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ABC Prayer Crusade

Youth Asks, God Answers

Glenn Coon

1-Our Humble Lord

This week is devoted to questions and answers by young people of high school, academy age, even at a junior college.

And we're so happy for the privilege that we have of finding answers in God's word.

And right away We're going to start with the first question.

And thank you Yeah, pastor schoon, why must teachers and parents act as if only we young people are wrong Takes 2 sometimes and what should we kids do about it I think that's a wonderful question I think first of all as 1 who represents teachers and ministers and parents I want to apologize to you young people who are here and to those who view this on video for the many mistakes that we as teachers and parents and ministers have made.

I was principal at 1 time of a little junior academy and while I did a lot of things right I did some things wrong.

I embarrassed some of the students that made a mistake instead of handling it in the right way so when I point out some mistakes that teachers or parents have made I want you to know they were all in the same boat and the Bible says in James 5 16 confess your faults 1 to another and in Philippians 2 5 to 7 it says let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation.

I've come to the conclusion that the first thing in the Christian life for us to learn is to doubt ourselves and humble ourselves.

I'm thinking of a medical doctor who shared this experience with us several years ago.

He stated that when he was in a school, it was in the upper grades at least of the academy, he had left home, he'd been in high school.

He left home and went to this Christian school.

And contrary to the rules of the school, He went out hiking with a mixed group of young people 1 evening and the faculty met and voted to expel him And the principal invited Luke into his office and he told Luke that the faculty had voted to expel him and then he sat there, the principal sat there, and kindly and sweetly and lovingly and humbly he said Luke you've come from a private home it is my duty to explain to you that the that the laws and the rules of a school have to be different from home rules because we represent hundreds of young people so our rules have to be a little more strict and he went on for about 15 minutes and he explained to Luke and he explained to Luke also and allowed that Luke didn't understand this then he walked over where Luke was he put his arms around Luke and he said Luke I'm sure that you didn't fully understand this.

He said, though the faculty has voted to expel you, Will you give me the authority to represent your willingness and eagerness to keep the rules of the school?

He felt that tender expression looking into his youthful face and he told me he said all through school I could never forget how kind that teacher was.

I had made the mistake, he allowed that I didn't understand, he allowed that he believed in me he said and all through that school and on into into La Sierra College and on through medicine I never forgot that there's somebody who believed in me But there was another teacher in that same school, Luke told us, who did the opposite.

And that's why I'm apologizing to young people.

He said, I was in a laboratory and he said we were dissecting a chicken brain and he said I was astonished when I got down in that brain to find how tiny was the brain of a chicken and he said I said to the teacher this chicken brain is so tiny and the teacher glared back and said just like your brain and he said all through school the devil tantalized me with the idea you don't know too much You're not too intelligent.

But he said, that principle who put his arm around me and understood and gave me another chance, that carried me all through life.

He said later when I was graduating from medicine he said this first teacher who had been working on his PhD for years and could never pass he happened there at Loma Linda and he said he said Luke what are you doing now And Luke decided he wouldn't tell him for a while.

Well, he said, I've been studying a little and Luke was just ready to go on a vacation.

He had done so well in school that somebody gave him a car and he just was married and was gonna have a honeymoon.

And he said, I strung that teacher along for quite a while and finally I said well I just graduated, he said I said by the way what about your PhD the teachers that I haven't made it yet what about you Luke?

Well he said I just have received my my MD degree he said you know it seemed like the Lord couldn't bless that man for his attitude so the Bible says confess your faults 1 to another he told me another experience he had he said when he was in La Sierra there was 1 of the teachers that took a dislike to him, strong dislike.

And he said, my grade average lacked just a little bit of being high enough to get into medical school.

If I would take 1 more class and get a higher grade in that, I'd be eligible to enter medical school.

And the teacher wouldn't let me take 1 more class.

But he said in the same college, there was another teacher that said, I will guide you privately through another class but the first teacher was determined that I would not get in the medical school he said but the other teacher arranged with the powers that be that I would receive credit for that class and I entered medical school.

