Everyone here knows what hospital he's in. I called Mrs. Vaughn a couple times today and she didn't return my call. So if you have any information, please give that to me after church. And also, I forgot to pray for Melanie. She had some wisdom teeth removed today. That's why Patty and her are not here. She had four wisdom teeth removed. Some of you have had that and you know how painful that is. So she's at home recovering from wisdom tooth surgery. And again, there's probably folks that are sick that we don't know about. That's just the folks, that was a bunch of folks. Normally we don't have that many, but a bunch of folks sick and had stuff going on, so keep them in prayer. And if you know of others, if you'll let me know. My memory really stinks, so you'll just have to write it down. And if I lose a card, you'll have to write it down again. So, I mean, maybe, you know, Stick it to me, get one of those stick'em things and stick it to me and that way I won't lose it till I go home and I'll have to come back next service and give it to me again. The next one to come, priest of the Word of God to us. I always enjoy Brother Nick. He, um, had he grew up here at our church, Nick was just, I mean, he wasn't even, didn't even know anything about Nick at that time, but God It actually just shows you what happens if you do what Patti did and what some of us have tried to do. Again, this is what we tell young people to do. You put God first, and that's in Matthew 6, verse 33. You seek Him first, and all these things will be added to you. She knew God wanted her. I mean, In Bible college, she went to Bible college, and if she hadn't went to that Bible college, she wouldn't have met Nick. And Nick didn't know that at the time either, so I mean, God just brought them together. And I can tell you, I've never, I've seen a lot of happy couples, I've seen some unhappy couples. They're one of the happy couples, so I mean, it's one of those, it's a blessing to watch them, and to watch what God's done with them through these years. But again, Patty, I remember, There was a time Patty was pretty serious with the guy and learned the language of that fellow and was planning on going to another mission field. And thankfully someone at Windsor Hills said, you know what, I don't think he's the right guy for you. And she broke it off. And thankfully, I mean, she did because that guy didn't go in the right direction later on. And then she met this guy. And this guy's the guy that, by the way, God had planned for her a long time ago. I mean, his ultimate plan, it was like, you know, one of these days, Nick's gonna meet this pretty girl named Patty, and he's gonna fall in love with her, and then he's gonna come to Texas and learn what it's like to be in Texas, some Yankee down in Texas. So we appreciate Brother Nick. He's gonna come preach to us. Pay attention. Amen. What a blessing. So it's a real blessing. Amen. And so Patty, she's a one of a kind wife. I'll tell you that. She is. And she's been faithful, faithful, faithful to the Lord. And it started with Jesus. Amen. It started with Jesus. And very thankful for her. And she's with Melanie right now. Melanie's doing a lot better than Natalie did. I said, I told Natalie, I said, Natalie, you've got bragging rights. Anybody that has a wisdom tooth story, you're going to top them all. Amen? You're going to be able to trump them all, no pun intended. Okay? Just pray for pray for Melanie as she's recovering there and and It's a it's a blessing. We're very thankful to have a good doctor to go to amen and things down in Mexico They're they're they're going very well there at the church. God's good people getting saved and and it's just a real blessing to see people get saved and grow and and there's nothing like it. Amen? And we're reaching lost souls. We're in Satan's territory. He's very upset with us about that. He's upset with anybody getting into his territory, getting into his back neighborhoods and all that. But you know what? It's not about him. It's about God. Amen? And making God happy. Amen? So if you have your Bibles tonight, we'll go to James chapter number three. James chapter number three. And we'll read James chapter number three, starting in verse number 14, and we'll go through verse 26. Okay, James chapter number three and verse number 14, and let's stand for the reading of God's word. The Bible says here, what doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so, faith If it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble, but Wilt thou, but wilt thou, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works? And by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God. and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works? when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your goodness and your blessings. Lord, there was a lot of prayer requests this week. But it's not a surprise to you, Lord. You knew all these things were going to be coming together in this one week. We pray that you'd be with Brother Nichols, Brother and Mrs. Nichols as they travel, Lord, to Tennessee. I pray that you'd bless their traveling. And I just pray things would go well there. And Lord, I pray that you would be with James tonight and his family, Lord. I pray that you would, if it's your will, he could get out tomorrow, that'd be a blessing. Emmanuel, I pray that you would work things out there with him. Lord, there's just a lot of things. Melanie, and Lord, that she would recover. I pray that you would meet with us tonight. Lord, we made it here tonight, and it's not by chance, Lord. We came tonight on purpose. And I just pray and ask, Lord, that we leave tonight with something from you. Don't let us leave the same