Welcome to Anchors Of
Truth from Oakwood University
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in Huntsville, Alabama.
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When The Battle Goes
Bad, with Dr. Jesse Wilson.
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Hello, and again we
welcome our worldwide audience
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and our audience here in
the house to what is sadly
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our last program.
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Hopefully, this will be just the
last program for this sitting
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and we'll be able to
come back and do this again.
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I have it on good authority
from the president of this
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fine institution, we're
going to try as best we can
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to do this once again.
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At least one more time and
perhaps many, many more times.
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We have been so blessed to be on
the campus of Oakwood University
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and the preaching
has been powerful.
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Dr. Byrd the first night,
Debleaire Snell the next night,
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James Doggette, our president
Les Pollard this morning.
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And now this afternoon, our last
presentation but certainly not
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our least presentation
will come from Dr. Jesse Wilson,
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Associate Professor of Religion
here at Oakwood University.
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And he also is the director
of the Pastoral Evangelism
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and Leadership Conference
that takes place every December;
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to which many of us come each
and every year for training,
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for encouragement,
for enlightenment,
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and inspiration as we
seek to do the work of God.
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It has been a wonderful,
wonderful sitting, has it not.
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Has not the preaching
been powerful and pointed?
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Each sermon...
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And I don't want to
say better than the next,
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because you don't
really compare sermons.
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God gives each man a message.
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And that message is
delivered to our hearts.
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And each one of those
messages helps us take
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one more step along the
road that leads to glory.
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And I'm sure this
afternoon will be no exception
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as sadly we have to say
goodbye to this very, very fine
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Anchors Of Truth series.
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And the title of
his message again is,
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When the Battle Goes Bad.
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Got to be something to
preach about in that title,
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When the Battle Goes Bad.
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I have said, when I came
out of my prostate surgery,
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I was teasing my
boss, Jim Gilley.
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He wanted to be the first face I
saw when I came out of surgery.
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And so I was
groggy, came out of surgery,
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and there was Jim
Gilley looking at me.
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And I said, "Boy, is
this all that there is?
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Is this the
first face I can see?"
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And he said, "You
know, God is good."
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But I said to him,
"You know, God is good
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when things are good.
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But when things go bad,
that's when God is great."
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That's when God
really shows Himself.
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And so, we know that
when the battle goes bad,
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God gets great.
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So I'm looking forward to
this message this afternoon.
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Before we hear from the
good doctor, I'm going to call a
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good friend of our ministry
who has spent many, many hours
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at the 3ABN studios,
Elder T. Marshall Kelly.
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A great friend of our ministry.
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He is going to pray.
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And then after he shall
have prayed, the group Serenity
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is going to offer
our very special music.
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They're going to be
singing the song, "Free."
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And then the next
voice that you will hear
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will be that of our
pastor, our friend, our teacher
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and preacher, Dr. Jesse Wilson.
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Eternal Father in heaven,
You know exactly what we need to
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hear today to meet the
challenges that will face us
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the next six days.
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We ask that you will
let Your manservant down
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and use him to Your glory.
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Exalt Jesus Christ as the
answer to our greatest needs.
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Thank You for each
one who is here today
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and each one who
listens around the world.
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We are brothers, we are sisters.
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We long to be
together in Your presence.
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So guide and direct and bless.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Free, free. Praise
the Lord, I'm free.
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No longer bound, no
more chains holding me.
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My soul is resting,
it's such a blessing.
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Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
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Free, free. Praise
the Lord, I'm free.
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No longer bound, no
more chains holding me.
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My soul is resting,
it's such a blessing.
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Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
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Now once upon a
time in a perfect land,
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there was an angel
who was second in command.
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Now jealousy and
pride inside of him,
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he was cast out of heaven
and the world he tried to win.
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His name was
Adam, her name was Eve;
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while in the
garden, they were deceived.
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Separated from God,
they're bound to sin;
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the plan of
salvation would now begin.
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Free, free. Praise
the Lord, I'm free.
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No longer bound, no
more chains holding me.
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My soul is resting,
it's such a blessing.
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Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
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Now once I was a
prisoner bound to my sins;
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the only things I wanted
were the pleasures within.
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But then Jesus came
and He rescued my soul;
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He turned my ground
and He made me whole.
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My God in heaven
sent His Son for me;
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Jesus the
Savior died on Calvary.
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Satan tells lies
expecting the fee,
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but he didn't know
God would deliver me.
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Free, free. Praise
the Lord, I'm free.
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No longer bound, no
more chains holding me.
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My soul is resting,
it's such a blessing.
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Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
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Free, free. Praise
the Lord, I'm free.
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No longer bound, no
more chains holding me.
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My soul is resting,
it's such a blessing.
00:07:50.97\00:07:55.24
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
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I am free from pain and sorrow.
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Jesus has risen so
now that I know I am free.
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My burdens have been lifted.
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Praise the Lord,
I've been set free.
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I'm free from my past of
depression and heartache.
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Oppression; I'm free
from the chains of sin.
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Yes I'm free, free.
Praise the Lord, I'm free.
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No longer bound, no
more chains holding me.
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My soul is resting,
it's such a blessing.
00:08:45.48\00:08:49.96
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
00:08:49.99\00:08:54.43
Free, free. Praise
the Lord, I'm free.
00:08:54.46\00:08:57.44
No longer bound, no
more chains holding me.
00:08:57.47\00:09:01.92
My soul is resting,
it's such a blessing.
00:09:01.95\00:09:06.38
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
00:09:06.41\00:09:10.86
Free, free. Praise
the Lord, I'm free.
00:09:10.89\00:09:13.90
No longer bound, no
more chains holding me.
00:09:13.93\00:09:18.28
My soul is resting,
it's such a blessing.
00:09:18.31\00:09:22.74
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
00:09:22.77\00:09:27.09
Free, free. Praise
the Lord, I'm free.
00:09:27.12\00:09:31.26
No longer bound, no
more chains holding me.
00:09:31.29\00:09:35.45
My soul is resting,
it's such a blessing.
00:09:35.48\00:09:39.82
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
00:09:39.85\00:09:44.00
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
00:09:44.42\00:09:48.29
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
00:09:48.68\00:09:52.72
Praise the Lord.
Hallelujah, I'm free.
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Free from all my heartache.
00:10:06.64\00:10:12.61
Free from all my worries.
00:10:12.96\00:10:20.08
Free from all my burdens.
00:10:20.63\00:10:28.41
Free.
00:10:28.80\00:10:32.65
I am free.
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Come on, let's put our hands
together and thank God again
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for Serenity.
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Happy Sabbath, everyone.
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This is the day
that the Lord has made.
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How many of you all are going
to rejoice and be glad in it?
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Let's stand to our feet as we
go to God's Word this afternoon.
00:11:04.62\00:11:08.74
We're going to ask
each of you just to stand.
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And as you're standing,
why don't you shake the hand of
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the neighbor next to you
and just let them know that
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you're glad to see
them on this Sabbath.
00:11:14.83\00:11:16.26
Tell them, "Happy
Sabbath. Glad to see you."
00:11:16.46\00:11:18.65
Amen.
00:11:19.61\00:11:20.98
We thank God for 3ABN,
this Anchors Of Truth series.
00:11:21.44\00:11:27.23
Has this been a tremendous time?
00:11:28.40\00:11:29.77
This has been a tremendous time.
00:11:30.82\00:11:32.58
The messages
have been so powerful.
00:11:32.61\00:11:34.29
I thank God for 3ABN.
00:11:34.32\00:11:35.86
They are able to share what
we are exposed to every day.
00:11:36.16\00:11:39.18
Am I right about it?
00:11:39.21\00:11:40.58
We thank God for them.
00:11:40.69\00:11:42.06
We thank God for the pastor
of this church, Carlton Byrd;
00:11:42.09\00:11:44.92
my president, Dr. Pollard,
and first lady, Prudence.
00:11:44.95\00:11:48.40
Many of you all don't know this,
but I use to pastor Dr. Pollard.
00:11:48.87\00:11:52.31
Yes, yes.
00:11:52.85\00:11:54.22
You might not believe
it, because I'm significantly
00:11:54.25\00:11:55.98
younger than he is, amen.
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But we are having a
serious revival on this campus.
00:11:59.21\00:12:02.85
We thank God for the
leadership of both of them.
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I want to direct your
attention to a passage that has
00:12:07.43\00:12:11.80
been the subject of
my attention this year.
