Breath of Life
Ministries Presents:
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Sermon 563 "He
Hurt Me to Help Me."
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[Breath of Life Theme Music]
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PB: The Word of God
says in Genesis chapter 32,
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verse 24, "And Jacob
was left alone; and there
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wrestled a man with him
until the breaking of the day.
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And when he saw that he
prevailed not against him,
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he touched the
hollow of his thigh;
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and the hollow of
[his thigh; the hollow
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of Jacob's]
thigh was out of joint,
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as he wrestled
with him. And he said,
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Let me go, for the day breaketh.
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And he said, I
will not let thee go,
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except thou bless
me." When I let you
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go until you bless
me. "And he said unto him,
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What is thy name?
And he said, Jacob.
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And he said, Thy
name shall be called
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no more Jacob, but
Israel: for as a prince
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hast thou power
with God and with men,
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and hast prevailed.
And Jacob asked him,
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and said, Tell me,
I pray thee, thy name.
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And he said,
Wherefore is it that thou
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dost ask after my name?
And he blessed him there.
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And Jacob called the
name of the place Peniel:
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for I have seen
God face to face,
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and my life is
preserved. And as he passed
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over Penuel the
sun rose upon him,
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and he halted upon his thigh.
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Therefore the
children of Israel eat
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not of the sinew which shrank,
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which is upon the
hollow of the thigh,
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unto this day:
because he touched the
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hollow of Jacob's thigh
in the sinew that shrank."
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I want us to center in,
and I will, in the sermon,
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on verses 24 and
specifically verse number 25.
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Our message is entitled
"He hurt me to help me."
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He hurt me to help me.
Father, we ask that You
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bless us now as
we go into Your Word.
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You've used me
before; I need You to really
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use me today, to
speak to Your people.
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Forgive us for our
sins, and at the appeal
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time move by Your power
and sprinkle out Your grace.
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In Jesus' name, Amen.
 He hurt me to help me.
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All right, when I was
a little boy and when you
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acted up, you got a
whooping. All right,
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let me say that
again. When I was a little
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boy and you acted
up, you got a whooping.
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Not a spanking, not a
paddling, not a whipping,
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but you got a
whooping. Somebody knows the
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difference between a
whooping and a whipping.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
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[Aud. Reaction]  PB:
All right. There wasn't,
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back in those days,
all this time out like
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we have today. There
wasn't all this grounding
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like we have today.
There weren't all these
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rules that said you
couldn't get the belt,
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like we do and have
today. The mindset was,
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if you spare the
rod, you spoil the child.
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Somebody knows
what I'm talking about.
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[Aud. Reaction]  PB:
So when you disobeyed
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your parents, you
got a whooping. When you
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lied to your
parents, you got a whooping;
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whether it was a
belt or a tree branch,
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you got a
whooping.  [Aud. Reaction]
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When you talked
back to your parents,
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you got a whooping. When
you didn't clean your room,
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you got a whooping. I
hope my girls are listening.
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Do I have a witness in
this place?  [Aud. Reaction]
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PB: When you
didn't do your homework,
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you got a whooping.
When you played in church,
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you got a whooping. When
you disobeyed your teachers,
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you got a whooping.
And back in those days,
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in church school,
you could get whoopings.
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And if you got a
whooping at school,
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it was double
trouble, because in my house
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if you got a
whooping at school, when you
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got home you were
going to get another whooping
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[Aud. Reaction]   PB:
All this time out--please.
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[Aud. Reaction]   PB: You
were going to get a whooping.
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That's probably
what's wrong around here now.
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Time out. Time out.
No, you need a whooping.
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[Aud. Reaction]   PB:
And after you got a whooping,
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you asked why. So some
parents--my daddy never said
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this, but some parents--would
say "it hurt me more than it
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hurt you." No it didn't,
I'm crying and you aren't.
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Do I have a witness in
this place?  [Aud. Reaction]
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PB: But as I've gotten
older and now that I have
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children of my own, I realize
that my parents sometimes
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had to hurt me in order to
help me. You all don't hear
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what I'm saying. Now in
this text we have an example
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of this hurting to help.
In the text, we have Jacob.
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Everybody say
"Jacob."   Aud.: Jacob.
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PB: The Bible
says he's left along.
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He's left--what,
everybody? Aud.: Alone.
