What he's referring to, my wife told me that if I'd live 25 more years, starting tomorrow, that I'd be 100 years old. Now that's what he keeps having reference to. You can turn in your Bibles to Psalm 119. I thank you for the invitation that is given. that we do come from the authority of the Johnstown Baptist Church, Brother Pete Horn being the pastor. I'm not a freelancer. And we're thankful for the invitation as always. We thank so much of Brother and Sister Hobbs and what they've meant to us over the years. And I say that in all sincerity, not just because I was asked to speak. I told him this morning that We're talking about a signed subject, I have to say this. That's fine and dandy, I've been both of them, you have too, and whatever. But one time this fellow messaged me, there was not time for the signing of subjects, and he said, you know, after the services was all over, and I thought of here, how everything seemed just like it was just ordered that way. Well, we know it was of the Lord. He said, you know, you can't outdo the Holy Spirit. And I just praise the Lord for that. But I told Brother Hobbs this morning I was going to preach about him. And so, I'm going to read three verses here, and I'm going to be far from them, but as sometimes I always do. But I like for you to think about being determined. We talk about preaching the Word. Are we determined to do the things of the Lord? To preach what He says and so forth. So I thought of Brother Hobbs. When Brother Horn said to me, he said, Brother Hobson thinks they're going to have their conference. And of course, everyone says, how can that be? There have been sicknesses. There have been many difficulties and problems. How can it be? But there was one elderly fellow that was determined. And so here we are. And so I want you to think with me for just a few moments. I don't say nothing that has not already been said, probably several times. But in Psalm 119 verses 30 through 32, I'm just doing this because of time now, because I don't want the man with the hook to get me. So he said, in verse 30, I have chosen the way of truth. Thy judgments have I laid before me. I have stuck unto the testimonies, O Lord, put me not to shame. I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart. Now, I believe in the sovereignty of God probably as much or more than any. I made a remark some time ago that if anything I went to seed on would probably be the sovereignty of God. But this morning, as much as I believe in the sovereignty of God, I also believe that there's a human responsibility. And so when we think of being determined, as I thought, as Brother David brought the message, as I think of the situations of our day and what's before us, I feel it may be not long before we must make a determination to stand for thus saith the Lord. I'm afraid that many that profess to be a child of God will flee. There are many now taking sides. And many are doing things that I didn't think that I'd ever see. And the things I say this morning, I hope I'll never see. I hope the Lord, as He said, comes back and receives us to Himself. But brethren, while we're here, we ought to have some determination. As I thought about how the world is taking sides, I won't go into all of these things. I'm going to read you a few excerpts from an article that was written. But when I think of how men claim to be ministers of the Lord, and how they say that we must go over on that other side, Or as one fella said, if you fellas don't change, you're going to dry up. Well, he don't know the God that I know. But when we think about today, the thought now that when we get, if you can bear with me for just a moment, but when we begin to think about how men think, One just as good as another. Not only do we hear that about churches, but you think about the society and everything, and we're being indoctrinated that, you know, one just as good as another, no matter what it is. There's no definites, it's all in-betweens and so forth. When we think about abortion, we think about sodomy, and the things that goes on in our day and time. But the thing that I will bring for you this morning is some things I'll read to you. What about the hate crime? I'm going to read this again. This came out of Israel My Glory. It's by Craig Parcell. And I don't know him or anything, but here are some things that he said. And I want to use this for our thoughts. He said, years ago I traveled to the Netherlands and a well-known cartoonist had recently been arrested there and his computer seized by the Dutch police because he had publicized a cartoon criticizing Islam. And he had also criticized Christians, but those cartoons never sparked action. Now, you'll get my thought in a few moments of it, but we see that it's all going against the things of the Lord. It's not what everybody else thinks, that everybody is equal, and so it's against the things of the Lord. He goes on to say, such shocking disparity exposes the problem with hate crime laws. Under the guise of enforcing high-minded civility and tolerance, they club to death ideas that are deemed political incorrect. They are insidious menace to free speech, and they may be headed to a community near you. In 2009, President Obama signed into law the first federal hate crime law that threatened to imprison people whose illegal acts are found to be motivated by opposition to someone's sexual orientation or religion. Can't say nothing about them. We'd all get put in jail next conference, wouldn't we? But he said, I have been tracking the handling of this new law and there are subtle signs that future Prosecution of people of faith may be on the horizon. The hate crimes approach, which targets disfavored ideas, is part of an increasing global trend. In Denmark, a Danish-Iranian artist was recently convicted for condemning Islam. In December, Danish-Palestinian poet Yahya Hassan was charged criminally for criticizing Islam under the same Danish penal code, which outlawed any communication by which a group of persons are insulted due to religion. Closer to home, instances in Canada, of anti-Christian prosecution based entirely on the expression of disfavored ideas have practically become legendary. Although the U.S. government has stopped short of criminalizing pure speech simply because the ideas are unpopular, my review of nations that passed The hate crime laws indicates that such laws inevitably morph into prosecution of hate speech. Since the passage of America's hate crime law, we have seen an increasing vicious intolerance of otherwise lawful and responsible ideas simply because they are denominated as hate. Facebook, Google a Apple have all adopted prohibitions against hate speech and remove certain conservative and Christian comments from their sites Then he quotes and you were probably all familiar but in the winding weeks of night at 2013 the duck Dynasty scandal broke