He said, the teacher that was so mean to me, he said, when I graduated from La Sierra, I walked out in front, any of you who've seen La Sierra College, as you walk out in front of the school down below is the the farm and he said I made some comment to the teacher about how beautiful it was there he said I had worked my my fingernails off to get through school and the teacher turned to me and said fooling around like you and he said I got mad he said there he was beside me belittling me he said I doubled up my fist and I was just ready to level him and a voice said to me don't do it you'll never get into medicine he said so I relaxed he said I double up my fist again and the voice said don't do it he said I jumped over the hedge so that I wouldn't knock this man down and he said so the Lord delivered me.

So we have apologies to make not merely for teachers but for ministers.

I'm thinking 1 of the mistakes I made was when I was pastor of 3 churches up in New Jersey many years ago there was an academy in a large home at the time now they have fine buildings and The and And the business manager of this school called me by long distance 1 day and he said, I'm in trouble, will you come over?

So I jumped in my car, rushed over there, it was about 20 miles.

When I got there, I said, where's the business manager?

They said, he's upstairs, I want a double flight of stairs.

And he was in a room with the most cantankerous looking woman.

Her eyes were like the eyes of a serpent and her tongue was as sharp and she was giving him the works and right away the coon in me came out and I turned him and I said if I were you I wouldn't even stay in this room with this woman so we both started out we started down the double flight of stairs we got down 1 flight and the Lord caught up with me the Lord said Coon by your inference you belittle that woman you don't know her problems go back and apologize I said to the business manager I've made a mistake I've given you poor counsel he said I think you've given me good counsel.

And he began to take about 2 steps at a time on down.

I said, I've got to go back and apologize.

As I started back up, I thought, if I hadn't opened my big mouth and belittled that woman, I wouldn't have to be doing this now.

He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

When I got up those 3 2 flights of stairs and walked in the room or was about to walk in the room the old lady wasn't there.

When the students was there I said where did the lady go?

There were the 2 hardest flights of stairs I've ever made in all my life, students.

I said, why did I open my big mouth and condemn her?

Went up that flight of stairs, it seemed like my legs were iron.

I walked in and I said, Lord give me the strength to apologize My father taught me to do it.

I'm to apologize for my mistakes and never refer to her So I walked in the room.

Did you ever see a cat play with a mouse that she wasn't quite ready to eat, she would just nibble at him and throw him up and take a bite or 2, the mouse would try to get away, ever see that?

I was just like the mouse and she was like the cat and when I said I'm sorry will you forgive me she looked daggers and she said how sorry are you?

I said yes I'm sure I should have helped you bear your burden.

I don't know what the burden was Instead of belittling you I should have taken a completely different attitude.

I Said yes, would you mind if I kneel in prayer and ask the Lord to help you with whatever that burden was and forgive me if you're sure I was never happier to get on my knees away from the gaze the serpent gaze of that woman as I fell on my knees my heart went out to the Lord and I said something like this dear Lord will you forgive me this dear lady has a burden of which I know nothing I should have come to her rescue to help her to bear that burden forgive me Lord and as I did it if I ever felt the presence of Holy Spirit God says he that humbleth himself shall be exalted the angels I believe must have filled that room for the moment I said amen The lady burst into tears and she began to pray.

And then she told the Lord something that was absolutely fantastic.

She said, I did what I did to stir up trouble.

She said, the faculty had voted that there'd be no pajama party.

So I wrote a note, you're invited tonight to the pajama party at such-and-such a place.

I put that note in my daughter's hand and I instructed her when she walked near 1 of the teachers drop this note as though she dropped it by mistake.

The teacher then would accost her and say you wrote this note and she'd say no way but you did we saw you drop it no way and she said and that's what the business manager did then I took him on as she was weeping sobbing oh God please forgive me and he forgave her so as we travel along the little highway of life again I want to say to you young people who are here and to those who are viewing this I want to say thank God that he forgives us let's never be too big to apologize amen thank you for the question is there another question now Pastor Kuhn I have another question for you how should teachers give young people counsel when we know they are doing wrong?