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PB: Now, I want to
suggest to you today that
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being left alone may
not always involve physical
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proximity from other
people. It may mean that
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there are other people
around you all the time,
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but yet you feel alone.
You have people around you,
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but these people don't
understand what's going
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on in your life. You
have people around you,
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but you have nobody to
talk to and identify with
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what's happening in your
life. Jacob is left alone.
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The Bible says he
wrestles with a man until the
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breaking of day. Now,
the Bible does not tell us
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who this man is. But
many theologians and writers,
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including Ellen White,
have suggested, and I concur,
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that this man was
God. And so in Genesis 32,
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we have Jacob wrestling
with God. Picture that.
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Jacob physically
wrestling, physically fighting,
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with God. Jacob doesn't hear
what Flip Wilson was saying,
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"Man, your arms are
too short to box with God."
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But not only that, is
Jacob wrestling with God,
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God initiates the
match. Now, in our lives
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there are some of us
who have had struggles
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with one another.
But it's a whole 'nother
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thing to struggle
with God. But whenever
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God is working on us,
whenever God is trying
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to do something in
our lives, whenever
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God is trying to
get our attention,
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there's going to be a struggle.
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This morning, I
asked you this question:
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has anybody ever
wrestled with God?
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Come on, be
honest. Has anybody ever
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struggled with
God? Has anybody ever
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had a pow-wow with
God? Has anybody had
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an experience
where you say, God,
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I know You're
doing something, but God,
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I don't know what You're doing.
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Now look at verse 25.
It says, "And when he"-
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-the man--"saw that he
prevailed not against him."
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So the man,
representing God, sees that He
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prevailed not against
him, He touches the hollow
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of his thigh. And the
hollow of Jacob's thigh
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was out of joint as
he wrestled with Him.
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Now, don't
misunderstand the text.
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Jacob did not prevail
in his wrestling over God.
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Jacob did not beat
God up. That's not what
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the text is saying,
because Jacob doesn't
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have as much power as
God. God is omnipotent.
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God is all-powerful,
and the maximum of our
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power is the joke to
the minimum of God's power.
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Our power, on our
best day, still pales in
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comparison to the power
of God on His worst day.
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But the Bible says
that God touches Jacob.
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God had to touch his
hip in order to bring
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his flesh back into
submission to God's Spirit.
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You see, whenever your
flesh begins to prevail
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over the spiritual
requirements in life that you
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need to go through,
God--and I'm a witness--
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will hurt you to help
you. Let me tell you something.
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All of your hurt is not
rendered upon you by the devil.
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All of your hurt does not
come from the devil's folk.
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All of your pain does not
come from the devil's imps.
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But God, the Bible says,
chastens those whom He loves.
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God will sometimes hurt
you, because He's trying to
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help you. Because God
knows that if you're ever
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going to get in your
purpose, if you're ever going
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to be where you need to
be, sometimes God has to
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hurt you so you can
realize the spiritual purpose
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in your life. Sometimes
God will knock you down;
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knock you down in
order that you might look up
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to where your help
cometh. Because when you're
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lying on your back,
all you can do is look up.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
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Have you ever been
there, struggling with God?
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You pray, but you can't
pray, struggling with God.
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You sing, but you can't
sing, struggling with God.
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You preach, but you
really can't preach and don't
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feel like preaching, 'cause
you're struggling with God.
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You come to church, but
you're just here soaking
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up air
conditioning, because you're
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struggling with God.
The sermon means nothing,
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the songs mean nothing,
the fellowship means nothing.
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You're numb because
you're struggling with God.
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What do you do when
God comes in your life,
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and you end up
wrestling with God,
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and nobody
understands? When you end
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up asking God, God,
why do the wicked prosper?
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God, why am I
going through all this,
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and it seems like
they've got it made over here.
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What do you do?
I've come to tell you,
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you've got to do like Jacob did.
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You've got to say,
God, if we're going
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to wrestle,
we're going to wrestle.
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God, if we're going to struggle,
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we're going to
struggle. But I tell You what,
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I'm not going to let
go until You bless me.
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I'm not moving,
I'm not going anywhere,
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I'm gonna stay
right here, I'm not going
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anywhere until You
bless me. I know the
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day's breaking. I
know the dawn of a new
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day is on the
horizon. But I'm not going
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anywhere until You bless me.
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Now look at
verse 27. In verse 27,
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God asks Jacob,
"Jacob, what's your name?"