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1 Samuel chapter 22.
00:12:16.13\00:12:18.71
And we're going to
read just two verses.
00:12:19.01\00:12:21.02
I'm going to pray and
then you can be seated.
00:12:21.05\00:12:23.76
The Bible says in 1
Samuel chapter 22 verse 1,
00:12:24.37\00:12:29.08
"David therefore departed thence
and escaped to the cave Adullam.
00:12:29.11\00:12:34.82
And when his brethren and
all his father's house heard it,
00:12:35.32\00:12:38.89
they went down there to him."
00:12:39.19\00:12:41.74
Look at this.
00:12:41.77\00:12:43.14
"And every one that was in
distress, and every one that
00:12:43.19\00:12:47.39
was in debt, and every
one that was discontented,
00:12:47.42\00:12:51.47
gathered themselves unto David;
00:12:51.50\00:12:54.04
and he became a
captain over them.
00:12:54.24\00:12:57.48
And there were with
David about four hundred men."
00:12:57.68\00:13:01.95
I want to talk from the
subject today, as we close out
00:13:02.75\00:13:05.54
this Anchors Of Truth series,
When The Battle Goes Bad.
00:13:05.57\00:13:09.55
When The Battle Goes Bad.
00:13:10.34\00:13:11.71
Now God, we thank You for
Your presence in this place.
00:13:11.74\00:13:15.28
We thank You for all
of the tremendous services
00:13:15.68\00:13:17.93
that we've
experienced this week.
00:13:17.96\00:13:19.64
We will never be the same.
00:13:19.67\00:13:21.43
Now, as we bring this series,
Anchors Of Truth, to a close,
00:13:21.91\00:13:25.55
we pray that You would speak.
00:13:25.58\00:13:27.57
We need to hear a
word from the Lord.
00:13:27.94\00:13:30.69
And we will be careful to
praise You for what takes place
00:13:30.92\00:13:34.07
in this service.
00:13:34.10\00:13:35.55
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:13:35.58\00:13:37.38
Amen. You may be seated.
00:13:37.81\00:13:39.84
When The Battle Goes Bad.
00:13:40.09\00:13:42.87
My brothers and sisters,
I want you to notice that
00:13:44.35\00:13:46.88
David, in our passage
this afternoon, is in a cave.
00:13:47.17\00:13:51.67
It is absolutely
amazing how quickly things
00:13:52.41\00:13:55.28
can change in your life.
00:13:55.31\00:13:56.68
Am I right about it?
00:13:56.71\00:13:58.08
I looked at the bulletin
and I noticed that Dr. Pollard,
00:13:58.48\00:14:01.57
earlier today, talked
about David and Goliath.
00:14:01.60\00:14:04.72
But I came to tell you
that some amazing things have
00:14:05.19\00:14:07.81
taken place in David's life
since this morning's sermon.
00:14:07.84\00:14:11.43
David has gone through
some tremendous life changes.
00:14:12.67\00:14:17.34
You look at the passage
and I want you to look at what
00:14:17.63\00:14:19.75
Ellen White says
about this very incident.
00:14:19.78\00:14:22.45
David is not fighting
in the valley of Elah.
00:14:22.48\00:14:25.46
Now he's hiding in
the cave of Adullam.
00:14:25.49\00:14:28.41
That slingshot is
not working for him now.
00:14:29.13\00:14:31.69
Those five smooth
stones won't work for him now.
00:14:32.96\00:14:37.30
Brothers and sisters, what David
is beginning to understand,
00:14:38.00\00:14:40.85
and I wanted to tell you this
as we close this series out,
00:14:40.88\00:14:44.57
that we believe that
the battle is the Lord's.
00:14:44.60\00:14:47.33
How many of you believe
that the battle is the Lord's?
00:14:47.36\00:14:49.74
We also believe
that giants fall.
00:14:50.19\00:14:53.28
But every now and then, giants
do fall, but they fall on you.
00:14:53.31\00:14:56.79
And the question that we
need to look at as we leave,
00:14:58.32\00:15:01.37
as we revel in what we've
heard these last couple of days,
00:15:01.40\00:15:05.84
and as we, with confidence,
think about the fact that
00:15:05.87\00:15:09.67
our lives are in God's
hands, the question is,
00:15:09.70\00:15:13.12
what do you do when
this battle goes bad?
00:15:13.15\00:15:16.83
The reality is, it is not
long before you realize that
00:15:17.82\00:15:22.70
life has a mind of its own.
00:15:22.73\00:15:25.49
You didn't hear
what I just said.
00:15:26.49\00:15:28.00
Life has a mind of its own.
00:15:28.81\00:15:30.81
No matter who you are, no
matter where you've come from,
00:15:31.27\00:15:34.31
it's not very often
that life turns out exactly
00:15:34.87\00:15:37.83
the way we planned life.
00:15:37.86\00:15:40.93
We have a tendency to plan life
in A, but we live life in B.
00:15:41.08\00:15:46.24
Plan A for students is that
grade you thought you'd get.
00:15:47.51\00:15:50.46
Plan B is that
grade that you earned.
00:15:51.59\00:15:53.64
Come on, somebody.
00:15:53.67\00:15:55.04
Plan A, when you look at
the way life takes changes,
00:15:55.61\00:15:58.28
is that house that you saw.
00:15:58.31\00:16:00.42
Plan B is that
apartment that you have.
00:16:00.59\00:16:04.32
Plan A is that car
that you thought would
00:16:05.64\00:16:09.67
turn everybody's head.
00:16:09.70\00:16:11.53
And plan B is that car that
always seems to be in the shop.
00:16:11.56\00:16:15.91
Plan A are those Cosby
kids you thought you raised.
00:16:16.75\00:16:19.74
Come on, somebody.
00:16:19.77\00:16:21.14
Plan B are those...
00:16:21.28\00:16:22.74
Somebody says Bebe's Kids.
00:16:24.26\00:16:26.13
Those crazy kids that you have.
00:16:27.46\00:16:29.59
Come on, somebody.
00:16:29.62\00:16:30.99
The reality is that no
matter how hard you try,
00:16:31.23\00:16:34.00
no matter what you
do, life seems to take
00:16:34.03\00:16:36.33
some interesting changes.
00:16:36.36\00:16:38.32
And it changes without warning.
00:16:38.35\00:16:41.10
It's not as if you have a
television on, or it's not as if
00:16:42.13\00:16:46.12
you're at a motion picture.
00:16:46.15\00:16:47.52
When a change is about to
take place at a motion picture,
00:16:47.55\00:16:50.40
you know that
something is about to happen
00:16:50.43\00:16:52.36
because the music changes.
00:16:52.39\00:16:54.72
There's a soundtrack
and you know that Jason
00:16:55.09\00:16:59.18
is in the closet.
00:16:59.21\00:17:00.93
And you know that
there's a monster under the bed.
00:17:00.96\00:17:03.26
Or you know that there's a
shark that's about to surface.
00:17:03.29\00:17:05.50
But there are no
soundtracks in life.
00:17:05.53\00:17:08.96
And life can take some
immediate severe changes.
00:17:10.50\00:17:14.60
It'll take you without warning.
00:17:14.90\00:17:16.96
Nobody plans to be
pregnant at sixteen.
00:17:16.99\00:17:20.37
Nobody plans to be
incarcerated at eighteen.
00:17:22.05\00:17:25.94
Nobody plans to be divorced,
nobody plans to be distressed.
00:17:26.36\00:17:31.73
You didn't plan to
visit your child in jail.
00:17:31.76\00:17:36.52
You planned to visit
your child at Oakwood.
00:17:36.55\00:17:39.23
But that was plan A.
00:17:39.33\00:17:41.93
We live our lives,
most of us, in plan B.
00:17:41.96\00:17:45.38
Can I get a
witness in this place?
00:17:45.41\00:17:47.27
Before you know it, your
plan A has shifted to plan B.
00:17:48.01\00:17:51.35
And you're wondering, "How
in the world did I get here?"
00:17:51.38\00:17:53.92
But brothers and sisters, let
me park right here and tell you.
00:17:54.52\00:17:56.90
When you're struggling in
plan B, it's best for you to
00:17:56.93\00:17:59.61
take a look at the cross.
00:17:59.64\00:18:01.01
Come on, somebody.
00:18:01.04\00:18:02.41
Whenever you're living in
plan B and it has taken you by
00:18:02.44\00:18:05.64
surprise, you need to realize
that God's plan B is better than
00:18:05.67\00:18:10.43
any plan that you
could have ever devised.
