Program 115: Hope for sinners
This man receives sinners!

Christ’s acceptance of sinners reveals the Father’s attitude toward sinners: He accepts them, too!

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Hello! I want to welcome you to WLC Radio. I’m your host, Miles Robey, and with me is Dave Wright.

Dave Wright: Welcome! Thanks for tuning in!

Miles: At WLC, we prefer using the personal name of the Creator which is Yahuwah, or Yah. It’s actually used throughout the Old Testament, but in our modern translations it typically appears by the generic title, “Lord.”

Dave: Wherever you see “God” in the Old Testament, that is the Hebrew title el or elohim. These also refer to the Father. “Elohim” is actually the plural of “el” but that’s what the Hebrews would do: to show extra honor, they would put any titles in the plural form.

The Saviour’s name is quite similar to the Father’s. In fact, you can kind of hear the name Yahuwah in the name of the Saviour, which is Yahushua. Sometimes people shorten it to Yeshua and that’s fine, too. But it’s very beautiful. “Yahushua” means “Yahuwah’s salvation.” That’s what he is. He is, quite literally, “Yahuwah’s salvation.”

Miles: Maybe our listeners can recall reading various Bible texts that say to “call upon the name of the Lord.” But it’s kind of hard to do that when you don’t know His name! What it actually says in the Hebrew is to “call upon the name of Yahuwah.”

And there’s a good reason for that! The Father’s name comes from the Hebrew verb of being, hayah. It’s the word Yahuwah used when He spoke our earth into existence: Light be; light was. Dry ground be; dry ground was.

The beautiful thing is, the word of Yah itself contains the power to do what it says! So, when you combine the divine name with your need, you suddenly have a powerful promise you can claim! It’s really beautiful.

Dave: You know that old hymn, “There is Power in the Blood”?

Miles: Yeah …?

Dave: Well, there’s power in the name, too. There’s power in the word of Yah.

Miles: So. Dave. I hear you’ve got some good news for us today.

Dave: I do indeed! I’ve just been waiting to share with you. Are you ready?

Miles: Yep.

Dave: Are you sure you’re ready?

Miles: Uh, well … now you’ve got me worried. Are you sure this is good news?

Dave: The best!

Miles: All right. Go for it!

Dave: The good news is … you’re a sinner!

Miles laughs: Okay. That is not what I was expecting you were going to say. I already know I’m a sinner. Not sure how that’s good news, though.

Dave: Well, that’s what we’re going to talk about today. Why don’t you grab your Bible, there, and turn to Luke, chapter 15. Read the first two verses for us.

Miles: All right … got it! It says: “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to him to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’”

Dave: This is our good news!

Are you a sinner?

Miles: Oh, yeah!

Dave: “This man receives sinners!” Remember: Yahushua’s life shows us what Yah would do, how He would act, what He would say, if He were a human being. So, what this is saying, is that Yahuwah receives sinners.

And if you’re a sinner, that means He will receive you. Full stop. Period. No exceptions. He will receive you, too.

Miles: That’s definitely good news !

Dave: Well, what’s interesting, and what we’ve overlooked, is that this is an exclusionary statement.

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: Yahuwah accepts sinners, but He only accepts sinners. This is a point we haven’t really noticed before, so let’s talk about that.

Turn to Romans chapter 6, and read verse 23. What does that say?

Miles: Ahh …

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yah is eternal life in Christ Yahushua our Lord.”

Dave: Now turn to John 4, and read verse 42. This is from the story of the woman at the well. Yahushua stayed with the Samaritans for two days, and many of them believed on him and accepted him as the Messiah. So read what they said to the woman.

Miles: “Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.’”

Dave: Christ is the Saviour of whom?

Miles: The world.

Dave: Yahuwah wants everybody to be saved. He provided salvation for everyone. Therefore, we tend to start thinking inclusively: Christ died for everyone. But he didn’t really. He died for sinners only.

