There's no use, no need for us
to go around through life with a long drawn out face. Say, well,
pastor, there's some bad things happening to me. No, there's
not. Because God takes bad and turns it to good. Because all
things work together for your good. Some of you got here by
being bad, you thought. But while you were using and
in your drunkenness and whoring around, The hound of heaven was
there, getting you to the place where you couldn't even wiggle.
And there was nothing for mom and dad to do except call Pontiac
Rescue Mission, Grace Centers of Hope. And you were forced. It felt like you were forced
in here by your own mess. but there was an unseen hand
and one that had loved you when you were in the crack house,
when you were shooting up, when you were in the bed with numerous
people that was watching over you. And here you are now in
the house of God. Now watch this. Don't jump out of your seat and
leave. Having predestinated us, That is a dirty word to many
people, but I love that word. Say, now pastor, you don't believe
in predestination, do you? Absolutely. Bless God. Bless God that he's a God who
doesn't leave us to ourselves. A God who loved us in the beginning
and we went crazy. All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned to his own way. There was a seeking shepherd.
There was a Holy Spirit. Predestination, that word's used
a lot and it means just exactly what it says. He predetermined. Predetermined. Thank God for the power of predestination. Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel
it. Prone to leave the God I love. And some of you may be in here,
you know, Pather, I've been a Christian for 60 years. I've held out.
No, no, you may have been a Christian for 60 years, but you're lying
about holding out. You were a mess. I'm talking
about after conversion. I'm not talking about before
conversion. I'm talking about since you've been converted. But there was a predestinating
God who wouldn't let you go, and he wouldn't throw you away.
You know, God should have thrown me away. Many times in my life,
this thing is broken. This thing is no good anymore. But God's predestinating power
and grace.