Breath of Life
Ministries Presents:
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Sermon B566 I'm Thankful
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[Breath of Life theme music]
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PB:  Father in
heaven, that's what we want,
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Your Holy Spirit to
fall down on us. So Lord,
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as we open up Your
Word we pray that we would
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sense and feel, be
impressed, by the power of
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Your Holy Spirit. In
the name of Jesus we pray,
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asking You to forgive us
of our sins. Amen and amen.
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I want you to take
your Bibles and turn to the
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book of Habakkuk.
Habakkuk. And I want you to go
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to Habakkuk chapter 3, and
we're going to verse number 17.
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The Word of God says,
"Although the fig tree shall
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not blossom, neither
shall fruit be in the vines;
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the labour of the olive
shall fail, and the fields
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shall yield no meat;
the flock shall be cut off
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from the fold, and there
shall be no herd in the stalls:
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Yet"--somebody got it--"Yet
I will rejoice in the LORD,
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I will joy in the
God of my salvation.
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The LORD is my strength,
and he will make my feet
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like hinds' feet, and he
will make me to walk upon
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mine high places. To
the chief singer on my
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stringed
instruments."  I must confess,
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I didn't know what
to title this message.
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I'm thankful.
Don't stop rejoicing.
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So, you can use
whatever one of those you
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want to use, but
I'm going to preach on
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Habakkuk 3 today.
This text comes to us-
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-and I heard some
of you, when I said go
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to Habakkuk, I heard
somebody say "Habakkuk"?-
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-comes from a
section of the Bible known as
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the Minor Prophets,
an area of the Bible that
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people rarely
read. Habakkuk, you see,
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is not popular like
the Psalms. Habakkuk
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is not known like
the Gospels. Habakkuk
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is not
intriguing like Revelation.
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But in this text,
in this book, we have
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a powerful expose that
when you're feeling down,
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when you're feeling
discouraged, when you're
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feeling depressed, I
want to encourage you,
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read these verses.
Because after reading these
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verses you'll have
praise and worship all
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by yourself.  Habakkuk is
in the sixth century B.C.,
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just prior to Babylonian
captivity. And in this
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text there are three
points of concerns that
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Habakkuk has.
Concern number 1: Habakkuk is
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concerned about the
unrighteousness and foolishness
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in his community. Are
you concerned about the
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unrighteousness, the wickedness,
and the foolishness in our
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community? Jehoiakim, king
of Judah, had led the people
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back into idolatry
and away from the Lord.
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The people were
engaged in apostasy in the
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highest form. The
nation was a hot mess.
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Sin was rampant,
idolatry was the norm,
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times were tough.
Habakkuk knew that when God's
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judgment fell upon Judah,
that it would also include him.
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So he knew he would not
be spared because he was
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simply the prophet of
God. Habakkuk knew times
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were difficult. And just
like it was in those days,
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in these last days we
know that times are going
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to become more difficult.
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
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When the Bible says that
in the last days men's hearts
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will be failing for
fear, this is literally what's
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taking place right now. You're
not safe in a hospital anymore.
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As we found out yesterday,
in the Bronx Hospital,
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Lebanon Hospital. You're
not safe in a car anymore.
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You don't believe
me? Ask Philando Castile.
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You're not safe
totally in a church.
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Ask the family
members of the Charleston
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churchgoers who were
killed by Dylan Roof.
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You're not safe on a
plane. You do remember 9/11.
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You're not even safe in your
home. You're not safe anywhere.
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We're living in
perilous times, times that this
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world has never seen, and
yet the worst is yet to come.
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Concern number 2 of
Habakkuk: Israel's internal
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sins would be judged
by an external entity.
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In other words--listen
to me--a nation that
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never knew God would
be used to judge a nation
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that chose to forget
God. God would choose and
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would use a nation
that was not His own,
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from the people of
God. Judgment would come
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on Judah, on Israel,
through the Chaldeans or
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Babylonians. The Chaldeans
would then invade Judah,
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and the failure of crops
would be due to this invasion.
