BREATH OF LIFE MINISTRIES
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PERSENTS B531 Is
Anything Too Hard for God?
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[BREATH OF LIFE THEME MUSIC]
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PB:  Esther chapter 4,
verse number 13. If you have it,
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let me hear you
say amen. Aud.:  Amen.
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PB:  The Word of God says, "Then
Mordecai commanded to answer
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Esther, Think not with thyself
that thou shalt escape in the
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king's house, more than all
the Jews. For if thou altogether
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holdest thy peace at this time,
then shall there enlargement and
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deliverance arise to
the Jews from another place;
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but thou and thy father's
house shall be destroyed:
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and who knoweth whether
thou art come to the kingdom
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for such a time as this?
Then Esther bade them return
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Mordecai this answer, Go,
gather together all the Jews
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that are present in
Shushan, and fast ye for me,
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and neither eat nor
drink three days, night or day:
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I also and my
maidens will fast likewise;
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and so will I go in
unto the king, which is
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not according to the law:
and if I perish, I perish.
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So Mordecai went his
way, and did according to
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all that Esther
had commanded him."
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Today's subject and title,
"Is There Anything Too Hard for
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God?" Father, bless us now
as we open up Your printed page.
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Make it come alive and
practically apply it to our
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lives. And Lord, we know
the answer to that question.
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There is nothing too
hard for You. May we believe
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it even more after this sermon.
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In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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When you read the
story of Esther, many life
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lessons come to mind. I
can't share them all today,
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but let me just
share this one quickly.
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It's not a curse
to be single. Now,
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I thought the single
folk would say amen off that.
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Let me try that one
more time. It's not a
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curse to be
single. Yes, I'm married,
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and I'm happily
married. And I wouldn't trade
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my marriage for
anything or anybody.
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But let me remind that
single person out there today,
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it's not a curse to
be single. Who you marry,
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however, will likely
impact where you spend eternity.
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So take your time.
Take your what, everybody?
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Aud.:  Time.     PB: 
Come on, say it again.
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Take your what,
everybody? Aud.:  Time.
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PB:  To the freshmen
today: Don't get caught
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up with dating the first
person you meet at Oakwood.
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[Aud. reaction]    PB: 
You just got to Oakwood,
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and all you can do is
think about that one somebody,
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and then you want to get
married. No, no, no, no, no.
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Group date. Everybody go
out together. Come on, say amen
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Aud.:  Amen.    PB:  Take
your time. Too many people
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rush to the marriage
altar for the wrong reasons.
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Some feel their biological clock
is ticking and running out,
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so I'd better get married
because it's getting late in
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the evening and my sun is
about to set. Maybe somebody
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feels the pressure of
family and friends who say,
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you need to go on and get
married, because if you don't,
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you're going to end up by
yourself. But then maybe there's
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somebody who got married
because they made a mistake
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and got pregnant. And so
they felt that if I marry my
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baby's daddy, that will
make everything all right.
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But I'm here to let somebody
know that sperm donorship
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does not qualify soulmateship.
Just because you made
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a mistake, don't make two.
And to the brothers--listen
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to me good, brothers--if
you wouldn't make her a wife,
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then don't make her mother. Do
I have a witness in this place?
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[Aud. reaction]    PB: 
Marry the right person, a godly
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person, somebody who
loves you and loves the Lord,
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because it's better
to be happily unmarried
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than to be unhappily
married. Are you hearing
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what I'm saying? If
you are by yourself,
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take your own self
out. It's cheaper that way.
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Do I have a
witness in this place?
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[Aud. reaction]    PB: 
Buy your own self a gift
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card to Olive Garden, and
you and God go out for dinner.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
You and God go to the mall.
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You and God rent a movie
on Saturday night, watch that
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movie, buy you some popcorn, get
snuggled up in a blanket with
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God. Sometimes you've got to
encourage yourself in the Lord.
