BREATH OF LIFE
MINISTRIES PRESENTS:
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SERMON B543 "GO
WITH WHAT YOU HAVE"
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[BREATH OF LIFE THEME MUSIC]
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PB:  Exodus chapter 3, verse
number 9, and we're going to
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read verses 9, 10, 11 and 12.
The Word of God says in verse
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number 9, "Now therefore,
behold, the cry of the children
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of Israel is come unto me: and
I have also seen the oppression
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wherewith the Egyptians oppress
them. Come now therefore,
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and I will send thee
unto Pharaoh." Everybody say
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"Pharaoh." Aud.:  Pharaoh.   PB:
 "That thou mayest bring forth
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my people the children
of Israel out of Egypt.
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And Moses said unto
God, Who am I, that I should
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go unto Pharaoh, and
that I should bring forth the
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children of Israel
out of Egypt?" Verse 12,
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"And he said,
Certainly, I will be with thee;
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and this shall be a
token unto thee, that I have
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sent thee: When thou
hast brought forth the people
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out of Egypt, ye shall
serve God upon this mountain."
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Today I want to challenge
you, first half of the year,
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go with what you
have. Go with what you have.
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Father, bless us now in this
Word. Forgive us of our sins.
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Lord, use me today,
and may Your people hear
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Thee and not hear or
see me. And we praise You
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in advance for
what You're going to do.
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Forgive us of our
sins. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Go with what you
have. Everybody say "go."
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Aud.:  Go.   PB:  Come on,
say "go, with what you have."
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Aud.:  Go, with what you have.
PB:  All right, quickly now.
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In Exodus 3 and 4, we see and
we find God's calling of Moses
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into the Lord's service.
Now notice, this call is not
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made from a pulpit. This call
is not made from an executive
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committee meeting. This call
is not made form a boardroom
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or a conference office, but
this call to Brother Moses is
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made from a burning bush.
Now, remember, this burning bush
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was not a volcanic phenomenon.
It was not a beam of sunlight,
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it was not a gas plant
that had burst into flames.
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It was just a regular
bush like any other bush,
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and the fact that this
bush burned wasn't strange,
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because we know that
spontaneous combustion will
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often burn a bush in the desert.
Do I have a witness in this
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place? Now, remember, on
this day there were thousands of
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bushes in the desert. But what
makes this bush special is not
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that it was burning, but what
makes this bush special is that
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God is in it. And when God is
in something, no devil in heal
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can stop it. But the fact
that there's a burning bush is
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not what catches Moses'
attention. What catches Moses'
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attention is the fact that
several hours have gone by,
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but this bush is still burning.
So out of curiosity Moses
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gets a little closer to the
bush that will not burn out.
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God sees now that He has Moses'
attention, and so He tells
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Moses: Moses, take your shoes
off. You're standing on holy
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ground. Moses realizes it's God
that's talking to him, so the
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Bible says he hides his face,
because the Bible says he's
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afraid. Everybody say
"afraid."  Aud.: Afraid.
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PB:  Now, why is he
afraid? Moses remembers that his
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service to the Lord in
the past has not been stellar;
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that his service to God in
the past has not been good.
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So maybe he's thinking,
God is now here. God has shown
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up in this burning
bush to get even with me,
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because Moses remembers
doing God's will his way,
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instead of doing God's
will God's way, so he hides his
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face in fear of the wrath
of God. The furthest thing from
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Moses' mind is the fact that
God is calling him to use him.
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But that's just like
our God. God's not so much
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interested in calling
the equipped, but God is
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more interested in
equipping the called.
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That's why I tell
people when I travel,
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I'm just a nobody
trying to tell everybody
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about Somebody
who can save anybody.
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Do I have a
witness in this place?
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God says to
Moses, Moses, I have seen
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My people
oppressed. Moses, I have seen
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My people
persecuted. Moses, I have seen
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My people bullied,
harassed, tortured,
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tormented, but
enough is enough. Moses,
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I want you to lead
My people out of Egypt.
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But Moses says,
"Who, me?" God says,
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"Yes, you." But
Moses says, "Couldn't be.
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So God says, "Then
who?"  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  What Moses
doesn't realize is that he's
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just like the burning
bush. There were thousands
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of bushes in the desert
on that day, but remember
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the special thing
about this bush, in Exodus 3,
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was that God was in
it. There are thousands of
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people in the world,
but what makes you special
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is that God is in
you. But when God confronts
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Brother Moses with
the call, Moses begins to
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offer excuses
instead of service. In fact,
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the Bible teaches in
chapters 3 and 4 that
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Moses offers five--how
many excuses, everybody?