00:18:10.46\00:18:13.33
God's plan A was for
us to rule and reign.
00:18:13.79\00:18:17.30
God's plan A was for
us to have uninterrupted
00:18:17.33\00:18:21.05
fellowship with Him.
00:18:21.08\00:18:22.45
God's plan A was for
us to have a fantastic
00:18:22.48\00:18:25.97
relationship with Him.
00:18:26.00\00:18:27.37
But because of our sin,
He had to move to plan B.
00:18:27.49\00:18:31.46
The cross,
incidentally, is every plan B...
00:18:32.40\00:18:34.85
Listen to me.
00:18:34.88\00:18:36.25
The cross is every
plan B wrapped up into one.
00:18:36.28\00:18:40.30
There was darkness at the cross.
00:18:40.96\00:18:42.92
There was
confusion at the cross.
00:18:42.95\00:18:45.52
There was
depression at the cross.
00:18:45.55\00:18:47.70
When Mary saw her Son on
the cross, she was desperate.
00:18:47.73\00:18:51.64
When the disciples saw their
Rabbi on the cross, all of their
00:18:51.67\00:18:55.22
plans were dashed.
00:18:55.25\00:18:56.62
But brothers and sisters,
the cross teaches us that
00:18:56.65\00:19:00.07
God can take the
devil's worst blow,
00:19:00.10\00:19:03.56
God can take the devil's
most intricately designed plan
00:19:04.96\00:19:09.45
against us, He can take
all of our B's and wrap them
00:19:09.48\00:19:14.18
into His sovereign will.
00:19:14.21\00:19:15.95
And He can take us exactly
to where He wants us to be.
00:19:16.05\00:19:20.11
Because the Bible says that all
things work together for good
00:19:20.14\00:19:23.42
to those of us who
love God, who are called
00:19:24.38\00:19:26.51
according to His purpose.
00:19:26.54\00:19:27.91
Come on, say, "Praise the Lord."
00:19:27.94\00:19:29.31
We serve a God
who is in control.
00:19:29.34\00:19:32.55
What do you do when
the battle goes bad?
00:19:33.08\00:19:35.76
Sooner or later
it's going to happen.
00:19:35.79\00:19:37.31
It happened to David.
00:19:37.34\00:19:38.71
David is in a cave.
00:19:39.66\00:19:43.15
Nothing about David's life seems
to be going according to plan.
00:19:43.91\00:19:49.37
Certainly not plan A.
00:19:49.40\00:19:50.88
From the time that the
Lord spoke to David and He said,
00:19:51.28\00:19:54.82
"You're the one," few things
have gone exactly according
00:19:55.12\00:19:59.74
to plan A for David.
00:19:59.77\00:20:03.27
When he defeated
Goliath, and you know the story,
00:20:03.50\00:20:06.10
he became the
darling of the nation.
00:20:06.13\00:20:08.93
But as soon as
he defeated Goliath,
00:20:08.96\00:20:11.44
King Saul burned with jealousy.
00:20:11.47\00:20:13.91
He tried to kill
him, so David had to run.
00:20:13.94\00:20:17.36
David, listen,
lost his position.
00:20:18.44\00:20:20.69
David lost his wife, Michal.
00:20:21.30\00:20:23.43
David lost his mentor, Samuel.
00:20:23.74\00:20:26.02
David lost his
best friend, Jonathan.
00:20:26.24\00:20:28.91
And more than that, now David
is 26 miles away from Jerusalem
00:20:29.15\00:20:35.06
in the caves of Adullam.
00:20:35.09\00:20:37.22
And to make matters
worse, listen to me,
00:20:37.25\00:20:39.82
archeologists believe
that this cave, this cave,
00:20:39.85\00:20:44.73
is walking distance
from the spot where David
00:20:44.76\00:20:48.58
defeated Goliath.
00:20:48.61\00:20:50.60
Walking distance from the
point of his greatest victory.
00:20:52.04\00:20:55.77
Walking distance from that place
where people shouted his name.
00:20:55.80\00:21:00.12
But now instead of
screaming out in victory,
00:21:00.15\00:21:03.07
he's crying out from a cave.
00:21:03.10\00:21:05.59
Listen, life can go from
A to B in a split second.
00:21:05.62\00:21:10.56
And what do you do
when life takes a turn?
00:21:11.82\00:21:13.78
What do you do when the
battle that you're fighting
00:21:13.81\00:21:16.24
takes a desperate turn?
00:21:16.27\00:21:17.95
Brothers and
sisters, I came to tell you,
00:21:17.98\00:21:19.69
God has already
made provisions for that.
00:21:19.72\00:21:21.86
Come on, say amen.
00:21:21.89\00:21:23.26
You missed what I just said.
00:21:23.29\00:21:24.66
God has already
made provisions for you
00:21:24.69\00:21:27.37
when your A's turn into B's.
00:21:27.40\00:21:30.88
I came to remind you that
God does some of His best work
00:21:31.18\00:21:34.34
in dark times.
00:21:34.44\00:21:36.19
You missed what I just said.
00:21:36.71\00:21:38.08
I said, God does some of His
best work in difficult times.
00:21:38.11\00:21:41.90
Somebody says, new days
actually begin at night.
00:21:41.93\00:21:46.38
You missed what I just said.
00:21:46.58\00:21:47.97
New days and new possibilities
actually begin at night.
00:21:48.65\00:21:52.99
Come on, Seventh-day Adventists.
00:21:53.02\00:21:54.40
The Sabbath didn't
begin this morning.
00:21:54.70\00:21:56.57
The Sabbath began last night.
00:21:56.60\00:21:58.75
Days, new days and new
possibilities come on us
00:21:59.25\00:22:04.10
not when we are in
a blaze of applaud,
00:22:04.45\00:22:08.59
not when we have food
like we've never had it before,
00:22:08.62\00:22:12.36
not when everybody is
patting us on the back.
00:22:12.39\00:22:15.12
Those are some wonderful
times, but you really learn what
00:22:15.15\00:22:18.75
you're made of when you
don't have money in your pocket,
00:22:18.78\00:22:21.88
and when you don't
have food in your cupboard.
00:22:22.87\00:22:25.09
New days, I came to
tell you, begin at night.
00:22:25.12\00:22:28.23
And God does some of
His best work at dark times.
00:22:28.26\00:22:32.00
Come on, say amen.
00:22:32.03\00:22:33.40
And David...
00:22:33.51\00:22:34.88
I want to leave you with three
things, three pieces of advice,
00:22:34.91\00:22:38.98
that David leaves for
us when the battle goes bad
00:22:39.24\00:22:42.73
and when our plan
A's turn to plan B.
00:22:42.76\00:22:46.37
I want you to look
with me at Psalm 57.
00:22:46.40\00:22:49.21
What book did I say?
00:22:49.43\00:22:50.93
Psalm chapter 57.
00:22:51.36\00:22:53.04
And it is from this, a cave,
that David wrote these words.
00:22:53.07\00:22:57.31
The Bible shows us something.
00:22:58.04\00:22:59.56
David gives us three
things that we need to remember
00:22:59.59\00:23:03.20
when our plan A's
turn into plan B's.
00:23:03.23\00:23:06.76
Has anybody's plan A
ever gone to a plan B?
00:23:06.79\00:23:09.13
David wants to give us
three pieces of advice when our
00:23:09.48\00:23:12.48
battle goes bad.
00:23:12.51\00:23:14.24
His first piece of advice,
and we're going to read it here,
00:23:14.27\00:23:17.16
is that you need to
remember where you are.
00:23:17.19\00:23:20.19
The second piece of advice
that David is about to give us
00:23:20.84\00:23:24.41
is that you need to
tell God how you feel.
00:23:24.44\00:23:27.88
And then thirdly, you
need to praise God in advance.
00:23:28.16\00:23:33.77
Piece of advice number one
comes from Psalm 57 and verse 1
00:23:33.95\00:23:37.90
where David says, "Be
merciful unto me, O God,
00:23:37.93\00:23:42.00
be merciful unto me; for
my soul trusteth in Thee.
00:23:42.12\00:23:47.06
Yea, in the shadow of Thy
wings will I make my refuge,
00:23:47.09\00:23:51.09
until..." Listen, "...until..."
00:23:51.12\00:23:53.03
Somebody say, "until."
00:23:53.06\00:23:54.49
"...until these
calamities be overpast."