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The fig tree would not
blossom. There would be no
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fruit on the vine. Olive
trees wouldn't produce olives.
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Fields wouldn't yield
any harvest. Even the cattle
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and sheep would be lost.
Concern number 3 of Habakkuk:
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Habakkuk couldn't
understand why God would use a
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heathen nation like
Babylon to punish His people.
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Habakkuk couldn't
understand. Lord, why don't You
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just purge Israel's
sins and draw Israel back to
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Yourself and to
righteousness. Habakkuk said,
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how could God use a
nation, worse than those whom
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God was going to
punish, to execute judgement?
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He couldn't make sense of
God's actions or lack thereof.
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So Habakkuk has three
concerns. Concerns between
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his community;  concerns
between Israel and Babylonia;
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concerns between
himself and God. But the good
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news today is,
despite all of the idolatry,
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despite all of the
wickedness, despite all of
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the fighting, despite
all of the misunderstanding,
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Habakkuk still
says in verse number 18,
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"Yet will I rejoice in the Lord.
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I will joy in the
God of my salvation."
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I wish I had a
witness in this place.
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My question to you
from Habakkuk is this:
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can you still praise
God when times are tough?
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
Can you still praise God
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when people turn
their backs on you? Can you
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still praise God
when the bottom falls out?
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Can you praise God when
you're going through it?
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Everything bad that you
can imagine was happening
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to Habakkuk and
the people of God,
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but yet Habakkuk says, "Yet
I will rejoice in the Lord."
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Habakkuk has what
I call a "yet faith."
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Everybody say "yet
faith." Aud.:  Yet faith.
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PB:  A yet faith is a
declaration that we're
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willing to ride or die
with God. It means that
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no matter what people think,
no matter what people say,
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no matter what people
do, we're sticking with God.
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And so I don't know
about you, but in the good
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times I'm sticking
with God. In the bad times,
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I'm sticking with
God. In the sad times,
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I'm sticking with God.
Come hell or high water,
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I'm sticking with God. In
cancer, I'm sticking with God.
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Through divorce, you'd
better stick with God. Bankrupt,
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stick with God. Because
when you stick with God,
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it means that you may
never be able to explain how
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a yellow sun in a blue
sky can grow green grass
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that is eaten by a brown
cow to produce white milk.
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB:  But know this:
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I'm sticking with
God. I love y'all,
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but I'm sticking with
God. God is my provider
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and my sustainer.
God is Jehovah-Jireh.
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Let me tell you
something. People say-
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-can I just pause for a minute?-
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-people change all the time.
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People come and people go.
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People are like the
wind, you don't know
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which way they're
going to blow next.
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Economic conditions
change all the time.
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One minute you can
be up, next minute you
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can be down. Economic
conditions changed in Egypt.
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Remember, there were
seven years, four years
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after the seven rich
years. They changed for Job.
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Job lost all of his
family, all of his flock.
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But after life's
storms, Job's ladder was greater
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than his past.
They changed for Elijah.
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Elijah was sustained by a
river, with food from a raven.
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But then the river
dried up. Oh, but God.
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God prepared a
widow to provide for him.
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Won't He do it?  God is
not like the stock market,
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going up and down. God
doesn't change. He says,
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"I am the Lord! I change
not." Today, I want to know:
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do you have a yet
faith? Are you like Abraham,
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willing to offer
your best as a sacrifice,
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believing that God
can restore, revive and
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replace everything you give up?
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Are you willing to trust
God when you can't trace God?
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Let's be honest.
Can you trust a God who
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allowed 9/11 attacks?
Can you trust a God who
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allowed Dylan Roof
to open fire in a church
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when people were
praying? Can you trust a God
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who allowed innocent
people to be shot and
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killed in the recent
London terror attacks?
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Can you trust a God
who allows babies to be
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born with birth
defects? Can you trust a God
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who allows the
righteous to suffer and the
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wicked to prosper?
