? (Theme Song) ?
? Jesus is worthy ?
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? oh yes, he's worthy
? ? worthy of all... ?
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? all the praise ?
(Theme) Pastor Byrd: Some of us,
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if we tell the
truth and shame the devil,
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some of us are in
some financial drama.
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Some of us are in some
financial mess right now.
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I'm talking about
what's going out is greater
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than what's coming in.
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Anybody know what
I'm talking about?
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Don't act like you don't
know what I'm talking about.
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I say, anybody know
what I'm talking about?
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If you're not in
financial drama now, you do know
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what it's like to
have financial drama.
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What do you mean, Pastor Byrd?
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Well, somebody knows
what it's like to rob Peter
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to pay Paul.
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Somebody knows what it's
like when you don't have enough
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money in your pockets or
in your bank account to pay
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one bi one month,
and then alternate to pay
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another bill the next month,
and you stagger your bill paying
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so you have just
enough money every month.
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Somebody knows what it's
like to go to the mall and then
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maybe someone says, "Can I get
a ride to the mall?" and then
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they ask you, "Do you have
air-conditioning in your car?"
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And you say, "Yes, I have
240 air." And somebody says,
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"Well, what is 240 air?"
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And you explain, "240 air
is two windows rolled down
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going at 40 miles per hour."
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Do I have a
witness in this place?
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Somebody knows what it's
like to put water in the ketchup
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bottle to stretch the ketchup.
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Anybody know what
I'm talking about?
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And you say, somebody,
though, act like you don't know
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what I'm talking about.
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You know what it's like
to go to McDonald's to get
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some ketchup packets.
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Burger King to get some napkins,
Popeye's to get some jelly,
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and Taco Bell to
get some hot sauce.
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I wish I had a
witness in this place?
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You haven't always had
it going on like you do now.
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And I get concerned.
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Because when you
come to the house of God,
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and you sit there and look
like God hasn't blessed you,
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that God hasn't kept you,
that God hasn't raised you,
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that God hasn't
saved or delivered you,
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I get concerned.
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Because David said,
"Make a joyful noise
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unto the Lord, all ye lands.
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Serve the Lord with gladness.
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Come before his
presence with singing.
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Know ye that the Lord he is
God, it is he that hath made us,
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and not we ourselves.
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We are his people,
sheep of his pasture.
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Enter into his
gates with thanksgiving
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and into his courts with praise.
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Be thankful unto
him and bless his name."
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Because the Lord is good.
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I said, the Lord is good.
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I believe I've got
another witness in this place.
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The Lord is good.
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His mercy is everlasting
and his truth endureth
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to all generations.
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God's Word says, seek ye first.
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The Bible does
not say, seek ye last.
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"But seek ye first the Kingdom
of God and his righteousness,
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and all these things
shall be added until you."
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Which means if you seek
God, then the things of God
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will seek you.
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But too many people identify
with God solely based on
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the things of God.
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They want a new car;
nothing wrong with that.
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They want a new house;
nothing wrong with that.
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They want healing;
nothing wrong with that.
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They want deliverance;
nothing wrong with that.
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They want a man,
and if you're a woman,
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a single woman, ain't
nothing wrong with that.
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They want a woman, and
if you're a single man,
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ain't nothing wrong with that.
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They want the things of God.
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But when you seek God
first, when you pursue
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a real relationship with
God, you don't get caught up
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in the things of
God, you just want God.
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Which means, then, I'm
not so much concerned about
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the blessings, I
just want the Blessor.
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Because when I have the Blessor,
what makes me different from you
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is that you just
want the blesngs.
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So when the blessings
run out, you lose your mind.
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But because I have the
Blessor, even when I run out
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of the blessings, I can
still praise the Blessor,
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because I know the
Blessor is able to give me
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more blessings.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
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So tonight I just
thank God for being God.
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I want to thank,
I want to worship,
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I want to praise Him.
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Anybody else want
to bless God tonight?
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Quickly, let me tell you how
to rid yourself of the financial
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drama in your life.
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Now, the world will tell
you, you have to get more
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and have more to be more.
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But Jesus said in Mark 8:35,
"For whosoever will save his
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life shall lose it;
but whosoever shall lose
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his life for my
sake and the gospel's,
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the same shall save it."
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Which means in essence
that the more you lose,
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the more you gain.
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I just said
something, somebody missed it.
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That the more you lose, in
actuality, the more you gain.
