It is good to see each of you this afternoon. I hope and trust that you all had a wonderful evening. If you will, let's all get our privacy out tonight. Just to remember all of our lost loved ones. our missionaries, the nation, the troops, Brother Robert and Sister Jean and Maxine, Mama Jean, our church, the Bollings, Brother Frank, Mary Dunnigan, Martha, Mary, and Teresa, and Brandy, Angie, and Bonnie, and Teresa, and Heather, and Chris, and Anita, and Amy, and Lois, and Kim, and There are many others as well. Let's do remember each of these this afternoon. I want to speak each of their names so we all know that they are equally important. Do we have any others that we'd like to put on the prayer list this afternoon? Let's do remember Brother Keith as they are traveling tonight. Let's do remember Jacob in prayer. As always, let's remember each other. We all need one another's prayers. If there are no other spoken requests, I'm sure there are many unspoken requests, and we can let that be known with this in our right hands. May the Lord bless each of these. Well, at this time, we'll open our services up in prayer. Well, that's Brother Tom. If you would, you open us up in prayer today. on the prayer list and all the unspoken requests. We ask you to be with Brother Steve as he brings us a message. And Lord God, we just ask you to just let us open our ears, take all this in. And Lord God, we just ask you to be with all the sick, all the hungry out there. Amen. Amen. Well, if you will this afternoon, let us all turn to John chapter three, John chapter three. And tonight I'm going to be preaching upon, or this afternoon, being born again. We never know when the hour may come. upon us when the Spirit convicts us and convinces us that we need our Savior, but we do know that the hour will come upon all of God's elect lost children. We never know where we're going to be saved either, do we? There have been many, many places that God's children have been brought from and to to be saved. God has his own choosing and he does it as he pleases. I know the thief upon the cross you know he waited right there at that specific time in that specific place and we all know the story Jesus said today Thou shalt be with me in paradise. He saved him right there. That is a proof text also that you don't have to be baptized to be saved even though baptism is one of the things that the Lord requires his children to do because it pictures that we are through with the old ways of life and we have been resurrected unto the newness of life. I want to notice also thirdly that we know we cannot save ourselves. When we are born again, it takes the spirit of the Lord to quicken us and make us alive. We cannot repent by ourselves. We cannot have faith by ourselves. Those are gifts from God. Whenever he quickens us, Ephesians 2 verse 1, and makes us alive, it happens instantly. There is such an overwhelming influence by the Spirit that's been made alive in us and by the Holy Spirit that our soul is converted and our desires are toward God and we are saved by His marvelous grace. So we cannot save ourselves, we're saved by grace through faith alone. The Bible teaches us and not of ourselves. We know that the hour has been determined, the day, the month, and the year, and God will not change His mind toward His elect when He saves them. And there are many scriptures that prove that to us. Ephesians 1 verse 4 tells us that He has chosen us in Him, that's in Christ, before the foundation of the world. and that he has also predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ according to his good pleasure. So God takes pleasure in saving his little children in the appointed time. So we're gonna look at these things tonight about being born again. So in John chapter three, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, a religious Pharisee that had not had the new birth yet. John chapter 3, beginning in verse 7 and 8. Jesus states, marvel not that I said unto thee, speaking about Nicodemus, ye must be born again. Verse 8, the wind bloweth where it listeneth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. So is everyone, this is without distinction, every child of God, So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. None of us know when the Spirit is going to convince us that we need to look to Jesus. When the Spirit convicts us all of a sudden and we feel need of a Savior. I heard the testimony of this dear lady one day. She said, I came to church and I didn't intend to get saved, but all of a sudden The Holy Spirit came upon me with His power, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt, I had to run to Jesus. And there was not enough people in the row on that bench to keep me from coming down that aisle and surrender my life to Christ. And she did just that. And she didn't know that was going to happen. And that was just another proof of what the Bible states to us is so true. Let us pray. Dear Gracious Heavenly Father, we come to your precious throne. We're so thankful for your blessed Holy Spirit. We're thankful, Lord, that he leads us and guides us into all truth and he causes us to remember and he causes us to see the beauty of Christ. We're thankful that you are our Father, that you love us with an everlasting love. We're thankful, Lord, that Jesus came and died upon that cross with certainty, knowing that he was paying the penalty for our sins, knowing that one day we could experience the freedom and the pleasure of being saved, being born again. Heavenly Father, we ask that you would help us to understand your word this afternoon. Speak to us, speak to those that are lost, Lord. Open their hearts and their minds to see the beauty of Christ and cause them, Lord, to repent of their sins. God, it's now we pray for Jesus' precious sake, be with all the lost and those that are on the prayer list, spoken and unspoken. For Christ's sake, we ask these things. Amen. Looking into God's Holy Word here, we know not when the hour may come. We never know that. But we can rest assured that wherever God's little children are, that hour will come. Because He is in total control of each of us. All power is given unto Christ, Jesus. in John chapter 17 verse two, that he has stated that unto us in heaven and upon this earth. And so we can rest assured that one day he will save