BREATH OF LIFE
MINISTRIES PRESENTS:
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SERMON B540 "His Name
IS WONDERFUL COUNSELLOR"
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[BREATH OF LIFE THEME MUSIC]
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Our text today is a very
familiar text, coming to us
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from the book of Isaiah,
chapter 9, verse number 6.
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Isaiah, chapter 9 and verse
number 6. And we're reading,
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you're hearing the Word of God
says, "For unto us a child is
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born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon
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his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful."
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Everybody say
Wonderful. Aud.:  Wonderful.
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PB:  "Counsellor."
Everybody say Counselor.
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"The mighty God,
the everlasting Father,
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and the Prince
of"--what? Aud.:  Peace.
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PB:  Let me read it once more.
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"For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given:
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and the government
shall be upon his shoulder:
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and his name shall
be called Wonderful,
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Counselor, the mighty
God, the everlasting Father,
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the Prince of Peace." 
  Now I can preach five
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sermons from this
text: one on Wonderful;
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one on Counselor;
one on the mighty God;
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one on the everlasting Father,
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and one on the Prince of Peace.
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But somebody says,
Pastor, don't do it all
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in one day. Come on, say amen.
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So I'm just going to
hit the first two today.
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His name is
Wonderful, Counselor.
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His name is
Wonderful, Counselor.
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Father, in the
name of Jesus, speak for
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Your servant's hearing.
Hide us behind Your cross.
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Forgive me of my sins.
Give clarity. But Lord,
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may Your anointing
fall. We praise you in
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advance for what
you're going to do even when
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we get to the
appeal time. It's in Jesus'
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name we pray. Let
everyone say Amen. Amen.
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Aud.:  Amen.   PB:  His
name is Wonderful, Counselor.
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There are many reasons
why we name our children
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the way we do. Maybe we
give them the names they
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have because the name is
cute. Carissa. Maybe it's
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because the name is
popular. John. Maybe it's
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because the name is
unique. Rain. Maybe it's
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because their name is
after somebody else. Junior.
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The second. The third.
But maybe we give our children
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the names like we do
because the name defines
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who they are. Shaquita.
Laquita. Names, however,
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in the Bible are
extremely important because a
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name not only conveys
who you are, but it also says
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something about your
character. Isaac means laughter.
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Isaac brought
laughter to Abraham and Sarah,
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because after all, they
birthed a child at 90 and
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100 years young. Somebody
knows that what Viagra can't do,
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God can do. Do I have
a witness in this place?
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[Aud. reaction]    PB: 
The name Isaiah, the prophet in
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our text, means God is
my salvation. His prophecies
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point to our
salvation. And so in Isaiah 9:6,
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we find one of the
best-loved verses in the Bible
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because it reveals five
dynamics of His name and
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the character of Jesus
Christ. More than 800 years
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before He was even born,
Isaiah prophesied that His
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name should be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the mighty God,
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everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace.  Why do I need to
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know the name of Jesus
from Isaiah's perspective?
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Well, the main answer
is because if you know His
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name and you come
against certain human attacks
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in your life, you'll
be able to appropriate His
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name to a certain
situation. Because in case you
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didn't know, there's something
about the name of Jesus.
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Demons lose their
power at the name of Jesus.
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Every knee must bow
at the name of Jesus.
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Every tongue must
confess at the name of Jesus.
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Angels fall
prostrate at the name of Jesus.
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Death loses its
sting at the name of Jesus.
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The grave gives up its
victory at the name of Jesus.
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Satan has no say-so
at the name of Jesus.
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Jesus is the
sweetest name I know.
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I'll tell it
everywhere I go. When we look
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at the names of Jesus
and look at the character
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of Jesus, understanding
His name helps us to
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better understand Him. So
why is He called Wonderful?
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The answer is in the
name itself, because His name
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is Wonderful, that's the
answer as to why God calls
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Him that. Because
everything outside of God is not
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wonderful, but you
don't know that until you come
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to know Christ as
Wonderful. You see, it's one
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thing to say Jesus is
wonderful, but it's another
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thing to know Jesus is
Wonderful.  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  For some
people, before you met Jesus
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you really thought
life was wonderful.