00:23:54.69\00:23:57.83
Come on, say amen.
00:23:57.86\00:23:59.23
These problems that
you are wrestling with,
00:23:59.26\00:24:01.66
they've come, but
they've come to pass.
00:24:01.69\00:24:04.17
And the first piece of
advice that David gives us
00:24:04.25\00:24:07.91
when our battle has
taken a difficult turn,
00:24:08.31\00:24:10.84
when our A's are turning into
B's, is that you really need to
00:24:10.87\00:24:14.34
remember where you actually are.
00:24:14.37\00:24:16.48
You see, the Bible says
and David says that I'm in the
00:24:17.55\00:24:19.97
shadow of God's wings.
00:24:20.00\00:24:22.80
It might look as if
I'm in a strait place,
00:24:23.55\00:24:25.58
but I'm actually in
the shadow of God's wings.
00:24:25.61\00:24:29.14
And in the shadow of God's
wings, I will take my refuge.
00:24:29.17\00:24:33.81
Somebody say, "refuge."
00:24:33.84\00:24:35.94
God is my refuge, "chasah."
00:24:36.16\00:24:38.99
In the Greek, "asulon."
00:24:39.19\00:24:40.56
I should say, in the Greek
it means, "God is my harbor."
00:24:40.59\00:24:44.36
God is my safe haven.
00:24:45.32\00:24:47.67
And so, though it might look
as if everything around me has
00:24:48.02\00:24:52.88
changed, I'm actually
in the safe harbor of God.
00:24:52.91\00:24:58.39
Things might look bad,
but I'm in the arms of God.
00:24:58.87\00:25:01.70
You might look like
you're in a hospital room,
00:25:01.73\00:25:04.85
but you're really in God's care.
00:25:04.88\00:25:07.22
You might seem to be in an auto
accident, but you're actually
00:25:07.50\00:25:11.71
in God's care.
00:25:11.74\00:25:13.11
You might look to be in
a court room, but you are
00:25:13.21\00:25:16.40
actually in God's care.
00:25:16.43\00:25:19.19
The Bible says that God
is my refuge and strength.
00:25:19.22\00:25:22.68
He's a very present
help in the time of trouble.
00:25:22.71\00:25:25.82
Come on, say amen.
00:25:25.85\00:25:27.22
Brothers and sisters,
that's what I appreciated about
00:25:27.25\00:25:29.64
Dr. Doggette's
message last night.
00:25:29.67\00:25:31.74
Because he told us that no
matter what your situation is,
00:25:31.77\00:25:36.50
no matter how bad your condition
is, you are in the arms of God.
00:25:36.53\00:25:41.89
And so it might look
like my situation is bad,
00:25:42.74\00:25:45.19
but I'm already
standing complete in Him.
00:25:45.22\00:25:48.18
That's what the Bible says.
00:25:48.21\00:25:49.62
I'm complete in
God, I'm forgiven by God.
00:25:49.82\00:25:52.71
And that message of
righteousness by faith
00:25:52.74\00:25:55.42
that he raised last
night is so precious.
00:25:55.45\00:25:58.79
Come on, say amen.
00:25:58.82\00:26:00.31
We need to always recognize that
no matter what our situation
00:26:00.34\00:26:04.33
looks like, we're
always in the hands of God.
00:26:04.36\00:26:08.78
The Bible says that when
we become children of God,
00:26:09.38\00:26:12.14
we become joint heirs.
00:26:12.17\00:26:13.54
Come on, somebody.
00:26:13.57\00:26:14.94
I like that, we
become joint heirs with God.
00:26:14.97\00:26:18.20
Somebody says, we have
a joint account with God.
00:26:18.23\00:26:21.29
I just like the way that sounds.
00:26:21.32\00:26:23.08
So I have a
joint account with God.
00:26:23.58\00:26:27.36
I was preaching a
couple of years ago.
00:26:27.60\00:26:30.38
And that came out to me
so clearly when my older son
00:26:30.41\00:26:34.74
was a freshman at Oakwood.
00:26:35.17\00:26:37.25
And my son... I love my son.
00:26:37.83\00:26:39.83
Now he's in California,
went back to his home.
00:26:39.86\00:26:43.14
But I made the mistake,
Dr. Pollard, when Justin
00:26:43.17\00:26:46.70
came to Oakwood, I forgot
to cut him off from my account.
00:26:46.73\00:26:51.02
You all missed what I just said.
00:26:53.12\00:26:54.49
See, we had a
joint account in Memphis.
00:26:54.52\00:26:58.36
But I didn't want
that joint account status
00:26:58.72\00:27:01.14
to continue in Huntsville.
00:27:01.17\00:27:03.64
See, because he didn't have
anything in his broke account.
00:27:03.67\00:27:07.22
I had the money in my account.
00:27:07.25\00:27:09.50
But because we had a
joint account, he was taking out
00:27:09.70\00:27:12.58
stuff he didn't put in.
00:27:12.61\00:27:13.98
Come on, say amen.
00:27:14.01\00:27:15.38
And brothers and
sisters, I came to tell you
00:27:15.41\00:27:17.57
that when you have a
joint account with Jesus,
00:27:17.60\00:27:20.93
you can take out stuff
that you didn't put in.
00:27:20.96\00:27:24.00
You didn't put in
anything but sadness,
00:27:24.20\00:27:26.57
but you can take out joy.
00:27:26.60\00:27:28.65
You put in pain, but
you can pull out pleasure.
00:27:28.68\00:27:31.72
Sometimes the devil puts in
disease, but God will heal you.
00:27:31.75\00:27:36.10
Come on, say amen.
00:27:36.13\00:27:37.50
You and I have a joint
account with Jesus Christ.
00:27:37.53\00:27:42.00
I'm feeling my
help right in here.
00:27:42.88\00:27:44.30
Come on, say amen.
00:27:44.33\00:27:45.70
Brothers and sisters, I'm
glad that David, who has gone
00:27:45.73\00:27:50.68
through something, left
us some words of counsel.
00:27:50.71\00:27:54.73
And can I tell you something?
00:27:54.76\00:27:56.13
David makes it clear that
when you are going through,
00:27:56.25\00:28:00.07
you need to seek counsel from
somebody who has gone through.
00:28:00.10\00:28:04.23
Let me say that again.
00:28:05.01\00:28:06.38
When you're going through,
you want to seek counsel
00:28:06.41\00:28:09.88
from those who
have gone through.
00:28:09.91\00:28:12.50
I spoke to a friend of mine just
before I came to this service.
00:28:12.96\00:28:17.02
And he was talking about the
pain that he still wrestles with
00:28:17.05\00:28:21.53
because of the
lifestyle that he led.
00:28:21.56\00:28:24.70
And he talked about
the temptations that still
00:28:25.60\00:28:28.06
ravages his body.
00:28:28.09\00:28:29.46
Particularly when
he's around certain people.
00:28:29.49\00:28:33.16
And he said, "Doc,
you need to pray for me.
00:28:33.19\00:28:34.75
You need to fast with me because
I'm just feeling like giving up.
00:28:34.78\00:28:39.44
Because it seems like I'll
never get done with these urges.
00:28:39.47\00:28:43.86
These temptations
seem to be strong."
00:28:43.89\00:28:45.95
And I told him,
"We're going to pray for you.
00:28:45.98\00:28:48.28
We're going to fast with you.
00:28:48.51\00:28:50.16
But let me tell
you something, brother.
00:28:50.19\00:28:52.00
You will never have
the type of testimony,
00:28:52.03\00:28:56.24
there will never be
a better opportunity
00:28:56.27\00:28:59.15
to give a testimony to
those who are struggling
00:28:59.18\00:29:02.75
than the testimony
you can give right now."
00:29:02.78\00:29:04.97
In other words, God
might tell you after we pray,
00:29:05.47\00:29:09.15
He might tell you after we fast,
He might tell you the same thing
00:29:09.18\00:29:13.57
that He told Paul.
00:29:13.60\00:29:14.97
He might say, "My
grace is sufficient."
00:29:15.00\00:29:18.03
So that form that you're trying
to get rid of might be there
00:29:19.66\00:29:23.85
because it can
be your testimony.
00:29:23.88\00:29:26.79
And so, David tells us
first of all that when you
00:29:27.64\00:29:31.30
are experiencing life that
has taken a drastic change,
00:29:31.33\00:29:34.59
when your plan A
has moved to plan B,
00:29:35.32\00:29:39.48
the first thing that you should
remember is where you are.
