He a doctor. On his behalf, on Pastor Rogers' behalf, Sister Rogers, Pastor Emeritus Walker, and Sister Walker, to our officers, our members, any visitors, We greet all of you in the name of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ. It's a blessing to be here. We thank God for the opportunity. Keep our pastor and his family in your prayers. Psalms 25. Psalms 25. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee. Let me not be ashamed. Let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed. Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Show me thy ways, O Lord. Teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth and teach me. For thou art the God of my salvation. On thee do I wait all the day. John 14, 26. Saint John 14, 26. But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name. He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. You may be seated. This 14th chapter of St. John is one of the most somber chapters in the Bible. No, it was a somber time when Jesus was on the cross, especially as those who had been with him seen him dying, and it was nothing that they could do about it. That was a somber time. But this was an even more one, because in this chapter, all of a sudden, the disciples are knocked off their even though they sitting around the supper table. Now everything that Jesus had been telling them about his going away was finally registering. This was the last conversation that they had with Jesus Christ before he died, something. All of a sudden, what he had been telling them was coming to life in their hearts and in their minds. One time it didn't seem real, but a few things done happen. Now, Judas is on his way to betray Jesus. Levin's sitting around the table. Just a little while ago, knowing that they had not betrayed him, but wasn't sure. Asking, Lord, is it I? The Bible said one of them hunched John, he was the disciple. The Bible said that Jesus loved, he loved all of us. But they call him the one that Jesus loved. You know, when Jesus loved you, you can get anything out of him. But you shouldn't be trying to get everything. Only what he desires for you to have. only what you need to make this journey. And at this particular time, Jesus is taking the time to give them what they need to make it through the next few days. These next few days is about to be the toughest days that these 11 had ever experienced. Here it is, a Jesus. They know He is the Christ. They know He is the Son of the Living God. They know He's Emmanuel, God with us. They know that He has done so many miracles, have had compassion on so many people. They know He's opened blind eyes, caused the deaf the dumb to speak, the dead to rise. Oh, how they must have felt sitting in the presence of Almighty God in the flesh. But time is winding It's ticking faster than it ever have before. Where it seemed like one time they had a long time with them, now they down to the real nitty gritty. would do just to have a few more days. I remember when Jesus was on his way with them to Jerusalem and he told them what was going to happen to him when they got to Jerusalem. The Bible said they didn't even understand but now It's all real. Now they come into grips with what Jesus said. Boy, how they must have felt. Oh, the only close thing we can compare it with is a loved one that we've been with every day for the last three years. A loved one that done poured into us. A loved one that done shared with us. A loved one that done had compassion on us. Loved one. been there for us like nobody else have. The only thing we can compare it with is a loved one who's about to die. Their minds was messed up. And Jesus knew it. He knew their thoughts. He knew they were losing control. So Jesus had to talk to them one last time. I know we use this at funerals. Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I'll come again and receive you unto myself. where I am, there ye may be always." Tell me Jesus don't know how to comfort a troubled heart. He knew that their hearts was troubled. Jesus had to talk to him, had to speak to him, had to give him some hope. He had to encourage him. He had to strengthen him. He had to build him up. Because these 11, they had worked So Jesus not only encouraged them by giving them a peek into his Father's house, not only by letting them know I'm going, but I'm coming back again. He had to tell them some else because he know how they felt. Because they know now he finna go. And they know now the scripture is about to come to pass. When they smite the shepherd, the sheep will scatter. Jesus had to give them something so they wouldn't scatter. And if they did, something that would bring them back together. You know, that's what Jesus is all about, about bringing things together. This is the only man I know that don't get glory in tearing up nothing but the devil's kingdom. But thank God He didn't put this in none of our hands. Jesus is about bringing things together, especially his children. His greatest desire right here at this table was that you stay together, that you stay together. And Jesus had to give them something, and that was a promise. He had to promise them cause he knew how they felt. In other words, if they knew that this was God with them and that they were God's children and he was about to leave, you know when the daddy die, now you are a orphan. You read on down in the 14th chapter, you'll see what Jesus had to tell them. I won't leave you orphans. He promised them something. He promised them somebody that would be him again. Boy, I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what. Look, we serve for God. that got all power in his hand. Jesus made them a promise that would give them some hope. And what I love about this promise, it's a lot of stuff before that they didn't take serious. But guess what? They believed him. That's what I love about it. This time they took him serious. This time they began to look forward. But just in case if there was the slightest bit of In the 26th verse, he made it a little bit clearer. He made it clear so we wouldn't doubt. He made it clear so we would know. He made it