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You thought you had
it going on. You thought
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that life couldn't
get any better than this.
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But then you met
Jesus, and you discovered that
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there's nobody like
Jesus. There's nobody greater
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than Jesus. That
Jesus is the best thing that
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happened in your
life. That's He's good;
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that He's
wonderful; that He's marvelous.
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Wonderful means
something that is transcendently
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beyond the common. Something
that is beyond the ordinary.
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It means something that is
altogether unlike anything else.
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Jesus is Wonderful. What
makes Jesus wonderful? Well,
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number one, His birth was
wonderful. It was wonderful
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in that Jesus, unlike all
of us, had one human parent
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and one divine parent.
So Jesus then inherited both
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the nature of man
and the nature of God.
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Y'all don't
hear what I'm saying.
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Jesus is the God-man. Two
natures in one personality.
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He protected the interests
of heaven with His divinity,
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but looked out for the interests
of earth in His humanity.
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In His divinity, He is
God's way to man; but in His
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humanity, He's man's
way back on up to God.
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[Aud. reaction]  
PB:  But then number two,
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His life is
wonderful. He came to bless and
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not to curse, to lift
up and not to cast down,
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to help and not to hurt,
to give life and not death,
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to seek and save that
which was lost, to give sight
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to the blind, to set
the captives free, to reveal
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the Father's love. He
came to give rest to the weary,
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to be a blessing
to the whole world.
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In the Bible, the Bible
records 37 of Jesus' miracles:
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turning water into wine,
feeding 5,000 with two fish
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and five loaves of bread,
healing Peter's mother-in-law,
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healing the woman with
the issue of blood, raising
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Jairus's daughter,
raising Lazarus's daughter,
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healing the blind man
at the pool of Bethesda.
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But understand, these are
just some of the miracles,
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because John 20:30 says
He did many other signs and
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wonders in the presence
of His disciples, which are
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not even written in this book.
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His life is wonderful.
Wonderful is His name,
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because He knows how to
make your life wonderful.
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He knows how to turn
your life around. He knows
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how to give you what
you need when you need it.
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Let me illustrate it,
because I'm preaching to myself.
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Somebody doesn't understand
what I'm talking about.
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As you know, I do a lot
of flying. I fly everywhere,
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and after preaching one
Sabbath here at Oakwood I was
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on my way to preach in
New York City for a revival on
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a Saturday night there
in New York. And as I was on
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my way from Huntsville
through Atlanta, my connection
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to New York to preach,
my plane left Atlanta late.
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I said to myself, "Oh,
my. I have only a few minutes
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to get from the airport
to the church to preach.
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How in the world am I
going to make it? It's late.
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I'm tired. I've already preached
in Huntsville and Oakwood.
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I can't even get a
nap before church tonight,
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and when I finally get
on the plane thinking I'm
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going to go to sleep,
the pilot said, "I'm sorry.
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We're late. We're going
to get you into La Guardia
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as soon as we can." And
after we were about in the
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air for I'd say about 20
minutes, looking like all
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hope was gone, the pilot
broke through on the intercom,
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on the loudspeaker, and
said "Passengers, I've got
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some good news. We left
30 minutes later, but there's
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a strong tailwind pushing
us on the way, and at the
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rate we're going, we're going
to arrive 10 minutes early."
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I wish I had a
church in this place today.
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[Aud. reaction]   PB: 
That's just like Jesus.
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He's wonderful,
because the Lord has a way of
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letting you take off
late but getting you there
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ahead of time. I wish I
had a church in this place.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
But not only do you have a
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tailwind, there are
sometimes some of us can get
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in a hurry. And we
try to move ahead of God.
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And so we leave in
life early, and that's what
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happened to me on
another flight. Another flight,
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I was on time. And I
was about to get in to my
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destination early, and
I was going to be able to
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rest a little longer.
And although we started off
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on time, 20 minutes
into the flight the captain
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came on the loudspeaker.
He said, "We'll be 20 minutes
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late because we're
headed for a headwind."