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Aud.:  Five.  PB: 
He offers five excuses.
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All right, so
excuse number one, quickly.
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Moses says, "God, why
me? Who am I? I've got
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a colored past.
My past is not good."
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In this first
excuse, Moses doubts himself.
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Moses is saying,
"God, You want to use me?
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Don't You remember,
I'm the one who messed up?
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I'm the one who
killed an Egyptian and then I
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tried to cover it
up." Moses says, "I'm the
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one who tried to
break up a fight between my
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fellow Hebrews, but one
of them reminded me that
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I was a murderer.
God, don't You remember?"
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But I love God. God says,
"Yes, Moses, I do remember,
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but I also never
forgot you." But Moses says,
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"I'm the one who blows it.
I'm the one who messes up."
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But God says, "Yes, you
might be the one who messes up,
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but you're also the
one who's forgiven."
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Your past is your
past. Your past is good
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to learn from, but your
past is not good to live in.
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So when your past
calls, don't listen, because it
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has nothing new to say.
Friends, when you know God,
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understand that when
you know God, when you know
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God you will worship
God. Understand with God,
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your past is your past. Are
you herring what I'm saying?
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But excuse number two: Moses
says, "God, by whose authority
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am I being sent?" In
other words, who should I tell
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them sent me? Now
remember, in his first excuse,
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Moses doubts himself.
But in this second excuse,
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Moses is doubting God.
But God didn't ask Moses to
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go to the people and
explain all that he didn't
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know about God. God
just asked Moses to go and
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explain what he did
know. So this is what God
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says in verse number
14. He says, "When they
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ask you who sent you,
just tell them that I AM,
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that I AM sent you." You
all don't hear what I'm saying.
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In other words, Moses,
this doesn't have anything
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to do with who you are,
but it has everything to
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do with who I am. The
reason why so many people
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are not committed to
God is because they don't
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know God. They know
about God. They know about God,
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but they don't know God.
Because when you know God,
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you know the battle is
not yours but the battle
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is the Lord's. Are you
hearing what I'm saying?
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When you know God
and you know who God is,
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out of all the
things God can't do,
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God can't fail. God
can't fail. Let me try it
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one more time. God
can't fail. Why? God is God.
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God is immortal,
which means God can't die.
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God is omnipresent,
which means God is everywhere
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at the same time. God
is omnipotent, which means
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God is all
powerful. God is omniscient,
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which means that God is
all knowing. God is sovereign.
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God can do what He wants,
when He wants, where He wants,
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how He wants, and He
doesn't have to ask you or me
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for permission to do as He
wants, because He's King of
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kings. Lord of lords. CEO of the
universe. I say it all the time:
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you didn't vote Him in
and you can't vote Him out.
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You can't impeach Him
and he's not going to resign.
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There's nobody before Him
and there'll be nobody after
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Him because He is the
beginning of the beginning.
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He is the beginning in
whom the beginning began.
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He is the beginning
before the beginning was begun.
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He is the beginning who
did not begin to be. Alpha.
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Omega. First. Last.
Beginning. End. God is God.
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God says, "Moses, you tell
them that the I AM sent you."
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Excuse number three: "But what
if they don't listen to me?"
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What if they don't listen
to me. This is his line that
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begins chapter 4, so you've got
to go read chanter 4 tonight.
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What if they don't
listen to me. What if they don't
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hearken to my voice.  But
remember, this response was
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totally
hypothetical. It wasn't factual.
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It was a what-if response.
What if they don't listen to me.
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Let me say this, I've
learned in my ministry,
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what-ifs are victory killers.
What-ifs are success slayers.
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What-ifs are vision assassins.
"What if people don't listen,
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God?" God said, "I
didn't ask you that. Just go."
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"What if I don't talk
right?" "I didn't ask you that.
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Just go." "What if I don't look
right?" "I didn't ask you that.
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Just go." "What if I don't pray
right?" "I didn't ask you that.
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Just go." "What if I don't have
enough money?" "I didn't ask you
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that. Just go." "What if they
don't know me? What if they have
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a question that I don't have
an answer to?" "I didn't ask you
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that. Just go." "Well,
what if I didn't go to Oakwood?"
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"I didn't ask
you that. Just go."