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Now, be careful,
because when God asks you
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a question, He's got
to be up to something.
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Because here is God, omniscient.
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That means He's all-knowing.
00:11:16.87\00:11:18.97
But He's asking a
question. Here is God.
00:11:19.01\00:11:22.08
He knew you
before you were in your
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mother's womb, but
He's asking a question.
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Here is God, He knows
every hair on your head,
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but He's asking a question.
Jacob, what's your name?
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Jacob says, "My name is Jacob."
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Now, we know this,
but in Hebrew culture
00:11:42.63\00:11:45.27
your name was
symbolic of your character.
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So your behavior
defined your name.
00:11:47.90\00:11:51.44
Y'all don't
hear what I'm saying.
00:11:51.47\00:11:52.81
I said your
behavior defined your name.
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So in the Bible,
Joseph meant God will
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give increase.
Moses meant deliverer,
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or to pull out,
to draw out of water.
00:12:01.35\00:12:03.55
Samuel meant God has
heard. David meant beloved.
00:12:03.59\00:12:07.42
Jesus' name was the
transliteration of the word
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"yehoshua" which Jehovah
saves. Whatever your name was,
00:12:10.26\00:12:15.83
it was symbolic
of your character.
00:12:15.86\00:12:18.17
Your behavior defined your name.
00:12:18.20\00:12:20.24
So I ask you this morning:
00:12:20.27\00:12:21.57
what would your name be if your
00:12:21.60\00:12:23.54
behavior defined
your name? [Aud. Reaction]
00:12:23.57\00:12:26.88
PB: If your past
defined your name.
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What would your
name be? I'm not talking
00:12:30.48\00:12:33.65
about what your
mama named you. I'm not
00:12:33.68\00:12:35.95
talking about what
your daddy named you.
00:12:35.98\00:12:37.92
I'm not talking
about what they call you,
00:12:37.95\00:12:39.52
but if you looked
back over your life,
00:12:39.55\00:12:42.46
what would your
name be? Jacob says my
00:12:42.49\00:12:46.80
name is Jacob.
Jacob means trickster,
00:12:46.83\00:12:50.63
player, hustler.
He's a get-over, gamer,
00:12:50.67\00:12:57.84
deceiver. If you study his life,
00:12:57.87\00:13:00.04
you'll understand
why his name meant that.
00:13:00.08\00:13:01.98
But as a result of
this wrestling experience
00:13:02.01\00:13:05.01
with God, God
changed Jacob's name.
00:13:05.05\00:13:09.65
Lesson for us:
sometimes you've got
00:13:09.68\00:13:12.15
to wrestle with God
in order to experience
00:13:12.19\00:13:14.19
a change.
Sometimes you've got to go
00:13:14.22\00:13:16.76
through some stuff in
order to experience a change.
00:13:16.79\00:13:19.79
You've got to
experience some tough times,
00:13:19.83\00:13:21.83
some dark days, in
order to experience a change.
00:13:21.86\00:13:25.10
You've got to shed some
tears in order to experience
00:13:25.13\00:13:28.50
some change, and then
when life has, your life has
00:13:28.54\00:13:32.47
been changed, it
doesn't happen right away.
00:13:32.51\00:13:36.68
It's not overnight, but
it's a process. Many of us,
00:13:36.71\00:13:41.32
if we're honest,
didn't come the first time we
00:13:41.35\00:13:44.42
heard God's voice.
We wrestled with God.
00:13:44.45\00:13:48.39
Some of us in here
right now are still wrestling
00:13:48.42\00:13:50.49
with God. But though
we're not where we should be,
00:13:50.53\00:13:55.20
we praise God. We're
not what we used to be.
00:13:55.23\00:14:02.10
And if you never
wrestle with God,
00:14:02.14\00:14:05.27
you'll never understand
who you're supposed to be.
00:14:05.31\00:14:09.08
You'll never
understand your purpose.
00:14:09.11\00:14:12.31
You see, there are a
lot of folk who are doing
00:14:12.35\00:14:14.92
things because that's
what other people named you.
00:14:14.95\00:14:18.12
They named you preacher.
They named you teacher.
00:14:18.15\00:14:22.22
They named you
engineer. They named you doctor.