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It's not a curse to be
single. If you're single or you
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come from a single-parent
home, God loves you,
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and God will bless you just
like He blesses a married parent
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or an individual from
a married-parent home.
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God has a purpose
for what He allows.
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Esther was such a person.
Esther's mother had died.
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Her father had died. No parents.
The Bible says her cousin,
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Mordecai, took her in,
became a single parent,
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but God raised her up.
Despite then how the enemy
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will afflict you. I
believe I've got a witness in
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this place that knows
God will raise you up.
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Does anybody know
that your setback is just a
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setup for a comeback.
God will raise you up.
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I wish I had a
witness in this place.
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Quickly, a summary of
Esther's book. In chapter 1,
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the king displays his
affluence and prosperity
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through parties and
celebrations for six months.
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He culminates with a
seventh-day feast. On day seven,
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the Bible says he
calls his queen, Vashti,
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to come and display
her beauty. Vashti refuses,
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so the king is
embarrassed. Vashti is banished
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from the king's presence
and a new queen is sought.
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In chapter 2, Esther, a
Jew, is chosen to become queen.
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Esther goes through 12
months of beauty treatment
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before she even meets the
king. Let me throw this in:
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It takes time to
look good. [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  You can't rush looking
good. Get your hair done.
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Are you hearing what I'm
saying? Pull your pants up.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
Make sure you smell nice.
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All this talk about
God accepts me as I am,
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as we begin a new
school year, when you come to
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God's house, when you
come to see the King of
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Kings and the Lord of
Lords, you come with your best.
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Are you hearing what
I'm saying? [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  Now. Chapter 2
also reports the good deed of
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Mordecai in saving the
king's life by alerting him
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through Esther of an
assassination attempt on his
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life. Mordecai is not
rewarded for this act, but this
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deed is recorded in
the history books and later
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serves as a blessing
for Mordecai in the future.
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In chapter 3, a man by the name
of Haman--everybody say Haman.
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Aud.:  Haman.    PB: 
Haman is introduced. Haman is
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honored by the king and given
a high position in the kingdom.
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Haman is made with Mordecai,
because Mordecai refuses
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to bow down to him. But
Mordecai remembers, thou shalt
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have no other gods
before me. Haman then gets mad.
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Haman plans the execution
of not just Mordecai but
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all the Jews in the
country. In chapter 4,
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in order to stop the
execution of the Jews,
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Mordecai calls on his
niece, Esther, to intercede
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with the king on
behalf of the Jewish people.
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The king doesn't have a
clue that Esther is a Jew.
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Esther has no clue as to
how the king will respond
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to her coming in to see
him, because if you went
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in to see the king
without the king's acceptance,
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or without being
called by the king, it was
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punishable by death. 
 Mordecai gives Esther
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some strong counsel. We
just read it in chapter 4.
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He says, look, Esther,
don't think that just because
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you live in the
king's house you're the one
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Jew who's going to
get out of this alive.
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In other words, don't
think that just because
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you made it to the
king's house, you've arrived.
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Some people make it a
little higher and they
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forget the folk that
helped them get there.
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I wish I had time. He
said if you remain silent
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at a time like this, I
need you to know, Esther,
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that help and
deliverance will come. They will
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come from somewhere
else. But you and your family
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will be wiped out. But
who knows. Maybe you were
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made queen for
such a time as this.
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In chapter 5, Esther
goes in before the king.
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The king extends his
golden scepter to her,
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signifying his
acceptance for her to come in.
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She invites the king
and Haman to a banquet.
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She does this to get
the timing right before
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she informs the king
about Haman's plot to kill
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all the Jews. In the
meantime, Haman's hatred
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for Mordecai is
growing by the minute. On the
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advice of his friends
and his wife, Haman builds
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gallows to hang
Mordecai.    But in chapter 6,
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God moves to save the
Jews. The king can't sleep
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one night, and so he
asks for the history books
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to be read to him. The
deeds of Mordecai in saving
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the king are, as recorded
I chapter 2, are read to him.