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Sometimes God will push
a tailwind to get you there
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on time and before time.
But sometimes God will send
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you a headwind to slow
you down, so that you might
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avoid the danger you
might be headed toward. That's
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what it means to have a
wonderful Savior. He knows
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what you need, knows
when you need it, and knows
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how you need it,
because He's wonderful.
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[Aud. reaction]  
PB:  A wonderful Savior.
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Wonderful Jesus. He
walks with me, He talks
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with me, He tells
me that I am His own.
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He's wonderful. He'll
wipe away your tearing eyes.
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He'll roll your burdens
away. Won't He do it for you?
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He'll pick you up,
turn you around, place your
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feet on solid ground.
He's wonderful. His life
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is wonderful and He'll
make your life wonderful.
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But not only that. Not
only that. Not only was His
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birth wonderful, His
life wonderful, but His words
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were wonderful. John 7
says Jesus was out preaching.
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The Pharisees are
listening, and the Pharisees
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even had to say "Never
before have we heard a man
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speak like this man
speaks." It wasn't just the
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rhetoric or the
clichés Jesus was using, it was
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the power of the Word.
Don't you know there is
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power and life and
wonder in the Word of God.
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You don't believe me?
How many times have you
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come to this church
empty, and you come weak
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into the house of God.
But by the time you left,
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you were set on
fire, you were set ablaze,
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you were set afoot because
the Word of God is alive.
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How many times have
you awakened in your life,
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and you felt like not
going on. But once you heard
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the Word of the Lord, it
put a running in your feet,
00:12:08.09\00:12:11.69
a smile on your face, a
song in your heart, clapping
00:12:11.73\00:12:16.87
in your hands. And I'm
not talking about an emotion.
00:12:16.90\00:12:20.30
I'm talking about when
you want to give up, and then
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God will speak in a
still, small voice, and God will
00:12:23.97\00:12:27.74
say "Go on. Go on." 
God is wonderful! Wonderful
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in His birth,
wonderful in His life, wonderful
00:12:33.25\00:12:36.22
in His words, and even
wonderful, friends, in His
00:12:36.25\00:12:40.72
death. Look at His death.
A gruesome death, a repulsive
00:12:40.76\00:12:46.59
death. A horrifying, ugly death.
Nothing good about His death.
00:12:46.63\00:12:52.27
Blood was everywhere. His
back was ripped wide open.
00:12:52.30\00:12:56.74
The weight was resting
on his feet. His lungs were
00:12:56.77\00:12:59.91
about to collapse.
Having to lift his weight above
00:12:59.94\00:13:02.64
His feet to open up his air
chamber to breathe some air.
00:13:02.68\00:13:05.45
There Jesus is, gasping for
His life. His head torn open
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by thorns, His wrists tearing
under the weight of the spikes.
00:13:10.52\00:13:14.16
And yet Jesus is able to
say, "Father, forgive them,
00:13:14.19\00:13:19.56
for they know not what
they do." Jesus is able to say
00:13:19.59\00:13:23.87
"It is finished." There's
nothing good about death.
00:13:23.90\00:13:29.60
But in death, I've
learned, if death never comes,
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you'll never have a
resurrection. So, thank God
00:13:34.94\00:13:39.28
for His death, but
praise God for His resurrection.
00:13:39.31\00:13:44.05
And because He got
up, one day the dead in
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Christ are going to
get up, and we which are
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alive and remain
will be caught up to meet
00:13:50.33\00:13:52.16
the Lord in the air. 
Some of you right now,
00:13:52.19\00:13:54.63
we've come to the end
of the year and you feel
00:13:54.66\00:13:57.37
like your life is
hung on a cross. It feels
00:13:57.40\00:14:00.67
like it's dark, like
it's pain. Doesn't look
00:14:00.70\00:14:04.57
like anything new is
going to come. It looks
00:14:04.61\00:14:07.11
like every day is
going to be dark. But if you
00:14:07.14\00:14:09.91
hang on in there, if
you hold on long enough,
00:14:09.94\00:14:15.42
God will give
you--I'm a witness-
00:14:15.45\00:14:18.02
-the joy that you
need. His name is Wonderful.
