The Time is Now

 SU01 Praise the Lord.  (APPLAUSE)  More and more and more testimonies.  And I received a prayer request the other day, and a letter that I must share with you.  “I’m writing this prayer request for my husband because he’s had trouble in several areas in his life.  Please feel free to pray for us, and don’t hesitate in reading our letter.” Although there are something in here — well, you might not necessarily read something like this on the air — but these people are desperate.  “We watch your program every day.  Many times I have wakened in the morning to see my husband touching the television set or his self, hoping for a miracle while you pray.  He wants God to heal him.  I have never seen or known anyone who wants God so much.  My husband is depressed all the time, and has some other problems that he has had to deal with.  He is an alcoholic.  And he has a liver problem that has been caused by all of the alcohol.  My husband wants God to touch him and make him whole.  He needs peace in his mind.  And he needs the old war memories cast out.  He still has the horrors of serving in the Vietnam War since 1967.  This has caused him all kinds of problems.  Will you please pray?”  And the P.S. says, “My husband  SM01 carries guilt because when he served in Vietnam he had to kill.  The Bible says,” this woman says, ‘thou shalt not kill.’ ( MS_Deuteronomy_05:17 ) How does this apply to the war?”  I don’t know — maybe James Robinson may want to deal with that in a little while.  First of all, God will never hold you responsible for what you must do in a war.  I want to remind you that David, a man whom God said was after his own heart, is the one who took his slingshot and slew Goliath.  And in the name of the Lord David had to destroy many people.  But God did not lay it to his charge because he was acting under orders from God.  And I say to you as a Vietnam veteran, or a veteran of the Korean War, or you could be a veteran of some other conflict where you served the United States of America —  you don’t have to carry that guilt.  And now you my brother, who is suffering in this way, I pray for you. Everybody just stretch your hands out toward the television set.  And you at home, stretch your hands out toward me.  And let me be your point of contact, and let’s pray.  My brother in California, you are a representative of so many men and women who may feel this way right now.  In the name of Jesus I cast out that discouragement and that load of guilt that you are carrying.  God did not put that on you, the devil has put that one your life.  And in Jesus’ name I rebuke it. And I ask all of those memories to be driven out of your life by the Holy Spirit.  And I want to pray especially for you, my Brother, you’ve been so discouraged and so distressed it has caused you to turn to alcohol.  Alcohol is not the answer to your problem.  All that is going to do is destroy your liver.  The answer to your problem is receiving Jesus as  your Lord and Savior and getting that peace in your heart.  And I want to pray for you, and I want to pray for anyone else who’s lost and you know you are lost, and you want to receive a miracle. You want Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  I’m going to ask you and everybody here in our studio to pray this prayer out loud after me.  Will you do it?  Oh, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.  I’m a sinner, Lord, and I’m sorry.  I repent of my sins.  I turn my back on the past.  I reject the devil.  I renounce him and all of his works. And I take Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.  Save me.  Heal me.  Deliver me.  Forgive me.  And now by my faith I receive your forgiveness.  Your forgiveness is flooding in me now.  Forgiving me of every sin, of every trespass, in Jesus’ name I’ll never be the same again.  Oh, friend, if you meant that prayer from your heart, and I believe you did, God is changing you now.  God is turning the situation around in your life.  I want you to go to your telephone right now and call area code 918 495-7777.  That is the Abundant Life Prayer Group.  Area code 918 495-7777.  And let me know that you just prayed that prayer and you agreed with me for Jesus to save your soul and set you free.  And my dear brother, you don’t have to carry that guilt anymore.  I’m so proud of all those men and women who have served our armed forces in wars and in conflicts.  I’m proud of those who are in the United States Army right now, who are serving around the world — who are in our Navy, our Air Force, our Marines, our Coast Guard. All of our armed forces services.  I’m proud of them.  We must have our armed forces.  And I thank God for them.  And I pray for every military leader today.  And I pray for you as a soldier, as a seaman, as a pilot, as a technician, or whatever it is that you are doing in the armed forces.  You are protecting your country, and God needs a protective service in the United States of America.  I thank you.  You are not alone.  There are servicemen that are watching this program in places around the world right now, even as I am speaking.  I thank God for you.  You are not forgotten.  America has not forgotten.  Don’t believe the news that you are lost and you are forgotten.  We’ve not forgotten you.  The core of America has not forgotten you.  And we are not going to forget you.  You are our own.  We are yours and you are ours.  We believe in you and we love you, and we pray for you. Don’t let that guilt load up on you, of what you had to do when you where serving your country.  That’s covered under the blood of Jesus Christ.  I praise God.  I think we ought to give the Lord a great handclap. (APPLAUSE) Hallelujah.  Well, Dr. Larry Lea is here today, the dean of our Signs and Wonders Seminary. He has a good word for you.  James Robinson is here to minister the Word of God to you.  Buck and Dottie Rambo are here. This is going to be an exciting program, I know it.  The ORU Singers are standing by with the Oral Roberts University Orchestra, (APPLAUSE) to minister “The Time Is Now” — give them a good handclap as they minister the gospel in song.