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The king--I love this
part--then asks Haman what
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should be done for a man
that the king wants to honor.
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Haman thinks the king is
talking about him. He orders
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an abundant feast to be given
for him. Little did he know,
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the feast wasn't for him
but it was for God's anointed,
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Mordecai. The king orders Haman
to do this feast for Mordecai.
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Isn't it amazing how God
will turn a situation around?
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[Aud. reaction]   PB:
 One day you can be up.
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The next day you can be down.
And one day you can be down,
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and the next day you
can be up. That's why I've
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got to treat Pastor
Bolden right. He may sign my
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check one day. Do I
have a witness in this place?
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[Aud. reaction]   PB: 
In chapter 7, Esther reveals
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to the king that she's a
Jew. Haman has plotted to
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kill them all. Haman is
then hung on the very gallows
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that he prepared for
Mordecai. You all don't hear
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what I'm saying. Let
me just say it this way:
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Be careful of the
traps you set for others.
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You do reap what you
sow. The same traps that
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you set for somebody
else may be the same trap
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you fall in
yourself. Be ye sure your sins
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will find you out.  
In chapters 8, 9 and 10,
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all the Jews are saved,
and all of Haman's children
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are killed. In fact,
on the day that Haman had
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assigned for the Jews
to be killed, the Jews
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defeated their enemies,
killing 75,000 who hated them.
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Somebody knows the battle
is not yours; it's the Lord's.
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Is there anything too
hard for God? Let me give
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you my five points,
if I can make it to five,
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then I'm going to
sit down. Number one,
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God is sovereign,
and we know that all
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things work
together for good to them who
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love the Lord and
are the called according
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to His purpose. Let me
tell you something quickly.
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God has a plan, and
everything happens according
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to His sovereign
plan. Why are you positioned
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where you are? Why do
you work where you work?
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Why do you live where
you live? Why do you go
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to school where you
go to school? Why do you
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go to church where
you go to church? You do
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what you do because
God has assigned you here
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and there for
such a time as this.
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Here's a little
girl. No money, no parents,
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seemingly no future,
but God would use her to
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become the very key to
the survival of her people.
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In spite of her past.
In spite of her brokenness.
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God used this young lady.
God can do the same for you.
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Let me tell you something
I was reading this week.
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God doesn't recruit
you without a calling.
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Let me say that again.
God doesn't recruit you
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without a calling.
God calls everybody to use
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the gifts they have,
but not everybody picks up
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the phone. But not only
that--listen to me--sometimes,
00:12:54.97\00:12:59.87
because God is sovereign,
God will employ people
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whose motives are not
godly, and whose actions are
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not saintly, to accomplish
His purpose for your life.
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Sometimes God employs
the sins of other people and
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their rebellion against
Him and His people to further
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His purposes. Even when a
man like Haman is doing his
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best to deny and defeat
God's promises and purposes,
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nothing can interrupt
or hinder God's purpose.
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You don't believe me? A
Red Sea could not stop /God.
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Afflictions and boils
and loss of family on Job
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couldn't stop God. A
lions' den could not stop God.
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A fiery furnace could
not stop God. I dare you to
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put God on the front
line of your life, and see if
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God won't fail. I dare
you, 'cause out of all the
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things that God can't do, God
can't fail. Because He's God.
00:13:55.76\00:14:00.80
CEO of the universe. You
didn't vote Him in, and you
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can't vote Him out. God
is sovereign. God can do what
00:14:05.81\00:14:10.61
He wants, when He wants,
where He wants, how He wants,
00:14:10.65\00:14:15.78
and He doesn't have to
ask you or me for permission
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to do as He wants.
Understand God is sovereign.
00:14:18.09\00:14:23.29
But then number two,
purpose will make you au target.
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Because Mordecai wouldn't
change his mind about bowing
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to Haman, the other
officials in the kingdom went
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and told Haman, he
won't bow to you. Haman orders
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the genocide of the
entire Jewish human race.