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"What if I haven't
and can't be ordained?"
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"I didn't ask
you that. Just go."
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"What if they don't know
that I have a college degree?
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That I don't have a
graduate or terminal degree?"
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Quit talking about
what you don't have and use
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what you do have.
Moses was too concerned about
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what might happen that
he couldn't hear what God
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would say would
happen. So what does God do?
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This is the part I like. 
God gives Moses three proofs.
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Three examples of his power.
First proof: God asks Moses,
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"Moses, what's in your
hand? What's in your hand?"
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Moses says, "A rod is in
my hand." God says, "Well,
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cast the rod to the ground."
Moses cast the rod to the
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ground. The rod becomes a snake,
and Moses runs from the snake.
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Now let's be honest and be real
today. We'd do the same thing.
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Come on, say amen.
Snakes and I don't get along.
00:12:10.59\00:12:11.86
Do I have a
witness in this place?
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Second proof: God
then tells Moses, "Moses,
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reach out your hand and
take the snake by the tail."
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Moses reaches out his
hand, catches the snake.
00:12:23.51\00:12:27.38
The snake becomes a rod
again. God says, "Now, Moses,
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if I can do that with a
stick, think about what I
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can do with you."
It's important, friends,
00:12:36.95\00:12:39.82
to know that God didn't
ask Moses to use something
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he didn't have. God asked
him to use what he does have.
00:12:44.23\00:12:48.43
Are you hearing what
I'm saying? Are you really,
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really hearing what I'm
saying? God asked Moses,
00:12:50.93\00:12:53.50
"Moses, what's in your
hand?" Because the reality,
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friends, is God made
our hands without our hands.
00:12:55.54\00:12:58.37
It's God's will to use the
hands He made to bless others.
00:12:58.41\00:13:01.64
God uses what we have,
but God has never demanded
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from us what we don't
have. God isn't always looking
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for ability, God's
looking for availability.
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Use what you have.
Use what's in your hands.
00:13:10.55\00:13:12.85
Third proof: God says,
"Now, put your hand in your
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shirt in your flesh." And Moses
puts his hands in his shirt,
00:13:16.39\00:13:20.33
in his flesh, and
then he takes out his hand.
00:13:20.36\00:13:22.96
The Bible says his
hand is as leprous as snow.
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God then tells him,
"Moses, put your hand back
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in your shirt, in your
flesh." Moses does it again,
00:13:29.24\00:13:32.01
and when he takes it
out, his hand is as healthy as
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it was before. God says, "If
I can do that with your hand,
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imagine what I can do
with your entire being."
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Excuse number four, I'm almost
done: "I don't speak well.
00:13:41.92\00:13:48.22
I don't preach
well. I'm not good enough.
00:13:48.26\00:13:54.63
I'm not talented enough."
Now, this excuse was already
00:13:54.66\00:14:01.37
solved in excuse
number two, when God said,
00:14:01.40\00:14:04.61
"Just tell that I AM
that I AM." God has the
00:14:04.64\00:14:08.98
authority to say this, because
He says, "I AM what you need."
00:14:09.01\00:14:13.21
I know what you need.
Because I have what you need.
00:14:13.25\00:14:19.05
I have what you need,
because I AM what you need.
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I AM the Great Physician.
I AM the Rock of Ages.
00:14:25.09\00:14:30.40
I AM the Lily of the
Valley. I AM the Burden Bearer.
00:14:30.43\00:14:36.30
I AM the Heavy-load Sharer. I
AM the doctor in the sickroom.
00:14:36.34\00:14:41.91
I AM the lawyer in the
courtroom. I AM the prayer
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answerer in the
church room. I AM that I AM.
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But Moses still says, "God,
I'm not an eloquent speaker.
00:14:49.72\00:14:53.49
I'm slow of speech. I
talk funny." Interestingly,
00:14:53.52\00:15:00.76
he may have been slow of speech
but yet he's fast with excuses.
00:15:00.80\00:15:06.40
[Aud. Reaction]  PB:  The
irony in the text is that Steven
00:15:06.43\00:15:13.41
indicated, in Acts 7:22, that
Moses in the first 40 years of
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his life in Egypt was a man
mighty in words and deeds. But
00:15:17.95\00:15:23.05
yet he says he's slow of speech.
"I'm not eloquent." But God's
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got an answer for that. If
you read chapter 4, God says,
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"Who made your mouth? Who makes
the dumb? Who makes the deaf?