00:29:39.51\00:29:43.89
If you
understand that, say amen.
00:29:43.92\00:29:45.77
Number two, not only should
you remember where you are,
00:29:46.51\00:29:49.47
David says you need
to tell God how you feel.
00:29:49.50\00:29:52.49
Look at what he says
in verse 2 of Psalm 57.
00:29:53.95\00:29:56.99
"I will cry unto God
most high; unto God that
00:29:57.39\00:30:03.37
performeth all things for me."
00:30:03.40\00:30:06.97
I like that.
00:30:07.00\00:30:08.37
He says, "I'm going to cry
aloud to a God that I can go to
00:30:08.40\00:30:16.30
confidently, because I know
He performs all things for me."
00:30:16.33\00:30:21.89
Look at it.
00:30:22.12\00:30:23.49
I have confidence that He
can perform all things for me.
00:30:23.52\00:30:28.48
But I've got to cry aloud.
00:30:29.11\00:30:31.66
Now I'm not
dealing with volume here.
00:30:31.69\00:30:33.43
Talking about the
necessity for us to go to God
00:30:34.05\00:30:36.98
and tell Him what we want.
00:30:37.01\00:30:38.45
Come on, say amen.
00:30:38.48\00:30:39.85
Brothers and sisters,
David said, "Listen, there comes
00:30:40.10\00:30:42.46
a point in life when
you've got to just let
00:30:42.49\00:30:44.88
God know how you feel."
00:30:44.91\00:30:46.36
If you're sick and
tired of being sick and tired,
00:30:46.39\00:30:48.37
don't tell your
neighbor; tell God.
00:30:48.40\00:30:50.15
You all missed what I just said.
00:30:51.05\00:30:52.44
"And why, Brother
Pastor, do I need to tell God?
00:30:52.94\00:30:56.23
God knows my heart."
00:30:56.26\00:30:57.63
Yeah, He might know your heart,
but He needs to hear your voice.
00:30:57.66\00:30:59.66
Come on, say amen.
00:30:59.69\00:31:01.06
Because it's the
passion that it illustrates.
00:31:01.83\00:31:04.76
That's what I'm talking about.
00:31:04.96\00:31:06.33
God wants to know
how bad do you want it.
00:31:06.36\00:31:08.84
Yeah, the battle has turned
and you want God to do something
00:31:10.77\00:31:15.48
about this plan B that you're
living in, but God want to know
00:31:15.51\00:31:20.05
how badly do you want it.
00:31:20.08\00:31:23.60
Yeah, see God says, "I
know something about you."
00:31:24.75\00:31:28.33
And it's reflected in
the fact that God knows that
00:31:28.81\00:31:36.87
we will seek Him and we
will find Him when we do what?
00:31:36.97\00:31:40.48
When we search for
Him with all of our heart.
00:31:41.65\00:31:43.11
Jeremiah said, in reality is
God says, "Now some of you all
00:31:43.14\00:31:48.38
sought after a husband with more
passion than you seek after Me.
00:31:48.41\00:31:53.28
And that's why
you're married, but you're
00:31:54.66\00:31:56.10
disconnected from Me."
00:31:56.13\00:31:57.53
He says, "There are some
of you who have searched after
00:31:58.39\00:32:00.81
homes and scholarships
with more passion than
00:32:00.84\00:32:04.81
you searched after Me.
00:32:04.84\00:32:06.21
And that's why you're in
school but you seem to be
00:32:06.24\00:32:08.49
out of relationship with Me."
00:32:08.52\00:32:11.03
And God is telling us
that there comes a point
00:32:12.01\00:32:15.61
when we need to
lay it bare before God.
00:32:15.64\00:32:18.89
If we want to get out of
the situation that we're in,
00:32:19.87\00:32:23.26
or if we want God to give
us the strength to bear the
00:32:23.29\00:32:26.15
situation that we're in, or
if we want God to reveal the
00:32:26.18\00:32:29.65
purposes of the
situation that we're in,
00:32:29.68\00:32:31.91
we need to go to
God with passion.
00:32:31.94\00:32:34.50
Come on, say amen.
00:32:34.53\00:32:35.90
Some of us are
too quickly deterred.
00:32:36.30\00:32:38.10
People get on our nerves.
00:32:38.32\00:32:40.07
Somebody roll their
eyes at us at church,
00:32:40.10\00:32:41.83
we stop coming to church.
00:32:41.86\00:32:43.23
Come on, say amen.
00:32:43.26\00:32:44.63
Nobody is that valuable
to me. Come on, say amen.
00:32:44.66\00:32:46.11
You've got to keep
on pressing to God.
00:32:46.15\00:32:47.96
You've got to keep on
coming to church when you don't
00:32:47.99\00:32:49.79
feel like coming to church.
00:32:49.82\00:32:51.27
You've got to keep praying when
you don't feel like praying.
00:32:51.30\00:32:53.98
Because God sometimes
will take you about as far,
00:32:54.01\00:32:57.51
allow you to go
about as far as you can go.
00:32:57.54\00:33:00.34
And just when you're
on the verge of giving up,
00:33:00.37\00:33:02.76
He steps in and
shows Himself strong.
00:33:02.79\00:33:06.33
Come on, say amen.
00:33:06.36\00:33:07.73
Brothers and sisters,
David says number one,
00:33:08.41\00:33:11.98
when the battle turns,
when things take unusual turns,
00:33:12.28\00:33:17.19
we need to
remember where we are.
00:33:17.40\00:33:20.06
And then secondly,
David tells us that we
00:33:20.43\00:33:22.74
need to learn how to pray.
00:33:22.77\00:33:24.14
Come on, say amen.
00:33:24.17\00:33:25.54
We need to tell God how we feel.
00:33:25.57\00:33:28.04
And then thirdly and
finally, we need to do something
00:33:28.75\00:33:32.36
that is always
interesting to me in its time.
00:33:32.56\00:33:37.63
We need to
praise God in advance.
00:33:37.66\00:33:40.79
Somebody say, "right now."
00:33:41.66\00:33:44.20
We need to learn how
to praise God in advance.
00:33:44.23\00:33:48.79
The Bible says in that
same 57th chapter verses 7 to 9,
00:33:48.82\00:33:54.85
this is David speaking, "My
heart is..." What, everybody?
00:33:54.88\00:33:58.63
"...fixed, O God,
my heart is fixed.
00:33:58.66\00:34:04.89
I will sing and
give..." What, everyone?
00:34:04.92\00:34:08.00
"Awake up, my glory;
awake, psaltery and harp.
00:34:08.03\00:34:11.02
I myself will awake early."
00:34:11.05\00:34:14.05
Brothers and sisters, let
me let you in on something.
00:34:14.08\00:34:17.33
David is singing
praises unto God, but David is
00:34:17.36\00:34:22.04
still in the cave.
00:34:22.07\00:34:24.06
Nothing has changed
about his situation,
00:34:26.63\00:34:29.75
but he's praising God in
the middle of the situation.
00:34:29.95\00:34:34.55
David teaches us that we
have to trust in God enough
00:34:34.90\00:34:39.66
to tell Him, "Thank You,"
when the situation is still bad.
00:34:39.69\00:34:44.33
"I'm not thanking
You for the trouble,
00:34:44.36\00:34:46.57
I'm thanking You for
keeping me in the trouble."
00:34:46.60\00:34:49.78
It takes discipline
to praise God in advance,
00:34:50.63\00:34:53.55
because praise will
validate your faith.
00:34:53.58\00:34:55.54
Come on, say amen.
00:34:55.57\00:34:56.94
Praise really demonstrates.
00:34:56.97\00:34:58.72
There's nothing
mystical or magical.
00:34:58.75\00:35:01.23
I hear the way praise
and worship is banded around
00:35:01.26\00:35:03.81
these days as if it has
some kind of mystical capacity.
00:35:03.84\00:35:06.64
Praise actually
validates your faith.
00:35:07.32\00:35:11.35
It is a stamp that
something is actually going on.
00:35:11.56\00:35:16.34
Come on, say amen.
00:35:16.37\00:35:17.74
When I go to a
restaurant every now and then,
00:35:18.17\00:35:20.84
I make sure that my
ticket is validated.
00:35:20.87\00:35:23.58
Come on, somebody.
00:35:23.61\00:35:24.98
When I'm validated, it is
proof that I've been there.