us from all of our sins. We never know when that hour may come. In John chapter three in verse 14, we see there, if you'd like to turn there, John chapter three, In verse 14 and 16, as he was speaking to Nicodemus, he said, As Moses lifted up the serpent into wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is condemnation, that as light is coming to the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Now, Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus about being born again. You must be born again. And he showed him here that his sins would be revealed to him. He showed him here, he that doeth evil hasteth the light and he that cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. So we see that in time, Jesus, he reproves us of our deeds. We'll notice that here in just a moment. But Nicodemus had to be born again, just like you and I. and that we have to come through the new birth in order to go to heaven. And so Jesus said, I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and go in and out and find pasture in John chapter 10 in verse 9. He's the only way to heaven in John chapter 14 in verse 6. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man come up unto the Father, but by me. There's a lot of people trying to get to heaven the wrong ways. today. They're trying to exclude Christ. But my friend, Christ is the only way that we can get to heaven. Jesus told the Jews, ye shall die in your sins if you believe not that I am he. In John chapter 8. He is the Savior. He's the only one that can wash us from all of our sins. So we never know when the hour may come, but we do know that he does convict us of our sins. This was about the sixth hour that he was speaking to Nicodemus. I want us to notice, if you will, in Acts chapter two, at the third hour of the day, there was 3,000 people saved. Peter was preaching the message on the day of Pentecost, and when the Holy Spirit came down upon all of these people, and many began to speak with tongues, and many people from all nations heard the gospel, and they received the gospel, and there were 3,000 people saved. And that was all by God's plan, Him determining that it would be the third hour of the day. Let us look in Acts chapter 2. Beginning there, verses 1 through 4, how the blessed Holy Spirit came upon us, or came upon them, just as He comes upon us when He saves us. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it set upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and all began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." So they were filled with the Holy Ghost, filled with power by the Holy Ghost. And notice the effects of this. Let's go on over to verse 15. Because some people thought that these people were drunk. But they were not. It states, For these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. Notice, they didn't know what time. that they were going to be saved. But the Holy Spirit has revealed to us that it was during the third hour that Peter begins to preach. And let us go on over in verse 36. Peter concludes, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Isn't it amazing when the Holy Spirit pricks our hearts, then we become concerned about what we should do because of our sins? Then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, for the forgiveness of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For this promise is unto you. and to your children, and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untrue regeneration. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day," that's at the third hour, there were added unto them about 3,000 souls. See, the Lord got all these people together on the day of Pentecost. There was 3,000 people in the church that got saved at one time. This time was appointed by Almighty God. It's the Spirit that quickens. And so the Spirit came down upon these 3,000 souls and they were saved. You know, when we get saved, we know that the Holy Spirit comes to abide with us forever. Secondly, we never know where He is going to save us. We all know the story of the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4 and verse 4. We know that she was there at a well. The Bible states, and he must needs go through Samaria. And so we know that there was a lady that was going to come to that well. Jesus was waiting on her. Did you know that Jesus knows exactly where to wait for you. He knows when to wait for you, and He knows where to wait for you. And so, Jesus was waiting there at that well of Samaria, and it's interesting to note that He told her a lot of the same things that He told Nicodemus. That she had to repent. Same as, because He told her her whole past. I want us to notice this afternoon, if you will, let us turn over to John chapter 4. John chapter 4, as we note that we never know where He's going to save us. That well was a beautiful place for the Samaritan woman to be saved. She was in her sins when Jesus found her. And Jesus washed her from all of her sins. Notice in verse 16, after she came to the well and there was a conversation about having the water of life, and now Jesus gets down to business and he states, Jesus says unto her, go, call thy husband and come hither. He's fixing to convince her of all of her sins that he knows all about her. Jesus knows all about each of us. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. She told half the truth. She didn't at that time. Jesus said to her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband. For thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband. You see, he knew all about the one that she was living with. He knew all about the other five that she was with. Notice he states, In that saidest thou truly, Look at how kindly, how lovingly Jesus is speaking to this lost woman. This lost little sheep that he has an everlasting love for. He's saying, is this the truth about you? She knows that no one could know this, especially a stranger. Except they'd be a prophet. So notice what she states. The woman saith unto him, sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Oh, she got it halfway right, didn't she? He was more than just a prophet. He was the Messiah. Verse 20, Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her woman, Believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father. You know not