00:14:18.05\00:14:23.36
Wonderful in His
birth, wonderful in His life,
00:14:23.39\00:14:28.13
wonderful in His words, and
even wonderful in His death.
00:14:28.16\00:14:32.83
The text says "Wonderful."
But then the text goes
00:14:32.87\00:14:37.17
on and says "Counselor."
Now some translations read,
00:14:37.21\00:14:41.94
"His name is Wonderful
comma Counselor." Others read
00:14:41.98\00:14:46.92
"Wonderful Counselor." Let
me today just put it this way:
00:14:46.95\00:14:51.55
His name is Wonderful. But
His name is also Counselor.
00:14:51.59\00:14:57.83
Now, if there's one
thing we all have in this place
00:14:57.86\00:15:01.23
today in common, even
the best of us, is that we
00:15:01.26\00:15:04.50
worry too much. Come on,
say amen. Tell the truth,
00:15:04.53\00:15:09.67
shame the devil. We
worry too much, and worry in
00:15:09.70\00:15:15.68
a real sense can have an
interesting effect on your
00:15:15.71\00:15:19.85
everyday life. For many
of us, the problems of life
00:15:19.88\00:15:21.55
worry us so much
that we need a counselor.
00:15:21.58\00:15:24.09
Now, as a pastor, I am
not like a counselor like
00:15:24.12\00:15:26.69
other counselors. But
the old motif in church was,
00:15:26.72\00:15:30.13
if you've got a
problem go to the pastor.
00:15:30.16\00:15:32.86
Do I have a witness
in this place? But if the
00:15:32.89\00:15:35.60
truth be told, as
pastors we've taken some classes
00:15:35.63\00:15:38.27
in counseling. And
we've been somewhat trained as
00:15:38.30\00:15:41.30
pastoral counselors, but we
are not clinical counselors.
00:15:41.34\00:15:44.87
In other words, I'm trained
to preach the Word of God.
00:15:44.91\00:15:47.71
So when you come to me,
all I can give you is a word
00:15:47.74\00:15:50.48
from the Lord. And some
folk don't want to come to
00:15:50.51\00:15:52.88
me to hear from me,
because all I can tell them is
00:15:52.91\00:15:55.12
what "thus saith the Lord." 
But then there is the flipside.
00:15:55.15\00:15:58.49
There are some folk who want
to go to pastoral counseling,
00:15:58.52\00:16:02.76
who don't want to go
to clinical counseling,
00:16:02.79\00:16:04.79
because clinical counseling
is the kind of counseling
00:16:04.83\00:16:07.20
that brings out the clinical
where you can be literally
00:16:07.23\00:16:10.27
diagnosed as mentally ill, and
folks don't want to hear that.
00:16:10.30\00:16:14.04
You see, Pastor Byrd,
the pastoral counselor won't
00:16:14.07\00:16:18.61
call you crazy, but the
clinical counselor will.
00:16:18.64\00:16:22.01
Are you hearing what I'm
saying? Because what's wrong
00:16:22.04\00:16:24.51
with some of us is not
spiritual. You've got some
00:16:24.55\00:16:29.48
clinical issues you've got to
work through in order to address
00:16:29.52\00:16:32.62
them spiritually. Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
00:16:32.65\00:16:34.82
But we like to go the easy
route. Let me go to Pastor Byrd.
00:16:34.86\00:16:38.66
Just lay some hands on me,
and if I fall out, when I get
00:16:38.69\00:16:42.76
up everything's going to be
all right. But I'm a witness
00:16:42.80\00:16:45.83
that everything's not
going to be all right until
00:16:45.87\00:16:48.54
you deal with it, rather
than just trying to spiritualize
00:16:48.57\00:16:52.24
your issues and cover
them up. You'd better face them
00:16:52.27\00:16:55.61
so you can fix them. Do I
have a witness in this place?