Can you trust a God who
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allows earthquakes
and hurricanes and raging
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brush fires? Can you
trust a God who allows
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people to be
abused? Can you trust a God
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when you prayed and He
didn't save your marriage?
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[Aud. reaction]   PB:
 Can you trust God when
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He allowed your
parents to die from cancer?
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Can you trust God
when He allowed your child
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to get hooked on illicit
drugs? Can you trust God,
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a God who owns the
cattle on a thousand hills,
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but yet He allowed you to
get laid off from your job?
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Forget yet faith,
do you have any faith?
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[Aud. reaction]  
PB:  Most of us would
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probably
respond, Lord, I believe,
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but help my
unbelief. But I'm so glad I
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learned as a little
boy, faith is the substance
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of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen,
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that without faith it is
impossible to please God.
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Which means, you've
got to believe it even when
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you can't see it. You
see, I still believe God,
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and I believe in a God
who can do things I can't do;
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who can move things I
can't move; who can say
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things I can't say.
Habakkuk is going through it,
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but through it all he
says "Yet I will rejoice
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in the Lord." And that's
a word from Habakkuk today.
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That's a word from
Habakkuk today that tough
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times don't last,
but tough Christians do.
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That when the going gets
tough, the tough get going.
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Tough times may
come, but yet I will still
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rejoice in the Lord.   Now
probably one of the reasons
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why many of us cannot
rejoice in the tough times
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is because we have
mistaken happiness for joy.
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Happiness and joy
are not the same thing.
00:12:17.90\00:12:21.84
We can be happy and
not have joy. And we can
00:12:21.87\00:12:26.11
be joyful and not be
happy. I wish I had a
00:12:26.14\00:12:28.18
witness in this
place. But as Christians,
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we can have joy even in the
midst of unhappy circumstances.
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Y'all don't hear what I'm
saying. Happiness is external.
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Joy is internal. Joy is
something that is internal,
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based on a revelation. It's
not external like happiness.
00:12:47.73\00:12:52.27
Happiness is motivated
by an external reality.
00:12:52.30\00:12:56.07
Happiness creates
an internal response,
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based don some
external stimuli. But joy
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is something
internal, based on a revelation.
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And so, when I know
who my God is; when I know
00:13:06.61\00:13:10.89
what my God has
done for me in my life,
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it doesn't make a
difference what happens
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on the outside,
but it's based on Who I
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know and what I
know on the inside.
00:13:19.33\00:13:22.80
Y'all don't
hear what I'm saying.
00:13:22.83\00:13:24.20
You see, I've given
this illustration before.
00:13:24.23\00:13:25.90
Let me try it one
more time. When somebody
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gives you flowers, you're happy.
00:13:27.80\00:13:30.01
When someone tells
you you sang well, choir,
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you're happy. When someone
tells me I preached well,
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I'm happy. When
you're single and somebody
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invites you out on
a date, you're happy.
00:13:38.65\00:13:40.72
When somebody gives you money,
00:13:40.75\00:13:43.28
you're sho enough happy.
00:13:43.32\00:13:44.49
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:13:44.52\00:13:45.82
But there's a
distinction between happiness
00:13:45.85\00:13:47.62
and joy. Joy is not
based on the external,
00:13:47.66\00:13:51.43
but joy is
based on the internal.
00:13:51.46\00:13:54.03
Because if nobody takes me out,
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I'll take my own
self out. I'll iron my
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own shirt; I'll
polish my own shoes;
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I'll pat my own
self on the back.
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You've got to
encourage yourself in the Lord.
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It doesn't make a
difference what the doctor says.
00:14:05.01\00:14:07.11
Doctor, I
appreciate your prognosis,
00:14:07.14\00:14:09.41
but I know what
the Word of God says.
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The Word says "He was
wounded for my transgressions,
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bruised for my
iniquities. The chastisement of
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my peace was upon him, but
by his stripes I am healed."
00:14:17.29\00:14:20.69
I've got a
revelation on the inside.