Miles: Well, yeah. But that’s kind of self-evident. I mean, Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of Yah. So, yeah. He died for everyone because everyone’s a sinner.

Dave: Okay, I don’t think you’re seeing my point. Let me think of another way to explain it …

Obviously, Yahuwah didn’t die for sinless beings. We’re talking only about human beings. Among human beings, the only ones for whom he died are sinners.

Miles: Yeah, because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of Yah.

Dave: Have they really though?

Miles: Of course!

Dave: The Pharisees didn’t seem to think so. In fact, they took a great deal of pride in what they viewed as their exemplary righteousness.

Miles: Yeah, but they weren’t really righteous! It was more of a self-proclaimed righteousness.

Dave: But did they think they were righteous?

Miles: Yeah.

Dave: So, in other words, they didn’t think they needed saving, did they?

Miles: Ohhh. I think I’m beginning to see where you’re going with all this. No. They didn’t admit to being sinners or in need of saving. Remember that time … I’m trying to remember where it was, they got so angry at Christ for suggesting that they were sinners, that they tried to kill him.

Dave: Are you thinking of John 8?

Miles: Yeah, maybe. Let me see …

Yeah. Here we go. John 8, starting at verse 31. It says:

Then Yahushua said to those Jews who believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?” [John 8:31-33]

Dave: They knew precisely what he was saying there but they didn’t want to admit it. Their pride was getting in the way.

Miles: Right. Because then he goes on in verse 34 and says: “Yahushua answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’” [John 8:34-36]

And that made them mad. Really mad. In fact, down in verse 59 it says, quote: “Then they took up stones to throw at him; but Yahushua hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

So, yeah. I see what you’re saying now. It’s not that the scribes and Pharisees weren’t sinners. It’s that they wouldn’t admit to being sinners.

Dave: Precisely. This may seem redundant, but it’s not.

Turn to Luke 5. There’s a fascinating conversation here where Yahushua really expounds on this point.

After Yahushua called Levi Matthew to be a disciple, he gave a feast for the Saviour and he invited his friends. Now, being a publican and a social outcast, his friends were also social outcasts. And that’s who Levi Matthew invited to his feast.

Let’s take a look at that. Start at verse 27. Luke chapter 5, verses 27 to 32.

Miles:

After these things he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And he [Yahushua] said to him, “Follow me.” So he left all, rose up, and followed him.

Then Levi gave him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” [Luke 5:27-30]

Dave: See, in their estimation, a truly righteous person would never sully themselves by socializing with a sinner!

Miles: Oh, the horror!

Dave: Basically, they were implying that for Christ to socialize with them, he must be a sinner, too, and hence, not the Messiah.

But Yahushua’s answer clarified his mission and just who he died for. Go ahead and read verses 31 and 32 now.

Miles:

Yahushua answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Dave: Yahushua didn’t die for the righteous or the holy. He died for sinners!

Miles: So, in other words, what he’s saying is: “Fine. If you don’t need me, I didn’t come for you. I came just for sinners.”

Dave: Yes.

Miles laughs: That’s bold!

Dave: No, that’s accurate. Think about it for a minute: as Christians today, we look down our collective noses at the Pharisees. Their self-conscious self-righteousness has come to symbolize hypocrisy.

Miles: Oh, it has! In fact, that is one of the modern definitions of the word, “hypocrisy.” The dictionary definition includes, and I quote: “A hypocritically self-righteous person.” Unquote.

Dave: In Christianity today, you don’t find very many people—if any!—who claim to be righteous or sinless.

Miles: Pretty much everyone admits to being a sinner. “I’m a sinner, saved by grace!” is the modern Christian mantra.

Dave: But let me ask you, Miles: how many people really mean it? How many admit to being a sinner just because it’s expected of them?

The truth is, a lot of Christians compare themselves to others, finding everyone else lacking.

Miles: True. I remember a mid-week Bible study I was at once. I don’t remember what passage we were studying, but there was this bloke there and he goes: “I don’t think I’m so bad. In fact, I’m pretty good.”

