation that's gone awry because of the fall. But Jesus is Lord of all. When Paul was talking about this, he said, "I feel kind of bad God that although I don't see all things quite under your control back there's a few things here that aren't brought back yet but they're coming." And he was talking about that and then the Lord quickly reminded him don't spend your time on what hasn't happened yet look what's happened. Hebrews 2:9-13, "but we see Jesus who has been made a little lower than the angels for the purpose of suffering," and for the purpose of tasting death and suffering the judgment of God for every man. We see Him now in His great work in reconciling the world to Himself. We see Him blotting out the records in heaven that were against you. We see him taking care and restoring you back to Himself. So God's great purpose of this whole world is restoration of his creation.
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