00:15:31.39\00:15:38.17
Who makes the
seeing, the blind? Just go,
00:15:38.20\00:15:41.84
and I will be your mouth. I
will teach you what to say."
00:15:41.87\00:15:47.11
Let me tell you something.
Our inadequacies are no
00:15:47.14\00:15:50.08
problem for God. God
made us the way we are.
00:15:50.11\00:15:53.95
You and I will never be
good enough. Oh, preach,
00:15:53.98\00:15:57.69
Pastor Byrd. I'm doing
the best I can. We will
00:15:57.72\00:16:00.36
never be smart enough. We
will never be rich enough.
00:16:00.39\00:16:04.93
We will never be eloquent
enough. We will never be holy
00:16:04.96\00:16:09.03
or righteous enough. Our
righteousness in the sight of
00:16:09.06\00:16:12.03
God is but as filthy
rags. We are all gone as
00:16:12.07\00:16:15.37
sheep to the slaughter. 
Moses stuttered. Noah was drunk.
00:16:15.40\00:16:21.68
Abraham was too old. Josiah
was too young. Isaac was a
00:16:21.71\00:16:25.18
daydreamer. Jacob was a liar.
Leah was ugly. Joseph was
abused. Gideon was afraid.
00:16:25.21\00:16:30.55
Samson had dreads and
was a womanizer. Rahab was a
00:16:30.59\00:16:36.32
prostitute. David was an
adulterer. Elijah was suicidal.
Isaiah preached naked.
00:16:36.36\00:16:42.90
Jonah ran from God. Naomi
was a widow. Job went bankrupt.
00:16:42.93\00:16:47.67
John the Baptist ate
bugs. [Aud. Reaction]
00:16:47.70\00:16:51.77
PB:  Peter denied
Christ. Martha was a worrywart.
00:16:51.81\00:16:55.44
Mary Magdalene was demon
possessed. Zacchaeus was short.
00:16:55.48\00:16:59.25
Timothy had an ulcer.
Paul was a Christian killer,
00:16:59.28\00:17:04.29
and Lazarus was dead. But
I've learned over the years,
00:17:04.32\00:17:09.26
you don't have to be a
star to be in God's show.
00:17:09.29\00:17:14.73
You don't have to be
famous for God to use you.
00:17:14.73\00:17:19.00
You don't have to be a
celebrity for God to use you.
00:17:19.03\00:17:23.04
You don't have to preach
like Peter, pray like Paul,
00:17:23.07\00:17:25.64
or sing like David.
God uses ordinary people.
00:17:25.67\00:17:29.74
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
If you don't believe God
00:17:29.78\00:17:32.05
uses ordinary people,
look at the original disciples.
00:17:32.08\00:17:34.22
They were plain, down to
earth, ordinary, workaday,
00:17:34.25\00:17:38.92
grassroots brothers. They
were untaught by professors,
00:17:38.95\00:17:45.46
unschooled in philosophy,
unexposed to high culture.
00:17:45.49\00:17:50.40
They were not religious
scholars, they were not
00:17:50.43\00:17:54.87
ordained. They were not the most
intellectual men, they were not
00:17:54.90\00:17:57.04
the kind of men that
the world would expect to be
00:17:57.07\00:17:58.64
called messengers of
the Most High God. They were
00:17:58.67\00:18:01.28
blue-collar guys. Ordinary
fellows. Regular brothers.
00:18:01.31\00:18:06.08
And here is the
God of the universe,
00:18:06.11\00:18:08.62
calling them into service.
But that's just like God,
00:18:08.65\00:18:12.95
always rooting for the underdog,
always pulling for the last,
00:18:12.99\00:18:17.43
the least, the lost, the
unlucky, and the left out.
00:18:17.46\00:18:20.83
Praise God that God is
willing to use people like you
00:18:20.86\00:18:23.67
and me and these unlettered
fishermen, because Jesus
00:18:23.70\00:18:26.70
saw something in them,
just like He sees something
00:18:26.74\00:18:29.14
in you and me. He
knew what He was doing.
00:18:29.17\00:18:32.21
Jesus didn't go to pick
rabbis to be on His team.