00:14:37.07\00:14:40.54
Whenever you're doing
something for the Lord, friends,
00:14:40.58\00:14:42.38
and fulfilling God's
purpose for your life, there
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will always be haters. Haters
are a part of the process.
00:14:44.51\00:14:49.18
I preached a sermon,
"How to Handle Hate.”
00:14:49.22\00:14:51.25
Hate is a people
who are jealous of you,
00:14:51.29\00:14:53.12
envy what you have,
and when you put envy and
00:14:53.15\00:14:54.76
jealousy together,
guess what you have. A hater.
00:14:54.79\00:14:56.46
These are people who
cannot stand to see you blessed.
00:14:56.49\00:15:00.96
All they do is talk
about what you do have and try
00:15:00.96\00:15:03.77
to figure out how you got
it. But somebody needs to know,
00:15:03.80\00:15:06.47
what God has for
me, it is for me.
00:15:06.50\00:15:10.37
Ellen White says, "Satan
seeks to excite envy among
00:15:10.41\00:15:14.71
God's people." She
says, "Envy grieves God."
00:15:14.74\00:15:18.28
There are some people
who don't like you on your
00:15:18.31\00:15:20.72
job because they think you're
going to take their position.
00:15:20.75\00:15:24.42
There are some people
who don't like you in the
00:15:24.45\00:15:26.82
church because they
think you're going to take
00:15:26.86\00:15:28.59
their position. They think
that you want what they've got,
00:15:28.62\00:15:30.59
but the truth of the matter
is, they don't have a thing.
00:15:30.63\00:15:32.66
And how can you want
nothing? I wish I had a witness
00:15:32.69\00:15:34.73
in this place. 
  [Aud. reaction]
00:15:34.76\00:15:36.56
PB:  That's why you've
got to make up your mind.
00:15:36.60\00:15:39.03
I'm getting older,
elders, I'm understanding.
00:15:39.07\00:15:40.87
I'm getting older and
understanding that you can't
00:15:40.90\00:15:43.64
have negative folk
around you, You can't have
00:15:43.67\00:15:46.74
depressed folk around
you. You can't have trifling
00:15:46.78\00:15:50.18
folk around you. So many
people, you're in the same
00:15:50.21\00:15:54.12
rut year after year
after year because you keep
00:15:54.15\00:15:58.09
the same negative, trifling,
depressed folk around you,
00:15:58.12\00:16:01.62
who don't have
nothing, don't want nothing,
00:16:01.66\00:16:04.33
and don't want
anybody else to have nothing.
00:16:04.36\00:16:06.83
Excuse the double
negatives. [Aud. reaction]
00:16:06.86\00:16:10.03
PB:  I'm tired of hanging
around folk who aren't going
00:16:10.07\00:16:12.80
where I'm going. Blessed
is the man who walketh not in
00:16:12.83\00:16:15.34
the counsel of the ungodly
nor standeth in the way of
00:16:15.37\00:16:18.37
sinners nor sitteth in
the seat of the scornful.
00:16:18.41\00:16:20.28
His delight is in the
law of the Lord, and in his
00:16:20.31\00:16:22.44
law doth he meditate day and
night. I don't know about you,
00:16:22.48\00:16:26.31
but I'm calling the
devil out. The devil is alive.
00:16:26.35\00:16:30.55
Young people who are
new here, change your crown.
00:16:30.59\00:16:33.82
If you ain't with me,
then get from around me because
00:16:33.86\00:16:37.56
I'm going somewhere, and
what God is doing in my life,
00:16:37.59\00:16:42.06
don't hate me, just love
me, because I'm trying to tell
00:16:42.10\00:16:45.43
you it's of God and not of
me. So don't hate the player,
00:16:45.47\00:16:49.34
hate the game. Do I
have a witness in this place?
00:16:49.37\00:16:51.61
[Aud. reaction]   PB: 
And then if you're the victim
00:16:51.64\00:16:54.71
of somebody hating you,
remember this like Mordecai.