as we came in. I pray that you'd use me tonight to be a blessing to these folks here. I pray that you would bless this service and that you would meet with us. In your precious name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. I'm not really a good joke teller, a big joke teller. I like telling stories, but this was a pretty good one. It's about this old geezer, this guy. If I use geezer, things like that, people can relate better, I guess. But anyway, he retired. And he thought, man, what am I going to do with the rest of my life? I got to do something. I just can't sit around and all that. And so he decided he was going to be a doctor. And so he went to medical school. He finished medical school. He got his degree and everything. Now, where he's from, there's another doctor in the town. You know, the guy would rip people off for years and years, you know, and so he thought, I'm going to start a practice there, but I'm only going to see the people with serious cases. And he was really blessed and everything, but he put this sign out in front of his consultorio, doctor's office, okay, and so he put it outside of his doctor's office and it says he charged $500 for a visit, but if he couldn't cure you, he'd give you $1,000. So, I mean, that's big stuff there. So this other doctor, he got wind of that. He saw that sign there. He said, I'm going to put that old geyser out of business. So he went up to see the old geyser and he went in there and he said, I lost my taste. I can't taste anything. And the old man was looking at him, the old beater, he was looking at him. And he said, wow, that's a tough one there. And he looked at his nurse and he said, look, he said, the second drawer, third bottle, please. And he put two drops from that bottle on his tongue. And that other doctor, pfft, pfft, pfft. That was gasoline. What in the world are you doing? And he said, oh, you got your taste back. Well, good. Amen. So he said, that'll be $500. So this guy said, man, he got $500. So he thought, I'm going back to get, I'm going to get, I got to get my money back from him. And so he decided he was going to go back. So he went back to see the old geezer, you know, and so he went up to him and the old geezer looked at him and he said, you're back again? And he said, yeah, I don't know what happened. He said, I can't remember anything. Lost my memory. I can't remember a thing. And the old geezer looked at him and he said, that's a tough one. And he said to the nurse, he said, if you could get me the second drawer, third bottle, please. And he said, no, no, no, no. That's gasoline. I know what that's in there. He said, oh, your memories came back. So that'll be $500. So I mean, he's doing a great job, I'd say. And so that doctor, that other doctor thought, man, he got $1,000 out of me. I've got to get my money back. So he went back to see him the third day. And he went in there and the old geezer looked at him and said, you back again? He said, yeah. Can you believe it? I can't see a thing. I'm blind as a bat. I can't see a thing. And the old geezer was looking at him, and he said, well, that's beyond me. He said, there's nothing I can do for you. So I'm going to give you $1,000. So he put two bills in his hand, and that guy said, wait a minute. Those are 250s. And he said, oh, so your site is back. So that'll be $500. The moral of the story is don't mess with an old geezer. Amen. Amen. How many old geezers we have in here tonight? Amen. So don't mess with these guys. Amen. They figured it out. Amen. So be careful. Here in this, I put it for a title here, Faith Without Works Is Dead. That's God's title, amen? That's his word. And trust me, Wednesday night crowd, you're more than likely you're preaching to the choir, amen? But let me say this, this is God's word. You can read it and read it and read it and read it and it still is alive. Amen new things every day I'm very concerned about Christianity today. I'm very concerned That people shop for churches like you shop online You pick and pull this and that from a church and all that instead of just asking God. Where do you want me to be and Just plant your feet there. Amen And the problem really is not the church, amen? For example, I preach this down in our church there in Mexico, and the problem is not the church. Like for example here, Brother Nichols, he preaches against sin. He preaches against it, and he lives against it too, amen? He lives what he preaches. And in this church, our pastor preaches righteousness, and he lives for God, amen? He lives righteousness. In this church, we have workers who have a fire, who have a fire in their heart for God, amen? And we still sing the old hymns. And we still dress according to God's standard, amen? And it's interesting, down in Mexico City, where we are, where we live, I mean, we're close to one of the largest Jewish populations in all of Mexico. We have about 120,000 Jews that live in Mexico City, and we live very close to a lot of them. Our church is reaching the Jews. We have a man in our church and another man from a different church, and they go visiting every Friday. and they've gotten into Jewish homes, and it's a real blessing. And this man that's coming, he's called to the Jews. He feels like God wants him to be in Israel, to be a missionary there. And when he was telling me this, I told him, I said, well, are you doing anything to reach the Jews right now before you go? And he said, no. And I said, well, you need to get busy reaching the Jews before you go. You need to learn how things work with them. Amen. It's a different world. And so anyway, he's out there visiting as well. And it's a blessing. And the ladies, Jewish ladies, they wear dresses. And so when we go