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You see,
Christianity is counterculture.
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Because how do you
lose more to gain more?
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Society says, get
more to have more.
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Get to Gain.
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Acquire to advance.
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Build to boost.
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Invest to increase.
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Position to profits.
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Promote to prosper.
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But God's math is not your math.
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God's ways are not your ways.
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God's thoughts
are not your thoughts.
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Sometimes you have to
have blessed subtractions
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for multiple additions.
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Sometimes you
have to lose to gain.
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But seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness,
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and all these things
shall be added until you.
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Lay up not for
yourselves treasures on earth,
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where moth and rust
doth corrupt, where thieves
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do not break through and steal.
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But lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven,
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where neither moth or rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves
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do not break through steal,
for where your treasure is,
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there shall your heart be also.
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For what shall it
profit a man, if he shall gain
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the whole world,
and lose his own soul?
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Somebody tonight knows
that five smooth stones
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with God is greater
than an entire army with man.
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That five loaves of
bread and two fish with God
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are greater than a full grocery
cart at Wal-mart or Publix
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with man.
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That 300 Gideonite men with God
are greater than 32,000 soldiers
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with man.
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Sometimes with
God you lose to gain.
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But also, number two,
with God, the more you give,
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the more you have.
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You can't beat God giving,
no matter how hard you try.
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Because the more you
give, the more God gives to you.
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That's why there are some
folk who make less than you
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but have more than you.
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I wish I had a
witness in this place.
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The Bible says, "Bring ye all
the tithes into the storehouse,
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that there may
be meat in my house.
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And prove me now herewith,
saith the Lord of hosts,
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and I will now open you
up the windows of heaven
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and pour you out a blessing
that there should not be room
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enough to receive it."
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Now, some of you all
are not going to like this
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tonight, but I'm going to preach
it anyhow, until you understand
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that you're going to
keep having financial drama,
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you're going to keep struggling,
until you're able to understand
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God's plan and
purpose for your life.
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You see, when you move from
tipping God and you understand
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that you've got to participate
in giving faithful and honest
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tithe and
offerings to God, your life
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will never be the same.
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Let me tell somebody
this tonight: God says
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bring ten percent.
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He said, bring the tithes.
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And the only way you're
going to bring ten percent plus
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an offering is that you
realize that all 100 percent
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came from God.
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I hear some folks say,
God's money is only ten percent.
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No.
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God's money is all 100 percent.
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Not only that, and listen
to me good: I hear people say
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it all the time.
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But we do not pay
tithe and offering.
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We don't pay tithe and offering.
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That goes against our theology.
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We return tithe and offering.
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Do I have a
witness in this place?
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How can we pay what was God's
already in the first place?
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God owns everything.
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All 100 percent is his.
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But that's the problem.
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That's why some of you've
got financial drama, because you
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think it's yours.
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Here you go.
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I work hard for this money.
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It's my job, it's my
money, and I'm going to spend it
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the way I want to spend it.
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Well, whether you know
it or not, the job you have,
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God gave it to you.
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The money you have,
you wouldn't have had it
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in the first place had
God not given it to you.
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So don't walk
around with a big head.
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Because just as soon as
you get it, you can lose it,
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because the Lord
giveth, the Lord taketh away,
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but blessed be
the name of the Lord.
00:10:17.33\00:10:21.30
What shall it profit a man
to gain the whole world and lose
00:10:21.30\00:10:24.73
his own soul?
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Everything you have belongs
to God, and I mean everything.
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And God is so
merciful, God says, I didn't ask
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for 50 percent.
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I didn't ask you for 75 percent.
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I didn't even ask
you for 90 percent.
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I could if I wanted to,
but I didn't ask you for that.
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All I asked you for was
10 percent plus an offering.
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And so I figure in my life,
my wife and I, we figure in our
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Christian experience, because
we don't want financial drama,
00:10:45.53\00:10:48.43
we figure that because
the tithe is as a result of my
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obedience, and the
offering is my love for God,
00:10:51.26\00:10:54.56
all I can do in the
least of what I do is match
00:10:54.56\00:10:58.20
my offering with my
tithe and give ten plus ten.
00:10:58.20\00:11:01.60
You all hear what I'm saying?
00:11:01.60\00:11:03.33
The more you
give, the more you have.
00:11:03.33\00:11:09.43
Now, let's tell the
truth and call the roll
00:11:09.43\00:11:11.96
and shame the devil.