00:16:54.74\00:16:56.04
Don't retaliate in your
own strength. God is your
00:16:56.08\00:16:59.68
deliverance. God's favor
on you is His greatest weapon.
00:16:59.71\00:17:02.68
If I hold my peace and
let the Lord fight my battles,
00:17:02.72\00:17:07.82
victory shall be
mine.   Number three.
00:17:07.86\00:17:12.69
God's timing is not your
timing. Let me say that again:
00:17:12.73\00:17:17.40
God's timing. God's what,
everybody?   Aud.:  Timing.
00:17:17.43\00:17:19.47
PB:  Is not your what,
everybody?   Aud.:  Timing.
00:17:19.50\00:17:21.70
PB:  Think about
it. Think about it.
00:17:21.74\00:17:24.17
Esther and Mordecai
didn't orchestrate the
00:17:24.21\00:17:27.58
king's sleepless
night, in chapter 6.
00:17:27.61\00:17:30.15
They didn't give
him something to keep
00:17:30.18\00:17:32.55
him up all night.
Neither did they determine,
00:17:32.58\00:17:35.52
in chapter, 2, that
Mordecai would uncover
00:17:35.55\00:17:38.32
the assassination
attempt on the king's life,
00:17:38.35\00:17:40.89
and that Mordecai would
be honored, in chapter 6,
00:17:40.92\00:17:43.76
for his efforts in
chapter 2. But God. But God,
00:17:43.79\00:17:49.80
who doeth all things
well, knew that Mordecai
00:17:49.83\00:17:55.94
didn't need to be
honored, in chapter 2.
00:17:55.97\00:17:59.51
Because there would
be a greater time for
00:17:59.54\00:18:02.11
Mordecai to be
recognized in chapter 6,
00:18:02.14\00:18:05.25
because in chapter
7 when Esther would go
00:18:05.28\00:18:08.28
in to see the king
on behalf of the Jews,
00:18:08.32\00:18:10.05
the king remembered
what Mordecai had done
00:18:10.09\00:18:12.79
for him back in
chapter 2, honored him in
00:18:12.82\00:18:15.79
chapter 6, and in
chapter 7 would preserve
00:18:15.82\00:18:17.83
the Jewish people because
of what he did, in chapter 2.
00:18:17.86\00:18:22.36
Y'all don't hear what
I'm saying.   [Aud. reaction]
00:18:22.40\00:18:24.80
PB:  He's an
on-time God, yes He is.
00:18:24.83\00:18:29.77
He may not come when
you want Him, but He's
00:18:29.80\00:18:32.91
always right on time.
Somebody's sitting there,
00:18:32.94\00:18:36.54
asking God when are
You going to come through?
00:18:36.58\00:18:38.95
When are You going
to deliver me? When am I
00:18:38.98\00:18:41.18
going to get the job?
When am I going to get married?
00:18:41.22\00:18:43.72
When am I going to get
the financial scholarship?
00:18:43.75\00:18:46.32
When am I going to get
financially clear? Let me
00:18:46.35\00:18:48.59
tell you something,
in the name of Jesus.
00:18:48.62\00:18:52.13
In God's own way,
in God's own time,
00:18:52.16\00:18:58.80
God will come
through.   Number four.
00:18:58.83\00:19:03.71
Your background
does not hinder your
00:19:03.74\00:19:08.11
future with God.
Esther was an orphan.
00:19:08.14\00:19:13.15
Her parents died.
She didn't live in
00:19:13.18\00:19:17.12
the big house. She
lived in the outhouse.
00:19:17.15\00:19:20.76
But God still
exalted and used her.
00:19:20.79\00:19:24.83
Church, students,
everybody: your background
00:19:24.86\00:19:29.16
does not determine
what God can do with you.
00:19:29.20\00:19:33.34
Your faith does.
Somebody said, I didn't come
00:19:33.37\00:19:38.41
from the right
family. Don't worry about it.
00:19:38.44\00:19:41.18
I didn't come
from the right city.