what we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is the Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. And notice what the woman states. The woman saith unto Him, I know that the Messiah is cometh, which is called Christ. When He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee, am he. I am he. One of the first places that he revealed himself to a lost little sheep. And at this time, we realize that she was saved by his marvelous grace. She came there at noon. That time had been appointed by Almighty God. The place had been appointed by Almighty God where to save that little Samaritan woman that was lost in all of her sins. A lot of people get saved outside the church. Now, as we noticed earlier, 3,000 got saved inside the church there at Jerusalem. But many are saved outside the church. Jesus knows when and where and how to jump into all of our circumstances. He knew all of our problems. He knew all of our failures. And He knew that she needed a Savior. And He was that Savior. He was that Messiah. He still is today that same One that seeks us and finds us and saves us by His marvelous grace. We know we cannot save ourselves. Thirdly, when we are born again, it is not anything that we have done. It wasn't nothing that the Samaritan done that got her saved. It was what Jesus did for her there at that well. He revealed himself to her. He convinced her of her sins. And he cleansed her from all her iniquities, just like he does us. Ephesians chapter two and verse eight, The Holy Spirit has called the Apostle Paul to that church just like to us as well. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them." So it's not nothing that we can do to be born again. It's what He does that causes us to be born again. So we see that it is the... Spirit that quickens us. The flesh profiteth nothing. How much is nothing? It's zero, isn't it? It's nothing. Let us look in John chapter six. Let us look in verse 63. John chapter six and verse 63. Here we find Jesus stating, it is the spirit that quickeneth. Quickeneth means to be made alive. The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. So we see here that our simple nature profits nothing. Our human intellect, doesn't matter how smart we are, we cannot get ourselves saved. It takes the spirit to quicken us. Ephesians 2 verse 1, the Bible states, it is the spirit that quickeneth. Even when we were dead in trespasses. That means when we were walking in all of our sins. Let us turn over there if you will today. Let us look in Ephesians chapter 2. Notice how we were held in darkness. Ephesians chapter 2. Verse 1, And you hath he quickened, speaking to the church, who were dead in trespasses and sins, where in time past you walked according to the course of this world. See, that's what Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about. There are no contradictions in the Scriptures. It all harmonizes. When we misunderstand the Scriptures, it's not because there is a mistake in the Scriptures. It's because simply We misinterpreted it. But in times past we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the pair of the air, that's speaking about the devil, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. So we see here that It is the Holy Spirit that quickens us. Just like the Holy Spirit came down upon those 3,000 people and their hearts got pricked. That's what happens when you get quickened. You see, repentance is a changed heart which produces an outward act of conduct. There's a change made in the mind because the Spirit influences the mind. when we are saved. Powerfully influences the mind. When the Samaritan woman got saved, what did she do? She went down to the city and she told everybody about Christ. She would never have done that if he had not met her there at noon, at that well, and saved her by his marvelous grace, quickened her spirit. But there's a change that takes place. We cannot save ourselves But the Holy Spirit, He quickens us. We, in and of ourselves, can do nothing to save ourselves. If we could, then we could take praise and honor for it. And you see, God will not allow us to take something that He deserves. He deserves the praise and the honor and the glory for saving us. Because it was He that sent His only begotten Son into the world to die for our sins. It was He that poured out His wrath upon His only begotten Son so that we could go free. You see, He deserves the praise and the honor and the glory for quickening us, saving us by His marvelous grace. That's why He tells us it's not of ourselves. We cannot rob God of that glory. It's not by our long prayers. It's not by our fasting. It's not by our tears when we come to God. Although many times that's a part that we play. I mean, we're praying and we're asking the Lord for help, but that's not what saves us. It's the Lord that quickens us. And He gets all the glory for it. Those are the effects of salvation. And we give Him praise and honor for doing something for us that we could not do for ourselves. So we know we cannot save ourselves. We know that the hour, the day, the month, the year has been determined by Almighty God in His eternal counsels. That is told us in the scriptures. In Romans chapter 8, This is why everything works together for good to them that love God, in verse 28 through 30. For whom He did foreknow, the Bible tells us in verse 29, He did also predestinate, to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called. And whom He called, them He also justified. And whom He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? You see, He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? He has predetermined the time in which we are called out of darkness into His marvelous light. In Colossians chapter 1, the Bible states, giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in life. He is the one that has saved us. He's the one that calls us by His marvelous grace. And so we can give Him thanks for doing something for us that we could not do for ourselves. Who have made us meet, the Bible tells us, meaning fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in life. You know, we are heirs With Christ, joint heirs, the Bible teaches us. And the devil cannot take that away from us. I want you to notice that Jesus states in John chapter 10, about being born again, His marvelous work. Whenever He stated that He must go through Samaria, it was for a specific reason. It was to save His little children. For in John chapter 4 that was, but in John chapter 10 he speaks about these other sheep that he has, and that he must bring them. John chapter 10 and verse 16, this is back up to verse 15, or 14. He says, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, speaking about the Gentiles, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice. And there shall be one fold and one shepherd. You see, he must bring us. It's a necessity that he does this for us. He has predestinated us. to be saved. I want you to notice, if you will, in Ephesians chapter 1. Let us go back there. Look in verse 11. Ephesians chapter 1. I want you to notice in verse 11. Because this is something that is present. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11. The Bible says, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated. Notice the word being. He's present. Being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. So, this is something that is going on today. You know, I love Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 14. Where it says, Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them? who shall be heirs of salvation, it's because they were predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. And so the angels, they minister, they help. These invisible ones help us. You may be wondering, well, how do they help us? Can they plant thoughts? You know? I don't know how they work specifically, but I know they can talk to one another without talking. Telepathy. They can put thoughts, they know how to do this. Sometimes carrier reads my mind. Maybe they help us in this way. I don't know, but I do know that we are being predestinated, as the Bible teaches us, according to the purpose of Him, who works all things after the counsel of His own will. No one can change God's mind when He has determined this time for His little children to take place, to be born again. And that gives me great comfort in knowing, you know, if there were a hundred people, a hundred children sitting here today, I would know, I believe, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, that God has an appointed time when and where He chooses to save them. And when I stop and I pause in life and I think, well, you know, I don't know when this is gonna take place. I have to recognize it's none of my business. This is God's business whenever he chooses to save his little children and where he chooses to save his little children. And it's kind of like whenever, you know the story when Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not repenting, the Bible tells us. And then he looks up, you know, to heaven and he said, I thank the old father. that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes." You know, God saves His little children whenever He chooses to reveal His Son to us. And that hour, that day, that month is chosen by Him. Not one of God's elect will lose their salvation, will lose their appointed time with Almighty God. God knows His little sheep that He's going to bring to salvation. In John chapter 6, Jesus said in verse 37, You see, when you've been given to Christ, that happened in eternity past. Ephesians chapter one in verse four tells us, according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to His good pleasure, to the praise of the glory of His grace wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. It's according to His good pleasure. And so God saves us by His marvelous grace and mercy at His appointed time. And no one can stop Him. The devil tries all the time. He tries to hinder, and he does hinder, but he cannot stop Almighty God from quickening His little children and saving them by His marvelous grace. And I'm so thankful that I can rest assured that that will take place. all the way through history. I mean, all the way through the future. Because He has little children that's going to be saved. I want you to turn with me to 2 Thessalonians, if you will, in chapter 2. Let us look at verse 13 and verse 14. The Holy Spirit has told the Apostle Paul But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel. to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So God has from the beginning chosen us to salvation. We can look back and say, thank you, Lord, for making that appointment for me. Didn't understand that whenever I was lost and in sin, that God had an everlasting love for me. But I found that out by studying the scriptures. by realizing that God has always had a purpose and a plan for his little children. Aren't you thankful today that God has a plan for you? That God Almighty is your loving Heavenly Father, the one that answers the desires of your heart and blesses you? What would life be without such a wonderful Father? There will be a day that the lost elect children will start following Jesus. We will be convinced of our sins if we are His little children. Look in John chapter 16. John chapter 16. I want us to notice there in verse 8. John chapter 16 verse 8. Look at the work of the Holy Spirit. He convinces us of our sins. Convicts us of our sins. Jesus said when He has come, He will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Have you ever been reproved? Wasn't that what Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter 3? He that doeth evil hasteth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. You see now the Holy Spirit has been sent down from heaven to us. and reproves us of our sins, He reproves the world of their sins as well. And so He convicts us of our sins. And you know, as I said earlier, even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. When Moses lifted up that serpent in the wilderness, people had been bitten and were dying because of their sins. God had sent serpents in among them because of their complaining, their sins, and they needed to be saved from their sins and from a literal death. And whenever Moses lifted up that serpent, everyone that looked upon it got healed. They got saved. And you see, everyone that looks upon Jesus will be saved from all their sins. Everyone that comes to Him with a broken spirit Like the prodigal son, like the publican that beat upon his chest and said, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. Then will none of them be turned away. Every sinner that comes unto him in this manner will be saved. Everyone that looks unto Jesus will have their sins all washed away, will be purged. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us, the Bible teaches us, from all unrighteousness. He's faithful. And so we see that the Holy Spirit convinces us of our sins. The Samaritan woman, Jesus convinced her, didn't He? He convicted her, didn't He? The thief up on the cross, we realize that he was convinced of his sins. He looked at the other thief and you know what he stated? We are here and getting the just reward for our sins. But Jesus lovingly forgave him. Whenever he asked him, Lord, remember me. Isn't it amazing how the Lord saved us? He just said, Lord, remember me. when thou enterest into thy kingdom." Jesus remembered him and said, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. His hour, his time and his place was right there on the cross. He didn't have time to amend the wrongdoings, give back the things that he had stolen. His hands were nailed to the cross just like Jesus' was. He couldn't run and do good works. He had to totally rely upon Christ alone, just like you and I do. We have to look to Jesus to be the Savior. The only one that can save us from all of our sins. Has He saved you? Have you looked to Him? Has He convinced you of all your sins? Look at Saul of Tarsus. You remember the day? He wasn't looking for Jesus. He was riding his horse, doing what he did best, persecuting the church. And all of a sudden, Jesus meets him on the road to Damascus. You can read this in Acts chapter 9. And Jesus said, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And we know that Saul of Tarsus fell to the ground off of that horse, and he was struck blind for three days, three nights. He couldn't eat or drink. He said, Lord, what would you have me to do? He said, why persecutest thou me? Notice how he convinced him of his sins. Jesus personally coming to him. Why persecutest thou me? Convinced him that he was a sinner. See, everyone that gets born again will be convinced of their sins. I believe that with all my heart. If you're going to go through the new birth, my friend, you will learn to hate sin. because the Spirit, the holiness of God hates sin. That's why He poured out His wrath upon His only begotten Son. That's why He was forsaken upon that cross, so that we would never ever be forsaken. So we see, we will be convinced of our sins by the Holy Spirit when we are born again. We are born again when the Holy Spirit comes to abide with us forever. Did you know when He saves you, convinces you that you need to change your ways, that you need to repent of your sins, you know when He comes to you in this manner, it's because He's going to stay there forever. I want us to look, if you will, in John chapter 14. Let us look in John chapter 14. John chapter 14, look in verse 22 and verse 23. Because the question was asked, how could you reveal yourself to us and not unto the world? You see, God has a special love for his little children. Judas saith unto him, not his caret, Lord, how is it that thou would manifest thyself unto us and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words. And my Father will love Him and we will come unto Him and make our abode with Him. Isn't it wonderful to know that they will make their abode with us? 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 19 and 20 tells us, What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. You know, we belong to God, and He abides with us forever. He said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Hebrews chapter 13, there we read, Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper. And I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Verses 5 and 6. You see, He abides with us forever. Jesus is our intercessor forever. The Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 25, wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing that He ever liveth to make intercession for them. He's not going to forsake us. He comes to abide with us, to be our Father. The Holy Spirit indwells us forever, forever and ever and ever. Can you just imagine the Holy Spirit being with you wherever you go all the time? If He wasn't with you, you couldn't grieve Him. But you see, we grieve the Holy Spirit because of our sinful nature, and it's because He's in us, He's with us. I don't fully understand how the Holy Spirit can be in us, with us, but I know I experience it, don't you? I know that He has convinced me of my sins. I know that He comforts me a lot, and He helps me along life's highway. I know that. Because His love is everlasting for my life. And I know that He's not forsaken me. Although many times I go astray, I know He's right there with me. Jesus said that He and the Father will make their abode with us. We sing that hymn. He talks with me and He walks with me and He tells me that I am His own. It's so true, isn't it? It is so true because He has this everlasting love for us. That's unchangeable. Have you been born again? Have you felt the Holy Spirit convince you, convict you, and wash you from all of your iniquities? Has He caused you to turn from your iniquities? Caused you to hate your sin? You don't like Him no more? That's the difference between a saved person and someone that's not. Will you trust Him? That's His desire, that all His little lost sheep come to Him and trust Him. Have you trusted Him? To be your wonderful friend, your wonderful Savior. Do you hear Him calling you? I mean, He calls us with that still small voice, out of love and compassion. He tells us that we need rest for His soul, for our souls. In Revelation chapter 22, verse 17, And the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth come, and whosoever willeth, let him come and take the water of life freely. Salvation is a free gift from God, but it costs Him His only begotten Son for us to have salvation. Have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? In John chapter 1, the Bible tells us He came unto His own, meaning Jews. And they received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, which were born not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Will you receive Him? Let us all stand this afternoon. Will you repent as we go to the Lord in prayer?