00:16:55.64\00:16:58.58
[Aud. reaction]   PB: 
And when you boldly address
00:16:58.61\00:17:00.68
what has happened to
you, I believe you're able
00:17:00.72\00:17:03.35
then to open to how
the Word of God can address
00:17:03.39\00:17:06.32
your problem, and I
believe that when you have
00:17:06.35\00:17:09.22
enough faith in God, you
won't need all those meds,
00:17:09.26\00:17:13.66
all that other stuff
they like to put in you.
00:17:13.70\00:17:16.67
Because that stuff doesn't
do anything but cure symptoms.
00:17:16.70\00:17:20.10
But it doesn't deal
with the root of the problem.
00:17:20.14\00:17:22.90
Are you hearing me? 
Anybody can give you anything
00:17:22.94\00:17:25.77
to slow you down. Take
this cup and drink it and relax.
00:17:25.81\00:17:29.94
But then when that
wears off, you're going to
00:17:29.98\00:17:32.08
need something else.
Sometimes you have to
00:17:32.11\00:17:34.78
have something
deeper than Prozac.
00:17:34.82\00:17:36.85
You need something
that will keep you in
00:17:36.89\00:17:39.09
perfect peace. You
need something that
00:17:39.12\00:17:41.42
will make a way
somehow. You need something
00:17:41.46\00:17:44.23
that knows just
how much you can bear,
00:17:44.26\00:17:46.80
and that something
is Someone, and that
00:17:46.83\00:17:49.40
Someone is Jesus.
His name is Wonderful,
00:17:49.43\00:17:53.10
but His name is also
Counselor. [Aud. reaction]
00:17:53.13\00:17:56.81
PB:  Where people
turn for help is often an
00:17:56.84\00:18:00.14
indication of their
character and faith.
00:18:00.18\00:18:02.81
One person turns to
the bar and happy hour to
00:18:02.84\00:18:05.38
drink themselves
into some solution. Others
00:18:05.41\00:18:08.08
turn to drugs,
prescription or nonprescription,
00:18:08.12\00:18:10.62
to try to quiet the
noise of themselves.
00:18:10.65\00:18:12.92
Others have taken the
path of clinical help:
00:18:12.95\00:18:15.49
psychologists,
psychiatrists, psychoanalysts.
00:18:15.52\00:18:17.76
Some have even gone to palm
readers, tarot card readers,
00:18:17.79\00:18:22.30
soothsayers, and 1-900
Psychic Friends. But somebody
00:18:22.33\00:18:28.60
has to be reminded
today that Jesus is the
00:18:28.64\00:18:32.41
supreme Counselor. He
heals the brokenhearted,
00:18:32.44\00:18:36.11
He set the captive
free, He made the lame to
00:18:36.14\00:18:40.15
walk again and
calls the blind to see.
00:18:40.18\00:18:42.25
Let me tell you
something else. Throw this in,
00:18:42.28\00:18:44.95
free of charge. It's
good to have friends that
00:18:44.99\00:18:50.26
can counsel you, but
everybody is not qualified
00:18:50.29\00:18:55.00
to counsel you. A lot of
people can give you advice,
00:18:55.03\00:18:59.57
but not everybody is
qualified to counsel.
00:18:59.60\00:19:02.37
Are you hearing what
I'm saying? But I know
00:19:02.40\00:19:04.91
Somebody who has
qualified Himself as a Counselor
00:19:04.94\00:19:12.78
and His name, His
name, His name is Jesus.
00:19:12.81\00:19:22.69
Can I give you quickly
some of His credentials,
00:19:22.72\00:19:25.16
then I'm going to sit
down. I'm going to get
00:19:25.19\00:19:27.56
you out before
1:30. Come on, say amen.
00:19:27.60\00:19:29.06
Number one: Jesus
understands how we feel.
00:19:29.10\00:19:33.67
Hebrews 4:15 says,
"For we have not an
00:19:33.70\00:19:36.47
high priest which
cannot be touched with
00:19:36.50\00:19:38.87
the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in
00:19:38.91\00:19:40.81
all points tempted
like as we are." You see,
00:19:40.84\00:19:45.48
Jesus is not some
aloof Savior who says
00:19:45.51\00:19:49.52
"What you got
yourself into is too hard for
00:19:49.55\00:19:53.15
me to identify with."