I remember being shocked and thinking: “You perfectly exemplify the Laodicean condition! You’re miserable, poor, blind, and naked, and don’t even know it!”

Dave: And how did that make you feel about yourself, by comparison?

Miles: Well, pretty good, actually. See, I was a sinner, but I knew it and admitted it! Therefore, I wasn’t as much a sinner as he was!

Dave: I resemble that remark!

That’s being a modern Pharisee. We compare ourselves to others and, in our sight, we’re doing pretty well.

“Sure,” we say, “I may be a sinner, but I’m not as bad off as … that poor loser over there. I’m careful of my diet: I don’t eat too much sugar, I never touch caffeine, and pork has never passed my lips. I may watch movies, but the movies I watch don’t have a lot of violence, and I never watch movies that show nudity. I’m doing pretty well in my Christian walk!”

Miles: Exactly! I’m guilty of that, too. By comparing myself to others — comparing what I do to what they don’t do, comparing what I don’t do to what they do — I make myself look pretty good in my own estimation.

Dave: Yahushua died to save sinners.

Now, obviously, Yahuwah would like to save those who deny their sinfulness, but the problem is, they won’t accept Christ.

Only sinners can come to Christ.

Miles: That’s a good point. Self-righteous people can’t because to come to Christ and accept his righteousness, they must first acknowledge that they are sinners in need of a Saviour.

Dave: A self-righteous person thinks he has no sin, so what’s he supposed to repent from? It’s only when a person acknowledges that he cannot save himself, that he can then, in faith, rely upon Yahushua’s righteousness.

This is why, although Yahushua died for all, Yah only receives sinners. He only receives those who can admit to being sinners.

Miles: That makes sense now.

All right. Hold that thought. We’ll be right back.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: When you think about it, it’s kind of a good news/bad news situation. The bad news is: you’re a sinner; but the good news is: you’re a sinner. That means Yah will accept you, because He accepts sinners!

Dave: Exactly. None of us like to acknowledge—even to ourselves—how depraved our hidden thoughts may be. We don’t like to admit how many times we have repented, only to commit the same sin over and over and over again.

But if you are a genuine, bonafide sinner, that is good news! If Yahuwah receives sinners, that means He will receive you!

Miles: That makes sense. I can see how He wouldn’t receive those who simply give lip service to being a sinner just because it’s expected of them.

Dave: No, but to all who admit to being actual sinners, everyone who feels helpless, hopeless and lost, He does receive them.

And that means Yahuwah accepts you, too!

Miles: This reminds me of a parable Yahushua told. It’s that one about that Pharisee and the publican. Do you remember that one?

Dave: Oh, yeah. That’s excellent. Why don’t you turn there and read that for us. I think it’s in Luke … um, 18, I think.

Miles: Like you said in our last segment, everyone’s a sinner. But not everyone admits to actually being a sinner. This parable really illuminates the conditions for being received.

Okay. Here we go. It’s Luke 18, verses 9 to 14. It says:

Also he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others—

Dave: Notice it’s those who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous” and, in so doing, they “despised others.”

Okay. Sorry. I just wanted to point that out. Go on.

Miles:

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself—

My turn to interrupt the parable. I just love this phrase. Yahushua says the Pharisee “prayed thus with himself.” He was praying to himself, to make himself feel good. His prayers weren’t ascending to Yah, because he was just praying to himself! I love that. It’s so descriptive.

Okay. Going on. This is what the Pharisee prays to himself. He says:

“‘Yah, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’”

Dave: See, he’s listing off everything that he does. He’s listing off his “works of righteousness” that make him feel so superior. He even compares himself to the tax collector. So, then, what does the tax collector say?

Miles:

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘Yah, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Dave: The Pharisees were so full of themselves, they would make a point of standing and praying—out loud, mind you!—in public places. They’d stand in the market, or on the street corner. This is what Yahushua is describing here.