00:11:11.96\00:11:13.50
We give for what we want.
00:11:13.50\00:11:15.26
We're talking
about financial drama.
00:11:15.26\00:11:18.03
We give for what we want.
00:11:18.03\00:11:19.53
Clothes, we give.
00:11:19.53\00:11:23.40
Shoes, we give.
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Cars, homes, we give.
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When you get ready to go
to that concert and it's 25,
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50 dollars a ticket, you pay it.
00:11:36.90\00:11:40.33
You get a new
outfit, a hundred dollars,
00:11:40.33\00:11:42.40
you pay it.
00:11:42.40\00:11:43.60
You get hundred-dollar
shoes to match, you pay it.
00:11:43.60\00:11:46.60
And you don't
think twice about it.
00:11:46.60\00:11:48.70
When you get ready to go
to that basketball or football
00:11:48.70\00:11:50.70
game, there is no issue.
00:11:50.70\00:11:52.43
Ticket charge, no issue.
00:11:52.43\00:11:55.06
Parking charge, no issue.
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You don't care if you even
have to stand in line to get in.
00:11:57.23\00:12:00.26
You don't care if you have
to get there one or two hours
00:12:00.26\00:12:02.96
early, you just want to get in.
00:12:02.96\00:12:04.16
But we fuss about
coming to Sabbath school.
00:12:04.16\00:12:06.33
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:12:06.33\00:12:08.33
You go to the game and
you order nachos and cheese.
00:12:08.33\00:12:10.80
You pay seven dollars for that.
00:12:10.80\00:12:13.43
You order pizza, you pay
five dollars a slice for that,
00:12:13.43\00:12:16.93
when you can go to Little Caesar
and get $5.99 all you can eat.
00:12:16.93\00:12:19.93
Come on, say Amen.
00:12:19.93\00:12:20.93
You pay $3.50 for some
soda, when you could have gone
00:12:20.93\00:12:25.06
to 7-Eleven and gotten
a Big Gulp for 99 cents.
00:12:25.06\00:12:28.26
But you just want in.
00:12:28.26\00:12:30.13
You don't say, man,
that's a lot of money.
00:12:30.13\00:12:32.60
No, you don't say that,
because money is not an issue
00:12:32.60\00:12:35.10
until it comes to God.
00:12:35.10\00:12:37.10
But if you want to be
blessed, you've got to bring it
00:12:38.83\00:12:42.13
to the storehouse.
00:12:42.13\00:12:43.13
If you don't want financial
drama in your life, you've got
00:12:43.13\00:12:46.80
to bring it to the storehouse.
00:12:46.80\00:12:47.93
The Bible says, "Thou shalt
not steal." Now, we've got a lot
00:12:47.93\00:12:51.93
of theological debate
over what is the storehouse.
00:12:51.93\00:12:53.93
The storehouse is God's house.
00:12:53.93\00:12:56.63
It's the place where
you're fed the Word of God.
00:12:56.63\00:12:59.63
It's the place where you
fall on your knees and you pray
00:12:59.63\00:13:01.73
among fellow believers.
00:13:01.73\00:13:03.00
It's the place where you send
your friend when your friend's
00:13:03.00\00:13:06.60
lights go out.
00:13:06.60\00:13:07.56
That's the storehouse.
00:13:07.56\00:13:10.03
It's the place where you sit up
each and every week and receive
00:13:10.03\00:13:13.33
the Word of God.
00:13:13.33\00:13:14.80
Bring ye all the
tithes, the offerings,
00:13:14.80\00:13:17.23
into the storehouse,
and the more you give,
00:13:17.23\00:13:19.83
the more you have.
00:13:19.83\00:13:21.13
Pressed down, shaken
together, running over.
00:13:21.13\00:13:23.96
God will make a way.
00:13:23.96\00:13:25.86
Quit trying to keep up
with the Joneses, quit trying
00:13:25.86\00:13:29.06
to fake it to make it,
quit trying to impress folk
00:13:29.06\00:13:32.06
you don't know to keep up with
folk you don't like with money
00:13:32.06\00:13:36.06
you don't have.
00:13:36.06\00:13:38.50
Invest in God's kingdom.
00:13:38.50\00:13:40.46
The more you
give, the more you have.
00:13:40.46\00:13:45.06
Let me tell you
something, college students.