That's a good question isn't it that's something along the line we're just speaking wasn't it?

The Bible tells us how to give counsel and and as you are a group of young people you will want to know also how you will share counsel of the people you see who ask.

The Bible says and it's found in Malachi chapter 2 verse 7 that the minister for instance and the Bible says all of us Christians are ministers you know that every layman is a minister he's not the pastor but he's a minister it says that we should always give counsel directly from God's Word not like I 2 7 we should never give our own opinions how about that?

There are 2 reasons for this 1 is that God's Word not merely tells us what to do but it gives us the power to do it you see by the word of the Lord the heavens were made all host of them by the breath of his mouth you see and it says whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature so when we share God's Word with people we're not merely telling them what to do we're letting God tell them but there's power in it that is the difference between going to a psychiatrist and going to God's word a psychiatrist can tell us where we've made a mistake and he can he can make suggestions but there's no power in the human word the power is in the Word of God I remember a lady who came to me for counsel you'll be interested in this because you'll be giving counsel to 1 of these days.

She came to me for counsel and I said the first counsel I want to give you is don't believe a word I tell you unless I find it in the Bible.

I said because the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 5 curse it is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm.

Oh she said now I do want counsel I said the second bit of counsel is don't let my interpretation of what the Bible says cause you to trust in that.

The Holy Spirit gave the Bible and the Holy Spirit interprets it.

I said on the way home I said while we're here I can share with you the text.

I can even share with you experiences of people who have failed to follow the Word of God and I can share experiences of those who did follow but only the Holy Spirit can interpret that to your need.

Oh she said tell me please tell me so we had a good time.

I was invited to hold a series of meetings in a certain place where there were a lot of older people I'm glad there's a lot of young people here and I was to speak on the home like the question is and I was stating how we should never none of us should tell somebody else what to do except that it's based on God's Word and I was building it up and building it up and building it up and the place was crammed rammed and jammed the main auditorium was packed up in the balcony was packed seemed like there wasn't a seat left and I noticed that the dear Saints as they heard me talking about how always find it in the Bible oh they relished it and then all of a sudden they changed I had in my hand a book a big thick book I'd borrowed it from a barber about an hour before the meetings I was so intrigued with it I said could I borrow that for my first meeting and I said I'll bring it back big thick book so after I explained to people never tell people what to do except it's based on the Bible then I said and I called another minister to take this book I said now if you can't find an answer in the Bible This book will tell you exactly what to say.

Then I saw these dear people who thought I was a fundamentalist up to that point.

They thought, here he's told us to find it in the Bible now they're telling he's telling us we can find the Bible find it in this book.

He's putting this book ahead of the book.

And I kept on saying, I said no, Brother Kornforth, if you'll turn to let's say page 144 in this book, it'll tell you exactly what to say if you can't find it in the Bible and I saw all those people sitting there they were saying in their heart horrors he's saying you can find it in another book I said would you open to this page let's say 144 what does it say there exactly what it says you can say.

That's exactly what you're to tell people if you can't find a Bible based statement.

I said well let's turn to page 462 let's say what does that say it tells us exactly how to answer what is they said nothing let's take turn to page 418 let's say what does say nothing that's what we're to tell people when we can't base it on God's Word.

I was so thrilled because this book was about that thick and and every page was blank and I now understand why because I looked at the title and the title was what I know about women and every page was blank so that is the answer find the answer in God's Word Don't tell people what we think it won't help them There's no power in the in the in the words of man all flesh is grass But the Word of our God shall stand forever.

Thank you so much for the question Does there happen to be another question?

Oh Yes, here comes another thank you is it possible for a young person who is always getting into trouble to change are people liable to form habits and youth that will keep them from ever changing?

2-Our Prayer-answering Lord

All right, we have another set of questions at this session And we're going to ask the first 1 who has a question to come right up.

I believe you have that don't you what's your name?

Would you like to just step up and read that?