But the tax collector, he didn’t do that.

Miles: He stood “afar off.”

Dave: And wouldn’t even lift his eyes to Heaven. This man knew his sinfulness. This man understood his desperate need of a Saviour, and so this man, Yahushua said, “went down to his house justified.” Yahuwah accepted him.

Miles: This parable holds a special place in my heart because it shows that Yah sees through all the garbage, the pretensions, and barriers we throw up, straight to the heart.

Dave: If it is in the heart to love and honor Yah, He sees that.

You may be filled with fear. You may think you have fallen too far—

Miles: Or repeated the same sin too many times. We all have our weak spots. For example, I’ve never been tempted to take drugs. That’s just never been something that’s appealed to me.

But we all have our weaknesses. I have my own areas where I’ve sinned, and repented, only to sin again in the exact same area. You do that enough times and you can start to feel … I don’t know. Embarrassed, maybe? You’re embarrassed to ask for forgiveness yet again … ? Like there’s only a set number of times you can fall and still be forgiven.

Dave: I hear you. But if you find yourself in that situation (and, I dare say, we all have on one point or another) you are just the sort of person Yahuwah is calling! Satan is the one that’s instilling that spirit of fear! That feeling that you can’t come to Yah until you’ve cleaned yourself up!

Don’t listen to him! You don’t need to stay away from Yahuwah and the merits of Yahushua’s blood until you have overcome sin in your life.

Miles: I just had a light bulb moment! Do you remember that text that says we haven’t been given a spirit of fear?

Dave: Yeah, uh … 2 Timothy, I think.

Miles: Right! 2 Timothy 1, verse 7. It says: “For Yah has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Like you just said, that spirit of fear comes from Satan. Speaking for myself, I’ll admit: it’s embarrassing to have Yah forgive me, to rejoice in His love and forgiveness … only to slip up and repeat the same mistakes all over again; to commit the same sin over and over and over again. It’s embarrassing!

Dave: It dings our spiritual pride.

Miles: Yeah, but it’s more than that. It reaches the point where you get to feeling like: “Okay. He’s forgiven me all those times and I did it again. Now, in order to prove to Him how sorry I am, I have to resist temptation … five times, or 10 times or … 539 times before I can come back and ask to be forgiven.”

I have to prove how truly contrite I am before I can come back and seek His forgiveness again. And that’s not true!

Dave: I’ve felt that way before, too, and no, it’s not true. You don’t need to wait to come to Yah until you have successfully resisted temptation X-number of times. You can come, just as you are, and He will accept you.

Besides, He knows we backslide! And He’s got that covered. Read Jeremiah chapter 3, verse 22 for us.

Miles: Jeremiah 3 … 22 …

Dave: If you feel stuck in this endless loop of sinning, being forgiven, sinning, being forgiven … only to sin yet again, listen to Yah’s words to you. Go ahead. Jeremiah 3:22.

Miles: “Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.”

Dave: What are we supposed to do?

Miles: Return.

Dave: And what will He do when we return?

Miles: He’ll heal our backslidings.

Dave: He will heal our backslidings. It’s not something we can do for ourselves. You’re never going to be able to cleanse yourself from the inside out.

Sure. You can clean up the outside. That’s what the Pharisees did. They were very good at having an outward appearance of holiness. But they couldn’t get at the inside where it really counted.

Miles: Ha! And you know what Christ said about them! Listen to this. It’s Matthew 23, verse 27 and 28. He said:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Dave: He had quite a way with words, didn’t he? The point is, don’t stay away from Yah until you’ve cleaned yourself up because the truth is, you can’t cleanse yourself.

Miles: Isaiah 64 verse 6 says, quote: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.”

Dave: Don’t stay away from Yah until you’ve made yourself better. If you do, you’ll never come to Him.

The lower and more helpless you know yourself to be, the more confident you can be that He will accept you, because He said that He would!