00:13:45.06\00:13:47.60
College is a
temporary state of poverty.
00:13:47.60\00:13:54.10
College is a
temporary state of poverty.
00:13:54.10\00:14:01.26
Don't be enslaved with
credit card debt and you
00:14:01.26\00:14:07.23
don't have a job to pay it off.
00:14:07.23\00:14:08.53
Preach it, Pastor Byrd;
I'm doing the best I can.
00:14:08.53\00:14:11.30
Don't think you need to
ride around in a Mercedes Benz
00:14:11.30\00:14:15.13
without having a job first.
00:14:15.13\00:14:19.33
You better walk and
exercise, are you hearing
00:14:19.33\00:14:22.23
what I'm saying?
00:14:22.23\00:14:23.56
Don't think that you
can go to Sax Fifth Avenue,
00:14:23.56\00:14:26.83
not here in
Huntsville, we don't have it,
00:14:26.83\00:14:28.83
but Sax Fifth Avenue,
Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus
00:14:28.83\00:14:32.40
and Macy's.
00:14:32.40\00:14:33.40
Remember, you're at Oakwood.
00:14:33.40\00:14:36.63
You're in college, are
you hearing what I'm saying?
00:14:36.63\00:14:39.10
So you know what you gotta do,
go right on over to Marshall's,
00:14:39.10\00:14:42.90
go right on over to T. J. Maxx.
00:14:42.90\00:14:45.40
You can even spruce up the name,
(dignified accent) T. J. Mox,
00:14:45.40\00:14:48.23
you know what I'm saying.
00:14:48.23\00:14:49.40
Go right over to
(dignified accent) Wal-a-mart,
00:14:49.40\00:14:51.46
and you can shop there
until you graduate from Oakwood
00:14:51.46\00:14:54.66
or, better yet, go to a USM
function and get a free T-shirt.
00:14:54.66\00:14:58.50
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:14:58.50\00:15:00.56
You're not going to remember
what you wore at Oakwood anyway.
00:15:00.56\00:15:06.93
Let me tell you something.
00:15:06.93\00:15:07.93
You're laughing at me,
but there's somebody sitting
00:15:07.93\00:15:09.93
here right now
saying, I wish somebody
00:15:09.93\00:15:11.93
had told me this.
00:15:11.93\00:15:12.93
I'm talking about
goodbye, financial drama.
00:15:12.93\00:15:14.93
You'll be 25 years old
and you'll take 50 dollars
00:15:14.93\00:15:18.43
a month and put it into
cable TV, and in 25 years
00:15:18.43\00:15:23.20
you'll have nothing to
show for it but regrets.
00:15:23.20\00:15:25.90
But if you took the same 50
dollars and invested it every
00:15:25.90\00:15:30.10
month for 25 years, it
would turn into $50,000.
00:15:30.10\00:15:34.66
The more you give to God,
the more God gives to you.
00:15:34.66\00:15:40.00
Let me tell you
number two, how you can shake
00:15:40.00\00:15:42.00
financial drama.
00:15:42.00\00:15:43.00
Quickly.
00:15:43.00\00:15:44.43
We often read
Malachi 3 in church.
00:15:44.43\00:15:47.53
I don't care what
church you've been in.
00:15:47.53\00:15:49.53
We read Malachi 3, but
we only read verses 8-10.
00:15:49.53\00:15:55.83
We read, "Will a man rob God?
00:15:55.83\00:15:58.00
Yet ye have robbed me.
00:15:58.00\00:15:59.60
But ye say, Wherein
have we robbed thee?
00:15:59.60\00:16:01.90
In tithes and offerings.
00:16:01.90\00:16:03.00
Ye are cursed with a
curse: for ye have robbed me,
00:16:03.00\00:16:07.03
even this whole nation.
00:16:07.03\00:16:08.03
Bring ye all the
tithes into the storehouse,
00:16:08.03\00:16:10.16
that there may be
meat in mine house,
00:16:10.16\00:16:12.36
and prove me now herewith,
saith the Lord of hosts,
00:16:12.36\00:16:14.36
if I will not open
you the windows of heaven,
00:16:14.36\00:16:16.36
and pour you out a blessing,
that there shall not be room
00:16:16.36\00:16:18.36
enough to receive it."
00:16:18.36\00:16:19.36
And that's where we stop.
00:16:19.36\00:16:22.10
We don't read any further.