You know when they told me your name I thought of of a special kind of TV it's it's Sony the best in the world so that's you're the best in the world thank you my question is is God an egomaniac it sure seems so thank you for that question That is a very interesting question and we're going to ask the next young lady to come up and ask another question and then we'll pool 2 or 3 questions.

What is young people's problems today about religion?

Why do we have so many problems understanding today's religions?

I think that's a wonderful question, and thank you for coming and representing whoever asked that question And now we have a young man With a whale of a question If you ever heard a question, this is it Pastor Coon by the way, what is your name Scott?

I have a friend who I've tried to help spiritually.

He is a doubter and has real trouble sometimes even accepting the Bible.

God's promises seem empty because he never seems to do what he says.

If something good happens we say God did it, but bad happens to even good folks.

He thinks blaming Satan for bad is just the way God justifies it when he refuses to keep his promise.

First of all, whenever a person comes to us with questions like that, first of all we claim a promise for wisdom James 1 5 because how can we give him the right medicine if we don't know what type of sickness he has you see and this is very important Lord give me wisdom now why does this person ask these questions then if I can learn why he asked the question I can help him for instance for me to condemn him wouldn't help him would it and we have a text for it John 3 17 says God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world so he doesn't need condemnation because he doesn't see things as we do what does he need?

John 17 verse 3 this is life eternal Jesus said that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

He asked this question because he doesn't know the Lord.

We're not to scold somebody because he doesn't know the Lord, right?

What he needs is instead of a scolding he needs a witness by somebody who knows that the Lord is not that kind of a Lord you see.

Now let me share with you some of the witnesses that and the witnessers who if they could kindly and lovingly and humbly share their experiences with him it would change his whole life for instance there was a there was a teenage boy he was 16 I'll call his name Peter he was in a class of ours on the ABCs of prayer I don't know how many of you young people know about the A of prayer anybody know what the A of prayer is?

Ask thank you Matthew 7 and the B of prayer anybody know what that is?

Believe Mark 11 24 and the C of prayer is to receive or claim Matthew 21 22 We were teaching a group of young people about your age in a class how to reach up and take hold of God's promises.

Because you see 1 of the questions came in is what is the problem of young people?

The real problem of young people and older ones is what kind of a God do we have?

So we were teaching them how to claim God's promises so that when they do have some problems And they don't know how to handle them They can claim a Bible promise.

Anybody know how many promises in the Bible?

3, 573 promises or clusters of promises It runs into thousands of promises.

And we were sharing them how for every problem we have in life, we can claim a promise and that every promise contains the gift right in the promise just like an apple seed contains an apple tree did you know that?

Rutherford Platt a prize winner in science said that if we had a magnifying glass big enough we could see in every normal apple seed an apple tree with 3 departments 2 leaves a trunk and roots actually an apple tree tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny but an apple tree In every acorn there's an actual oak.

3 departments, 2 leaves, trunk and roots.

So we're telling young people you take 1 of God's promises for the problem you have, You ask God to fulfill his promise, then you take the next step which is so vital.

Say, Lord I believe you're doing it and keep saying I believe it until you do believe.

Then say, thank you Lord since the gift is in the promise I'm putting this promise in a believing heart and I'm receiving.

Now an apple seed that has an apple tree you can't see the apple tree if you put the apple seed in the ground it takes a while for the apple tree to come up you see and longer for it to produce so as we claim a promise some of these promises though we receive the full maturity isn't realized at once so among the young people that came was a young fella by the name of I'm going to call his name Peter 16 years of age and he was studying how to take from God's wonderful book the promises and that every promise contains the life of Jesus Christ.

For instance, when the Bible says if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, James 1.5, It also says in 1st Corinthians 1.30, Christ is made unto us wisdom.

So the life of Christ is at each promise.

So as I claim the promise, I'm claiming life eternal in that area.

So we asked the young people that they would take a little time in our class period to share what answers they'd received and this is where your question comes in, your question comes in, your question comes in, wasn't your question to someone else's but your kind of reason and the I remember at 1 meeting alone Peter got up and he said I'm so glad I'm learning this new kind of prayer.

It's taking care of the problems that I have.