00:14:20.72\00:14:23.26
The devil can have all he wants,
00:14:23.29\00:14:25.03
but he can't take
my joy. My joy Is not
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based on external
stimuli; my joy is based
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on the internal
reality. My joy doesn't
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depend on my
circumstances. My joy depends
00:14:32.43\00:14:37.14
on an unchanging
God.  So, although the fig
00:14:37.17\00:14:42.01
tree won't blossom,
although there is no
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fruit on the vine,
although there are no
00:14:44.88\00:14:47.45
olives on the olive
tree, although there
00:14:47.48\00:14:49.98
are no herds in the
stall, I will still rejoice.
00:14:50.02\00:14:55.82
Even in the midst
of famine, even in the
00:14:55.86\00:14:58.69
midst of ruin, I
will still rejoice.
00:14:58.73\00:15:01.66
You see, Habakkuk
realized that inner
00:15:01.70\00:15:04.10
peace doesn't depend
on outward prosperity.
00:15:04.13\00:15:07.40
Habakkuk's faith
wasn't based on anything
00:15:07.44\00:15:12.91
in this world to
begin with. Habakkuk's
00:15:12.94\00:15:15.48
faith was based
solely on God, and that's
00:15:15.51\00:15:17.41
why he was able to
rejoice; that's why he
00:15:17.45\00:15:19.21
was able to have joy.
Habakkuk, in the text,
00:15:19.25\00:15:20.98
does not lash
out in anger to God,
00:15:21.02\00:15:23.75
blaming God for the
pains they were experiencing.
00:15:23.79\00:15:26.19
Habakkuk rejoiced. 
Paul says it best in
00:15:26.22\00:15:30.93
Philippians 4:4. He
says to not just rejoice,
00:15:30.96\00:15:36.03
but Paul says "Rejoice always."
00:15:36.06\00:15:40.07
So don't rejoice
some of the time.
00:15:40.10\00:15:42.54
Don't rejoice part of the time.
00:15:42.57\00:15:45.31
Rejoice all the
time. Rejoice when things
00:15:45.34\00:15:49.21
are going well.
Rejoice when things aren't
00:15:49.24\00:15:51.55
going well. Rejoice
when the sun's shining.
00:15:51.58\00:15:52.68
Rejoice when
the rain is falling.
00:15:52.71\00:15:53.85
Rejoice in the
Lord always, and again I
00:15:53.88\00:15:56.05
say rejoice. And as
long as God is on the throne,
00:15:56.08\00:15:59.15
I can rejoice.  So, when
you can't pay your bills,
00:15:59.19\00:16:04.49
rejoice. At least
you're not one of your bill
00:16:04.53\00:16:08.36
collectors.
Rejoice.  [Aud. reaction]
00:16:08.40\00:16:09.73
PB:  When you have
piles of laundry stacked up
00:16:09.76\00:16:13.97
at your house,
rejoice. At least you've got
00:16:14.00\00:16:17.01
clothes to wear.
Rejoice. When your husband
00:16:17.04\00:16:20.64
complains that dinner
is not on time, rejoice.
00:16:20.68\00:16:23.58
At least he's at
home with you and not with
00:16:23.61\00:16:25.55
somebody else.
Rejoice. When that person in
00:16:25.58\00:16:30.29
church is sitting
behind you and they're loud,
00:16:30.32\00:16:32.09
and they sing off
key, rejoice! Because that
00:16:32.12\00:16:37.63
means you can hear. Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
00:16:37.66\00:16:39.86
Rejoice! Joy gives strength.
Joy gives what, everybody?
00:16:39.89\00:16:44.10
Aud.:  Strength.  PB: 
Verse 19 closes and says,
00:16:44.13\00:16:47.94
"The Lord God is my
strength." Once you realize
00:16:47.97\00:16:54.74
where your strength
comes from, difficulties
00:16:54.78\00:16:57.85
can't drag you down.
The Bible says the Lord
00:16:57.88\00:17:00.98
is the source of our
joy and our strength.