One of the most beautiful promises in the Bible is found in John 6, verse 37. Why don’t you read that for us? This is something Yahushua said, but remember: Yahushua was born to reveal to us what the Father would be like if He were a human. So the words of Christ, in reality, are the words of the Father.

And what does Yah say to us?

Miles: “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

Dave: The one who comes to Him, the one who admits, “Yes, I am a sinner in need of grace. I am a sinner in need of a Saviour,” He will by no means cast out.

So don’t wait! That desire you have to come to Yah? He planted that in your heart Himself! That longing you have to be forgiven? That’s Yah working on your heart, drawing you to Himself.

Miles: One thing that gives me confidence when I fall, is to remember all the other people Yah has already accepted.

There’s Noah. He got drunk.

Moses, David, Paul … they were murderers!

Dave: David was a murderer, a polygamist, and an adulterer!

Miles: And they were all accepted and forgiven! If Yah accepted them, you know He will accept you, too.

Dave: Of course. Yahushua would not die for you, only to let you perish.

We don’t like to feel our unworthiness, but the good news is: Yahushua died to save sinners. That means, if you’re a sinner, he died for you!

Yah receives sinners.

Are you a sinner?

Miles: Oh, yeah!

Dave: Then he died for you and Yahuwah will accept you. You don’t need to make yourself appear better than you are. You’re a sinner. Admit it! It’s your acknowledgment that you are a sinner that guarantees your acceptance by Yahuwah.

Don’t stay away from the Saviour because you’re a sinner. Don’t stay away because you’re not a theologian or Bible scholar. Don’t stay away because you are ashamed that you keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Come just as you are and you will be accepted.

Miles: I think sometimes we get this idea that there’s a set amount of sinning we can do, after which: too bad! So sad! No more forgiveness for you!

But that’s not how it works. Yah’s love and grace are limitless!

Dave: If you feel sinful, worthless, take courage! You are the very one for which Yahushua died!

There is nothing you have done or ever can do to cause Yahuwah to turn His back on you. The only thing that could ever stand in the way is your own personal choice.

So, make the choice! Reach out the hand of faith and grasp the promise! Salvation is yours. All you have to do is accept it by faith.

Miles: Amen. It’s up to us—our personal choice—whether we’re saved or lost. I want to close with a beautiful invitation in Revelation 22. It’s one of the last verses in the Bible. It says: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” [Revelation 22:17]

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WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Advertisement * * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Dave: So what question do you have from our Daily Mailbag, Miles?

Miles: Well, let’s see … ah! It’s coming from Nigel in Bristol, England.

Here’s a little bit of trivia to add to your collection: during the Cold War, in the event of a nuclear strike, Bristol was listed as the fourth city in England to be targeted.

Dave: Uhh … well … Good to feel important, I suppose!

Miles laughs: If you live long enough to enjoy it!

Dave: So, what’s Nigel’s question?

Miles: It’s a good one, and one I think we can all benefit from. He writes: “What does the Bible say about unclean thoughts? This is a real challenge for me.”

Dave: I think it’s a challenge for most of us. But it’s something we need to be aware of. Proverbs 23, verse 7 tells us that as a person thinketh in his heart, so is he.

I don’t think most of us realize just how insidious these little thoughts can be. This is how Satan gains a foothold.

Miles: I was reading a spiritual book once and the author said something that has always stuck with me. I probably can’t quote it word for word, but the main gist was: temptation without, meets corruption within, and we fall into sin.

Dave: That’s good. That’s very insightful. And Satan knows this!

A thought is nothing more than an idea. However, if you dwell on it, if you nurture it and encourage it, it leads to action. Obviously, this can be good, if the thought is good. But it can be really bad if the thought is evil.

Miles: Is it a sin to have evil thoughts?

Dave: Of course not! Satan can implant thoughts. He can’t read your thoughts, but he can implant thoughts.

Miles: That’s temptation.

Dave: Exactly! And temptation isn’t a sin. Remember, Christ himself was tempted to give up because his emotions felt that Yah had forsaken him while hanging on the cross.