He said, I'd like to give you an example.

And there are about 60 young people of your age there.

He said, I'd arranged with some friends of mine, it was out in California, to go a certain day up on the high Sierras for hiking.

He said, the night before it rained and then it snowed a little and it froze so a thin thin coat of ice was all over that mountain he said all my friends backed out they didn't dare to go he said but foolhardy I went on anyway but he said I claimed a promise that God would save my life.

He said, as I was up there on the mountain, I walked along a narrow ridge.

And he said, I didn't stop to realize it was so slippery, the thin coat of ice, he said a gust of wind came and unbalanced me and I started down that mountain.

He said I slid about 50 feet and plunged against a rock.

I'd have broken my neck or I'd have broken my back but he said fortunately there was a wonderful cushion of snow there, and all I did was get a good shaking up.

I said, Lord, you did fulfill your promise.

And then he said, I looked around the rock, and I found if I tried to get out, I had another 2, 000 feet to go down it was it wasn't perpendicular but was it was steep now Lord he said I claim a promise for wisdom I don't know how to get out of here I ask you for wisdom what to be a prayer I believe you're giving me wisdom what's the prayer thank you Lord you're doing it and he said as I kept doing that and thanking God the Lord put it in my mind this is how you can get out take your fingers your fingernails dig the little steps up the mountain edge your knees into them and he said I did it and he said by the time I got out my fingernails were broken and my fingers were bleeding but I got out and he said I thank the Lord for the promises and what do you suppose all the young people said amen what do you say amen they were so thrilled all the young people got up and they were sharing and can you imagine what would happen to 1 who wrote a question like this and who wrote those questions he'd be sitting there and thinking to himself, wait a minute, God is good, he's not what I thought.

Young person after young person got up and told a definite experience they'd had by claiming God's promises.

Jesus said in Luke in John 16 24 ask and receive and your joy will be what?

And that's what is happening a whole new experience was there.

Finally a boy by the name of Dick, as I'll call him, stood.

He said, as you know, last week we had semester exams.

He said, I've never liked semester exams.

And he said, I've never liked semester exams, but he said, I had studied faithfully the whole semester.

But he said, due to circumstances over which I had no control, I hadn't revealed.

And the night before the exams, I climbed in the bed, I couldn't sleep.

He said then I began to pray 1 of those old kind of prayers, you know what the old kind of prayer, how it goes it goes something like this, dear Lord help me but I'm pretty sure you won't.

He said wait a minute I'm learning a new kind of prayer.

And he said, I'm going to climb out of bed.

He climbed out of bed and just like an angel helped him open to Matthew 11, 28.

Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavily laden.

He said, Lord, you promised to give me rest.

That's what I need if I'm going to take on these exams tomorrow and he said let's see the A of prayer what's the A of prayer everybody?

3-Our Problem-solving Lord

In fact, I don't know whether we have 200 questions here or not.

So you can imagine that we just have to choose about 2 or 3 questions in each session, which can represent many, many of the other questions you see.

And we're going to ask the first young person to come up with a question that somebody I don't know who who wrote it out but somebody did here's a question and what's your name Kurt Kurt KIRKKURT good where do you live Kurt in Clearwater do you I've been looking to ever since you came in.

How can you do new math problems with an old math mind?

I think Kurt that's a good question don't you?

All right thank you and we'll we'll put another question in with it and then we'll try to answer them all in 1.

Other kids seem to get good grades, I can't, what should I do?

I tell people my name is Coon, I tell my wife is my pet Coon and we have a 35-foot motorhome I call it our hollow log we have a lot of fun would you read that again I've forgotten now what it was other kids seem to get good grades I can't what should I do thank you thank you Holly thank you and that 1 more question that The 3 ought to pretty well represent this area, I think.

Well, you know I've met you before, back in 1980.

We were there in the in the church in Tampa.

You remember we had questions and answers at that time?

Pastor Kuhn, this distraught student says that algebra is difficult and asked you how he should pass his grade good thank you thank you so much well let me tell you how the Lord helped me I was 16 years of age had 2 brothers the 3 of us were studying algebra.

