DAVID SAID, “YOUR WORD HAVE I LAID UP IN MY HEART, THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST YOU.” WHAT WILL KEEP US FROM SINNING? KNOWING THE WORD, MEDITATING ON THE WORD, MAKING THE WORD A REGULAR PART OF OUR LIFE. ONE OF THE GUYS IN THE BAND SAID TO ME — I DON’T SEE HIM IN HERE BUT HE SAID TO ME YESTERDAY AT LUNCH, “I REALLY LIKE WHAT YOU’RE PREACHING. THIS IS RIGHT WHERE I’M AT RIGHT NOW, LEARNING HOW TO WALK IN THE SPIRIT AND SAY NO TO THE FLESH.” HE SAID, “WHAT GOD HAD ME DO WAS START MEMORIZING SCRIPTURES AND I JUST THINK ABOUT THEM ALL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THAT WAS ALL I DID BUT I STARTED NOTICING THAT I WASN’T SINNING AS MUCH.” WELL, SEE, WE “TRY.” I’M JUST GONNA TRY. I’M GONNA TRY NOT TO TALK SO MUCH. I’M GONNA TRY TO THINK. I’M GONNA TRY TO BE NICE. I’M GONNA TRY, I’M GONNA TRY. WELL, YOU CAN’T DO IT! YOUR FLESH DOES NOT HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO PULL IT OFF. THE FLESH CANNOT EVEN CRUCIFY THE FLESH. SO, WE GO TO HIS WORD: “GOD, I BELIEVE YOUR WORD IS POWERFUL.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS INHERENT POWER IN YOUR WORD.” WHY DO YOU SIT IN A BUILDING LIKE THIS FOR THREE DAYS AND LISTEN TO SOMEBODY TALK? BECAUSE THERE’S POWER IN THE WORDS THAT I’M SPEAKING. THERE’S ANOINTING AND POWER AND PRESENCE. JESUS SAID, “MY WORDS, THEY ARE SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE.” LIFE! THERE’S LIFE IN THE WORD OF GOD. THERE’S LIFE! WHEN YOU MEDITATE ON SCRIPTURE, IT RELEASES LIFE TO YOU; IT FEEDS YOU SPIRITUALLY AND WHEN YOU’RE STRONG ENOUGH SPIRITUALLY, THEN YOU CAN DO WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO, NO MATTER HOW MUCH PRESSURE YOUR FLESH IS PUTTING ON YOU. AMEN? AND I THINK THE DEEPER WE FALL IN LOVE WITH JESUS, THE MORE WE LOVE HIM AND ADORE HIM, THE MORE WE REALIZE HOW WONDERFUL HE IS, THE MORE WE REALIZE THAT HE MEANS BUSINESS. YOU’D BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH YOU CAN CONTROL YOURSELF IF YOU REALLY REALIZE THAT EVERY ACTION BRINGS A CONSEQUENCE. YOU SAY, “WELL, SISTER JOYCE, I CAN’T HELP IT, I HAVE TO EAT CHOCOLATE EVERY DAY.” “I CAN’T HELP IT. I’VE GOT TO HAVE ICE CREAM. I JUST…. I JUST…. I JUST CAN’T CONTROL MYSELF. I JUST CAN’T CONTROL MYSELF.” OKAY, WELL, LET’S JUST TELL A STORY. HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE ICE CREAM? ALRIGHT. GOT YOUR ATTENTION, DIDN’T I? YOU MIGHT SAY, “JOYCE, I DON’T LIKE ICE CREAM, I LOVE ICE CREAM AND THAT IS REALLY MY WEAKNESS.” WELL, I LIKE ICE CREAM. IF I WAS GOING TO EAT A DESSERT OR WHEN I DO EAT ONE, I REALLY LIKE ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE ON IT.
YOU SAY, “JOYCE, I JUST CANNOT SAY NO TO ICE CREAM” AND I SAY TO YOU “YES, YOU CAN” AND YOU SAY “NO, I CAN’T, I LOVE IT TOO MUCH” AND I SAY “YES, YOU CAN AND I’M GONNA PROVE TO YOU THAT YOU CAN SAY NO TO ICE CREAM OR TO ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU NEED TO SAY NO TO.” ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO STOP DOING IS MAKING EXCUSES. “I JUST CAN’T DO THAT.” YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO. IMAGINE YOURSELF INSIDE THE LARGEST ICE CREAM PARLOR IN THE WORLD. THEY HAVE EVERY CONCEIVABLE FLAVOR YOU CAN IMAGINE. MORE THAN YOUR HIGHEST FANTASY. THIS SISTER OVER HERE IS WITH ME, I’LL TELL YOU THAT. (laughing) SHE SOUNDS LIKE SHE’S ABOUT TO FALL OUT IN THE FLESH OVER HERE. (laughing) I LIKE THAT STUFF WHERE THEY PUT IT ON THE SLAB AND THEN PUT STUFF IN IT. MMM! THE CLERK BEHIND THE COUNTER SAYS TO YOU, “WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE? NAME IT, I’LL MAKE IT.” SO YOU TELL HIM AND HE MAKES YOU THE LARGEST, CREAMIEST ICE CREAM DELIGHT YOU’VE EVER SEEN.
HE HANDS IT TO YOU ALONG WITH A BIG SPOON. NOW HERE’S MY QUESTION: CAN YOU PUT DOWN THAT ICE CREAM? AND YOU SAY: NO! OKAY, LET’S ADD SOMETHING ELSE TO THE STORY: AS YOU’RE ABOUT TO HEAP A SPOONFUL INTO YOUR MOUTH, YOU HEAR A CLICK BEHIND YOUR HEAD, YOU FEEL A COLD METAL OBJECT TOUCH YOUR HEAD AND OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUR LEFT EYE YOU CATCH A GLIMPSE OF A LARGE, HAIRY HAND HOLDING A GUN TO YOUR TEMPLE AND A DEEP VOICE SAYS: IF YOU EAT THAT ICE CREAM, I’M GOING TO BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF. NOW COULD I ASK YOU ONE MORE TIME: CAN YOU PUT DOWN THAT ICE CREAM? (Yes!) CONSEQUENCES. CONSEQUENCES.
