“A GREAT MULTITUDE OF ALL NATIONS AND KINDREDS AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES” (REV. 7:9). tsc.nyc

VOL XVI / ISSUE 7 / JULY 2020

Dear Friend, ALL THINGS I want you to seriously consider what I say by Carter Conlon today in this letter. You are continuously being bombarded with headline after headline “And we know that all things truths that I might not have relating stories of chaos and the virtual work together for good to those learned otherwise.” unraveling of our present-day society. Then who love , to those who are the there is the fear of disease, the loneliness called according to His purpose” Quite often, we spend our of isolation, as well as the uncertainty of a (Romans 8:28). That means that days trying to get out of “all everything God allows into our things.” This is what our prayer job and adequate provision in the days just lives has a divine purpose. God life is all about. “God, get me ahead. Added to this, we all have our own puts it there for a reason because out of this, and I will love You. “stuff” to deal with. I can understand why He is conforming us to the image Deliver me from this, and you may feel overwhelmed today. of His Son. He is leading us on a I will serve You.” Many times pathway that will bring His name our focus is about getting out Perhaps you feel like the psalmist who once to glory through our lives. of the very things that God is said: “Will the Lord cast off forever? And allowing in order to form His will He be favorable no more? Has His All the things character and His purposes in mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed our lives. So instead of praying, forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? that God has “God, get me out,” we should Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies?” allowed have been pray, “Lord, what are You (Psalm 77:7–9). The psalmist goes on to admit, teaching me? What is it that “This is my anguish” (77:10). In other words, for divine reasons. You are producing in my “This is my faulty view of His faithfulness character that could not and eternal plan.” Keep in mind that the apostle come any other way?” Paul wrote these words as a man who had been shipwrecked, n The truth is that is still in charge of IS THIS REALLY stoned, and betrayed. He had NECESSARY? everything, and all things are allowed so that been in perils among brothers Romans 8:28 has been the verse His perfect will might be accomplished. Your and perils among those who that has kept me all the years of place in His plan is not happenstance—all hated him. When you look at my Christian life—through flood, things you see taking place in your life are his life, it is very hard for fire, trial, difficulty, hardship, happening for a reason. Though we don’t anybody alive today to say, blessing. All the things that God always understand, it always works for our “Well, my life has had a has allowed have been for divine good. Jesus says that you are in His Father’s more difficult trajectory than reasons. Sometimes I understood hand and no one can take you out of that Paul’s.” And yet, after all the them and sometimes I did not secure place. All will be well. things he suffered, he was until the worst of it was over able to write that all things in my life. Enjoy the newsletter. work together for good. In other words, “Everything that When I came to New York in Yours, in Christ, God allowed into my life had 1994, we moved into a house a divine purpose—whether I in New Jersey. We had no idea Carter Conlon understood it or not. God was that the house we moved into doing something in me. He was was infested with toxic mold. bringing me to a specific place. By the time it was discovered He was teaching me specific in 2001, the mold was so thick ALL THINGS tsc.nyc