The teacher of first year algebra was himself studying second year algebra, but he didn't know first year algebra.

At the end of the first 6 weeks, we had an exam, you know, and in those days, you had to get about 75% to pass.

But when our grades came back, our examination, 1 of my brothers had a grade of 16%, the other had 0, and I had 16%.

My 2 brothers dropped algebra and I didn't have sense enough to.

So I called on the teacher to come up 1 evening and he spent the full two-hour study period on 1 problem and didn't get it.

When he left my room you can imagine how I felt if a teacher can't get it how can I?

I slumped down on my knees and in the background of my thinking as I recall now was a promise Matthew 7 7 anyone remember what it says?

And I told God that my future in algebra was finished unless he came to my rescue.

But somehow I just had a childlike faith that he would because I'd had a lot of answers to prayer before that.

And I lived in a family where dad had all kinds, marvelous answers.

Climbed into bed and immediately God gave me a dream that I was working on this problem that the teacher couldn't get.

And in my dream, I saw where the teacher made the mistake.

I'm telling you the truth and I corrected it in my dream and immediately God awakened me That it was still fresh in my mind.

I seized my pencil and paper and did it and was perfect Now that's the kind of God we have He's interested in X the unknown number.

I was so thrilled I took it to school the next day.

And that was as though God was saying every time you're in trouble and you don't know which way to go you can call on me Psalm 50 15 call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver you you shall glorify me I went on through the year and I passed that miserable algebra and you know what it did It gave me confidence to know that I could pass other miserable topics for instance subjects for instance French I took French later on under a New Englander Now you know our New Englander friends where we say remember they say remember beautiful where we say Isaiah they say Isaiah beautiful but when I was taking French I didn't know what whether it should be ah or ah because she would say ah when it should be ah and she'd say ah when it should be ah and I was bet to be tied.

But I remembered that I had met God at X.

Again I fell on my knees and I said, Lord, this French is all French to me.

I can never do it unless you help me but he helped me in algebra that was a miracle wasn't it and now I believe that God would come to my rescue what is the A of prayer ask what to be a prayer believe believe whom God believe what about God believe that he'll keep his word believe that he loves us He gave Jesus to die for us.

And you know the Lord helped me to get right through French.

I negotiated it and came out with a passing grade.

And you know that I said Lord you've done it for for algebra you've done it for French and then I got into the worst thing in the world, general history, the most miserable general I'd ever known, general history.

You know, to tell about a certain general came up on a hill.

Another man with his army came up on the west side.

I didn't care whether he came up on any side.

What did I care whether he came up on the south side of the west side phooey but I wanted to pass general history I'd spend 2 hours and come down with a big fat D.

But the Lord that helped me miraculously through algebra and French would help me in general history.

And as I was praying to the Lord how to do this and let me back up a minute the teacher himself scared me half to death he had serpent's eyes he had a long neck big ears and serpent eyes and when he would look at me I forgot everything I had ever studied about history It was current events as I looked at him instead of history.

So as I went to God in prayer, you know what the Lord impressed me with?

You don't have to spend 2 hours on general history.

And when you do it, forget how that teacher looks.

This 1 thing I do, don't think about anything except what you're studying.

Ask yourself the question, what is this particular chapter all about?

And I studied 40 minutes instead of 2 hours and came down with good passing grades.

I said, thank you, Lord, you've taught me.

I found that a lot of the other boys in the Academy had not learned what the Lord had taught me because sometime before that the Lord had taught me a very important lesson.

As a student in school I'd made the mistake of falling in love with a girl by the name of May.

She was a beautiful redheaded girl and I had made this mistake of thinking that girls and books can mix.

I was quite a scholar at that time I was in the third grade And every time I'd look at my lessons I'd think of May.

But the Lord sent another boy along to take May out of my life.

But the next year I went to another school, May wasn't there, but Louisa was there.

Oh, she flashed 1 smile and I was captivated.

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Youth Asks, God Answers

1-Our Humble Lord

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