Miles: That’s true. He even said, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” [Matthew 27:46]

Dave: That wasn’t a sin. He was simply putting his emotions into words.

Thoughts only become sins when we dwell on them enough to cause them to lead to wrong actions. Have you ever been in a situation where you really, really wanted to do something, but your conscience convicted you that you shouldn’t … but you really, really wanted to …

If you ended up doing it anyway, can you tell me why?

Miles: Well, I suppose it would be because, ultimately, I was able to justify it.

Dave: And ignore the still, small voice. That is when it becomes a sin, and that’s how Satan works on our minds to lead us into actions that are wrong.

Miles: So, what can we do about these pesky thoughts? How do we control them?

Dave: You can’t. Not in your own strength anyway.

Turn over to Galatians 5. There’s an interesting passage here that lists what Paul calls the “works of the flesh” followed by the “fruit of the spirit.”

Miles: Galatians 5?

Dave: Verses 19 to 25. What does it say?

Miles:

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Yah.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Dave: The works of the flesh, as well as the fruit of the spirit, all begin as thoughts in the inner heart. Which do you choose to nurture? The good? Or the bad?

We must never forget that Satan cannot force the will. People like to say, “The devil made me do it,” but can he really force the will?

Miles: No, of course not.

Dave: No! Yah would never allow that. So it comes down to personal choice: which thoughts are we going to encourage? Which thoughts are we going to turn from? Evil deeds first start out as evil thoughts.

Miles: All right, but how are we to do that? I don’t know about you, but sometimes thoughts can be so persistent that it’s really hard to banish them even when you want to.

Dave: It’s hard because you’re trying to do that in your own power. We often quote Ezekiel 36:26—

Miles: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

Dave: That’s a gift! That’s the work Yah will do in us and for us if we ask Him to.

Our part is to ask for it, and to cooperate with Him.

Miles: Okay, then, practically speaking: How are we supposed to cooperate with Him? Specifically? These are thoughts we’re talking about here!

Dave: Well, one way we can cooperate with Yah is by being very careful of what we choose to put into our minds. What movies do we watch? What books do we read? What games do we play? These are all avenues to the soul. By guarding these avenues to the soul, we cooperate with Yah.

Solomon learned this the hard way. Read Ecclesiastes 2 verse 10. What does that say?

Miles: Let’s see … Okay. It says, quote:

Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure,
For my heart rejoiced in all my labor;
And this was my reward from all my labor.

Dave: Whatever Solomon saw, he wanted. Whatever he wanted, he indulged in. He didn’t guard the avenues of the soul at all! It was just the opposite. So now read verse 11. What was the result?

Miles:

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun.

Dave: Solomon got to the end of his long life and realized that there was no lasting joy to be found in the indulgence of sin.

Philippians 4, verse 8 tells us just how we can cooperate with Yah in guarding our thoughts.

Miles: Let me turn there really quickly …

All right. It says, quote: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Dave: Meditate, dwell on, these things. This is how we cooperate with Yah.

Next, let’s see what Galatians 6, verses 7 and 8 have to say. Could you turn there?

Miles: All right … “Do not be deceived, Yah is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

Dave: In other words, what we choose to indulge in determines what kind of harvest we shall reap in our actions and our character. Do we choose to witness sin and entertain ourselves by beholding evil? Or do we choose to fill our mind with the word of Yah?

Ultimately, true victory over sinful deeds that grow from evil thoughts comes only as a gift from Yah. As He cleanses our hearts, sin becomes distasteful to us.

So, the question then becomes: are we filling our minds with the promises? Are we choosing to meditate on it? Or are we spending our “down time” in worldly pursuits and escape?

Miles: This reminds me of the first psalm. Listen while I read it. It’s good. It says:

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of Yahuwah,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

Dave: This is how Yah writes His law in our hearts. When our minds are filled with His holiness, when our deepest desire is to please Him, wicked thoughts lose their hold over us.

