>>[MUSIC]
JOYCE: "THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN
WHO DISHONORED HIS FATHER'S NAME AND HE DISGRACED HIS FAMILY, AND
HE DECIDED TO LEAVE HOME BECAUSE HE WANTED TO ESCAPE THE DULLNESS
OF ORDINARY VILLAGE FAMILY LIFE.
HE WAS BORED WITH IT.
SO, HE LEFT HOME, HE FOUND EXCITEMENT FOR A WHILE.
HE PROSPERED IN HIS SINFUL LIFESTYLE."
AND, YOU KNOW, SIN WILL ALWAYS LOOK ATTRACTIVE FOR A WHILE,
DO YOU KNOW THAT?
IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE JUST WHAT YOU WANT FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
"HE VISITED A HOTEL WERE GIRLS WERE KEPT IN EVERY ROOM.
SOME WERE OLDER, SOME WAS AS YOUNG AS TEN.
HE BECAME INVOLVED IN PROSTITUTION.
HE EVENTUALLY STARTED SELLING DRUGS AND EVEN LURING OTHER MEN
INTO THE HOTEL.
HE FINALLY GOT INVOLVED IN KIDNAPPING AND SELLING GIRLS.
THAT'S HOW LOW THAT HE SUNK.
IT WAS A NASTY BUSINESS BUT HE BECAME ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
BUSINESSMEN IN THE AREA, AND HE HAD ALL KINDS OF MONEY BUT
EVENTUALLY THE BOTTOM DROPPED OUT."
HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT'S ALWAYS WHAT HAPPENS EVENTUALLY?
MAYBE MOST OF US WHO CAME TO CHRIST CAME BECAUSE IN SOME WAY,
SHAPE, OR FORM, THE BOTTOM DROPPED OUT.
"HE WAS ROBBED, ARRESTED, AND FINALLY ENDED UP LIVING IN
A VERY DANGEROUS PART OF TOWN NEAR THE CITY DUMP.
AS HE SAT THERE, DAY AFTER DAY IN HIS MISERY, BEGAN TO THINK
ABOUT HIS FATHER AND THE SIMPLE, QUIET, PEACEFUL LIFE HE HAD WHEN
HE LIVED AT HOME IN HIS VILLAGE.
HE REMEMBERED HIS FATHER'S PARTING WORDS WHEN HE LEFT,
WHICH HAD BEEN ABOUT 15 YEARS PRIOR, "SON, I'LL BE WAITING
FOR YOU."
HE BEGAN TO WONDER IF HIS FATHER WOULD STILL BE WAITING, BUT HE
KNEW THAT THE WORD ABOUT HIS LIFESTYLE HAD MADE IT BACK TO
THE VILLAGE, AND SO HOW WOULD HIS FATHER FEEL ABOUT HIM NOW
AND ALL THE THINGS THAT HE'D DONE?
SURELY, HE WOULDN'T WANT HIM BACK NOW?
BUT HE DECIDED TO TAKE A CHANCE AND WRITE A LETTER TO HIS FATHER
AND HE SAID, 'FATHER, I WANT TO COME HOME BUT I DON'T KNOW IF
YOU'LL HAVE ME BACK BECAUSE I'VE SINNED GREATLY.
FATHER, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
I'M GONNA COME ON THE TRAIN ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND IF YOU'LL
STILL LET ME COME HOME, WOULD YOU TIE A WHITE RIBBON IN THE
TREE OUT IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE?
AND I'LL KNOW IF I SEE THAT RIBBON THAT YOU'LL HAVE
ME BACK.' AND ON THE TRIP HOME,
HE BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT HIS LIFE AND WHAT HE THOUGHT HIS
FATHER MIGHT SAY AND HE JUST GOT SO NERVOUS, AND SO ANXIOUS, AND
SO AFRAID THAT HE WAS GONNA GET REJECTED THAT IT BECAME OBVIOUS
TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE SITTING AROUND HIM THAT HE WAS HAVING
A PROBLEM.