00:14:22.26\00:14:24.93
They named you
lawyer. And what happens is,
00:14:24.96\00:14:26.83
because people
named you and not God,
00:14:26.86\00:14:29.16
you set your mind on
a particular field or
00:14:29.20\00:14:31.80
career and then you
realize that while you
00:14:31.83\00:14:34.10
studied for it, or while
you're doing it every day,
00:14:34.14\00:14:36.50
you don't have completeness.
That is not your purpose.
00:14:36.54\00:14:40.74
And so you're frustrated
because you make all this
00:14:40.78\00:14:42.68
money but you're not in
your purpose, and you're
00:14:42.71\00:14:45.61
frustrated because you
let people tell you what to
00:14:45.65\00:14:47.32
do and when to do it.
You're supposed to be this,
00:14:47.35\00:14:50.19
you're supposed to be that,
and because you felt pressured,
00:14:50.22\00:14:52.55
there you are doing
this and that, but it's not
00:14:52.59\00:14:54.72
what God called you to
do.  But there comes a point
00:14:54.76\00:14:58.26
in time in your life where
you've got to let God name you.
00:14:58.29\00:15:03.10
There's a calling on your life.
God has a purpose for your life,
00:15:03.13\00:15:08.67
and there's nothing that
anybody can do to hinder God's
00:15:08.70\00:15:11.01
purpose and plan for your
life. You don't believe me?
00:15:11.04\00:15:13.64
A Red Sea couldn't stop God.
A lions' den couldn't stop God.
00:15:13.68\00:15:18.21
A fiery furnace couldn't
stop God. No wedding punch at a
00:15:18.25\00:15:22.22
wedding could stop God. No food
on a New Testament countryside
00:15:22.25\00:15:25.89
could stop God. God
will quicken whom He will,
00:15:25.92\00:15:28.99
when He will,  where
He will, how He will,
00:15:29.02\00:15:32.49
because God is
God. Let God name you.
00:15:32.53\00:15:36.90
And so God tells
Jacob, Brother, your name is
00:15:36.93\00:15:39.70
not what it used to be.
Your name is no longer Jacob.
00:15:39.73\00:15:44.07
That's what everybody
calls you, but your name
00:15:44.11\00:15:45.84
has too much
baggage in your past.
00:15:45.87\00:15:48.01
Your new name is
Israel. Israel means chosen.
00:15:48.04\00:15:51.85
Everybody say
"chosen."  Aud.: Chosen.
00:15:51.88\00:15:53.85
PB: You see, after
you wrestle with God,
00:15:53.88\00:15:57.12
God will then
say "I choose you."
00:15:57.15\00:16:00.19
You're the head
and not the tail.
00:16:00.22\00:16:03.39
You're above and not beneath.
00:16:03.43\00:16:06.96
You're the top and
you're not the bottom.
00:16:07.00\00:16:09.43
I had to wrestle with
you, but I renamed you.
00:16:09.46\00:16:13.54
And when I
renamed you, I chose you.
00:16:13.57\00:16:17.04
And so your days
of trickery are over.
00:16:17.07\00:16:19.94
Your days of
games are over. The days
00:16:19.97\00:16:23.24
of getting over are
over. I didn't choose
00:16:23.28\00:16:26.41
you for you, I chose you for Me.
00:16:26.45\00:16:29.22
I chose you so that
I might get the glory.
00:16:29.25\00:16:32.52
In life, people
run away from struggle.
00:16:32.55\00:16:35.89
People run away
and fear tension.
00:16:35.92\00:16:38.99
People don't want
drama. I don't want drama;
00:16:39.03\00:16:41.00
you shouldn't want
drama either. But I'm
00:16:41.03\00:16:42.93
learning in my life,
you can't clean clothes
00:16:42.96\00:16:44.87
without agitation.
You have to irritate an
00:16:44.90\00:16:48.14
oyster before it
becomes a pearl. It takes
00:16:48.17\00:16:50.67
tension to change.
The struggle is necessary.
00:16:50.71\00:16:54.98
The battle is necessary.
The wrestling is necessary.
00:16:55.01\00:16:58.51
I've got to hurt you
in order to help you.
00:16:58.55\00:17:00.95
I've got to break you
in order to bless you.
00:17:00.98\00:17:03.79
I've got to change
your name. Changing your
00:17:03.82\00:17:06.69
name means God will
change you from the inside out.
00:17:06.72\00:17:09.69
Come here, Brother
Abram; I'll take you from
00:17:09.72\00:17:12.39
Abram to Abraham.