00:18:32.24\00:18:35.74
He didn't go pick the bright,
the astute, the knowledgeable,
00:18:35.78\00:18:37.98
leaders of Israel. He didn't
go to Jerusalem to be among
00:18:38.01\00:18:39.81
the priests and the
elders. Jesus went to the Sea of
00:18:39.85\00:18:44.19
Galilee. He called fishermen,
folk who had never been to
00:18:44.22\00:18:47.36
school. Folk who couldn't speak
the king's English. He relied on
00:18:47.39\00:18:50.43
something better than
formal religion, better than
00:18:50.46\00:18:52.79
formal education, better
than tradition. Something better
00:18:52.83\00:18:55.53
than the way it used to
be to the way it ought to be.
00:18:55.56\00:18:58.97
God's thoughts are not our
thoughts, His ways are not our
00:18:59.00\00:19:03.64
ways. Man sees the outward
appearance, but God looks at the
00:19:03.67\00:19:08.51
heart. And let me tell you
something. God can call whom He
00:19:08.54\00:19:12.88
wants to call, and God can
make what God wants to make. God
00:19:12.91\00:19:17.79
makes and uses ordinary people.
People like you and me who are
00:19:17.82\00:19:21.39
willing to do as He commands.
 Let me tell you something.
00:19:21.42\00:19:24.43
God can do mighty
things with ordinary people.
00:19:24.46\00:19:26.93
God can do extraordinary
things with ordinary people.
00:19:26.96\00:19:30.07
God doesn't just use
geniuses. God will use anybody
00:19:30.10\00:19:32.57
that will give God
clean hands, a pure heart,
00:19:32.60\00:19:34.80
a dedicated life, and an
open mind. Don't you refuse
00:19:34.84\00:19:37.77
to serve God and serve
God's church, talking about
00:19:37.81\00:19:39.94
I'm not rich
enough. I'm not good enough.
00:19:39.97\00:19:42.18
I'm not smart enough.
I'm not talented enough.
00:19:42.21\00:19:45.45
I'm not saintly
enough, or I'm not old enough.
00:19:45.48\00:19:49.08
If you think like this,
you'll never be good enough
00:19:49.12\00:19:51.52
for God to use you. God
doesn't use us because we're
00:19:51.55\00:19:53.79
good enough, but because
God is good enough to use
00:19:53.82\00:19:56.09
those that are not good enough
to do what God wants done.
00:19:56.12\00:19:59.43
God doesn't save us, God doesn't
choose us because we're holy.
00:19:59.46\00:20:04.53
God doesn't choose us because
we're worthy. God chooses us,
00:20:04.57\00:20:08.37
thank You Jesus,
because His grace is sufficient.
00:20:08.40\00:20:12.37
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
Excuse number four is common
00:20:12.41\00:20:14.88
among Christians. I
don't have the ability.
00:20:14.91\00:20:17.65
I'm not qualified.
I'm not good enough.
00:20:17.68\00:20:20.72
People will talk about
me, people will criticize me.
00:20:20.75\00:20:23.39
Let me say something
about criticism. Elder Jones,
00:20:23.42\00:20:26.32
I'm coming up on five
years, so I can just say it
00:20:26.35\00:20:28.22
like I feel it. When
you minister, and when you
00:20:28.26\00:20:32.59
serve the Lord, I've
learned you will either be
00:20:32.63\00:20:36.33
in the penthouse or the
outhouse. You will either
00:20:36.36\00:20:40.50
be in the tower of praise
or the dumps of criticism.
00:20:40.54\00:20:45.27
I have learned--listen to
me pastor--the same people
00:20:45.31\00:20:48.68
who shout "hosanna" at
the beginning of the week will
00:20:48.71\00:20:51.58
be the same people who
should "crucify Him" at the
00:20:51.61\00:20:53.88
end of the
week.  [Aud. reaction]
00:20:53.92\00:20:57.82
PB:  When you serve the Lord,
you're going to get criticized.
00:20:57.85\00:21:01.92
That comes with the
territory. I've learned this
00:21:01.96\00:21:05.79
in pastoral ministry.
If the pastor is young,
00:21:05.83\00:21:09.10
he lacks experience. If
the pastor's hair is gray,
00:21:09.13\00:21:12.57
they're too old. If the
pastor has five children,
00:21:12.60\00:21:16.00
the pastor has too many kids.
If the pastor has no children,
00:21:16.04\00:21:18.41
the pastor's not
setting the right example.
00:21:18.44\00:21:20.58
If the pastor is a
woman, the pastor is not a man.