00:35:25.01\00:35:29.05
And when you begin to
praise God in the middle of an
00:35:29.25\00:35:32.56
unusual situation, it is a
sign that you recognize that
00:35:32.59\00:35:36.54
you've been there
and God's been there too.
00:35:36.57\00:35:38.79
Come on, say amen.
00:35:38.82\00:35:40.19
Praise will validate your faith.
00:35:40.57\00:35:42.71
But not only will
praise validate your faith,
00:35:42.74\00:35:45.69
but praise will
elevate your joy.
00:35:45.72\00:35:47.81
I said praise
will elevate your joy.
00:35:48.70\00:35:51.53
I know some folk get a
little nervous about their joy
00:35:52.07\00:35:55.03
being elevated, but
let me tell you something.
00:35:55.06\00:35:56.90
When you've been
struggling long enough,
00:35:56.93\00:35:58.30
you just want to feel better.
00:35:58.33\00:35:59.70
Come on, say amen.
00:35:59.73\00:36:01.10
Every now and then, you
just want to feel better.
00:36:01.13\00:36:03.55
And the Bible says that God,
listen, He inhabits the praises
00:36:03.80\00:36:09.56
of His people.
00:36:10.24\00:36:11.62
I like that.
00:36:11.65\00:36:13.02
He inhabits the
praises of His people.
00:36:13.38\00:36:17.41
And what's happening is,
God, who is always with us,
00:36:17.44\00:36:20.39
seems to sit down when
you respect Him enough to
00:36:20.42\00:36:23.64
just praise Him in
the middle of a storm.
00:36:23.67\00:36:25.76
Come on, say amen.
00:36:25.79\00:36:27.16
Our praises not only validate
our faith, they elevate our joy.
00:36:28.05\00:36:33.08
And I learned that
there are some things...
00:36:33.11\00:36:36.38
Listen to me now.
00:36:36.41\00:36:37.78
There are some things
that really won't move
00:36:37.81\00:36:40.81
in your life.
00:36:42.00\00:36:43.37
I'm not talking about a formula.
00:36:43.40\00:36:44.84
I'm not talking
about something I heard.
00:36:44.87\00:36:46.55
I'm talking about
something I've seen.
00:36:46.58\00:36:48.15
Come on, say amen.
00:36:48.18\00:36:49.55
Okay, don't mistake
this for some faith formula.
00:36:49.61\00:36:52.21
But there are some things in
your life that won't move until
00:36:52.67\00:36:55.96
your faith goes
to another level.
00:36:55.99\00:36:57.98
You missed what I just said.
00:36:59.21\00:37:00.58
The just shall live by faith.
00:37:00.99\00:37:04.83
And there are some
things that just won't move
00:37:05.12\00:37:08.48
until you move to
a new level of faith.
00:37:08.70\00:37:12.54
I read a book years
ago, Joseph Garlington,
00:37:12.87\00:37:14.87
psalmist in
Pittsburgh, I believe.
00:37:14.90\00:37:16.76
He says he was
observing a gentlemen, he was
00:37:16.96\00:37:20.51
looking at an artist
and he was looking at a
00:37:20.54\00:37:22.50
potter produce
vessels in a traditional...
00:37:22.53\00:37:25.98
Listen, he was looking
at a potter produce vessels
00:37:26.01\00:37:31.05
in a traditional clay furnace.
00:37:31.08\00:37:34.26
You hear me, you follow me now?
00:37:34.29\00:37:35.93
Looking at a potter and
he's making these vessels
00:37:35.96\00:37:40.28
in a traditional clay furnace.
00:37:40.31\00:37:42.39
And what he couldn't understand
was that this traditional
00:37:42.42\00:37:46.22
clay furnace, Dr. Doggette,
didn't have a timer on it.
00:37:46.25\00:37:50.65
But the pottery kept
coming out perfectly.
00:37:52.36\00:37:56.95
Just always on time.
00:37:57.34\00:38:00.06
Never undone, never too done.
00:38:00.09\00:38:02.61
And Joseph Garlington began
to wonder, "How in the world
00:38:03.03\00:38:06.19
do you know when it's time
to bring that piece of pottery
00:38:06.22\00:38:11.16
out of the fire?"
00:38:11.19\00:38:12.56
I don't know about
you, but every now and then,
00:38:13.68\00:38:16.40
I kind of want to
wonder, I kind of want to know,
00:38:16.43\00:38:19.31
how much longer am I going
to struggle with some of the
00:38:19.34\00:38:22.97
struggles I'm struggling with?
00:38:23.00\00:38:24.91
That isn't good
English, but that will preach.
00:38:24.94\00:38:26.38
Come on, say amen.
00:38:26.41\00:38:27.78
Every now and then you
want to know, when is trouble
00:38:28.26\00:38:31.51
going to pass over?
00:38:31.54\00:38:33.36
And so, Joseph Garlington
said he went to the guy.
00:38:33.71\00:38:36.70
He said, "Let me ask
you, how do you know when it's
00:38:36.73\00:38:40.75
time to bring the pottery out?"
00:38:40.78\00:38:42.89
And he said, "It makes a sound."
00:38:42.92\00:38:45.92
He said, wait a
minute, "It makes a sound.
00:38:47.60\00:38:50.86
When you hear this hiss,
when you hear this sound,
00:38:51.07\00:38:54.69
then you know it's time
to bring it out of the fire."
00:38:54.72\00:38:57.76
Come on, say, "Praise the Lord."
00:38:57.79\00:38:59.24
And so Joseph
Garlington couldn't believe it.
00:38:59.27\00:39:01.41
But he got close to the furnace.
00:39:01.44\00:39:03.85
And when it was about
time for that piece of pottery
00:39:04.05\00:39:07.48
to come out...
00:39:07.51\00:39:08.88
It might have been a
vase, it might have been an
00:39:08.91\00:39:10.42
intricately designed plate.
00:39:10.45\00:39:12.10
...he looked at the
potter and the potter listened,
00:39:12.13\00:39:16.53
and it began to hiss.
00:39:16.56\00:39:18.63
And when it began to make
a sound, it was an indication
00:39:18.66\00:39:22.66
that it was time to
come out of the fire.
00:39:22.69\00:39:25.54
Brothers and sisters, I came to
tell you that one of the reasons
00:39:25.78\00:39:28.95
we stay in fire as long as we
do is because every now and then
00:39:28.98\00:39:33.48
God wants us to
make a sound of faith.
00:39:33.51\00:39:36.56
Come on, say amen.
00:39:36.59\00:39:37.96
I don't know what your sound is.
00:39:38.09\00:39:39.46
I'm not promoting
sounds in this service.
00:39:39.49\00:39:41.19
Come on, say amen.
00:39:41.22\00:39:42.59
Your sound might
be, "Lord, I trust You."
00:39:42.62\00:39:45.10
Your sound might be,
"Lord, I believe in You."
00:39:45.33\00:39:48.68
Your sound might be,
"The Lord's been good to me."
00:39:48.71\00:39:51.80
I don't know what your sound
is, but your sound should be
00:39:51.83\00:39:54.96
an indication that, "My
faith has gone to a new level."
00:39:54.99\00:39:59.66
So David tells us that
if we want to live through
00:40:00.86\00:40:07.46
these situations in life
that just don't seem to make
00:40:07.94\00:40:13.37
any sense, when our plan
A's have moved to plan B or C,
00:40:13.40\00:40:20.10
D, E, there are some things
that you need to remember.
00:40:21.59\00:40:28.13
But the most important
thing that you need to remember
00:40:28.88\00:40:31.62
is to trust in God.
00:40:31.65\00:40:33.92
I've told this story, I
don't have it in my notes,
00:40:34.56\00:40:36.31
but I can tell it by heart.
00:40:36.34\00:40:37.71
And if you've
heard me preach before,
00:40:37.74\00:40:39.11
you know I can
tell this by heart.
00:40:39.14\00:40:40.66
I was doing a
crusade in Indonesia.
00:40:41.12\00:40:43.97
And it was right around the
time when the tsunami had hit.
00:40:45.26\00:40:49.26
And we did like a
three week crusade.
00:40:50.27\00:40:52.03
I'm not sure,
three or four weeks.
00:40:52.06\00:40:53.43
And when I was about to leave
Indonesia to come back home,
00:40:53.71\00:40:57.75
one of the pastors said,
"Doc, I need to talk to you."
00:40:59.52\00:41:02.34
I said, "Okay."