00:16:22.10\00:16:25.06
But verse 11 tells us why
the more you give, the more you
00:16:25.06\00:16:28.20
will have.
00:16:28.20\00:16:29.20
Verse 11 tells us why, if
you follow the Word of God, you
00:16:29.20\00:16:32.63
won't have financial drama.
00:16:32.63\00:16:33.76
Look at what verse 11 says.
00:16:33.76\00:16:37.26
The Word of God, God himself,
says, "And I will rebuke
00:16:37.26\00:16:43.73
the devourer for your
sakes, and he shall not destroy
00:16:43.73\00:16:48.53
the fruits of your ground;
neither shall your vine cast
00:16:48.53\00:16:51.73
her fruit before the time
in the field, saith the Lord
00:16:51.73\00:16:54.26
of hosts." Which means,
and listen to me good, not only
00:16:54.26\00:16:57.83
has God promised to bless
you, but God's also promised
00:16:57.83\00:17:01.83
to protect what
he's blessed you with.
00:17:01.83\00:17:04.93
Because the moment you
start being blessed of God,
00:17:04.93\00:17:09.56
the moment financial
drama is no more in your life,
00:17:09.56\00:17:12.66
the devil's going to get busy.
00:17:12.66\00:17:14.70
Can I get real?
00:17:14.70\00:17:16.00
Can I make it plain tonight?
00:17:16.00\00:17:18.53
When you have
cheese, the rats come out.
00:17:18.53\00:17:22.60
[laughter] Let
me say that again.
00:17:22.60\00:17:24.76
The more cheese
you get, the more rats
00:17:24.76\00:17:32.33
you're going to attract.
00:17:32.33\00:17:34.53
You see, when you
didn't have anything,
00:17:34.53\00:17:37.13
when you were broke,
you couldn't buy a friend.
00:17:37.13\00:17:41.93
But when the Lord
started blessing you, everybody
00:17:41.93\00:17:45.76
starting hanging around you.
00:17:45.76\00:17:48.03
Everybody was like,
hey, how are you doing?
00:17:48.03\00:17:51.43
Because the more you
have, the more folk want
00:17:51.43\00:17:53.73
to be around you.
00:17:53.73\00:17:54.73
Because I say it all the time.
00:17:54.73\00:17:55.73
In prosperity your
friends know who you are.
00:17:55.73\00:17:58.76
But in adversity you
know who your friends are.
00:17:58.76\00:18:02.06
Everybody in your
crowd is not supporting you.
00:18:04.33\00:18:09.13
I've learned firsthand in
my ministry that the greatest
00:18:09.13\00:18:12.33
moments in your life can produce
the greatest moments of envy
00:18:12.33\00:18:16.76
and jealousy in
somebody else's life.
00:18:16.76\00:18:19.56
Some folk in your
crowd are leeches.
00:18:19.56\00:18:24.66
They're parasites.
00:18:24.66\00:18:26.60
A parasite wants to cling
to something else and suck
00:18:26.60\00:18:30.13
everything out of it to survive.
00:18:30.13\00:18:32.60
There are some people who
want to cling to you just to see
00:18:32.60\00:18:36.06
what they can get out of you.
00:18:36.06\00:18:37.50
But I'm so glad that the Word
of God says that I will rebuke
00:18:37.50\00:18:43.10
the devourer for your sake.
00:18:43.10\00:18:45.63
Which means God will
shut that thing down and deal
00:18:45.63\00:18:49.40
with the parasites
before they can even get to you.
00:18:49.40\00:18:53.43
There are some things
that would have made it
00:18:53.43\00:18:55.43
to you by now.
00:18:55.43\00:18:56.43
But the reason they didn't
is because God rebuked it.
00:18:56.43\00:18:59.96
God blocked it.
00:18:59.96\00:19:01.76
God devoured it,
hallelujah, somebody.
00:19:01.76\00:19:03.90
Somebody ought to shout
right there because God kept
00:19:03.90\00:19:07.40
some things and
some folk from you.
00:19:07.40\00:19:10.06
You'd be surprised at
all the fake folk smiling
00:19:10.06\00:19:12.96
in your face, hanging around
you, pretending to be your
00:19:12.96\00:19:15.73
friend, and they weren't
doing anything but trying
00:19:15.73\00:19:18.03
to get something out of you.
00:19:18.03\00:19:20.03
But they can't get
anything out of you.