00:21:20.61\00:21:23.45
If the pastor preaches from
his notes, they must be canned
00:21:23.48\00:21:26.95
sermons. If the pastor's
messages are extemporaneous, the
00:21:26.98\00:21:30.69
pastor's not deep. If the pastor
uses too many illustrations, the
00:21:30.72\00:21:33.32
pastor neglects the Word. If
the pastor doesn't use enough
00:21:33.36\00:21:36.46
stories, the pastor is not
clear. If the pastor uses too
00:21:36.49\00:21:39.83
much Ellen White, the pastor's
too legalistic. If the pastor
00:21:39.86\00:21:42.60
doesn't use enough Ellen White,
the pastor isn't Adventist
00:21:42.63\00:21:47.90
enough. [Aud. reaction]  PB:  If
the pastor supports the praise
00:21:47.94\00:21:52.37
team's singing, if the
pastor claps his hands in
00:21:52.41\00:21:56.04
praise and worship,
the pastor's too liberal.
00:21:56.08\00:21:58.71
If the pastor just
supports him singing,
00:21:58.75\00:22:01.35
the pastor's too conservative.
If the pastor condemns wrong,
00:22:01.38\00:22:05.55
the pastor's a legalist. If the
pastor doesn't preach against
00:22:05.59\00:22:09.09
sin, the pastor's a compromiser.
If the pastor fails to please
00:22:09.12\00:22:12.86
everybody, the pastor is hurting
the church. If the pastor please
00:22:12.89\00:22:15.60
everybody, the pastor has
no conviction. [Aud. reaction]
00:22:15.63\00:22:17.60
PB:  If the pastor
drives an old car, the pastor
00:22:17.63\00:22:27.84
shames his congregation. If
the pastor drives a new car,
00:22:27.88\00:22:31.38
the pastor has set his
affections on things of the
00:22:31.41\00:22:36.89
earth. If the pastor preaches
all the time, people get tired
00:22:36.92\00:22:41.52
of hearing the same preacher.
But if the pastor invites
00:22:41.56\00:22:44.39
guest speakers, the
pastor's not doing his job.
00:22:44.43\00:22:48.36
[Aud. reaction]   PB:  We
will never be good enough,
00:22:48.40\00:22:57.71
talented enough or
righteous enough or holy enough.
00:22:57.74\00:23:01.84
But I hear the Apostle Paul
saying "But be ye steadfast,
00:23:01.88\00:23:08.88
unmovable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord,
00:23:08.92\00:23:13.36
for your labors are
not in vain." When you're
00:23:13.39\00:23:16.89
serving the Lord,
it's like an open door that
00:23:16.93\00:23:19.63
draws flies. And
the brighter the light,
00:23:19.66\00:23:23.30
the more you attract bugs.
You will attract criticism.
00:23:23.33\00:23:28.57
But God is saying,
"If I can handle a rod,
00:23:28.60\00:23:33.11
then I can handle
the criticism for you.
00:23:33.14\00:23:36.51
If I can handle some
lions in a lions' den,
00:23:36.54\00:23:40.05
then I can handle
some criticism for you.
00:23:40.08\00:23:43.52
If I can handle a fiery
furnace for three Hebrew boys,
00:23:43.55\00:23:46.32
then I can handle
the criticism for you.
00:23:46.35\00:23:48.76
When you serve the
Lord, you will make mistakes.
00:23:48.79\00:23:53.19
People will see your flaws. But
just go. Go with what you have.
00:23:53.23\00:24:04.64
Final point. Excuse
number five, really a statement:
00:24:04.67\00:24:10.91
"Send somebody else." Regardless
of what God tells Moses,
00:24:10.95\00:24:18.95
Moses still doesn't want to go.
The Bible says in Exodus 4:14,
00:24:18.99\00:24:29.00
"Then the Lord's anger
is burned against Moses."
00:24:29.03\00:24:34.60
Let me be honest.
Can I be, for everybody.
00:24:34.64\00:24:36.74
Not just preachers,
the elders and everybody.
00:24:36.77\00:24:38.81
Sometimes God
becomes angry at our excuses.
00:24:38.84\00:24:44.11
God's blessings are
withdrawn from those who whine.
00:24:44.15\00:24:49.62
God has not called us
to be wimps. He's called
00:24:49.65\00:24:53.79
us to be warriors. Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
00:24:53.82\00:24:55.99
Soldiers not scaredy-cats.