to the store or something like that down in this Jewish area, one time Patty was, you know, have you ever been to Costco? And they have those samples. That's like the best thing in the world, you know? Go around and try all the samples. But anyway, Patty, one time she was going to try something. And the man said, oh, it's not kosher. And she said, that's OK. I'm not a Jew. But because she wears a skirt. that's modest, that goes down at least to her knees or below her knees, so do the Jewish women. They do. They dress like that. And what is the problem in America today? What is the problem around the world, literally? Christians that have dead faith. It's Christians that have dead faith. And I'll tell you this, that was me. I was like this. I was that Christian where my faith was dead. I had no works. And I would listen to God's word. I read my Bible, yes, here and there. I would pick it up. I would look at it. And I prayed just vaguely. I was never consistent in anything. My faith was dead, even though I did have Christ in my heart. Is it possible for that to happen? Yes, it is. Jesus is talking to us through James here, and he's preaching to us, and he's speaking to us through this letter, and he's trying to tell us that, listen, believe us that there is one God, thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. You see, I believe in God. Well, so did the devil. So does the devil, amen? And so do the devils, amen? They believe in God as well. What sets us apart? It's faith that lives, amen? Ezekiel, chapter number 9, please, if you would. Ezekiel, chapter number 9. The Bible says here, in Ezekiel, chapter number 9, he cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near every man with his destroying weapon in his hand." And his destroying weapon in his hand. And behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth north, toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand. And one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's ink horn by his side. And they went in and stood beside the brazen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub. whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's incorn by his side. And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, throughout the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. Talking about the preachers. He's talking about the bus workers, the soul winners. Those that weep and pray for the lost. And the wicked abominations that are going on. And it says here, and to the others, he said, and in my hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite, let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity, no mercy whatsoever. Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and women, but come not near any man upon whom is the mark, and began at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men." And that's where the leadership is, and the deacons, and all the leadership in the church, which were before the house. You see, God says, begin at my sanctuary. Begin in the church. Begin in the church. And I'm praying for revival in our church in Mexico, amen? I'm praying for revival there. I'm praying for revival here in our church, in Liberty Baptist Church also. And we should all be praying for revival, amen? And you know that revival starts with you and me, amen? That revival starts with me. I gotta say, okay, Lord, you take over my life. You take over where I'm failing, I'm lacking. You take over, Lord. That's revival. And you're a new man, amen? I mean, getting right and getting things right and getting things settled and just getting busy for the Lord, amen? And then, people today, around us, Christians today, we live with the idea that modern events in other nations, in our nation, are just happening without divine supervision or divine guidance from God. Amen? Are you with me? Nothing that is happening right now is by accident. All these refugees that are happening, that's going on right now, these killings and these slayings of innocent people and all that, it's not an accident to God. He knows all about all this stuff. But you know, England, they turned their back on God. They did. And they turned their back on the gospel. And great preachers came out of England. And you know, England is being overrun right now with refugees. Let me just give you a few things here. People are stuck with the idea that the refugee problem is just a coincidence of the times. It's not. Everything is calculated by God precisely. The president that we have right now in office is precisely, by precision, God put him there, allowed him to be there. And now, in, let's see, dominating Europe, these refugees are just dominating Europe. In most countries, you cannot hold a public office unless you were born in that country. Let's just use Germany for an example. In Germany, the German race is reproducing at 1.3. I don't know how they got to 1.3 children per household. I don't know what 0.3 child looks like, but it's 1.3 children per household is what they're reproducing at. The Islamic Muslims are average four children per wife. And it's an average, the average Islamic Muslim male has five wives. That's 20 children to 1.3. Who's gonna be in charge of that country real soon? It's just a matter of time. Just a matter of time. And these children are being born there. The young man that was the suicide bomber here, just recently here, he was born over there. He was born there. Islamic Muslims. I mean, have five wives, how dumb can that be, amen? I mean, good night, you got four mother-in-laws. I've got a good one, amen? But you have five, you got a good chance of not getting a good one and all that. You know what I'm saying? But I mean, they just don't get it. We don't