PRAYER: Part 5, The Promises of God

S:

A: My brothers, tonight's lesson is about the promises which are found in the Scriptures of God. God promised many things to us. If you want to get the answer from God, you should know His promises. He fulfils His promises and does not fail. He makes what He promises to us. And now you can listen to some of God's promises.

Y: Can you tell me some of God's promises that are in the Scriptures, teacher?

H: Yes, Yusuf, I can tell you.

Y: Okay, teacher, tell me one of them.

H: The promises that I am going to tell you are read from the Scripture of God. Here is one: "Pray to me when there is trouble, and I will deliver you". That is the word of God, Yusuf. He promises us that He will help us when there is trouble.

Y: That promise is true, teacher. I met a man who used to smoke many cigarettes. He told me that he had been smoking for 15 years. He could not stop smoking. He tried to stop. Sometimes he stopped smoking for a week, but he started smoking again. And after fifteen years were finished, he trusted the promise of God, "Pray to me the day of trouble, and I will deliver you." He prayed to the Lord by the name of Jesus Christ. He trusted God's promise, and at the same time, God made him free. And the man told me, "I didn't want it again, and I had not the craving." Thank God! And he said to me, "It was thirty years ago. When the Lord made me free from cigarettes, I could not stay where the smoke of cigarettes was coming out."

H: That man believed the promise of God, Yusuf, which is, "Pray to me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you". God saved him from the cigarettes.

Y: Teacher, if some of those who are listening to the Radio smoke cigarettes, can the Lord Jesus Christ make them free?

H: Yes, Yusuf. He can make them free, without doubt, if they believe and accept Him. But they should pray to God by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, because the Lord Jesus Christ told us, "Truly, truly, I say unto you, if you ask anything in My name, the Father will give it to you." And up to now, I have not asked Him by His name. Ask and you will receive, that your pleasure may be fulfilled.

Y: That is a great promise, teacher! Do you say that if I ask God for something by the name of Jesus Christ, that He will give it to me?

H: Yes, that is the word of Jesus Christ, Yusuf. If you have faith in your heart, and if you refuse sin, God will fulfil His promise. He will not fail in His promise. The man who has a heart without sin, and who has faith toward God, he will get what he asked God for.

Y: That is wonderful, teacher. Can you tell me another promise?

H: Yes, Yusuf, here is another one: "The righteous ones shout (pray) and the Lord hears them, and also He delivers them from all their troubles" (Ps 34:17,19).

Y: That word is very nice. Whenever I confront troubles, I will trust the Lord that He may deliver me.

H: The Lord Jesus Christ promised to the world to give rest to everyone with a burden. And He meant that He can forgive sin. So listen to His promise: "Come to me all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on your body, and learn of me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will get rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).

Y: Do you say, teacher, that everybody, and heavy-laden people, are sinners? What did the Lord Jesus Christ mean by saying, "Burden of the people"? Did He mean the burden of the sin?

H: Yes, Yusuf, He meant the burden of sin. He wanted to take away "the burden of sin." Today He wants to forgive the sin of everybody in this world. He will forgive the sin of everybody who believes and follows Him.

Y: But teacher, does the Lord Jesus Christ forgive the sin of the people?

H: Thus says the Scripture of God. It says, "Mary will give birth to a son, and His name will be called Jesus, for He will save His people from their sin." The Scripture of God says that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the World. He Himself said, "I come to save the world."

Y: Did the Lord Jesus Christ forgive sin while He was living on the earth? Is anything about that read from the Scriptures? Tell me.

H: Yes, Yusuf. Jesus forgave sins of the people while He was on the earth.

Y: Tell me what the Scripture of God says about Jesus Christ forgiving sin.

H: Okay, I am going to read, so you must listen.

A: Are you listening, my brothers? The teacher opens now the Scripture of God, and he will read something about forgiveness.