Miles: The Bible is an odd thing in that the less you read it, the less you want to read it. But the more you read it, the more you spend time in Yah’s word, the hungrier you get for it: the more you want of it! That’s how we cooperate with Yah and learn to control our thoughts.

Dave: It’s our choice as to what we choose to focus on and what we spend time on.

Yah will never force our will. We can’t do it. We need Him to give us that new heart and write His law on our inward parts, but He needs us to cooperate with Him by making that full surrender, by choosing to turn our eyes from iniquity, and focus on Him. Then, our thoughts will reflect the reality of what He has already done in our hearts!

Miles: Amen. It’s always Yah’s gift.

If you have a question for Dave, go to our website at WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. We always enjoy hearing from our listeners.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with today’s daily promise from Yah’s word.

Alan and Candice Hasfjord were utterly thrilled when Candice gave birth to a precious little girl they named Madison. Like all new parents, sleepless nights and tired days were filled with the thrill of this precious new life they had brought into the world.

But, just six days later, Madison died. They had known something was wrong and, leaving the TV on and a pot of pasta on the stove, had rushed their baby girl to the hospital where she was quickly hooked up to monitors.

Now, the monitors showed flat, solid lines across their screens. Parents are not supposed to have to bury their children and in those moments Alan and Candice sat in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

Suddenly, and inexplicably, two minutes after Madison’s heart quit beating, it started again! The whiplash of emotions was so extreme, the couple didn’t know what to think or feel. Would they get their hopes up only to have them dashed again?

The next several hours were a blur of movement, machines, and tests. The new parents were horrified to learn that their perfect little girl had been born with a very rare and extremely complicated heart condition: hypoplastic right heart syndrome coupled with a coarctation of the aorta, multiple septal deviations, and a fully roofed coronary sinus. In other words, her heart was full of holes and an artery was kinked restricting blood flow. While there had been successful treatments for hypoplastic left heart syndrome, no baby born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome had ever survived more than a few weeks.

To survive, Madison needed emergency surgery, but there were no hospitals able to perform such a highly specialized surgery where they were living in Japan. She would have to be flown to the United States to one of the few hospitals that had a medical team experienced in this sort of surgery. The problem was, by the time the doctors discovered what the problem was, Madison had already suffered liver failure, kidney failure, respiratory failure, and her entire gastrointestinal system was paralyzed. If she stayed in Japan, she would die. If she flew to the US, she had only a 1 to 2% chance of even surviving the flight.

It took two days to arrange for a medivac flight from Japan to the United States and by the time the little family arrived at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California, Madison had deteriorated still further. The doctors said Madison was too weak to even survive general anesthesia by that point. The best they could do was keep her comfortable until she passed.

Alan and Candice were again left in a dark limbo of waiting. Two days later, however, the doctor told them that Madison’s vitals had stabilized enough to attempt the surgery. While it was still risky and she had only a 10 to 15% chance of even making it through the operation, he felt the benefits outweighed the risks.

The long surgery was terrifying. Would their little girl survive? And, even if she did, what sort of life would she have? Nine hours after the surgery had begun, the surgeon entered the waiting room, smiling. Madison had made it!

In the years since, Madison has undergone four open heart surgeries, one gastro-intestinal surgery, nearly a dozen cardiac catheterizations and many hospitalizations. But today, the little girl everyone expected to die, the little girl whose kidneys were less than 5% functional, whose liver was functioning at less than 10%, and whose lungs were functioning at less than 40%, is a happy, bubbly child, whose smiles and giggles bring constant joy to her family.

Remembering the struggle and triumphs of the past few years, Alan and Candice say, quote: “We have seen [Yahuwah] do so much through Madison; people—yes, even doctors!—have come to faith through witnessing her miraculous recovery, and we have seen ourselves come to a better understanding of who we are and, more important, what He can do through us. Every medical professional working on Madison’s case has told us, at one time or another, that there was no hope. But the Great Physician has taught us that the hope we had was enough to bring her back from death into glorious life.” Unquote.