get it. We're not taking it serious. The things that are happening around us. These are all well calculated moves that God is allowing to happen. Everything. In case you didn't know it, Europe is the center stage for the end-time prophecies. It's the center stage. There's only guaranteed protection for the faithful people that are serving the Lord. There's guaranteed protection. The Bible says in verse number four, the Lord and the Lord said unto him, go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. Before the service, there were two men over here praying. They're weeping for this city. They're weeping for this church. They're weeping for and praying for people that have needs and all that. You know, that's what God needs. That's what God wants from us. Amen? He wants us that. And he says mark those people that are out there doing it. Amen? Those bus workers, the bus captains, the people that are involved, Sunday school teachers, getting those soul winners, people out there and doing something. Against this wickedness that's out there showing them Christ. Amen. And now listen to this Mexico City I don't know if you read brother wins prayer letters there or not And I know that you all keep in good good touch with him But his daughter his daughter and son-in-law had to leave for a while because of kidnappers. They they threatened to take him You know things like that happen And I mean, people try to kidnap you. There's all kinds of things. Mexico City is the kidnapping capital of the world. That's why we have to stay faithful to the Lord, because he protects those people that are doing the job. And wherever God's will is for you, that's the safest place on the earth for you. People say to us all the time, I mean, you're in Mexico. Oh, all these drug cartels and all that and, you know, machine guns and all this. You know, yes, it's there. But God and His grace has kept us safe. Amen? It's God that does it. He said to those he said slay all these other people but don't touch those one the ones that are praying The ones that have the mark on their forehead don't don't mess with them People do everything they can to try to get people saved. Amen Listen put God put this church in here in this place on purpose. Amen? He put us, we're here tonight on purpose. There is a purpose for you to be here tonight. There's a purpose for me to be here tonight. God put you in the workplace that you're at right now. He puts you there because there are people there that He wants to influence. There are people there around you, the store that you go to, the people that you come in contact with. Everything has a purpose, amen? And it's all part of God's plan. God puts people in our lives on purpose. He puts them there on purpose. The Bible says ye are the salt of the earth. You know what salt does it causes thirst It causes thirst, you know, it creates thirst what it's trying. What what what what it's saying is I Want what that guy has I want what she has I don't have that. Amen when I got saved before I got saved I was We were training a peacekeeper team. We were getting ready for competition. And we needed time on the firing range. Well, we needed slots of time and three and four hour time slots to do our training correctly. And we used to train out at city range because they had a 200 meter and a 300 meter firing range that we could practice on. Also, they had the pistol ranges that we could use. And we could just go back and forth and move back and forth there in our training. But because of scheduling and all that we couldn't go out there. We tried to go out to the county range We couldn't do that because of their scheduling and and everything we had a lot of conflicts So we were we had to do our training at the base firing range now we didn't want to do that because it's a political hot potato because you have to follow all the rules and You have to have someone there at all times, just a breathing body that's from CADM and combat arms instructors. You have to have someone that has to be there. Well, and we're at their mercy. If they decide, no, we don't want you people here, then they can say, no, we don't want you here. Adios, amigo, you know? And so anyway. we were we were we were training and we had a little break there and and I was telling a bad joke and a dirty joke and to this group that we were training and The combat arms instructor was mad, and he got mad, and he walked off, I mean stormed off, you know? And I thought, oh, I don't, you know, I'm not a politician, but I, you know, I finished my joke and then I went out there and I said, hey, you know, I tried to smooth things out with him because I didn't want to have to explain to my commander why we were not training on the firing range or anything, and so, I went out there and I said, hey, look, I'm sorry. Hey, if I said something to offend you, I'm sorry. And he said, yeah. He said, I'm a Christian, and I don't want to hear that kind of stuff around here. And I thought, wow. Other Christians, they used to laugh at my jokes, my dirty jokes. And I would just laugh at them while they were laughing at that joke. I would laugh at them saying, you know, you're just like me. You like everything I do. But this guy was different. He walked off and I thought man, that's different That is different when he told me he said I'm a Christian and and man from that time on I kept an eye on him I wasn't looking for perfection, but he had something that I didn't have And so some time went on, and I mean, he invited me. I was like their little project or something, you know? And they invited me over to their house for cookouts and things like that and all that. And I saw how they lived. And it was a lot different than me, a lot