00:41:02.37\00:41:03.74
And we sat down and he
told me about a situation that
00:41:03.77\00:41:07.37
happened to one of his
brothers who was a Christian
00:41:07.40\00:41:11.77
in the Aceh
District in Indonesia."
00:41:11.80\00:41:14.19
He said, "Doc, my
brother is a believer, he's a
00:41:15.10\00:41:19.08
Seventh-day Adventist
believer in the Aceh District."
00:41:19.11\00:41:22.36
Which is predominately
Muslim district in Indonesia.
00:41:22.39\00:41:24.64
And he said, "For years they got
progressively more discouraged.
00:41:24.67\00:41:31.65
Because they couldn't figure
out why God couldn't take better
00:41:32.24\00:41:35.91
care of them than He was."
00:41:35.94\00:41:37.92
Have you ever felt like that?
00:41:38.49\00:41:39.86
Yeah, sometimes
you're wondering,
00:41:41.15\00:41:43.12
"If You have all of that
power, why won't You spend
00:41:43.15\00:41:48.01
a little of that power on me?
00:41:48.04\00:41:50.67
If You have all that wisdom that
we've been taught to understand,
00:41:52.01\00:41:56.07
why don't You use some of
that wisdom and get me out of
00:41:56.10\00:41:58.64
the mess that I'm into."
00:41:58.67\00:42:00.39
And pretty soon, if you begin
to speak to yourself like that,
00:42:00.42\00:42:03.20
you can discourage yourself.
00:42:03.23\00:42:06.22
So he said, listen, he
said, "Year after year,
00:42:07.16\00:42:09.93
these folk in this Aceh
District, these Christians
00:42:10.13\00:42:13.61
in the Aceh District who
were persecuted by the Muslims,
00:42:13.64\00:42:17.26
they were never
allowed to participate
00:42:17.29\00:42:19.57
in the Christian festivals."
00:42:19.60\00:42:21.31
They couldn't celebrate
Easter, they couldn't celebrate
00:42:21.34\00:42:24.35
the sacraments, they
couldn't celebrate...
00:42:24.38\00:42:25.75
Listen, they
couldn't celebrate Christmas.
00:42:25.78\00:42:28.27
He said, "But one year,
they said, 'We're tired of
00:42:28.67\00:42:31.85
begging you to allow
us to celebrate Christmas.
00:42:31.88\00:42:36.09
We're Christians and we're
going to celebrate Christmas.
00:42:36.12\00:42:39.81
We don't understand why
God is taking us through
00:42:39.84\00:42:42.57
the way He's taking us through.
00:42:42.60\00:42:44.06
But we're going to
celebrate Christmas this year.
00:42:44.09\00:42:45.98
You won't give us permission
to celebrate Christmas
00:42:46.01\00:42:49.05
in the city square, so
we're going to celebrate
00:42:49.08\00:42:50.80
Christmas in the mountains.'"
00:42:50.83\00:42:53.01
And so the brother said, "My
brother and that congregation
00:42:54.86\00:42:58.71
complained all the
way up the mountain.
00:42:58.74\00:43:01.50
'Why can't You do us no better
than You're doing us, God?
00:43:02.00\00:43:05.21
Why can't You
listen to our prayers?
00:43:05.68\00:43:07.70
We're in the middle of a
Muslim enclave and You can't
00:43:07.73\00:43:10.25
take care of Your children?'"
00:43:10.28\00:43:12.13
He said they complained
all the way up the mountain.
00:43:12.56\00:43:15.67
But he said when they got to
the mountain, when they began to
00:43:15.70\00:43:18.29
praise and magnify God,
thinking about the goodness
00:43:18.32\00:43:22.11
of their God, he said
their attitudes changed.
00:43:22.14\00:43:25.39
And as they came down from
the mountains, they saw the
00:43:25.42\00:43:29.18
buildings that had become
devastated by the tsunami.
00:43:29.21\00:43:32.94
They saw the schools that
were devastated by the tsunami.
00:43:34.66\00:43:38.03
They saw the churches that
had been, and mosques that had
00:43:38.06\00:43:41.93
been devastated by the tsunami.
00:43:41.96\00:43:44.13
And they realized that
they would have been devastated
00:43:44.16\00:43:48.15
by the tsunami if God had not
driven them to the mountains.
00:43:48.18\00:43:53.48
And every now and
then, you need to thank God
00:43:55.03\00:43:58.23
for your mountains.
00:43:58.26\00:44:00.07
The song writer said,
"Thank Him for your valleys,
00:44:00.34\00:44:03.18
and thank Him for the storms
that He brought you through.
00:44:03.38\00:44:06.98
Because if I never had a
problem, I'd never know that
00:44:07.15\00:44:10.30
God could solve them.
00:44:10.33\00:44:11.90
I'd never know what
faith in His word could do."
00:44:11.93\00:44:14.97
But the song writer
said, "Through it all,
00:44:15.00\00:44:17.35
I learned to trust in Jesus."
00:44:17.38\00:44:20.04
There's something about the
mountains that God allows us
00:44:20.24\00:44:23.81
to be driven to that
give us an entirely different
00:44:23.84\00:44:26.75
perspective on life.
00:44:26.78\00:44:32.00
We serve a good God.
00:44:34.91\00:44:36.57
Brothers and
sisters, there are many people
00:44:39.59\00:44:41.58
under the sound of my voice...
00:44:41.61\00:44:42.98
You can start
playing for me now.
00:44:43.01\00:44:44.38
There are many people
under the sound of my voice
00:44:44.84\00:44:47.25
who really actually certainly
have almost come to the
00:44:47.62\00:44:53.74
point of desperation because
life has not gone the way
00:44:53.77\00:44:59.68
that they planned life to go.
00:44:59.71\00:45:02.48
The battle has gone bad.
00:45:04.01\00:45:06.66
As a matter of fact, sometimes
your struggle is not so much
00:45:07.48\00:45:10.84
that the battle has gone
bad as much as it just didn't go
00:45:10.87\00:45:14.61
according to plan.
00:45:14.64\00:45:16.21
I was thinking as I was driving
here, driving to this service,
00:45:18.80\00:45:23.96
that I was a student at Oakwood.
00:45:23.99\00:45:27.23
And even before I
was a student at Oakwood,
00:45:27.26\00:45:29.54
I would come here from Memphis
to camp meeting services.
00:45:29.57\00:45:33.12
And I heard one
evangelist after another almost
00:45:33.15\00:45:37.42
guaranteeing us
that Jesus is coming.
00:45:37.45\00:45:40.99
Jesus is coming.
00:45:42.25\00:45:43.66
When I got to Oakwood,
one of my favorite pastors,
00:45:44.12\00:45:46.79
Elder Ward, was right here.
00:45:46.82\00:45:48.28
And he preached the second
coming with such conviction
00:45:48.60\00:45:52.58
that sometimes I was
scared to get out of my seat.
00:45:52.61\00:45:54.92
Because I was absolutely
convinced that before I got to
00:45:55.76\00:46:00.61
my dorm, Jesus would be coming.
00:46:00.64\00:46:03.90
I was convinced I
wasn't going to get married.
00:46:04.76\00:46:06.23
I knew I wasn't
going to have kids.
00:46:06.26\00:46:07.78
Because Jesus was coming.
00:46:07.98\00:46:09.35
And there was no Seventh-day
Adventist over the age of
00:46:09.84\00:46:12.68
20 or 30 who was
not absolutely convinced
00:46:12.71\00:46:16.26
that you would have
been in heaven by now.
00:46:16.29\00:46:18.30
Am I right about it?
00:46:19.35\00:46:20.72
But the reality is,
that's not all that they said.
00:46:21.23\00:46:26.04
They told us to have a
faith in God that was so strong
00:46:26.43\00:46:32.00
that we could
occupy until God came.
00:46:32.03\00:46:35.39
And sometimes, this
occupation comes with pain.
00:46:36.07\00:46:38.46
Sometimes this
occupation comes with trial.
00:46:38.49\00:46:41.35
And sometimes this occupation
comes with tribulation.
00:46:41.38\00:46:44.09
And then so for that reason,
we have these series like
00:46:44.12\00:46:46.78
the Anchors Of Truth.
00:46:46.81\00:46:48.18
Where we can stand on our
two feet and say, "I might be in
00:46:48.21\00:46:51.28
plan B, but God
is still in control."
00:46:51.31\00:46:55.43
And if you've
come to the point...