Come here, Brother Saul;
00:17:12.43\00:17:15.53
I'll take you from
Saul to Paul. Come here,
00:17:15.56\00:17:18.43
Brother Jacob; I'll take
you from Jacob to Israel,
00:17:18.47\00:17:22.20
and somebody
knows--you sit up here all cute,
00:17:22.24\00:17:25.44
wise and otherwise--but
God changed you from
00:17:25.47\00:17:28.31
sinner to saint.  Aud. Reaction]
00:17:28.34\00:17:30.25
PB: From drunkard to deacon.
00:17:30.28\00:17:32.38
From convict to a Christian.
00:17:32.41\00:17:34.62
From an
alcoholic to an Adventist.
00:17:34.65\00:17:37.32
From a mess to a
miracle. Won't He do it?
00:17:37.35\00:17:41.19
[Aud. Reaction]  
PB: There are people who
00:17:41.22\00:17:45.06
like to remind you of your past,
00:17:45.09\00:17:47.40
and they'll call
you everything but a
00:17:47.46\00:17:49.53
child of God. But
somebody knows that
00:17:49.56\00:17:53.10
God will change your
name. He'll pick you up,
00:17:53.13\00:17:56.81
turn you around.
Hallelujah, Jesus saves.
00:17:56.84\00:18:01.28
I've got one more point to make.
00:18:01.31\00:18:02.91
Ellen White says in
"Patriarchs and Prophets,"
00:18:02.94\00:18:04.98
chapter 18--read it
when you go home--she says
00:18:05.01\00:18:07.32
in this chapter on
The Night of Wrestling.
00:18:07.35\00:18:10.09
She says that
Jacob--listen to me--had to
00:18:10.12\00:18:12.89
know that the unknown
wrestler was more than a human.
00:18:12.92\00:18:16.76
She said because no
single touch from a human
00:18:16.79\00:18:20.10
would have had
the power to leave him
00:18:20.13\00:18:21.96
permanently crippled;
which means sometimes-
00:18:22.00\00:18:26.00
-listen to me
good--sometimes God will
00:18:26.03\00:18:28.90
deliberately give
you a deformity to create
00:18:28.94\00:18:31.27
a divine
dependence.  [Aud. Reaction]
00:18:31.31\00:18:34.48
PB: Oo-oo. Let me
tell you something.
00:18:34.51\00:18:39.45
People will walk
around like they always
00:18:39.48\00:18:42.52
got it going on,
and they don't have any
00:18:42.55\00:18:45.59
sin in their
lives, they don't have any
00:18:45.62\00:18:48.46
problems in their
lives. Let me tell you
00:18:48.49\00:18:50.96
something: these are
people who have really
00:18:50.99\00:18:52.96
never met the Lord.
They're just frontin'
00:18:52.99\00:18:57.03
and fakin', like
the young people say.
00:18:57.07\00:18:59.10
Because when you
really meet the Lord,
00:18:59.13\00:19:01.84
you're going to
be in touch with your
00:19:01.87\00:19:04.21
own human
condition. When you really meet
00:19:04.24\00:19:07.48
the Lord, you're
going to see your own self
00:19:07.51\00:19:10.65
in your own
mirror. You all don't hear
00:19:10.68\00:19:13.42
what I'm saying,
I'm going to hurry and
00:19:13.45\00:19:15.65
catch my flight.
You see, self-righteous
00:19:15.68\00:19:16.75
folks with
Bibles always in hands,
00:19:16.79\00:19:19.32
Sabbath school
lesson always in hand-
00:19:19.35\00:19:21.52
-there's nothing
wrong with studying
00:19:21.56\00:19:22.96
the Sabbath school
lesson--dressed to the nines;
00:19:22.99\00:19:24.59
;suits, ties, bow
ties, hats, who know how to
00:19:24.63\00:19:27.50
walk the walk and
talk the talk and every
00:19:27.56\00:19:29.13
word out of them
is Praise the Lord.
00:19:29.16\00:19:31.30
Happy Sabbath. Let
me tell you something:
00:19:31.33\00:19:33.40
I've learned that
some of these folks are
00:19:33.44\00:19:35.37
the biggest sinners in
the world.  [Aud. Reaction]
00:19:35.40\00:19:38.97
PB: Jacob's
character has been changed.