that those who inspected the house God had allowed these things heart. I wondered, “Oh, God, are condemned and quarantined it on for a divine purpose! You ever going to heal me? Could the spot. The whole attic was so any good ever come from this?” filled with toxic black mold that God could have kept us from no visible wood was left. It scarred moving into that house, but here Some mornings I was so down that my bronchial tubes, which is why is what He said to me on Eighth I would take my pen and just start I still cough a lot today. Avenue that night: “You have a very writing poems, many of which strong will. I am going to teach you eventually became songs. You see, I did not know that how to be dependent on Me.” He I had made a choice to declare God God had another did. I needed Christ every moment to be faithful in the midst of my of every hour of every day because affliction. David Wilkerson insisted plan—and that in my own strength was gone. The Lord the songs be put on a CD, which is faithfulness, He had began to teach me how to hear His titled “Quiet Times,” and most of voice. He taught me that if He was the songs were written during this afflicted me in order not leading, I ought not to go there. time of affliction. It sold more than to work out that I could not accept just any invitation 40,000 copies in its first run, raising to go anywhere and speak because hundreds of thousands of dollars for plan in my life. if it was not the leading missions all around the world. me, it could take a week or two At the time, we were also fighting to recover physically when I got One particular morning, I sat down against a terrible onslaught in back. However, when the Spirit and wrote a poem which later became . I stood with Pastor was leading, I would come back a song called, “If You’ve Lost Your David Wilkerson, fighting to have stronger than when I went out. Heaven’s Song.” The first verse the church go forward. I gave my says: “If you’ve lost your heaven’s all, but I kept getting sicker and I was learning to be governed by song, it’s so hard to carry on when sicker, to the point where I could the voice of God rather than by good hardly breathe. The headaches were tomorrow looks as sad as yesterday. ideas. At that time, I had no idea that Just remember Jesus came, and He extremely bad, and my energy level I would be the next Senior Pastor keeps singing just the same if you was almost at zero. I could sleep for of . I was only will listen, when you go to Him and eight hours, get up in the morning, there to help this man of God for as pray.” And the chorus goes: “When and feel like I had not slept at all. long as he needed me. I did not know Jesus came to live in you, He carried I could barely stay awake and that God had another plan—and that could hardly breathe. One day, in faithfulness, He had afflicted me in heaven’s sweetest tune with words, I was walking down Eighth Avenue order to work out that plan in my life. ‘I love you. And forever I will stay.’ in New York City, and I was to the When days are cold and darkness point where I could see black flecks I had made a choice strong, things might seem lost, but floating in front of my eyes. Also, not for long. His song within you I was always on the verge of passing to declare God to be cannot ever pass away. His song out. Suddenly, in frustration, I said faithful in the midst within you cannot ever pass away.” out loud on the street, “Oh, God, is this really necessary?” of my affliction. I received the most beautiful letter a couple of years after the CD was I was so surprised to hear God’s n BORN OUT OF AFFLICTION initially produced. A pastor’s wife reply: “It is. It is very necessary I remember, during the worst part wrote to tell me that one day her in your life.” And suddenly, out of of this affliction, I had an oxygen husband came home and said, nowhere, verses from Psalm 119 tank on wheels that I had to pull “I want out of this marriage. I came into my mind. The psalmist around the apartment with me. Every want to live a new life. And as says, “Before I was afflicted I went morning, I had to wear a mask and far as I’m concerned, our marriage astray, but now I keep Your word” breathe pure oxygen for 15 minutes is finished.” She was devastated. (verse 67). And “It is good for me to clear out the phlegm in my chest She rented a hotel room and then that I have been afflicted, that I may and help alleviate the massive went to the pharmacy to get the learn Your statutes” (verse 71). And headaches I woke up with. I had to prescription pills she needed to “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments do this before I could even read my commit suicide. Then she got in are right, and that in faithfulness . There were mornings when her car, intending to return to You have afflicted me” (verse 75). despair just wanted to eat at my the hotel and take her life. tsc.nyc ALL THINGS