When Moses begged God
00:24:56.02\00:25:00.90
to send somebody
else, he's in effect really
00:25:00.93\00:25:04.10
telling the Lord,
"I don't trust You."
00:25:04.13\00:25:06.80
This angers God,
and the sin of excuses
00:25:06.84\00:25:13.71
will one day come to
judgment. But not only
00:25:13.74\00:25:15.41
do excuses anger God,
they also cause discouragement
00:25:15.44\00:25:17.75
within the body of
Christ. Excuses force the few to
00:25:17.78\00:25:20.45
carry the weight of the
many.  A business principle
00:25:20.48\00:25:23.39
that I've studied in my
master's program is very true.
00:25:23.42\00:25:26.42
Pareto's principle is
true. Twenty percent of the
00:25:26.45\00:25:31.13
people do eighty
percent of the work. Satan will
00:25:31.16\00:25:36.16
use this as a wedge to bring
discouragement and division.
00:25:36.20\00:25:40.34
We don't need
somebody else to do what God is
00:25:40.37\00:25:45.27
calling us to do. If we
let others do what we're
00:25:45.31\00:25:50.75
afraid to do, then
we're probably letting them
00:25:50.78\00:25:52.91
do what God is calling us
to do. Think about it, you all.
00:25:52.95\00:25:55.28
God accommodated
Moses' lack of faith, but His
00:25:55.32\00:26:00.09
accommodation had its
consequences. Moses was God's
00:26:00.12\00:26:05.29
man for the job. Remember?
But God told Moses that
00:26:05.33\00:26:10.20
his brother, Aaron,
would be allowed to assist him.
00:26:10.23\00:26:13.90
But remember, once the
children of Israel left Egypt,
00:26:13.94\00:26:19.04
Aaron got Moses and
the children of Israel into
00:26:19.07\00:26:23.58
serious trouble,
because remember, it was Aaron
00:26:23.61\00:26:26.55
who led the children of
Israel into idolatry and
00:26:26.58\00:26:30.59
idol worship while
Moses was on Mt. Sinai
00:26:30.62\00:26:33.92
receiving the Ten
Commandments. Let me
00:26:33.96\00:26:36.86
tell you something
I've learned in my life,
00:26:36.89\00:26:38.49
almost 23 years
pastoring. God's perfect
00:26:38.53\00:26:41.50
will is always better
than God's permissive will.
00:26:41.53\00:26:45.13
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
It's a great deal easier
00:26:45.17\00:26:52.31
to do that which God
gives us to do, no matter
00:26:52.34\00:26:54.28
how hard it is, than to
face the responsibilities
00:26:54.31\00:26:57.81
of not doing it. But
through it all, in spite of
00:26:57.85\00:27:02.68
this mess we still
see a breakthrough.
00:27:02.72\00:27:07.69
Moses finally
responds in obedience and
00:27:07.72\00:27:11.63
goes back to Egypt
and does what God told
00:27:11.66\00:27:15.03
him to do. What's the result?
00:27:15.06\00:27:17.57
Over 2 million
Israelites, under Moses,
00:27:17.60\00:27:20.67
eventually walked out
of the land of slavery.
00:27:20.70\00:27:23.94
Go with what you
have.  Moses had a stutter,
00:27:23.97\00:27:31.25
but God said, go.
David only had a slingshot
00:27:31.28\00:27:37.39
and five stones,
but God said, go.
00:27:37.42\00:27:42.49
Gideon only had 300
men, but God said, go.
00:27:42.52\00:27:49.56
We only have 19
million Adventists in a world
00:27:49.60\00:27:57.51
of 7.5 billion
people, but yet God says, go.
00:27:57.54\00:28:02.64
We only have 1.3
million Adventist Christians
00:28:02.68\00:28:07.48
in the United States,
Bermuda, Canada and Guam,
00:28:07.52\00:28:11.35
and this division
has 375 million people.
00:28:11.39\00:28:15.76
But God says go.
00:28:15.79\00:28:17.79
>:  Thank you for
joining us for another exciting
00:28:17.83\00:28:18.96
Breath of Life
television broadcast.
00:28:18.99\00:28:20.96
Tune in next week at
the same time, as Dr. Byrd
00:28:20.96\00:28:23.87
will deliver another
dynamic message from the Lord,
00:28:23.90\00:28:26.63
just for you. Until next time,
00:28:26.67\00:28:29.10
may God bless you.
00:28:29.14\00:28:30.61
END
00:28:30.64\00:28:45.65