illustrating against the intolerance toward Orthodox Christian ideas Citing the Bible, Duck Dynasty patriarch, Phil Robertson, voiced his support for traditional marriage and his opposition to homosexuality. His comments went viral and gay rights groups protested, so A&E, the channel that airs the family-friendly and decidedly conservative program, banned Robertson from the show because the backlash against A&E was fast and furious. The network relented and negotiated Robertson's apparent return yet the incident proves the willingness of powerful entertainment Mongols to Submit to descenders whenever they cry hate against Christians now. I'm saying all that because I Pray and I know what we do and what we are is by God's grace but Think that we and I'd ask if we have determined in our hearts to obey God I Don't know brethren what all I do in the face of press being persecuted and so forth. I'm pretty pray But as love now, I pray that we will be determined to do what God said To know what we mean To be determined is to resolve, that is, to end or settle a point in the mind, to come to a decision having a firm or fixed purpose. Now here in this text, I just want to get three thoughts out of it real quick and then we're going on to some examples in the Word of God, which you well know, but I want to remind us. In verse 30, the psalmist says, I have chosen the way of truth. Now brother, I believe that's determination. That I, personally, that I have determined in my heart that I have chosen the way of truth. No matter what the world does, no matter what the era is, but I, myself, have chosen the way of truth. But then he goes on to say in verse 31, I have stuck unto thy testimonies. It doesn't matter what the world says. I mean, I'm concerned about it. But brethren, when God says something in His Word, that is what we need to take for a better fact. It's what God says. It's not what man says. No matter how much we may be threatened or whatever may be said, but I have determined that I have stuck to thy testimonies. And then in verse 32, he said, I will run the way of thy commandments. I believe that's determination. I will. Now I'm not speaking of the I, as you know, I and I and I has already been preached in this conference. I'm talking about, for us personally, that there's a determination in our heart that we will serve the Lord. Now, and with that in mind, these are well known as you know, but you remember the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 2. Now we understand all about Paul and so forth, but in I Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 2, Paul said, For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Now Paul, we've heard about the church at Corinth and all those things, but Paul told them, When I came to you, I came with a determination in my heart that I was going to preach unto you Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Now why would Paul, we would say, why would he do that? Well because of time I can't go into all, and the other week I filled in for Brother Horn as he was in a revival meeting down in Georgia. And I used the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, and this has already been used this week, In verse 18, he said, For the preaching of the cross to them that perish is foolishness, but unto us which are saved is the power of God. Paul knows there are two groups, and we won't read all of this, Paul was determined when he went to Corinth that he was going to preach unto them the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The reason for it, first of all, that God had ordained it to be so. Because in verse 21, I believe, when he said, For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching. Not foolish preaching, but the foolishness of preaching. What? to save them that believe. And Paul knew in his heart, and he was determined in his heart, that he was going to preach the gospel unto them because he knew that first of all, that was the way that God had ordained that men would be saved by the preaching of the gospel. And of course we know that he tells us in the 15th chapter that what the Gospel really was. For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I had also received, that how Christ died according to the Scriptures, and how He was buried, and He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Now Paul was determined in his heart to do so. But you know, I wondered how determined that we are to do, like the Apostle Paul, in spite of persecution, that we would be determined to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ unto this sinful world. Oh yeah, it's easy when we'd sit here in this conference and all of us is basically in agreement with all things and we love one another and so forth. But what about when the persecution comes? Now I won't turn to it, but you know in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, Paul tells a lot of the things that he went through. Paul was beaten. Paul was put in jail. Paul was done. There's all the things that happened unto him. But Paul was determined that he was going to preach the gospel when he went there. But now, as you well know, there was a time and it may be coming. Or what do we do when they tell us, you can't do that. You can't preach. Alright, now let me rephrase that. They won't tell us that we can't preach. But if you will take and through basically the book of Acts, you will find, I'll go back to the Apostle Paul. When he said, you know, what chapter 26 in there, when he said, that he thought that anything that was contrary to the name of Jesus Christ. Oh yeah, you can agree with all the things that's going on in the world. But when you hold to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, you can't preach that. We don't want you to speak in the name of Jesus Christ. Oh, now, we don't want you to say anything that has to do with the Bible. Now, what are we going to do? Are we determined that we're going to do it also? Well, in Acts chapter 4, as you know these things, and if I had about a day or two or a week, we'd cover all these verses. But you remember They had done a marvelous thing. There was people, the man was healed and all the things that was brought, you know. Boy, we thought the whole crowd would. But there's always those of old Satan that will be in opposition. And so, Peter stands up before them and, well, let's just go back to verse 1. I'll try to hurry. And as they spake unto the people, the priests in the temple, and as the Sadducees came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Now, if you'll get the thought in here, it's absolutely against the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything out in the world is fine, but don't talk about Jesus. Boy, that's where we're at today. You look at these things that I quickly read over, and you talk about the hate crimes. You can say anything you