00:19:39.01\00:19:42.01
God allowed Jacob
to lead the struggle,
00:19:42.04\00:19:45.58
but God gives Jacob permanent
evidence of the struggle.
00:19:45.61\00:19:49.98
Oo-oo. Look at verse 25
again. Look at verse 25 again.
00:19:50.02\00:19:56.06
"And when he, the man,
saw that he prevailed not
00:19:56.09\00:20:01.43
against him, he touched
the hollow of his thigh,
00:20:01.46\00:20:04.37
and the hollow of
Jacob's thigh was out of joint
00:20:04.40\00:20:06.17
as he wrestled with
him. God, in other words,
00:20:06.20\00:20:09.47
touched Jacob's hip. God
intentionally crippled Jacob.
00:20:09.50\00:20:18.45
God purposely
deformed--you all are going to
00:20:18.48\00:20:23.89
get this in a minute--He
purposely deformed Jacob.
00:20:23.92\00:20:27.29
Jacob was limping.
Everybody say "limping."
00:20:27.32\00:20:31.06
Aud.: Limping.  
PB: You see, the bruise
00:20:31.09\00:20:32.89
in his thigh is
symbolic of his rebellion
00:20:32.93\00:20:35.10
against the will of
God. So God deliberately
00:20:35.13\00:20:38.27
leaves Jacob with
this deformity in order to
00:20:38.30\00:20:41.27
help Jacob's ego,
because ego is the acronym
00:20:41.30\00:20:44.31
that stands for
easing God out. God had to
00:20:44.34\00:20:47.54
hurt him in order to
help him. Jacob has been
00:20:47.58\00:20:52.91
self-sufficient. You
couldn't tell Jacob a thing.
00:20:52.95\00:20:57.22
Jacob was bull-headed.
Jacob was strong-willed.
00:20:57.25\00:21:00.86
Jacob had an answer to
everything and everybody.
00:21:00.89\00:21:04.09
Jacob always had a way
to get around the system.
00:21:04.13\00:21:07.76
But now he leaves this
experience with a limp.
00:21:07.83\00:21:13.94
And this limp will
become a permanent memorial
00:21:13.97\00:21:17.84
of his dependence
upon God.  You see,
00:21:17.87\00:21:21.41
without the limp he
would have said I prevail.
00:21:21.44\00:21:25.65
I got it going on. I'm
all that. But God gives
00:21:25.68\00:21:31.29
Jacob a limp in his
flesh. He's in his purpose now,
00:21:31.32\00:21:37.03
but he still has a limp
in his flesh. He's anointed,
00:21:37.06\00:21:43.43
but he still has a
limp. He's talented but he
00:21:43.47\00:21:47.20
still has a limp. He's
gifted but he still has a limp,
00:21:47.24\00:21:51.91
which means he's got to
depend on God. And that's
00:21:51.94\00:21:55.14
what I came to
leave with somebody today.
00:21:55.18\00:21:57.31
All of us in this
place have been left with
00:21:57.35\00:22:00.78
a spiritual
deformity, a spiritual limp,
00:22:00.82\00:22:04.15
so that Carlton
Byrd, so that you, we won't
00:22:04.19\00:22:07.12
get the big
head.   [Aud. Reaction]
00:22:07.16\00:22:09.76
PB: I don't care
how well you preach.
00:22:09.79\00:22:13.46
I don't care how well
Steven can play that piano.
00:22:13.50\00:22:16.93
I don't care how
well Dr. Lindsey can work
00:22:16.97\00:22:19.93
with patients. I don't
care how well you can sing;
00:22:19.97\00:22:23.07
I don't care how well
you can plan and organize;
00:22:23.10\00:22:25.14
I don't care how long
you've been in the church.
00:22:25.17\00:22:27.88
All of us up in
here, we've got a limp.
00:22:27.91\00:22:31.85
And in case you
have forgotten--oh,
00:22:31.88\00:22:35.25
I feel like preaching
now--in case you have forgotten,
00:22:35.28\00:22:38.15
let me tell you
what a limp is. A limp is
00:22:38.19\00:22:41.92
something that you
will always struggle with
00:22:41.96\00:22:43.96
in your flesh, that is
just between you and God.
00:22:43.99\00:22:47.73
And God will put it
there so you've always
00:22:47.76\00:22:51.43
got to depend on
Him.  I know that there
00:22:51.47\00:22:54.07
are some pious,
holier-than-thou ,
00:22:54.10\00:22:57.67
faithful who would
want you to believe that
00:22:57.71\00:23:00.64
they're not limping, but
let me tell you something.