He says, "No. I've taken
00:19:53.19\00:19:57.09
on all the sin of humanity.
I'm a qualified Counselor.
00:19:57.13\00:20:01.23
I can sit down with you,
because I've sat where you sit.
00:20:01.26\00:20:05.67
I've cried like you
cry. I've experienced
00:20:05.70\00:20:09.10
your disappointments,
I was tempted just like
00:20:09.14\00:20:12.01
you were tempted."  
Jesus knows how we feel.
00:20:12.04\00:20:16.01
There is nothing
that you experience,
00:20:16.04\00:20:17.91
there is nothing I
experience, nothing that
00:20:17.95\00:20:19.81
you go through,
nothing that you deal with
00:20:19.85\00:20:21.52
that Jesus can't
identify with. I don't care
00:20:21.55\00:20:24.25
what your experience
is, Jesus has been there
00:20:24.29\00:20:26.59
and done that.  
Number two: He is a qualified
00:20:26.62\00:20:31.96
Counselor because He
loves us. Now, we've got
00:20:31.99\00:20:37.63
some counselors in this
church, and they'll tell you:
00:20:37.67\00:20:39.73
counselors are not
advised to get involved
00:20:39.77\00:20:44.34
emotionally with
their patients, because this
00:20:44.37\00:20:48.48
involvement might hinder
them from doing their work.
00:20:48.51\00:20:52.95
What I love about Jesus
is, we've got a Counselor
00:20:52.98\00:20:57.29
who says not only do I
love you, but I'm going to
00:20:57.32\00:21:01.02
get involved with you. Do I
have a witness in this place?
00:21:01.06\00:21:03.86
[Aud. reaction]  PB:  And
He gets involved because He
00:21:03.89\00:21:06.26
has been tempted at every
point and He knows that you
00:21:06.29\00:21:08.76
can't get out of it without
His assistance. Let me stay
00:21:08.80\00:21:12.80
there for just one minute.
Don't you know, friends of
00:21:12.83\00:21:16.50
mine here at Oakwood today,
that there are some things
00:21:16.54\00:21:19.84
that you can have all
the Scriptures, you can have
00:21:19.87\00:21:23.41
all the experience, all
the human voices telling you
00:21:23.45\00:21:28.62
one thing. But there
are some things I've learned
00:21:28.65\00:21:31.69
in my life that you can't get
out of unless God gets you out.
00:21:31.72\00:21:36.89
[Aud. reaction]  PB:  I
talk to men and women who battle
00:21:36.93\00:21:39.73
crack cocaine and battle
addiction, and I ask them,
00:21:39.76\00:21:43.26
when they've had a
tenure of cleanliness,
00:21:43.30\00:21:46.37
"Talk to me about it."
And they often say to me,
00:21:46.40\00:21:47.94
"Every now and then I
battle, and I crave an appetite
00:21:47.97\00:21:51.71
for it years later,
when I've gotten off of it."
00:21:51.74\00:21:54.41
And so I say to them,
tell me. Help me understand.
00:21:54.44\00:21:56.28
How did you get out
then? Was it a 12-step program?
00:21:56.31\00:22:01.32
Was it some counselor?
Was it a support group?
00:22:01.35\00:22:05.65
They say, "Pastor, all
that is good, and Pastor Byrd,
00:22:05.69\00:22:10.29
I needed all of that."
But everyone I've asked that
00:22:10.33\00:22:14.36
same question have said
to me, that's been staying
00:22:14.40\00:22:17.03
knows that if it had not
been for the Lord on my side,
00:22:17.07\00:22:25.64
somebody knows if it had
not been for the grace of God.
00:22:25.67\00:22:32.31
Now, we come to church and
we try to camouflage our stuff,
00:22:32.35\00:22:35.55
but everybody's got some
stuff. I wish I had a witness
00:22:35.58\00:22:38.12
in this place. And
everybody in this place knows,
00:22:38.15\00:22:40.72
if it had not been for
somebody praying for you,
00:22:40.76\00:22:43.36
somebody interceding for
you, somebody helping you,
00:22:43.39\00:22:48.20
somebody encouraging you.