want to about Christians, but don't say anything about anybody else. All right? Of course, we all know the story. They laid their hands on them, And the rulers came to Him, and then they said in verse 9, Peter says, If we this day be examined of the good deed done, the impotent man, by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, and by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him. Doth this man stand here before you whole? This is the stone which was set at night of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Brother, that's our message, but it's not in this world. Everybody's just as good as somebody else, and everybody's way is just as good as the other. Oh, you know, we're all... I think of Brother Harry Ballmer. A so-called preacher said to him one time, he said, well, you know, we're all working our way. He said, I'm all working my way. But you see, that's the third. As we see here, the reason Peter was determined to do what he was was because there was no salvation in any of the others. I believe that's the same as what Paul, the same when he went to Corinth. Now, of course, they took him for an unlearned, ignorant man, as we all know. But in verse 18, they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach, in the name of Jesus. Now that's the reason I believe, brethren, we're going to have to make a determination. I trust that we will be, through what God says in His Word, we'll be faithful. When persecution comes now, it's a little different story. Don't you preach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge me. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. That's the brother I trust, that's the way we'll be. We can't preach anything else but the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can't preach anything but the truth of God's Word. We can't do it. Of course, when they had further threatened them, they let them go and finding nothing how that they might punish them because the people for all men glorified God for that which was done. But now, what else do we find about them? Well, if you drop down verse about 28 when he said, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined, that's what their prayer was that determined before to be done. And now, Lord, Sure, they believed in the sovereignty of God and what God controls and so forth. But now, Lord, behold their threatenings and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. Oh, God give us grace. We determine in our hearts we're going to preach the gospel in spite of what the men might say. But we know that over in chapter 5, We know that they did preach the gospel. And then let's just begin at verse, they'd healed the sick and whatever, but in verse 17 of chapter 5, and when the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, which is the second of the Sadducees, were filled with indignation, they laid their hands on the apostles, they put them in a common prison. Now we know how the angel came and delivered them and so forth. But they were told. that they were to go and to speak. They said, oh, you know, I just wonder sometime about us, you know. Oh, Lord, we're trying to do what you told us to do. Oh, you know, we're trying to do a good thing, and look what they're doing to us. They're threatening us. But where did they find them? They found them in the temple. What were they doing? Well, in verse 40, And to him they agreed, and when they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus. If you'll just hold on to that, it was against Jesus. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer the shame for his name. And daily in the temple, in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Now, that's determination, brethren. I don't think they did it to make your name for themselves. I don't think they were boastful and proud. I think they did it because they loved their Lord and they were faithful. Now, I've got about a few more minutes, but quickly note something with me. You remember back over in the book of Daniel? You remember it was spoken the other day about the three Hebrew children? In chapter 3 of the book of Daniel, we understand, and I don't have time to go through it all, we know how to understand it, that they were to be cast into the fiery furnace and so forth if they didn't worship which was false. They don't say it's being done. If you read anything that's going on, we're blessed in our country right now. But in many, many places in this world, Christians are being put to their homes. They lose everything they have and everything else because they're called Christians. We've been blessed, brethren. We've lived in probably the best time that there's been in this country. We have been blessed. We find in verse, well, let's look in verse 11 where he said, and whosoever falls not down and worship, that he should be cast into the midst of the burning fire of the furnace. And then you see in verse 16, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said unto the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful. That word careful, I'm told, we're not really concerned about this matter. We don't have that kind of concern. We're not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Islam says, they're the only one. You worship our way or we'll persecute you. Well, what do we do? Let me quickly give us another. You remember over in Daniel chapter 6, that the decree come out that we're to pray. They can only ask the petition of. That which was false. And we know how old Daniel did, what he do. He went in as his custom was, and I might, I'm just, someone said about paraphrasing, but he went in as he always did. He looked out toward Jerusalem, and he prayed three times a day. So boy, what's that got to do with our determination? It's already been told, and I've said this before, I was in the U.S. Army Reserve for eight years, and afterwards we began to have little get-togethers and so forth, and they asked me if I would be like a chaplain unto them and so forth, which didn't amount to a whole lot. But anyhow, the army chaplains have been told, you've read this, that you cannot end your prayer in the name of Jesus. Now how else are we going to pray? So now what I'm getting at, and I'm closing here because my time's up, but what's our determination? Are we determined to preach the gospel because we know that that's God's means that sinners will be saved? Are we going to be faithful to Him and that which He has commanded us to do, that we're not going to go to some false way just to get along with people? Are we determined that we're going to pray unto our God through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's always in His name? How determined will I be in the face of persecution? I thought, may God give us grace to be like Joshua of old. As for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord. How determined are we?