00:17:01.02\00:17:06.49
I like how Nehemiah
18 puts it: "The joy of
00:17:06.52\00:17:08.09
the Lord is our
strength." Our strength doesn't
00:17:08.12\00:17:13.73
come from steroids.
Our strength doesn't come
00:17:13.76\00:17:18.13
solely from eating vegetables,
even though that's good.
00:17:18.17\00:17:21.37
Our strength doesn't
come from weightlifting
00:17:21.40\00:17:24.77
and pumping iron, even
though that's good, too.
00:17:24.81\00:17:26.94
But muscles will
eventually turn to flab.
00:17:26.98\00:17:29.28
But somebody knows that the
joy of the Lord is my strength.
00:17:29.31\00:17:38.12
Let me tell you
something--I'm almost done,
00:17:38.15\00:17:40.06
but let me tell you
something--we have a choice.
00:17:40.09\00:17:41.79
Church, we have a
choice. Either we can let our
00:17:41.82\00:17:45.59
troubles bring us
down, or we can rejoice.
00:17:45.63\00:17:49.40
Let me say that
again. Either we can let our
00:17:49.43\00:17:52.30
troubles bring us
down, or we can rejoice.
00:17:52.33\00:17:56.17
Joy does not simply
happen to us. We have
00:17:56.20\00:17:59.64
to choose joy and
keep choosing it every day.
00:17:59.67\00:18:02.24
This is what we
learn from Habakkuk.
00:18:02.28\00:18:03.98
Either we can
rejoice and be thankful,
00:18:04.01\00:18:07.42
or we can
complain and be critical.
00:18:07.45\00:18:10.25
All right, it's going
to get quiet now. Ha ha!
00:18:10.29\00:18:14.16
I'm going to preach
it anyhow! In the text,
00:18:14.19\00:18:18.53
Habakkuk has reason
to fret and to question.
00:18:18.56\00:18:23.13
His people are wicked.
His people will be invaded
00:18:23.16\00:18:27.04
by their enemies and
their crops will be destroyed.
00:18:27.07\00:18:29.80
God, for whatever God's
reason, is going to allow
00:18:29.84\00:18:33.01
His people to be
punished by His enemy. Habakkuk
00:18:33.04\00:18:36.85
has reason to
question. He has reason to fret.
00:18:36.88\00:18:40.52
But instead, he chooses
to rejoice and be thankful.
00:18:40.55\00:18:47.29
Which means, you can
either give thanks or complain.
00:18:47.32\00:18:51.79
The soul that gives thanks
can find comfort in everything,
00:18:51.83\00:18:56.63
but the soul that complains
finds comfort in nothing.
00:18:56.67\00:19:00.47
The truth is, all of us
at some time or another-
00:19:00.50\00:19:03.71
-tell the truth, shame the
devil--we've been complainers.
00:19:03.74\00:19:06.17
Come on, say amen.
We've all been complainers.
00:19:06.21\00:19:09.64
We may have known
it in a different term.
00:19:09.68\00:19:11.35
Some call it griping,
grumbling, whining, bellyaching.
00:19:11.38\00:19:14.62
In the King James
Version of the Bible,
00:19:14.65\00:19:16.52
the common term used for
complaining is "murmuring."
00:19:16.55\00:19:18.69
Everybody say
"murmuring." Aud.:  Murmuring.
00:19:18.72\00:19:20.52
PB:  Regardless of the
word used to describe it,
00:19:20.56\00:19:22.46
complaining always
has the same symptoms.
00:19:22.49\00:19:26.83
The dictionary defines it as
an expression of unhappiness,
00:19:26.86\00:19:29.63
dissatisfaction, discontent.
Complaining is the outward
00:19:29.66\00:19:34.04
expression of discontent
from within. That's why hurt
00:19:34.07\00:19:37.44
people hurt people. I wish
I had time. But complaining
00:19:37.47\00:19:41.31
has become a great
pastime of our society.
00:19:41.34\00:19:45.05
We live in a complaining
society. People gripe
00:19:45.08\00:19:47.72
about everything.