If it had not been for the
00:22:48.23\00:22:52.10
Lord on your side. So
don't sit up in here all snooty
00:22:52.13\00:22:54.90
and stuck up, like you've
got it going on. If it had
00:22:54.94\00:22:57.94
not been for Jesus.  Now,
you can take that experience
00:22:57.97\00:23:03.18
into any habit, any
problem, any addiction,
00:23:03.21\00:23:06.85
and the only thing that
has kept you is the goodness,
00:23:06.88\00:23:09.58
the grace, and guidance
of God. And for the believer,
00:23:09.62\00:23:14.62
there's no other way out
of the sin problem but for
00:23:14.66\00:23:18.09
the grace of God. You're
not smart enough to think
00:23:18.13\00:23:22.00
your way out. You're not
articulate enough to talk
00:23:22.03\00:23:24.57
your way out. You're not
rich enough to buy your way out,
00:23:24.60\00:23:28.50
because if you could, you
would have gotten yourself
00:23:28.54\00:23:30.64
out in the first
place. And once you're in it,
00:23:30.67\00:23:33.48
you have to appeal to
the supreme Counselor.
00:23:33.51\00:23:36.71
God, I need You, and I
need You now. He's qualified,
00:23:36.75\00:23:41.62
because He understands
us. He's qualified because
00:23:41.65\00:23:44.05
He loves us. And then
finally He's qualified as a
00:23:44.09\00:23:46.76
Counselor
because He comforts us.
00:23:46.79\00:23:50.39
Now this word "comfort" is
the same word for encouragement
00:23:50.43\00:23:55.60
or to give strength.
This is further illustrated in
00:23:55.63\00:23:58.57
First Peter chapter 5,
verse 7. It says, "Casting
00:23:58.60\00:24:01.80
all your care upon him
because he careth for"--whom,
00:24:01.84\00:24:04.61
everybody? You. Casting
all your worries, casting all
00:24:04.64\00:24:10.28
your anxiety, casting everything
on Him because He cares for you.
00:24:10.31\00:24:19.39
When Christyn was two years
old--our daughter, our eldest
00:24:19.42\00:24:24.56
daughter; Caileigh was just a
baby--Christyn would try to pick
00:24:24.59\00:24:30.97
Caileigh up. Now, I would say to
Christyn: Christyn, baby, wait a
00:24:31.00\00:24:34.24
minute, wait a minute. 'Cause
she was a baby herself. And she
00:24:34.27\00:24:37.24
thought she was the mama.
She still thinks she's the mama.
00:24:37.27\00:24:40.41
Come on, say amen. I would say,
Christyn, wait a minute. Give me
00:24:40.44\00:24:46.08
the baby. Christyn would try
her best to pick Caileigh up,
00:24:46.11\00:24:48.88
but when I would look at them,
I knew they were about to fall.
00:24:48.92\00:24:53.09
In my mind, I would say,
uh-huh, that's good effort.
00:24:53.12\00:24:55.66
But give me the baby, because
you can't carry the baby.
00:24:55.69\00:25:02.80
Church of the living
God, your Daddy hates to see
00:25:02.83\00:25:08.04
you try to carry something
that's too big for you.
00:25:08.07\00:25:12.24
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:25:12.27\00:25:13.94
[Aud. reaction]   PB: 
Learn how to cast your cares
00:25:13.98\00:25:16.71
on our Father, because
He cares for us. He's there
00:25:16.75\00:25:20.62
to comfort us, strengthen
us, encourage us. But,
00:25:20.65\00:25:23.25
you know why we don't
cast it? Because we sometimes
00:25:23.28\00:25:25.99
don't think it's too big for us.
00:25:26.02\00:25:28.79
Let me tell you
something I've learned.
00:25:28.82\00:25:30.13
The only way you're
going to release it is
00:25:30.16\00:25:31.83
when you own up to the
fact that you can't handle it.