different. And so anyway, they invited me. He said, now, the night I got saved, the day I got saved, he said, now, we're going to go play golf. And he said, after I get out of church, we'll meet at this thing. And he kept saying, after I get out of church, we'll meet out at the golf course. And I said, OK, after you get out of church, we'll meet at the golf course. And so that's what we did. We met out there. And so him and his wife, they ganged up on him. They had it all planned. And so anyway, they said, Nick, come to church tonight with us. We're going to have a group that's going to be singing, and they're from Oklahoma Baptist College. And I didn't know who Oklahoma Baptist College was. I didn't care about no group. I didn't care about going to church or anything like that. I had no intention to go to church. That was not even on my bucket list of things to do. So anyway, that was probably on my bucket list of things not to do. Check. Amen? But anyway, I went that night. Oh, they said, no, no, no. Yeah, I mean, they were just working me hard. And so I said, no, no, no, no. And then they said, OK, Nick, all right, all right. If you come tonight, and you say you don't like it, I promise I'll never bug you again about it. Well, he seemed like an honest guy, so I said, all right, I'll go. But I said, I didn't tell him that, but I said, I'm just going to say I don't like it. He'll leave me alone. Hopefully, he'll keep his word, you know? So if he doesn't, I'll shoot him or something like that on the firing line. Who knows? Accidents happen, right? But anyway, I went that night. I was in his car. I rode with him. And we were on our way there, and I asked, what was the name of your church again? And he said, oh, Trinity Bible Baptist Church. I said, oh, OK. When I heard Baptist, I said, you know, I went back to when I was a kid. I mean, that word Baptist just, it put the wall down. because of Doug and Linda Lee, who were my, he was my bus, they were, he was my bus captain, Doug Lee, his wife Linda. And they would come and see us every Saturday. They were at our door. And, you know, we, if mom and dad weren't there, we were not allowed to let anybody in the house. We were not allowed to open the door for anyone. except for Doug and Linda. If they came by, they had candy, amen, we were happy about that. But anyway, I remember being witness to, I remember them coming by, I remember that bus out there honking the horn, you know, for us, and I was looking, waiting for the bus to go by. You know, we didn't go, you know, they were back Saturday. Every Saturday they came to our house, and I never did get saved I remember them witnessing to us at that church and and all that and so anyway I I just basically went because I like to ride the bus that was it I just like to ride that bus I walked I was a walker for years and there finally got to ride the bus and man that was nice You know anyway that was my purpose for going I never got saved there, but when he said Baptist I remembered that faithfulness and that family that Baptist Church came out and picked us up and took us to church and all that no strings attached and I remembered that well anyway that night I trusted Christ as my personal Savior the wall went down Well, I didn't live for the Lord. For six months, I was in and out of church. My faith was dead. I'd show up to church, I'd listen to the sermon, I'd listen to the message, and I would leave. I'd take my Bible with me. I still had my tobacco in my sock. I used to hide it in my sock. Because you couldn't have it in your uniform, so I'd always stuff it in my sock. And I remember that I'd leave, same old, same old, same old. I knew I was saved, but I wasn't, I would hear them, oh, that's a good message, you know, that was good, but I never applied anything. Just never was faithful, just didn't get there. And then God got a hold of me. I went out in January. I was living like the old Nick in the new life with Christ. And so, in and out of church, when I could get there, when I just made an effort or whatever, then bringing in the new year, January 1st, bringing in January 1st, 1994. I remember we went down to Bricktown, Oklahoma City. We went down there and we were hitting the bars and all that for New Year's. And we went downtown, and in front of every bar, someone was out there passing out gospel tracts. They had all these different colored tracts. Some were red, some were green, some were yellow. And they would just give it to all the people coming out of any establishment that sold alcohol. They were there. And around them it looked like it was like a rug with all these different colors. It was because whenever someone would give them or they would hand a track to somebody, they would throw it in their face and that track would land just like that. And it looked like they had a carpet around them of all these different colors. Well, here come me and my buddies. We were walking right down that coming down the steps each one there gave them a track and he threw it in the face of this guy and I thought man these guys are Mormons or somebody Jehovah's false witnesses who knows and I got the truth. I know the truth and all this and and and and I had been drinking I was smashed and I got that track and I went to throw that thing and it said Romans Road to heaven And I thought, Romans, those are the verses that they told me. I opened that thing up and there it was, Romans. I remember that when the guy was talking to me, dealing with me the night I got saved. And God said, you throw that thing, I'll kill you tonight. And I believed him. And I didn't, I folded it up, I put it in my pocket. You see, I had dead faith. I didn't have any works with it. So my friend told me, he