00:23:00.68\00:23:03.75
If you just look at
them preaching long enough;
00:23:03.78\00:23:06.75
if you just look at
them teaching long enough;
00:23:06.78\00:23:09.65
if you just look at
them singing long enough;
00:23:09.68\00:23:12.62
if you just look at
them talking long enough,
00:23:12.65\00:23:14.76
when they get through
preaching, when they get
00:23:14.79\00:23:18.03
through teaching, when
they get through singing
00:23:18.06\00:23:20.33
and talking you will
realize that they're limping.
00:23:20.36\00:23:24.00
Paul said, I've got a
thorn in my flesh. He asked
00:23:24.03\00:23:29.57
the Lord three times,
remove this thorn from my flesh.
00:23:29.60\00:23:32.87
But God said, My grace
is sufficient for thee.
00:23:32.91\00:23:37.78
There is always within
each of us a thorn in our flesh.
00:23:37.81\00:23:42.58
There are folk all across this
city, all across this state,
00:23:42.62\00:23:46.15
all across this
country, all across this world,
00:23:46.19\00:23:48.26
on TV, on the Internet,
YouTube, and on the radio,
00:23:48.29\00:23:50.73
preaching, teaching,
singing under the power
00:23:50.76\00:23:52.69
of the Holy
Ghost. They're anointed.
00:23:52.73\00:23:55.96
But don't follow
them home. Because if you
00:23:56.00\00:24:01.30
follow them home,
you'd realize that some
00:24:01.34\00:24:03.00
of them have a limp.
You need to understand
00:24:03.04\00:24:06.27
that everybody
sitting next to you,
00:24:06.31\00:24:08.01
everybody in front of
you, everybody behind you,
00:24:08.04\00:24:11.88
everybody in this
church, everybody watching
00:24:11.91\00:24:15.58
on television, everybody
around on this property,
00:24:15.62\00:24:18.55
everybody up in
here has a limp. All have
00:24:18.59\00:24:25.19
sinned and come
short of the glory of God.
00:24:25.23\00:24:29.00
I don't care how
much Bible you know;
00:24:29.03\00:24:31.27
I don't care how much
spirit of prophecy you know;
00:24:31.30\00:24:34.74
I don't care how much of
the manual you can recite,
00:24:34.77\00:24:37.64
everybody up in here
has a limp. [Aud. Reaction]
00:24:37.67\00:24:41.48
PB: And God gave you
the limp so that you will
00:24:41.51\00:24:45.35
learn how to depend
on Him. God gave you the
00:24:45.38\00:24:48.58
limp so you wouldn't
walk around here with
00:24:48.62\00:24:51.02
a big head. God
gave you a limp because
00:24:51.05\00:24:53.99
if He didn't your
nose would be so high up
00:24:54.02\00:24:55.92
in the air that if
it rained, you'd drown.
00:24:55.96\00:24:58.46
God gave you a
limp!  [Aud. Reaction]
00:24:58.49\00:25:01.33
PB: He hurt you because
He's trying to help you.
00:25:01.36\00:25:07.54
I'm about to take
my seat, but this is
00:25:07.57\00:25:10.54
where the text
ends. The bible says that
00:25:10.57\00:25:12.97
Jacob named the place
Penuel. Everybody say "Penuel."
00:25:13.01\00:25:15.74
Aud.: Penuel.  PB:
That's easier than saying the
00:25:15.78\00:25:17.95
other word it has,
Penuel. Now, any time you see
00:25:17.98\00:25:20.72
a place, the name of
a place in the Bible,
00:25:20.75\00:25:22.48
there is meaning behind
it. When Abraham offered
00:25:22.52\00:25:24.69
up his sacrifice,
Isaac, his son, he said I'll
00:25:24.72\00:25:27.36
name Jehovah Jireh,
for here on this mountain
00:25:27.39\00:25:30.63
of the Lord, that
the Lord did provide,
00:25:30.66\00:25:32.59
and that's how we get
Mt. Moriah. Now, Penuel,
00:25:32.63\00:25:35.66
remember, was a
mountain. And Penuel had
00:25:35.70\00:25:37.83
many different
levels to the mountain.