00:25:31.86\00:25:34.50
And you see, that's
when the devil is good,
00:25:34.56\00:25:37.33
'cause he's going
to mess with your ego.
00:25:37.37\00:25:39.77
You know, they say ego's
the acronym, "Easing God Out."
00:25:39.80\00:25:42.97
And a lot of times we
don't cast it because we feel
00:25:43.00\00:25:46.31
like we're a failure if
we do. But when you start
00:25:46.34\00:25:49.61
getting hurt enough, when
you start getting burned enough,
00:25:49.64\00:25:54.28
you'll start saying "You know
what, Lord? I can't handle this.
00:25:54.32\00:25:58.89
I can't do this by
myself." As a matter of fact,
00:25:58.92\00:26:01.59
you've got to get to the
point where you say, "Lord"-
00:26:01.62\00:26:03.79
-when those bills come in
your mail--"This is Your mail.
00:26:03.83\00:26:06.66
This is Your mail. This is
for You. I know my name's on it,
00:26:06.70\00:26:10.23
but this is for You." You will
learn that if it's His will,
00:26:10.27\00:26:13.44
it's His bill. If it's
His choice, it's His invoice.
00:26:13.47\00:26:17.14
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:26:17.17\00:26:19.01
You've got to learn
how to let some things go.
00:26:19.04\00:26:22.21
Everybody say "let it
go." Aud.:  Let it go.
00:26:22.24\00:26:25.18
PB:  Come on, say "Let
it go." Aud.:  Let it go.
00:26:25.21\00:26:26.82
PB:  I was with the
nominating committee this week,
00:26:26.85\00:26:28.32
and I told them,
I'm getting older now.
00:26:28.35\00:26:30.05
Every hill is not Calvary.
Some things we've got to
00:26:30.09\00:26:34.49
learn how to let them go.
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:26:34.52\00:26:37.46
You see, I heard somebody
say one time, "When we pray,
00:26:37.49\00:26:42.33
we ought to pray to be
stronger men and women."
00:26:42.36\00:26:46.63
In other words, don't
pray--listen to me good,
00:26:46.67\00:26:51.27
my last teaching point--don't
pray for tasks equal to your
00:26:51.31\00:26:58.35
power. Don't pray for
tasks equal to your power.
00:26:58.38\00:27:04.85
Pray for power
equal to your tasks.
00:27:04.89\00:27:12.19
Many times we pray,
we pray and say "Lord,
00:27:12.23\00:27:15.36
give me a task equal to where
I am in Your walk with me."
00:27:15.40\00:27:21.80
But you know what will happen
when you pray that prayer?
00:27:21.84\00:27:25.01
You will never grow. If I
just simply pray and said,
00:27:25.04\00:27:31.41
"Lord, give me a
task equal to my power,"
00:27:31.45\00:27:35.28
I would never be the
pastor of the Oakwood Church.
00:27:35.32\00:27:38.89
I would never be the
speaker-director of Breath of
00:27:38.92\00:27:42.06
Life. Pray for power equal
to your task. When you pray,
00:27:42.09\00:27:47.86
you should say, "Lord,
this task is bigger than me,
00:27:47.86\00:27:52.17
so I'm not going to ask
You to reduce my task to the
00:27:52.20\00:27:56.40
level of my power. But
give me power equal to the
00:27:56.44\00:28:00.91
task that I'm looking at." And
that's when the Comforter comes
00:28:00.94\00:28:06.85
in. That's when the Counselor
comes in. When you learn to pray
00:28:06.88\00:28:11.95
to God, you have to say, "Lord,
I can't handle it anymore. It's
00:28:11.99\00:28:16.76
too big for me." >:  Thank
you for joining us for another
00:28:16.79\00:28:18.16
exciting Breath of
Life television broadcast.
00:28:18.19\00:28:20.26
Tune in next week at the
same time, as Dr. Byrd will
00:28:20.30\00:28:23.77
deliver another
dynamic message from the Lord,
00:28:23.80\00:28:26.20
just for you. Until
next time, may God bless you.
00:28:26.23\00:28:29.84
[END]
00:28:29.87\00:28:44.89