Preschoolers complain:
00:19:47.75\00:19:50.22
I don't wanna take a
nap. Children complain:
00:19:50.25\00:19:52.85
my teacher gives
me too much homework.
00:19:52.89\00:19:54.82
Teenagers complain: you
never let me do anything.
00:19:54.86\00:19:58.19
Mothers complain: how
many times do I have to
00:19:58.23\00:20:00.13
tell you to make your
bed? Daddies complain:
00:20:00.16\00:20:02.36
I work had all
week, and then when I come
00:20:02.40\00:20:04.03
home you still
expect me to cut the grass.
00:20:04.07\00:20:06.40
Employees complain about
the company they work for.
00:20:06.43\00:20:09.74
Church members
complain.  [Aud. reaction]
00:20:09.77\00:20:11.41
PB:  Churches do
this; churches do that.
00:20:11.44\00:20:22.95
Complaining seems to be
abnormal procedure these days.
00:20:22.98\00:20:27.39
Somebody once said
that on the seventh day,
00:20:27.42\00:20:28.92
God rested; on the eighth day,
00:20:28.96\00:20:30.26
God started
answering complaints.
00:20:30.29\00:20:32.96
[Aud. reaction] 
PB:  There seems to be
00:20:32.99\00:20:37.10
very little
thankfulness or gratitude today
00:20:37.13\00:20:38.57
among God's people but a
whole lot of complaining.
00:20:38.60\00:20:41.60
Complaining is a
part of our culture,
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.07
but then that's
not anything new.
00:20:44.11\00:20:45.74
Who was the
first complainer? Adam.
00:20:45.77\00:20:47.28
"The woman whom
thou gavest me to be with
00:20:47.31\00:20:55.15
made me do it."
Complaining is one of the
00:20:55.18\00:20:59.05
most prevalent
sins among Christians.
00:20:59.09\00:21:01.92
To murmur, to
grumble, to complain against
00:21:01.96\00:21:04.03
God is a sin.
Complaining is a symptom of a
00:21:04.06\00:21:06.80
deep-seated spiritual
problem. It's a failure
00:21:06.83\00:21:11.07
to trust God and a
failure to be submissive to
00:21:11.10\00:21:14.50
God's providential
provision in your life.
00:21:14.54\00:21:17.91
Habakkuk sees his
nation floundering.
00:21:17.94\00:21:20.88
Their enemies are
going to come in to get them.
00:21:20.91\00:21:23.18
He can't understand
why God is doing this,
00:21:23.21\00:21:25.41
but yet he says, "I
will rejoice in the Lord."
00:21:25.45\00:21:30.79
And friends of mine,
let's be real. Why should
00:21:30.82\00:21:34.42
we complain when the
Lord is our strength?
00:21:34.46\00:21:38.49
Why should we
complain? One of the things I
00:21:38.53\00:21:42.20
love about the Lord is
that God is able to sustain
00:21:42.23\00:21:44.73
you even when you come
to the end of your strength.
00:21:44.77\00:21:48.74
God can take you
to another level,
00:21:48.77\00:21:51.24
another level that
you never expected,
00:21:51.27\00:21:53.11
because of His
power and strength in you.
00:21:53.14\00:21:56.64
That's why Habakkuk, and
that's what he experienced
00:21:56.68\00:22:01.28
when he began to tap
into the strength of the Lord.
00:22:01.32\00:22:04.89
That's why he was able to say
"The Lord God is my strength."
00:22:04.92\00:22:10.49
But church of the living
God, can we learn how to act
00:22:10.53\00:22:15.53
like and live like
the Lord is our strength?
00:22:15.56\00:22:20.27
Don't just say it; live
it. Don't just talk about it;
00:22:20.30\00:22:24.71
walk it and talk it.
Habakkuk says the Lord is
00:22:24.74\00:22:28.91
his strength, but
then he closes this way.
00:22:28.94\00:22:31.05
I love it, in verse
19. "And he has made his
00:22:31.08\00:22:33.18
feet like hinds'
feet, to make him walk
00:22:33.21\00:22:35.88
upon high places."