00:25:37.87\00:25:40.04
Jacob is on the
mountain, but if you study
00:25:40.07\00:25:42.80
it well and study
the pen of inspiration,
00:25:42.84\00:25:44.44
Jacob is at the
lowest point on the mountain.
00:25:44.47\00:25:47.94
Somebody got it.
That's with somebody today.
00:25:47.98\00:25:52.25
It's not that
you're not, you aren't on
00:25:52.28\00:25:56.65
the mountain, you're
just not at the point
00:25:56.69\00:25:58.49
on the mountain
where you want to be.
00:25:58.52\00:26:01.99
But the good news,
hallelujah today is,
00:26:02.02\00:26:03.76
you may not be on
the point of the mountain
00:26:03.79\00:26:06.53
where you want to
be, but you ought to
00:26:06.56\00:26:08.16
praise God you're not
in the valley anymore.
00:26:08.20\00:26:09.70
[Aud. Reaction]  PB:
Lord, I thank You that
00:26:09.73\00:26:15.47
I'm on the mountain.
But Lord, I want to go
00:26:15.50\00:26:18.21
up the mountain. And in
order to go up the mountain,
00:26:18.24\00:26:21.18
God didn't tell you to climb
up the side of the mountain,
00:26:21.21\00:26:24.18
God told you to speak
to the mountain and tell
00:26:24.21\00:26:27.82
that mountain to be
removed. The Bible says
00:26:27.85\00:26:30.99
Jacob named the place
Penuel. Everybody say "Penuel."
00:26:31.02\00:26:33.62
Aud.: Penuel.  PB:
Which means this is where
00:26:33.66\00:26:36.06
I have seen God
face to face. Now,
00:26:36.09\00:26:38.66
when you look
at verse number 31,
00:26:38.69\00:26:40.13
the Bible says that
Jacob crossed over Penuel.
00:26:40.16\00:26:44.27
Now, we all need great
physical strength to climb
00:26:44.30\00:26:49.47
a mountain, but how in
the world am I going to
00:26:49.50\00:26:54.44
go to the next
level and I've got a limp.
00:26:54.48\00:26:57.78
How am I going to climb
this mountain with a limp.
00:26:57.81\00:27:03.52
I'm limping by His grace
because every level I go to,
00:27:03.55\00:27:11.36
I know it wasn't because
of my strength but it was
00:27:11.39\00:27:15.76
because of His
strength. So just because you've
00:27:15.80\00:27:19.97
got a limp doesn't
mean you can't make it to
00:27:20.00\00:27:23.54
the next level. Just
because you've got a habit
00:27:23.57\00:27:26.37
doesn't mean you can't
make it to the next level.
00:27:26.41\00:27:29.24
Just because you've
got a problem doesn't mean
00:27:29.28\00:27:31.88
you can't make it to
the next level. You just
00:27:31.91\00:27:34.42
keep on going, by the
grace of God. Some folk
00:27:34.45\00:27:38.72
talking about look
what I've done. I've come
00:27:38.75\00:27:41.72
up the corporate
ladder. Hush your mouth.
00:27:41.76\00:27:44.66
Tell the truth. You
limped up the corporate ladder,
00:27:44.69\00:27:48.73
but you'd better give
God the glory. Look at you,
00:27:48.76\00:27:52.07
somebody said I've
got a fine new car.
00:27:52.10\00:27:54.34
You'd better tell the
truth. You limped to the bank.
00:27:54.37\00:27:58.24
You'd better give God the glory.
00:27:58.27\00:28:00.31
Somebody talking
about, well you know,
00:28:00.34\00:28:02.11
I got lucky. I had
no money, but I got in
00:28:02.14\00:28:06.15
school this semester.
I'm financially cleared.
00:28:06.18\00:28:09.85
I'm graduating. Let
me tell you something:
00:28:09.88\00:28:13.49
you limped into
00:28:13.52\00:28:16.22
>: Thank you for
joining us for another
00:28:16.26\00:28:17.93
exciting Breath of
Life television broadcast.
00:28:17.96\00:28:20.46
Tune in next
week at the same time,
00:28:20.50\00:28:22.56
as Dr. Byrd will
deliver another dynamic message
00:28:22.60\00:28:25.50
from the Lord, just for you.
00:28:25.53\00:28:27.60
Until next time,
may God bless you.
00:28:27.64\00:28:29.70
{END]
00:28:29.74\00:28:44.75