A copy of “Quiet Times” was in to a song. I know all things work Yes, there is a purpose. Paul the CD player, and “If You’ve Lost together for good to those who love learned to believe this. As a matter Your Heaven’s Song” was playing God and are the called according of fact, he got to the point where when she turned the car on. She to His purpose! he was able to write in his epistles, started listening to the song and “When I am weak, then I am strong” later wrote to me that she drove n REALIZE THERE IS A PURPOSE (2 Corinthians 12:10). He believed for three days. I assume she would Perhaps today you are depressed in that even though he was confined to stay in the hotel at night, but in the your mind, or you do not know how a jail cell at the end of his life, “All daytime, she would just drive around. you are going to pay your rent and things work together for good, even She wrote, “I put your CD on repeat feed your kids. You do not know how if all I can do is write some letters and listened to this same song over you will ever be sane again. I want to to some of my friends.” He did not and over again. It brought me back remind you that God will be faithful know he was writing to hundreds to the faith of my childhood—when I to you. However, you must make a of millions of people over thousands first received Christ, when I walked choice now either to believe that all of years—that his letters to his with God. I remembered how faithful things are working together for God’s friends were going to be the God has been to me and how He good purpose in your life, or they are doctrinal basis for much of won’t forsake me in my affliction. not. It cannot be just some things. our practice of faith in Christ. And after three days of driving It has to be all things—the things around, knowing that my marriage that you like and the things you don’t So I encourage you—do not just was finished, I just decided to go like; the things you understand and pray to get out of where you are home and live.” the things you don’t understand; the right now. Pray to learn the lesson things you would love to come your that needs to be learned. Pray that Make a choice way and the things that you wish when you do come out on the other now either to believe would be gone—all of these things side of the valley of the shadow are working together for a divine of death, you will be able to say, that all things are purpose that God has ordained “I have learned in whatever state working together for for your life. I am to be content. I have learned that nothing can separate me from God’s good purpose Do not just pray the love of God, which is mine in in your life, or Christ Jesus. I have learned that to get out of where God has a purpose beyond my they are not. you are right now. understanding. I have learned to trust Him that somehow, some When she got back home, she Pray to learn the good is going to come out of it— went into her house and found her lesson that needs so much more than I can ever husband, sick at heart, sick in his think or imagine!” spirit. He said to her, “Oh, honey, to be learned. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I don’t know what I was This valley of the shadow of death thinking. I made such a mistake, will last only for a season. Part of and I’ve been such a fool. I love the victory is finally coming to the Carter Conlon you. I believe that God is going realization, “Lord, You put me on ©2020 Times Square Church to work out our marriage.” this job for a reason. You put me in this marriage for a reason. You To prevent a woman from committing gave me these children for a reason. suicide, God had to allow affliction in I live in this apartment for a reason. another man’s life in a city far away, And if I have an affliction in my sit him in his office with an oxygen physical body, there has to be a mask on his face, put a pen in his reason for it that maybe I do not hand, and inspire him write the words yet fully understand.”

This newsletter is an edited version of “ALL THINGS,” a sermon given on May 19, 2020. Other sermons are available by visiting our website at tsc.nyc. You are welcome to make additional copies of this sermon for free distribution to friends. However, for all other forms of reproduction or electronic transmission existing copyright laws apply. This sermon cannot be posted on any website or webpage without permission from Times Square Church. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from other versions are noted. CARTER CONLON Carter Conlon is General Overseer of Times Square Church, Inc. He joined the pastoral staff as associate pastor in 1994 and was senior pastor from 2001 to 2020.

Update from Our Bible School Living for the Benefit of Others TIMES SQUARE CHURCH Times Square Church was SUMMIT SESSIONS founded in 1987 by Pastor David Wilkerson, author of If you have ever wondered what our attention and replenish us “The Cross and the Switchblade.” It is an interdenominational students learn at our Bible school, with the power of His Spirit. church located in the heart we have great news for you! This past of New York City. month, Summit released a series of Carter Conlon, full-length class, chapel and round- Teresa Conlon and Nick Cassidy: table discussions to give you a glimpse Summit Roundtable Discussion Tel: into what is taught at Summit. Is there a difference between 212-541-6300 “my truth” and “the truth”? Listen Pastor William Carrol: in on a conversation between Pastor Fax: Systematic Theology Class Carter Conlon, Pastor Teresa Conlon 212-541-6415 Explore the doctrines of our faith and and Pastor Nick Cassidy as they the importance of salvation in this class discuss the love of Christ and the taught by Pastor William Carrol. God concept of “my truth.” Church Location: loved us so much that He committed 237 West 51st St. himself to us in a sacrificial and Pastor Carter Conlon: Between Broadway & 8th Ave. covenantal love. He did this by Summit Ministry and Career sending His Son to atone for our Conference 2020 Mailing Address: sin so we can experience the Listen to this exhortation from Times Square Church benefits and blessings of Salvation. Pastor Carter Conlon in which he 1657 Broadway, 4th Floor talks about surrendering your life New York, NY 10019 Pastor David Ham: for the purposes of God. He reminds Summit Revival Services 2020 students that when you are in the God works on behalf of those center of God’s calling, He will e-mail: who wait for him. This amazing give you His grace and His peace [email protected] teaching from Pastor David Ham even in the midst of life’s storms.

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