00:46:56.39\00:46:58.57
Listen to me.
00:46:58.60\00:46:59.97
If you've come to the
point where you're just about
00:47:00.00\00:47:02.98
giving up because
you've strayed away from home,
00:47:03.01\00:47:06.58
or you've about given up because
the plan that somebody laid out
00:47:06.61\00:47:10.84
for you is not consistent with
the plan that you're living,
00:47:10.87\00:47:14.14
I came to tell you that
God can take you from wherever
00:47:14.34\00:47:19.98
point you are right
now and bring you home.
00:47:20.01\00:47:22.77
You all missed what I just said.
00:47:24.07\00:47:25.74
God can take you
from wherever you are
00:47:25.97\00:47:29.61
and bring you
home from that point.
00:47:29.79\00:47:32.41
Messed up life? He
can bring you home.
00:47:32.44\00:47:34.26
I was in Tampa...
00:47:35.50\00:47:36.93
And I'm going to bring
Serenity on to close this out.
00:47:37.19\00:47:39.69
I was in Tampa
doing a meeting in Tampa.
00:47:39.99\00:47:42.93
And when I left my hotel,
I wasn't familiar with Tampa.
00:47:43.38\00:47:48.33
So I kept getting lost.
00:47:48.93\00:47:51.00
But I had a little gadget
in my phone that had a GPS.
00:47:52.41\00:47:56.56
Come on, say amen.
00:47:56.59\00:47:57.96
And I found out that
wherever I was, if I need to
00:47:58.85\00:48:03.16
get to my hotel, which was home,
all I had to do was punch in
00:48:03.19\00:48:07.50
"current location."
00:48:07.53\00:48:09.74
And it would take me
right to where I needed to be.
00:48:10.00\00:48:14.60
I got lost all over Tampa.
00:48:14.83\00:48:17.11
But whenever I got lost, I
just put in "current location."
00:48:17.14\00:48:21.32
And that global position
system would take me home.
00:48:21.57\00:48:24.65
Then one time, I was in
a lane, I'll never forget.
00:48:24.68\00:48:26.92
This guy, I saw
where I needed to go.
00:48:26.95\00:48:29.14
I was absolutely sure
about where I needed to go.
00:48:29.17\00:48:31.32
But the guy didn't
give me enough space.
00:48:31.35\00:48:32.89
He cut me off. I
went the wrong way.
00:48:32.92\00:48:35.72
But I put in "current position"
and it took me right back
00:48:36.61\00:48:40.27
to my hotel.
00:48:40.30\00:48:41.67
I want to leave you with this.
00:48:41.70\00:48:44.43
I don't care where you
are in life, if you can just
00:48:44.46\00:48:48.37
call up to God your current
location, He can get you home.
00:48:48.40\00:48:54.34
It might be in a
messed up marriage,
00:48:54.37\00:48:57.60
just dial in current location
and He can get you home.
00:48:57.63\00:49:01.54
It might be in an
abusive relationship,
00:49:01.57\00:49:03.69
get some help, get out.
00:49:03.89\00:49:05.48
God can get you from that
current location safely home.
00:49:05.51\00:49:11.52
We serve a God
who loves us so much
00:49:12.48\00:49:16.66
that He can make up for
the years that the locusts...
00:49:17.58\00:49:21.34
Anybody here trust Him?
00:49:23.82\00:49:25.23
Father, we thank You
00:49:25.99\00:49:27.36
for this series,
Anchors Of Truth.
00:49:29.38\00:49:31.15
This series that has
reinforced our faith.
00:49:32.02\00:49:35.30
We love You.
00:49:35.33\00:49:36.70
We love You so much
that we want to serve You
00:49:36.78\00:49:39.42
when we don't have strength
to do what we want to do.
00:49:39.78\00:49:43.37
So live out Your life within us.
00:49:43.90\00:49:46.79
And we will be careful
to give You the praise.
00:49:47.05\00:49:51.03
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:49:51.22\00:49:52.80
Put your hands
together and thank God.
00:49:53.24\00:49:55.41
A better day, after while,
00:50:32.64\00:50:39.10
there will be a better day.
00:50:39.13\00:50:48.00
A better day, oh child.
00:50:48.28\00:50:55.30
There'll be a
better day after while.
00:50:55.33\00:51:05.29
A better day, after while,
00:51:13.78\00:51:20.08
there will be a better day.
00:51:20.40\00:51:29.04
A better day, oh child.
00:51:29.07\00:51:35.93
There'll be a
better day after while.
00:51:36.23\00:51:46.23
I'm gonna trade
all my troubles in
00:51:51.41\00:51:57.52
for a lifetime of smiles.
00:51:57.72\00:52:02.95
And I'll forget
how hard it's been
00:52:02.98\00:52:07.51
to run these last few miles.
00:52:07.54\00:52:13.06
Then when Jesus says to me,
00:52:13.26\00:52:18.13
"Welcome home, My child,"
00:52:18.16\00:52:23.17
all the bitter heartaches here
00:52:23.20\00:52:28.04
will surely be worthwhile.
00:52:28.07\00:52:31.77
A better day, after while,
00:52:34.39\00:52:41.03
there will be a better day.
00:52:41.06\00:52:49.18
A better day, oh child.
00:52:49.38\00:52:56.21
There'll be a
better day after while.
00:52:56.41\00:53:06.41
I'm going to
trade all my troubles in
00:53:11.33\00:53:17.22
for a lifetime of smiles.
00:53:17.65\00:53:22.19
And I'll forget
how hard it's been
00:53:22.63\00:53:27.20
to run these last few miles.
00:53:27.23\00:53:32.67
Then when Jesus says to me,
00:53:32.99\00:53:37.68
"Welcome home, My child,"
00:53:37.88\00:53:42.91
all the bitter heartaches here
00:53:42.94\00:53:47.65
will surely be worthwhile.
00:53:47.68\00:53:51.30
A better day, after while,
00:53:54.20\00:53:59.14
child, it will be a better day.
00:53:59.17\00:54:08.74
A better day, oh child.
00:54:08.77\00:54:15.15
There'll be a
better day after while.
00:54:15.52\00:54:25.50
I'm gonna ride
on the rainbow road,
00:54:31.86\00:54:36.57
travel on the Milky Way.
00:54:36.60\00:54:41.21
I'm gonna live in a home where
there is no more rent to pay.
00:54:41.47\00:54:49.44
No more storm and no more rain;
00:54:51.16\00:54:55.34
one long clear summer day.
00:54:55.37\00:55:00.24
Lord, I pray for
the coming of the day
00:55:00.55\00:55:04.97
when I will fly away.
00:55:05.17\00:55:14.58
Lord, there'll be a
better day after while.
00:55:14.92\00:55:24.84
It will be a better day,
00:55:25.56\00:55:30.87
a better day, oh child.
00:55:30.90\00:55:39.15
There'll be a
better day after while.
00:55:39.62\00:55:49.18
There'll be a
better day, oh child.
00:55:49.49\00:55:58.96
There'll be a
better day, oh child.
00:55:59.46\00:56:08.74
There'll be a
better day, oh child.
00:56:08.94\00:56:17.95
There'll be a
better day after while.
00:56:18.35\00:56:28.35
I often think how sad it would
be, how apocalyptically sad
00:56:42.15\00:56:46.33
it would be to sit where we have
sat these past several days,
00:56:46.36\00:56:49.71
to feel what we have
felt these past several days,
00:56:49.74\00:56:52.67
to experience what we
have experienced these past
00:56:52.70\00:56:55.83
several days, and then
come down to judgment day
00:56:55.86\00:56:59.68
and have Jesus
say, "Depart from Me,
00:56:59.92\00:57:02.88
I don't know you.
00:57:03.42\00:57:04.79
I saw you stand and scream
and shake and wave and sing,
00:57:04.96\00:57:09.62
but you never took time to
develop a relationship with Me."
00:57:09.92\00:57:13.67
This mean nothing
unless we pledge in our hearts
00:57:13.70\00:57:17.89
this day that we're going to
be one with Jesus on that Day.
00:57:17.92\00:57:23.32
Because that's
what it's all about.
00:57:23.54\00:57:25.34
That's where the anchor is.
00:57:25.37\00:57:27.34
God bless you.
00:57:27.70\00:57:29.07
Let us promise to
meet in the earth made new
00:57:29.45\00:57:32.67
at the foot of Jesus.
00:57:32.70\00:57:34.36