00:19:41.21\00:19:42.94
Don't worry about it.
I didn't come from the
00:19:42.98\00:19:45.05
right background.
Don't worry about,
00:19:45.08\00:19:47.65
I didn't come
from the right country.
00:19:47.68\00:19:50.29
Don't worry about it.
I didn't come from the
00:19:50.32\00:19:53.09
right circumstances. God
says, don't worry about it.
00:19:53.12\00:19:56.99
Understand, I
use ordinary people.
00:19:57.03\00:19:59.53
People like you and
me who are willing to
00:19:59.56\00:20:01.70
do as He commands.
Let me call the biblical
00:20:01.73\00:20:04.63
roll this
afternoon. Noah was a drunkard.
00:20:04.67\00:20:07.64
Abraham was too old.
Josiah was too young.
00:20:07.67\00:20:11.51
Jacob was a liar.
Joseph was abused.
00:20:11.54\00:20:15.38
Gideon was scared.
Elijah was suicidal.
00:20:15.41\00:20:19.15
Samson had dreads.
David was an adulterer.
00:20:19.18\00:20:22.92
Solomon was a womanizer.
Rahab was a prostitute.
00:20:22.95\00:20:26.89
Jeremiah was a
whiner. Jonah ran from God.
00:20:26.92\00:20:30.79
Job went bankrupt.
The Samaritan woman
00:20:30.83\00:20:33.66
had five husbands.
Zacchaeus was too short.
00:20:33.70\00:20:36.70
Peter denied Christ.
Judas betrayed Christ.
00:20:36.73\00:20:40.24
The disciples fell
asleep while praying.
00:20:40.27\00:20:42.27
Mary was lazy. Martha
worried about everything.
00:20:42.30\00:20:45.94
Lazarus was
dead!   [Aud. reaction]
00:20:45.97\00:20:50.85
PB:  But God. But God
can use whom He wants,
00:20:50.88\00:21:00.12
when He wants, where He
wants, and how He wants.
00:21:00.16\00:21:05.59
Do I have a witness in
this place?   [Aud. reaction]
00:21:05.63\00:21:07.93
PB:  Let me be clear
to you. God can use those
00:21:07.96\00:21:10.17
that are ill-borne, or
born without perceived hope
00:21:10.20\00:21:12.33
or honor, or with
the shadows of dishonor.
00:21:12.37\00:21:15.80
So-called
illegitimate. Let me be clear.
00:21:15.84\00:21:17.81
In Oakwood today
and those watching by
00:21:17.84\00:21:19.44
Breath of Life, there
are no illegitimate children
00:21:19.47\00:21:22.41
in God's family. There
are no illegitimate parents
00:21:22.44\00:21:26.35
in God's church.
If you made a mistake,
00:21:26.38\00:21:30.05
God doesn't want you
to wallow in the guilt,
00:21:30.09\00:21:33.19
gutter of guilt, grief
and shame. Confess your sins,
00:21:33.22\00:21:38.23
hold your head up,
stick your chest out;
00:21:38.26\00:21:43.70
put one foot in
front of the other.
00:21:43.73\00:21:46.94
Don't let folk knock you down.
00:21:46.97\00:21:49.37
Don't let the
so-called sanctified saints
00:21:49.40\00:21:52.11
skin you up. Take
God at God's Word.
00:21:52.14\00:21:56.14
There is therefore
no condemnation to those
00:21:56.18\00:21:59.65
who are in Jesus
Christ. If God has washed it
00:21:59.68\00:22:03.32
in God's blood, if God
has covered you in God's love,
00:22:03.35\00:22:07.02
if God has forgiven you of
your sins, hold your head up.
00:22:07.06\00:22:11.99
Put your foot in
front of the other.
00:22:12.03\00:22:15.40
Start walking by
faith not by sight.
00:22:15.43\00:22:19.97
Forget what
somebody might say about you.
00:22:20.00\00:22:23.10
Forget what somebody
might think about you.