SO, ONE MAN ASKED HIM, 'SON, WHAT'S WRONG?'
AND SO, HE BEGAN TO SHARE WITH HIM THE DILEMMA
THAT HE WAS IN AND HOW FRIGHTENED HE WAS THAT HIS
FATHER WOULDN'T HAVE HIM BACK AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND SO, THEY WERE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO WHAT WAS GONNA BE
THE BOY'S HOUSE AND THE BOY WAS JUST SO SCARED, HE COULDN'T EVEN
LOOK SO HE SAID TO THE MAN THAT WAS TALKING TO HIM,
'I'M--I JUST CAN'T EVEN LOOK.
I'M SO AFRAID THAT HE WON'T HAVE ME BACK.
I CAN'T EVEN LOOK.
WILL YOU WATCH FOR ME AND IF YOU SEE A RIBBON IN THE TREE, WOULD
YOU TELL ME THAT IT'S THERE?' SO, HE PUT HIS FACE BETWEEN HIS
KNEES AND HE SAID, 'SIR, DO YOU SEE THE RIBBON?
DO THE SEE THE RIBBON?
IS THERE A RIBBON IN THE TREE?
IS THERE A RIBBON IN THE BRANCH OF TREE?'
AND THE MAN SAID, 'SON, THERE'S NOT A RIBBON IN
THE TREE ON ONE BRANCH, THERE IS A RIBBON TIED ON EVERY BRANCH.'"
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: "'THAT TREE IS COMPLETELY FULL OF RIBBONS.'
AND THE YOUNG MAN LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW
AND COULD HARDLY BELIEVE HIS EYES BECAUSE RUNNING
ALONGSIDE THE TRAIN THAT WAS BEGINNING TO
SLOW DOWN WAVING A PIECE OF WHITE CLOTH WAS HIS ELDERLY
FATHER SAYING, 'SON, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.'"
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
JOYCE: NOW, YOUR SIN HAS ALREADY BEEN PAID FOR.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BEG GOD TO FORGIVE YOU, ALL YOU NEED TO DO
IS SAY, "I'M SORRY FOR MY SIN, AND I WANT TO ENTER ON
A BETTER COURSE OF LIFE.
I WANT TO TURN AROUND AND GO IN ANOTHER DIRECTION."
IF YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT OR YOU'RE WATCHING BY TV, I'M GONNA INVITE
YOU TO PRAY WITH ME.
YOU KNOW, RECEIVING CHRIST IS SO SIMPLE.
YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT JUST SURRENDER,
JUST SAY, "YES, YES, I WANT A BETTER LIFE.
I WANT JESUS."
WATCHING BY TV, THERE ARE PEOPLE YOU'RE TRACKING RIGHT WITH US.
YOU GOTTA PRAY THIS SAME PRAYER.
GOD'S COMING INTO YOUR LIFE.
I WANT YOU ALL JUST TO PRAY THIS WITH ME RIGHT NOW.
LET'S ALL PRAY TOGETHER.
"FATHER GOD, I LOVE YOU.
JESUS, I BELIEVE IN YOU.
I BELIEVE YOU DIED FOR ME.
YOU PAID FOR MY SINS.
I'VE LIVED A SINFUL LIFE AND I'M SORRY FOR MY SINS.
FORGIVE ME.
I WANT TO TURN MY LIFE AROUND, BUT I NEED YOU TO HELP ME.
COME INTO MY LIFE.
LIVE IN ME.
I GIVE MYSELF TO YOU RIGHT NOW AND I RECEIVE YOU AS MY
VERY OWN.
THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME.
THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME.
I BELIEVE THAT I'M ON MY WAY TO HEAVEN AND I'M GONNA ENJOY MY
JOURNEY WITH YOU, AMEN! AMEN! WHOO!
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WATCHING. YOU KNOW,
I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO SHARE WITH YOU FROM GOD'S WORD.
MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE SO YOU DON'T MISS A THING.