00:22:35.92\00:22:37.45
Now, notice as
we close the text,
00:22:37.49\00:22:39.99
Habakkuk closes his
text by using the metaphor
00:22:40.02\00:22:42.92
of hinds' feet,
making a reference to a deer.
00:22:42.96\00:22:46.43
Habakkuk says God
made his feet like hinds'
00:22:46.46\00:22:51.83
feet and made him
walk on high places.
00:22:51.87\00:22:56.91
Now, what is
Habakkuk talking about?
00:22:56.94\00:22:59.07
The strength God
gives Habakkuk is like
00:22:59.11\00:23:03.04
the power found in
the foot of a deer.
00:23:03.08\00:23:07.18
Y'all don't
hear what I'm saying.
00:23:07.22\00:23:10.69
Just like a
deer--if you've seen a deer-
00:23:10.72\00:23:12.19
-can move quickly
through a dark forest,
00:23:12.22\00:23:14.36
Habakkuk could
joyfully move through
00:23:14.39\00:23:17.29
difficult situations.
Somebody's still not getting it,
00:23:17.33\00:23:20.46
let me try it this way.  When
deer travel through the woods,
00:23:20.50\00:23:24.80
they bounce right
through the woods with no
00:23:24.83\00:23:27.67
trouble at all. But
when we go through the woods,
00:23:27.70\00:23:31.37
we may get hung up on
trees, we may slip and fall
00:23:31.41\00:23:36.04
on mountains, and we
may even fall in a few areas
00:23:36.08\00:23:39.31
of the trail. Now the
issue is not that the deer
00:23:39.35\00:23:42.72
has more power to walk
than I do, but the difference
00:23:42.75\00:23:46.82
is in the feet of the
ones going through the trail.
00:23:46.86\00:23:50.96
Y'all don't
hear what I'm saying.
00:23:50.99\00:23:52.86
God designed deer feet
to go through rough ground,
00:23:52.89\00:23:58.40
rough terrain, rough
trails. Our feet weren't
00:23:58.43\00:24:03.67
designed to go
through rough ground,
00:24:03.71\00:24:06.78
but the text says
when we come to the Lord,
00:24:06.81\00:24:10.65
and when we come
to God for strength,
00:24:10.68\00:24:13.98
and we begin to
thank Him for His strength,
00:24:14.02\00:24:16.42
God begins to transform
us. He transforms our feet-
00:24:16.45\00:24:21.82
-y'all don't
hear what I'm saying-
00:24:21.86\00:24:23.02
-so that we can run
through treacherous terrain
00:24:23.06\00:24:26.46
of life with ease
and live in His power.
00:24:26.49\00:24:29.33
In other words, our
feet are made like deer
00:24:29.36\00:24:32.87
feet so we can
walk on high places.
00:24:32.90\00:24:35.50
Three things about
hinds' feet: number one,
00:24:35.54\00:24:39.27
hinds' feet were
prepared for steep climbs.
00:24:39.31\00:24:43.31
Everybody say
"steep." Come on, say "steep."
00:24:43.35\00:24:45.21
When we trust the
Lord, when we rejoice,
00:24:45.25\00:24:51.25
when we're thankful, God
makes our feet like hinds' feet;
00:24:51.29\00:24:56.59
like deer feet. Then we have the
ability to make steep climbs.
00:24:56.62\00:25:01.46
We have the ability
to go higher. We have the
00:25:01.50\00:25:04.83
ability to see what
other folk can't see.
00:25:04.87\00:25:07.47
Number two: deer
feet, hinds' feet,
00:25:07.50\00:25:10.27
were created to be
stable. Everybody say "stable."
00:25:10.31\00:25:13.31
Aud.:  Stable. 
PB:  So we said steep,
00:25:13.34\00:25:15.64
and now we're
saying stable. Deer feet,
00:25:15.68\00:25:17.85
they can go through rough
terrain and still be safe.