00:19:20.03\00:19:22.13
Because God keeps rebuking them.
00:19:22.13\00:19:24.93
Only when we get to
heaven will we be exposed to all
00:19:24.93\00:19:29.56
the stuff that the enemy
put in motion to get in our way.
00:19:29.56\00:19:34.93
Only when we get to heaven
will we realize all the things
00:19:34.93\00:19:38.93
that the devil tried
to do to take us out,
00:19:38.93\00:19:41.50
but God nipped it in the bud.
00:19:41.50\00:19:44.43
God nipped it
and God blocked it,
00:19:44.43\00:19:47.43
before it got off the ground.
00:19:47.43\00:19:50.13
He rebukes the
devourer, he rebukes the enemy,
00:19:50.13\00:19:53.83
he shoots the adversary down.
00:19:53.83\00:19:56.26
Listen to me.
00:19:56.26\00:19:57.26
That's why many millionaires
have financial drama
00:19:57.26\00:20:00.93
and lose all of their
money, because they didn't
00:20:00.93\00:20:03.86
return tithe.
00:20:03.86\00:20:06.03
They didn't give
a faithful offering.
00:20:06.03\00:20:08.03
And they didn't
have God's protection.
00:20:08.03\00:20:10.83
So they
inherited crooked lawyers,
00:20:10.83\00:20:14.43
crooked
accountants, crooked tax folk,
00:20:14.43\00:20:18.03
crooked financial
planners, crooked friends,
00:20:18.03\00:20:21.03
crooked husbands, crooked wives,
00:20:21.03\00:20:23.00
crooked coworkers,
crooked church members.
00:20:23.00\00:20:25.90
They inherited
crooked folk all around them,
00:20:25.90\00:20:29.60
just leeching off them.
00:20:29.60\00:20:32.16
They had no protection
for the blessing of God
00:20:32.16\00:20:35.50
because they confused
being blessed with having money.
00:20:35.50\00:20:39.96
Just because you have money
does not mean you're blessed.
00:20:39.96\00:20:42.70
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:20:42.70\00:20:45.43
But when God
rebukes the devourer,
00:20:45.43\00:20:48.50
God will put the
right folk around you.
00:20:48.50\00:20:51.20
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:20:51.20\00:20:53.20
When God rebukes the adversary,
God will put the right people
00:20:53.20\00:20:57.30
in your path,
hallelujah, somebody.
00:20:57.30\00:20:59.40
Let me tell you one more thing.
00:20:59.40\00:21:00.53
Don't you be a devourer.
00:21:00.53\00:21:01.66
Oh, you don't like that.
00:21:01.66\00:21:04.20
Don't you be a devourer.
00:21:04.20\00:21:07.76
Don't you hate on somebody else
because God is blessing them.
00:21:07.76\00:21:15.66
Why did they get
into school and I didn't?
00:21:15.66\00:21:18.80
Why are they
financially clear and I'm not?
00:21:18.80\00:21:22.43
Why did they get the
scholarship and I didn't?
00:21:22.43\00:21:25.80
Why do they make more than me?
00:21:25.80\00:21:27.70
Why them and not me?
00:21:27.70\00:21:28.96
Quit hating.
00:21:28.96\00:21:30.06
In fact, I say It all the time,
learn how to be a cheerleader,
00:21:30.06\00:21:33.06
rah, rah, rah!
Recognize that if God's blessing
00:21:33.06\00:21:36.53
is on them, God must
be in the neighborhood,
00:21:36.53\00:21:39.93
and it's just a matter of time
before God starts blessing you.
00:21:39.93\00:21:45.43
When people try to harm
you, when they try to hurt you,
00:21:45.43\00:21:48.86
to devour you, to block
you and destroy you, they don't
00:21:48.86\00:21:52.30
even realize they're
actually helping you.
00:21:52.30\00:21:55.26
The Bible says, God will make
your enemies your footservants.
00:21:55.26\00:22:02.16
Which means that God
will put your haters,
00:22:02.16\00:22:05.60
he will put your blockers
under your feet, which means
00:22:05.60\00:22:09.86
your enemies are
actually pouring the concrete
00:22:09.86\00:22:12.93
that you're going to walk
on, so my haters are actually
00:22:12.93\00:22:16.33
my elevators, to make me
walk higher in Jesus Christ.
00:22:16.33\00:22:20.43
Don't be a devourer.