The death of Yahushua on the cross brings with it limitless blessings. In John 10, verses 10 and 11, Yahushua explains: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.”

Life in a sinful world can be difficult but no matter how hard the way, you have a Friend who walks by your side every step of the way. Psalm 84 verse 11 states:

For Yahuwah Adonai is a sun and shield;
Yahuwah will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: I have to say, Dave, your perspective on today’s topic took me by surprise. We’re so used to thinking all-inclusively: we’re all sinners. Ergo, Christ died for all. And while he did, technically, really the only ones who can benefit from his death are those who fully acknowledge that they are sinners.

So, my question for you is: What about those that don’t acknowledge—or maybe don’t realize—what great sinners they are? What about those that just give lip service to being a sinner? Is there hope for them?

Dave: Absolutely! There is always hope because, technically, yes: Yahushua died for everyone.

Turn to Revelation 3. This is the passage that gives hope for those who are blind to how sinful they are. Read Revelation 3, verses 14 to 17. What does it say?

Miles:

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of Yah;

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

Dave: We are the post-Protestant Reformation church. With the internet, we have so many resources available to us. Yah is restoring truth; we are accepting it, and so we know far more than any previous generation.

And it is this very knowledge that leads to spiritual pride.

Miles: It’s head knowledge. Intellectual knowledge, rather than a heart experience.

Dave: Exactly. So, instead of digging for more truth, Laodiceans assume they have all the truth necessary for salvation. They don’t need more light! They’ve already got it all! They say: “I am rich, and increased with goods, and in need of nothing,” while in reality they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked, and in need of everything.

But Yah doesn’t leave them floundering in their ignorance. Read verses 18 to 20 now.

Miles:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Dave: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” The message to the Laodiceans is a love message! It’s a warning of mercy! Yah wants to save everyone, so to those who are blinded by spiritual pride, He says, “Come to Me. I’ll give you everything you need in order to be saved. I’ll give you the gold of faith; the white raiment of the Saviour’s own righteousness; and spiritual eye salve so you can see.”

As with every other element of salvation, Yahuwah provides it all.

Miles: I can see that … I just, well … how are you supposed to do this? I mean, Laodiceans are blind! They don’t see their need. How can there be hope for them if they don’t even realize they need help? You know what they say: the first step an addict has to take is to acknowledge he needs help. So … not knowing they need help, how can Laodiceans get the help they need?

Dave: By faith! The only thing any of us can ever do, the only part we ever play, is to extend the hand of faith to accept the gift. That’s it.

Miles: What do you mean? In this instance, how does faith help?

Dave: In prayer before Yah, turn to your Bible and present this passage in Revelation 3 to Him. Say, “Father, I don’t see it. I don’t see how I can be as blind and as bad off as Your word says. But I do know that Your word never lies. So, by faith, I will accept that the counsel of the True Witness applies to me, too. By faith, I will believe you that I am truly as wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked as you say. Please give me the gold tried in the fire, the white raiment, and the eye salve, just as you have promised so that I may be saved.”

Miles: “Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief.” [See Mark 9:24.]

Dave: Exactly. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean you can’t still be saved. Our part, always, is to exercise faith. So, exercise faith that what the Word of Yah says of you is true: you are just that bad off and that much in need of a Saviour.

But the beautiful thing is, you are precisely the type of person Yahuwah wants to save! Let your faith grasp hold of the promise and come to Him, right now, just as you are, and you will not come in vain.

Miles: Reminds me of that hymn:

Chief of sinners though I be,

[Yasha] shed his blood for me;

Died that I might live on high,

Lived that I might never die.

As the branch is to the vine,

I am his and he is mine.

Dave: Or, as another hymn says: “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.”

Miles: In eternity, no one will claim to have been saved through their own efforts. It’s all a gift of divine grace, isn’t it?

Please join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.