00:22:23.14\00:22:25.57
Forget how somebody
might feel about you.
00:22:25.61\00:22:27.98
Know that God
needs you. God loves you.
00:22:28.01\00:22:31.25
God died to save you, and
that's all you need to know.
00:22:31.28\00:22:36.82
It's not about how
you got here that counts.
00:22:36.85\00:22:41.59
It's what you decide
to do, once you arrive.
00:22:41.62\00:22:45.59
Let me tell you
something: the devil hates you.
00:22:45.63\00:22:49.70
Because every one of
you, all of you young people,
00:22:49.73\00:22:52.87
you have potential to
devastate his kingdom.
00:22:52.90\00:22:57.11
The devil hates you.
Every one of you has the
00:22:57.14\00:23:02.01
potential to walk in
the same power and the
00:23:02.04\00:23:04.85
same anointing that
Jesus did. The devil hates you.
00:23:04.88\00:23:09.85
Jesus said, however, that
"the works that I shall do,
00:23:09.88\00:23:13.49
ye do also, and greater
works than these shall you do."
00:23:13.52\00:23:19.09
The devil has tried to
destroy you. The devil has
00:23:19.13\00:23:22.73
tried to kill you. Some
of you have had to fight
00:23:22.76\00:23:25.87
for your sanity. And if
it weren't for the Lord,
00:23:25.90\00:23:30.01
you'd be in some
institution right now.
00:23:30.04\00:23:32.77
Somebody else, if it
weren't for the Lord,
00:23:32.81\00:23:35.38
you would have died
in some tragic accident.
00:23:35.41\00:23:38.18
But somebody else, if
it weren't for the Lord,
00:23:38.21\00:23:40.85
you would be
spending the rest of your life
00:23:40.88\00:23:43.55
watching this
service in cell block B.
00:23:43.59\00:23:47.82
[Aud. reaction]    PB:
 The devil has done his
00:23:47.86\00:23:50.66
best to kill you. But is there
anything too hard for my God?
00:23:50.69\00:23:58.83
Some of you, it's a miracle that
you survived your teen years.
00:23:58.87\00:24:04.44
All around you, folk
die from some senseless
00:24:04.47\00:24:06.98
disease or gang
violence, but the devil has been
00:24:07.01\00:24:10.65
trying to kill you. Why?
He wanted to kill you before
00:24:10.68\00:24:15.98
you discover your identity
and destiny, because the
00:24:16.02\00:24:19.52
most dangerous people
in the world to the devil
00:24:19.55\00:24:22.22
re men and women who
have discovered their destiny,
00:24:22.26\00:24:25.03
because when you discover
your destiny, you're a threat to
00:24:25.06\00:24:28.70
hell. Remember, wind never
blows in the direction of a
00:24:28.73\00:24:37.54
ship with no direction
and no destination. But when
00:24:37.57\00:24:41.51
you discover your
destiny, all the power of heaven
00:24:41.54\00:24:43.58
comes to empower you.
The devil wanted you dead,
00:24:43.61\00:24:46.25
but you're still
here. You're still here.
00:24:46.28\00:24:49.15
And it's your turn now.
Esther was waiting; patiently
00:24:49.18\00:24:54.99
Esther was waiting.
Waiting for her time to come
00:24:55.02\00:24:58.33
before the king. Like
Esther, many of you have felt
00:24:58.36\00:25:02.40
like you have been in
the waiting room forever.
00:25:02.43\00:25:05.23
But now you're
getting ready to move in the
00:25:05.27\00:25:09.60
delivery room,
because it's your turn now.
00:25:09.64\00:25:13.78
Some of you have
felt like the old saying,
00:25:13.81\00:25:16.68
always a
bridesmaid never a bride.
00:25:16.71\00:25:22.12
But it's your turn
now.  Some of you have felt
00:25:22.15\00:25:25.79
like the batter in the
warmup box. You're saying,
00:25:25.82\00:25:30.19
will I ever get to
bat? Will I ever get to hit?