00:22:20.43\00:22:24.16
When people try to take up
their cross and follow Jesus,
00:22:24.16\00:22:29.70
don't deny them this privilege.
00:22:29.70\00:22:31.93
When folk try to lose
to gain, and give to get,
00:22:31.93\00:22:34.43
don't be a devourer.
00:22:34.43\00:22:35.43
Don't try to block that.
00:22:35.43\00:22:36.40
It disturbs me when some people
try to come down the aisle
00:22:36.40\00:22:39.33
and give their life to the
Lord, and want to block that.
00:22:39.33\00:22:43.30
We want to put them through a
scrutinized screening process.
00:22:43.30\00:22:46.80
And all they want to do
is join the body of Christ
00:22:46.80\00:22:49.06
and give their life
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:22:49.06\00:22:51.66
When folk are blessed
with increase and then want
00:22:51.66\00:22:54.53
to give this
increase back to the Lord,
00:22:54.53\00:22:56.86
I've been in churches where
folk want to know how they got
00:22:56.86\00:23:00.43
what they got, when they got
what they got, and where they
00:23:00.43\00:23:02.86
got what they got.
00:23:02.86\00:23:03.86
Have you ever thought
that maybe God just wants
00:23:03.86\00:23:09.00
to bless them so that
they can be a blessing to you?
00:23:09.00\00:23:15.93
Quit cutting off your blessing.
00:23:15.93\00:23:18.83
Don't be a devourer.
00:23:18.83\00:23:21.30
You see, it's God's intent
for his people and for God's
00:23:21.30\00:23:24.33
church to be blessed.
00:23:24.33\00:23:25.40
Listen to me.
00:23:25.40\00:23:27.03
If we were all faithful
in returning to God an honest
00:23:27.03\00:23:29.66
tithe and a liberal
offering, there would be no need
00:23:29.66\00:23:31.93
of anything.
00:23:31.93\00:23:33.03
Everybody trying to get
into school to get into school.
00:23:33.03\00:23:35.86
God's church and God's
people would lack nothing.
00:23:35.86\00:23:39.33
Remember, he's Jehovah,
he's my provider, which means
00:23:39.33\00:23:41.73
he's not just the God of
enough, but he's the God of more
00:23:41.73\00:23:49.13
than enough for me.
00:23:49.13\00:23:50.13
And that's why Malachi
3:12, we don't read that either.
00:23:50.13\00:23:53.70
It says that "all
nations shall call you blessed:
00:23:53.70\00:23:57.10
for ye shall be a delightsome
land, saith the Lord."
00:23:57.10\00:24:00.90
That's why I act like I act.
00:24:00.90\00:24:03.46
That's why I look like I look.
00:24:03.46\00:24:05.80
That's why I sing like I sing.
00:24:05.80\00:24:08.03
That's why I
preach like I preach.
00:24:08.03\00:24:10.66
That's why I shout like I shout.
00:24:10.66\00:24:13.30
Because God has blessed me.
00:24:13.30\00:24:16.80
God has blessed my family.
00:24:16.80\00:24:20.10
God has blessed my church.
00:24:20.10\00:24:22.30
Has God blessed
anybody up in this place?
00:24:22.30\00:24:25.93
He says, be a part
of a delightsome land.
00:24:25.93\00:24:29.70
Don't sit there and
act like you don't know
00:24:29.70\00:24:31.83
what I'm talking about.
00:24:31.83\00:24:32.83
You haven't always
lived where you live.
00:24:32.83\00:24:34.83
You haven't always
driven what you now drive.
00:24:34.83\00:24:36.96
There was a time when
you went to your closet
00:24:36.96\00:24:39.73
and you knew what
you were going to wear.
00:24:39.73\00:24:42.20
You knew what you
were going to wear.
00:24:42.20\00:24:44.60
But now you're saying,
am I going to wear black?
00:24:44.60\00:24:48.10
Am I going to wear blue?
00:24:48.10\00:24:49.63
Am I going to wear brown?
00:24:49.63\00:24:51.26
What shoes go with this suit,
does this match that outfit?
00:24:51.26\00:24:54.70
Somebody knows
what I'm talking about.
00:24:54.70\00:24:57.26
You see, I know
what I'm talking about.
00:24:57.26\00:25:00.33
I used to only
have two pairs of shoes.
00:25:00.33\00:25:02.33
I had my school shoes
and I had my Sabbath shoes.