clear so no lie in hell can lead us astray. He made it clear. in the 26th verse he said BUT now everything he has said now BUT the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he promised them that he would still be with them in the person of the Holy Ghost by the power of God. Boy, it's just about. Can't even hardly wrap your head around it. But guess what? We just supposed to do what? Believe it! How God do it? We don't know. But guess what? He made it clear. So we need to believe it clear. Jesus says promise to us is that even though I'm fixing to go and I got to go because if I don't go then he can't come and if he can't come then all you gonna have is what I told you. You remember at the end of that verse, he said, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have what said unto you. Now, Jesus had to go. because if he didn't go, then the Holy Spirit couldn't come. And if the Holy Spirit couldn't come, all we gonna have is what Jesus told us. And it was evidence already by the Lamb of the Twelve that they couldn't do nothing with what Jesus told them. That means Jesus kept saying all the way down through the scripture, He that hath an ear, let him hear. He that hath an ear, let him hear. John said, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Down in the 14th verse, fast forward. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The Word of God, that was Jesus' job. He came. He was the good news. He brought good news. He brought the good news. I'm coming to bring salvation to each of you, to die for your sins in your place so you won't have to die that death. He told us so many more things, but guess what? We couldn't do nothing with it but listen. That's when he wanted to make sure we listen. make sure we listen, make sure we know what he said. Because the only way we could do something with what he said is we be filled with who he sent. If we are not filled, with who he said. We can't do nothing with what he said. And that's what we got to understand. That's what we got to understand. Jesus, his promise, but not only his promise, look at God's power. Ah, they killed. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on the cross. Oh, we always tell them they buried him in a what? Buried tomb. They put a stone and two guards out there to keep him in. But in spite of all of that, on the third day morning, he got up with all power in his hands. and then eleven days later he ascended and they stood right there and watched him ascend back up into heaven. While he was preparing to leave God had somebody preparing to come. Look at God's power. Now God done sent another Jesus in the person of the Holy Spirit. Amen? But this time, an invisible Jesus. Not dare ever kill Him. Not dare ever kill Him. You can't even see Him. We can't even see Him. The Bible says, the wind bloweth where it listeth. And you hear it, the sound thereof, but you cannot tell from where it's coming or where it's going. So is the Holy Spirit. God sent somebody invisible. Hallelujah. I think about all them questions that was asked last week at the end of Bible study. That just shows you something, where we are. I'm serious now. Jesus making it clear. He sent a comforter, the Holy Ghost. And he ain't like Casper, the friendly ghost. round him in a shape with two eyes, floating round. And he ain't nobody we got to ask to come, because God already told him to come. And he ain't hard-headed like us. He do what God says. So he here. He here. And he proved his self on the day of Pentecost. Now, look at the power of God. Oh, that was power there. To wrap flesh around his self and come here in the first place. That was power. But you talking about some power. He ain't sent him this time to walk around on the outside holding our hand. He walking around on the inside holding our hearts. Look at the power of God. Look at God's power. You been born again? Have you been born again? Well, if you've been born again, He is born in you. He's inside you. He's inside you. He's inside you. Nobody but God. God Almighty. That's some power. Ain't that something? Sinners of Jesus ain't walking around with us, but one walking around in us. Now, this one got another job, but he the same one. One told us this one teach us. One tell us, the other one teach us. One gone to the Father, the other one came and living inside of us. But the way God got this thing fixed is we still need what one told us. And we still need the one to teach us. That's the reason things so mixed up now. I'm telling you now. And the world can see it. That's the sad part. That's the sad part. The world can see it in the church. That's been things so mixed up. Because for years, so many folk been trying to teach themselves. You can't teach yourself God's Word. That's what the problem is. We done taught ourselves all this. this stuff. And some of us folks will tell you it's in the Bible. It ain't in the Bible. We've been teaching our own self for years. That's why the church is so crazy now. We've been teaching them too. Well, the Lord said, the Lord said, they ain't coming to Sunday school, they ain't coming to church. Walking around with guns stuck in their pockets. Telling mom and dad, no, I ain't going today, I don't feel like it. We've been teaching ourself. But guess what? If we listen, at what he said, if we would just take the time out and learn what he said, then God able through the power of the Holy Spirit to make it make sense We've been teaching ourself. Cause to so many folk, what God's saying don't make sense. Guy asked me the other day, said, well, if somebody smites you on the cheek and you turn the other cheek and they smite you on that one, you ain't got but two cheeks. I said, no, you always got another one. You always got another one. Just, you just keep turning them. Just turn the other one. Turn the other one. Turn the other one. God said that for a reason. It don't always be somebody slapping you. It could be anything people do to you wrong. But God wants us to let Him be seen in our life. What good is it going to do us to have the power of the Holy Spirit on the inside of us and still walk around