00:25:30.23\00:25:33.96
Will it ever be my turn?
You watch others get promoted.
00:25:34.00\00:25:38.37
You've seen others
move in the anointing.
00:25:38.40\00:25:40.90
You've seen God
bless others, and you're
00:25:40.94\00:25:43.00
saying when will it be my time?
00:25:43.04\00:25:45.81
I may not hit a
home run, but at least I
00:25:45.84\00:25:49.94
want my shot at it.
I want to swing at it.
00:25:49.98\00:25:53.85
I want to stand in
the batter's box and know
00:25:53.88\00:25:55.82
that I'm there
because I paid my dues.
00:25:55.85\00:25:58.52
Well, it's your time
now. Swing for the fence.
00:25:58.55\00:26:03.96
You may not hit a home
run; it may not be a triple,
00:26:03.99\00:26:08.66
a double, not even a
single. But that's all right,
00:26:08.70\00:26:12.37
because the good news
is, you're not the only
00:26:12.40\00:26:15.07
one on the team.
Don't be afraid to swing,
00:26:15.10\00:26:20.18
because you've got a
God, and you serve a God,
00:26:20.21\00:26:24.61
who's got your
back. "Fear thou not,
00:26:24.65\00:26:29.15
for I am with thee. Be
not dismayed for I am thy God.
00:26:29.18\00:26:33.66
I will strengthen
thee; yea, I will help thee.
00:26:33.69\00:26:37.43
I will uphold thee with the
right hand of my righteousness."
00:26:37.46\00:26:41.10
If God be for us, who can
be against us? No weapon formed
00:26:41.13\00:26:47.50
against us is going to
prosper. It won't work,
00:26:47.54\00:26:50.97
because I can do all
things through Christ which
00:26:51.01\00:26:55.44
strengtheneth me. Is there
anything too hard for God?   
00:26:55.48\00:27:00.38
[Aud. reaction] PB:  And then
number five: salvation is of the
00:27:00.42\00:27:08.26
Lord. Despite the sins of
the Jews over the years--'
00:27:08.29\00:27:12.06
cause don't think
that the people of God have
00:27:12.09\00:27:14.20
always had their stuff
together. The children of
00:27:14.20\00:27:16.63
Israel were stiff-necked
at times. We're also
00:27:16.67\00:27:20.60
stiff-necked at
times. The children of Israel
00:27:20.64\00:27:25.81
wandered in the
wilderness 40 years.
00:27:25.84\00:27:27.24
We're probably
wandering 120 years.
00:27:27.28\00:27:29.74
But despite the sins of
the Jews over the years,
00:27:29.78\00:27:34.15
God spared them from
the destruction Haman
00:27:34.18\00:27:38.92
had prepared for them.
00:27:38.95\00:27:40.72
Let me tell you
something. Here it goes.
00:27:40.76\00:27:42.62
God's joy is not
found in the punishment
00:27:42.66\00:27:47.36
of the wicked. God's joy is
in the salvation of sinners,
00:27:47.40\00:27:56.40
so they can spend
eternity with Him.
00:27:56.44\00:28:01.28
God is not willing
that any should perish,
00:28:01.31\00:28:06.08
but that all
should come to repentance.
00:28:06.11\00:28:09.38
God has not come
back to the earth yet,
00:28:09.42\00:28:12.55
because He told the
angel, hurt not the earth--
00:28:12.59\00:28:14.32
>:  Thank you for
joining us for another exciting
00:28:14.36\00:28:15.59
Breath of Life
television broadcast.
00:28:15.62\00:28:18.73
Tune in next
week at the same time,
00:28:18.76\00:28:20.70
as Dr. Byrd will
deliver another dynamic
00:28:20.73\00:28:23.50
message from the
Lord, just for you.
00:28:23.53\00:28:25.90
Until next time,
may God bless you.
00:28:25.93\00:28:27.94
END
00:28:27.97\00:28:42.98