00:25:02.33\00:25:04.33
Somebody knows
what I'm talking about.
00:25:04.33\00:25:06.46
Monday through Friday
I wore my school shoes.
00:25:06.46\00:25:09.03
But on Sabbath I
wore my Sabbath shoes.
00:25:09.03\00:25:12.00
It didn't matter what colors
or combinations I put together.
00:25:12.00\00:25:15.23
Either I was wearing
school shoes or Sabbath shoes.
00:25:15.23\00:25:18.76
God has been good to me.
00:25:18.76\00:25:22.40
I've got more than
two pairs of shoes now.
00:25:22.40\00:25:25.13
I've got more than one suit now.
00:25:25.13\00:25:29.33
I've got more than one
shirt, more than one tie,
00:25:29.33\00:25:35.86
more than one bow tie.
00:25:35.86\00:25:38.16
Understand, you haven't
always been able to shop
00:25:38.16\00:25:41.16
at Bridge Street.
00:25:41.16\00:25:42.93
You haven't always
been able to charge it up.
00:25:42.93\00:25:45.63
You haven't always been
able to live like you now live.
00:25:45.63\00:25:52.06
Somebody knows what it's like
to eat Ramen noodles every day.
00:25:52.06\00:25:54.06
Somebody knows what it's like
to eat beans and rice, or rice
00:25:54.06\00:25:56.06
and beans, or rice
and peas every day.
00:25:56.06\00:25:58.03
Somebody knows what
it's like to have been there.
00:25:58.03\00:26:02.66
But look at God.
00:26:02.66\00:26:03.66
Look at God.
00:26:03.66\00:26:04.66
And then look at you.
00:26:04.66\00:26:07.66
Look at God and where
he's brought you from.
00:26:07.66\00:26:11.76
You started trusted, you
starting tithing, you started
00:26:11.76\00:26:15.93
giving offering, God opened
up the windows of heaven, poured
00:26:15.93\00:26:20.13
you out a blessing that
there should not be room enough
00:26:20.13\00:26:23.60
to receive it, and you
are now called blessed,
00:26:23.60\00:26:28.06
blessed in the city,
blessed in the field,
00:26:28.06\00:26:31.33
blessed in your going
out, blessed in your coming in.
00:26:31.33\00:26:35.56
You're on the
top, not the bottom.
00:26:35.56\00:26:38.33
Hold your head up,
stick your chest out,
00:26:38.33\00:26:41.96
put one foot in
front of the other,
00:26:41.96\00:26:43.70
and if your neighbor
doesn't like it, who cares?
00:26:43.70\00:26:51.40
"Seek ye first the kingdom
of God, his righteousness,
00:26:51.40\00:26:59.10
and all these things
shall be added unto you
00:26:59.10\00:27:04.26
because the Lord is my light.
00:27:04.26\00:27:07.93
He's my salvation.
00:27:07.93\00:27:11.76
Who shall I fear?
00:27:11.76\00:27:14.13
The Lord is the
strength of my life.
00:27:14.13\00:27:19.20
Of whom shall I be afraid?
00:27:19.20\00:27:20.70
When the wicked, even mine
enemies and my foes, came upon
00:27:20.70\00:27:23.23
me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fell...
00:27:23.23\00:27:27.73
Though war should rise
against me, in this will I be
00:27:27.73\00:27:32.50
confident." That one thing--oh,
I don't think anybody heard me.
00:27:32.50\00:27:38.50
"One thing have I desired
of the Lord, that will I seek
00:27:38.50\00:27:48.53
after; that I may dwell
in the house of the Lord
00:27:48.53\00:27:53.36
all the days of my
life, to behold the beauty
00:27:53.36\00:27:57.80
of the Lord, and to
enquire in his temple...to abide
00:27:57.80\00:28:01.36
in his holy hill.
00:28:01.36\00:28:03.16
Oh taste and
see that the Lord...
00:28:03.16\00:28:09.23
is good.
00:28:09.23\00:28:10.90
God will make a way
quit trying to keep up
00:28:12.76\00:28:15.06
with the Jones, quit trying
to fake it till you make it
00:28:15.06\00:28:18.60
quit trying to impress
folk you don't know, to keep up
00:28:18.60\00:28:21.33
with folk you don't like
with money you don't have
00:28:21.33\00:28:25.13
Invest in God's Kingdom
00:28:26.63\00:28:28.60