doing what we want to do, how we want to do it? That's what the problem is now. That's what the problem is now. Some of us done taught ourselves so long, and we done got so old. Boy, my son-in-law, he worked for them companies like Pelt Boys and Christian Brothers and Firestone. He managed places like that. He went right up there in Atlanta. He told me, I was telling him, I said, man, I'm getting about tired of trying to hire these people to work. I said, because? You get them out there, they don't want nothing but a dollar, and then you can't even hardly tell them nothing. He said, well, this is what they tell us in seminars that we go all around the world. He said, they told us, when a man get past 35, he unteachable. See, sometime we get to an age in life Well, we think we know it all. But if we would just take time out and learn what He said and let the power of the Holy Spirit make it make sense to us, we'll find out that we don't know nothing. God got something he want to do with our life. And we ought to thank him. Cause he didn't have to do it, but he did. He thinks so much of us. We need to start thinking so much of him. Look how he wake us up. Look like how he start us on our way. how he give us health and strength. Look like how he healed our infirmities. Look how he forgave our sins. God thinks so much of us that he sent us a comforter. Dwell in us. that dare to teach us, that dare to show us how to please God. Because we, some of us just know what he said, and that's all. But I'm telling you, we need to learn how to do what he said. That's what the Holy Spirit's job is, to teach us. to do what he said. He can come and make it make sense because the natural man receive it not the things that of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him. I'm talking about self now. All of us got a self. Self. The natural man received not the things of the Spirit of God. The Bible said they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. In other words, the only person that can discern the Word of is the Holy Spirit. That's the reason these lessons that pastor is bringing to us, they are paramount. They are must be here. We need to fill this sanctuary up. New Bethlehem need to be out here in great numbers to make sure that we get this. Because this is how we'll be able to please God. And I'm telling you, it's time to please Him. It's time for God to get something out of us, no matter how old we done got. Ain't that something? People used to say a long time ago, well, I'm gonna just wait for I die and then I ask him for forgiveness. You don't know you might just die like that. It don't make no difference how long we've been teaching ourselves. If we would just understand that if we are a child of God, God want to teach us. He want to teach us. He want us to experience the knowledge of God through the power of the Holy Spirit leading and guiding our lives, bringing self to death and Christ to life in our mortal bodies. God is able to do it no matter how long you haven't listened. He that hath an ear, let him hear. Hear who God has sent to teach us how to please him. May God bless you. May God keep you. Pray for our pastor. Any questions? Boy, that's clear, ain't it? Just know he in you. He in you. I know it's a lot of old stuff. Lord, come by him. Come by him, my Lord. Come by him. You know. Folks just didn't know. But when you know better, it's time to do what? it's time to do better. Thank God for his patience to let us live to such a time as this that our pastor is bringing us some shown of good works. Amen. Amen. Rem Walker, he set the foundation. He done told us for years what Jesus said, and done showed us in so many ways, God ready to take us now to a whole new level. Amen. May God bless you and keep you is our prayer. Amen. Let us stand. Got one announcement, and then we're gonna have prayer. Good evening. This is a reminder, uh, want to give, uh, every one of our seniors an opportunity to register for the first activity for 2025, which is our Bible bingo. Uh, registration ends this Sunday. Um, and the Bible bingo will be Tuesday, the day after Martin Luther King from 11 o'clock to one 30. So, we want you to register by Sunday, but we will make it easy. You can register with me, Sister Bedata, Tyus, or Pat Kelly. If you haven't registered on RIM, or if you don't want to register on RIM, if you would just give us your name and phone number, and we will be happy I'll transition that to sister pink. If you just see me tonight, give me your name and phone number. We do want all seniors. If you would take time out of your schedule, we have made great efforts to have a great Bible bingo. Our first activity for the year of 2025 and we want you involved. Don't want to leave anyone out. Want you to have an opportunity to come and have a good time on Tuesday. Okay. Any more announcements? Prayer? Any names for prayer? Just yell them out. Louise Madison? Pastor Rogers and his family, Reverend Walker and his family, Sister Wiley and her family. Let's pray for all of the bereaved, all our those on our sick list. Father, we bow before you in Jesus' name. Lord, we are just so grateful and thankful, Lord, for this opportunity to bow down before your holy throne of grace, Lord. We thank you, Lord, for all that you've already done. You have already done so many great things. Lord, we just bring before you those on our sick list and sick all around the world, Lord, those that's bound behind prison bars, the bereaved families, all the names that were called out here, Lord, our pastor and pastor marriages. and their families lord we thank you for the word of god that you're bringing forth at at this place lord we pray that you continue oh lord giving our pastor wisdom knowledge and understanding oh lord please in the name of jesus that he may be able to share with us what you've shared with him we thank you oh lord for all our officers lord we pray that you bless them and their families lord and continue giving them wisdom oh lord please in jesus name bless all our Church family, Lord, please, in Jesus' name. You got the glory, honor, and praise in Jesus' name.