said, He said, Nick, if all this is true, after we got, after the, we were, it was seven o'clock in the morning, the new year, January 1st. I said, all this stuff is true about Jesus and that, that, that paper that they gave us and all that. How come you don't live it? Man, the world can preach to you. But that day, I couldn't sleep. I'd been up all day the day before, all night, and now I can't sleep. And I needed to make it right with God. And I said, you're right, Lord. I haven't changed. There's no change in me. And he was right. And the Lord showed me that my friends are going to spend eternity in a lake of fire. He said, I put you there. I put you there to reach these guys. It's you, Nick. You're their last chance. Oh, and here I am blowing it, because they're mocking my church, and they're mocking my God. Of course, they mocked me, but man, I really felt bad about them mocking God and mocking my church. And it wasn't my church's fault. It was my fault. You see? You see, my faith was dead. You can have works without faith, but you can't have faith without works. What is faith? Faith is just believing God. Amen? I would say that that was a good preaching message, and I was indifferent about it. No works. Nothing changed within me until that morning, that day, January 1st, 1994. Got on my knees and I said God forgive me They were right. I'm not there's no fruit and I finally by the end of the day that day January 1st 1994 I grabbed my Bible and I told the Lord whatever you say in this book. I'm gonna do my very best to do whatever you say you see I had no works and From that day on, I just started going soul winning. I showed up to church to hear the announcements that they're soul winning. Oh, really? Man, I need to go there. I need to be there. Every time them doors were open, I just determined I was gonna be there. We can read our Bibles without believing God. We can go to church without believing God. We can give without believing God. But you know what? And I knew I was saved. But you see, my works were dead. The Bible says here, Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? I was that vain man. I was that person. And I've seen so many Christians through the sense that I've been saved. Well, I'll just say this, all my friends that were there, I was able to witness to them and to win them to the Lord. All those guys that were there. The last one was my friend Jerry. On February 8th, 1995, he trusted Christ as his personal Savior. Before that, he came to me and he said, Nick, he said, I've been studying all these religions. He studied the Mormons. He studied the Catholics. He used to be a Catholic. He studied the Jehovah's Witnesses. I mean, all these groups. I mean, he knew it well. And he said, they're all missing something. We were talking for about 12 hours. And he said, they're all missing something, Nick. And I said, they're missing Jesus. They're not putting the emphasis that Jesus is the one who died for our sins, the only son of God who lived a perfect life. And so he's like, maybe that's it. I don't know. I said, well, look what the Bible says. And we were going through that. And I thought, he's never going to get saved. And then on February 8th, 1995, where I was preaching in the service there in Panama, in the jungle, he came into that service. And at the end of the service, he got up, he came down, and he says, I want to get saved. He trusted Christ as his personal savior. He followed the Lord in believers baptism. And man, what a blessing. But you know what? He wasn't going to get saved watching dead works. He wasn't gonna get saved doing that. People around us, they're not, when we walk up to the door, when we walk up to someone's door, and we're knocking on that door, they know whether it's real or it's not real, when us. They know how it is. But boy, once it became real for me, man, what I'm saying is, when I got my heart right with God, You see, the devils, they believe. Old vain man that faith without works is dead. And then here was Abraham. He believed God. And you know what? He was called, and he was called the friend of God. You see, we become a friend of God when we believe God, amen? When we believe Him. I'll finish with this. whenever Whenever in verse number 19 the Bible says here Thou believest that there is one God Thou believest that there is one God thou doest well the devils also believe and tremble and then look at this verse right here in verse number 14 what Doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? You see, I had Jesus in my heart, but I didn't have the works that went with it. I didn't believe it. I didn't believe it. And then I had to repent of my unbelief. And you know what? God worked all that stuff out. And here we are, still serving the Lord by God's grace. God's been so good. And let me tell you this, He never lets us down. He never lets us down. We were down there in Mexico, and I mean, we'd gone through several things in this last year, just really tremendous things, and how God just works things out for you. even though you're going through a fire, even though you're going through problems, even though you're having a difficult time, God just shows you, hey, I'm with you. Some people right now are having a hard time right now. Loved ones in the hospital, surgeries coming up, surgeries just got done, and all this. You know what? God's with us. And all these things that are going on around us, You know, it's all calculated by God. We can serve the Lord today and just keep the fire going. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your goodness and your blessings. Thank you for allowing us to be here tonight, Heavenly Father. I pray and ask, Lord, that you'd fill us with your power.