H: Please listen to this wonderful lesson, my brothers. The Gospel (that is, the Scripture of God) says, "In one of those days, it came to pass that Jesus was teaching some Pharisees and teachers, who came from every town of Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem; and the power of God was with Him to heal the sick people. Then some men brought a crippled man on a bed, and they wanted to get him into the house and put him in front of Jesus. They could not find a way to get him into the house, so they climbed onto the roof and they got him into the house through the roof, and put him in front of Jesus Christ. When the Lord saw their believing faith, He said to the sick man, "Man, your sins are forgiven". Then the teachers and Pharisees started thinking and saying, "Who is this that is curing? Who can forgive sin but the only God?" But that you may know that the Christ knew their thoughts, He answered and said, "Why are you thinking in your heart? Which is easier to say, 'your sins are forgiven' or 'get up and walk'? But that you may know the Son of Man has the power to forgive sin on the earth, He said to the crippled man, "Get up, and take your bed, and go home." And at the same time the man got up in front of them, and he took his bed, and went home praising God. They were all surprised at him, and praised the Lord. They all became afraid, and said, "Today we saw wonderful things."

A: My brothers, the Lord Jesus Christ declared whole living on this earth, that He had the power to forgive sin. He revealed that in the miracles He did. And still He can forgive sin. He can forgive your sins. He can save you from all the sin you did. The meaning of His name (Jesus) is 'the Saviour'. He came to the world to take all sin. My brothers, today God wants to give you forgiveness. Do you want it?

Y: Is there any verse or a promise about forgiveness of sin in the Scripture, teacher? Does the Scripture say that forgiveness can be found today? You told us that there are many promises in the Scripture of God, didn't you? Is there anything about the forgiveness of today's sinners?

H: Yes, Yusuf. There are many verses about the forgiveness for today's sinners that can be found in the Scripture of God. When the Lord Jesus Christ completed His work before He ascended into heaven, He said to His disciples, "The Messiah must be tormented, and rise from the dead on the third day, and the repentance and forgiveness of His name will be preached in all nations, starting from Jerusalem. And the Gospel (that is, Good News) will be preached in all the world to be a testimony for all nations, that there will be a last time.

Y: I was told that the Lord Jesus Christ will come back. Is that true, teacher?

H: Yes, that is true, Yusuf. But before He comes back, He is waiting for His people to obey His words and orders. He is waiting for them to preach throughout all the world and to tell the good news of forgiveness. What is the good news? The good news is this: Forgiveness can be found today, thanks to God. It is found in Christ Jesus and His blood.

S:

A: My brothers, you are listening to the VOICE OF THE NEW LIFE. When You get the forgiveness, you will get the New Life also. You will be a new man. The Lord Jesus Christ will break the strength of sin that you are accustomed to, and you will be a free man. Listen to this promise of God: "If a person is in Christ (that is, if a person gets into the Lord Jesus Christ, not His religion, but He Himself) he is a new man. The previous things are finished, behold, everything is new."

H: Do you want to be a new person, my brother?

Y: Would you like everything to become new, my brother? If you would like that, believe and accept now the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray to God by Jesus's name, and right now He will give you forgiveness of your sin. Because, as the Scripture says, God has made a promise with you. Whoever prays by the name of the Lord, he will be saved."

H: My brothers, maybe you say in you heart, "I am a sinner, I did much sin, and God will not forgive my sin. God will not save me. I am a bad man. There is no forgiveness for anyone who is like I am". Listen to the word of God, my brother. Listen carefully to His promise. It reads, "The wicked should turn away from his way. The righteous should stop his bad thoughts. And he must repent to the Lord"; "And He will have mercy on him, he must come back to God, for He will forgive his sins". Yes, my brother, today God is calling you and says to you, "Come now unto me and let us have council together. Though your sins look like scarlet, they will be as white as camel's milk. And though they look like blood, they will be like hair."

A: You are listening to the radio VOICE OF THE NEW LIFE, Addis Ababa. You can hear us from here every night at this time. And now goodbye, until we meet tomorrow night.