00:25:17.88\00:25:20.82
Some of us can't walk
around here. Are you hearing
00:25:20.85\00:25:22.82
what I'm saying? Understand
though, their feet are stable.
00:25:22.85\00:25:26.15
The world we live in
is unstable, but God will
00:25:26.19\00:25:29.56
bless those who are
stable. I'm stable because
00:25:29.59\00:25:32.96
God is able. I wish I
had a witness in this place.
00:25:32.99\00:25:35.36
God will honor
stability. God is allowing you
00:25:35.40\00:25:38.53
to go through what you're
going through for His glory.
00:25:38.57\00:25:41.17
This is just a test
for building up for you,
00:25:41.20\00:25:44.71
who you will become. So
you'd better tell somebody,
00:25:44.74\00:25:48.24
the next time you see me
I'll be at another altitude.
00:25:48.28\00:25:52.01
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
The next time--oh yes-
00:25:52.05\00:25:54.48
-the next time you see
me, I'll be at another height.
00:25:54.52\00:25:57.95
But finally, number
three: not only were hinds'
00:25:57.99\00:26:00.79
feet able to climb steep
mountains, Not only were hinds'
00:26:00.82\00:26:05.86
feet able to be stable,
hinds' feet were prepared
00:26:05.89\00:26:10.87
to be swift.
Everybody say "swift."
00:26:10.90\00:26:13.00
Aud.:  Swift.  PB: 
Okay, so what God will
00:26:13.03\00:26:15.24
do when He makes
our feet hinds' feet.
00:26:15.27\00:26:16.71
God makes us swift
to overcome obstacles.
00:26:16.74\00:26:21.44
Now, with the
deer, they are so fast,
00:26:21.48\00:26:25.05
one moment you can
look up and they're there,
00:26:25.08\00:26:27.85
and the next minute
they're gone. Does somebody
00:26:27.88\00:26:30.52
know what I'm
talking about? Today,
00:26:30.55\00:26:32.12
there are some things
that you are believing God for,
00:26:32.15\00:26:36.66
but God is about
to do something swift.
00:26:36.69\00:26:40.10
God is about to do a
swift turnaround for you.
00:26:40.13\00:26:45.47
God is about to
change somebody's situation.
00:26:45.50\00:26:49.50
[Aud. reaction] 
PB:  Somebody is sick,
00:26:49.54\00:26:51.21
but you're about to be
healed. Somebody is broke,
00:26:51.24\00:26:54.71
but you're about to be blessed.
00:26:54.74\00:26:56.81
Somebody is
drowning, but you're about
00:26:56.85\00:26:59.51
to be delivered.
God is about to change
00:26:59.55\00:27:02.45
your situation, and God
is going to do it swiftly.
00:27:02.48\00:27:06.89
It's amazing. People
call 911, because what's
00:27:06.92\00:27:13.36
in their medicine
cabinet is not good enough.
00:27:13.40\00:27:16.46
In other words, it's
not doing the job alone.
00:27:16.50\00:27:20.14
Just like it's not
enough to rely on ourselves.
00:27:20.17\00:27:23.94
If a person is going to
come out of their situation,
00:27:23.97\00:27:27.68
it has to be God
that brings them out.
00:27:27.71\00:27:31.61
Which means God is
our 911. God is about
00:27:31.65\00:27:37.12
to change somebody's situation,
00:27:37.15\00:27:39.49
and we know that God
can bring somebody else out,
00:27:39.52\00:27:42.69
God can bring me out,
because it is no secret what
00:27:42.72\00:27:47.30
God can do. What
He's done for others,
00:27:47.30\00:27:50.20
He'll do for you.
And how we respond while
00:27:50.23\00:27:53.97
going through our
situation says a lot.
00:27:54.00\00:27:57.91
I believe I've got a
witness in this place
00:27:57.94\00:28:00.78
today that can testify like Job.
00:28:00.81\00:28:02.74
I know that my
redeemer liveth, and shall
00:28:02.78\00:28:07.32
stand upon the
latter day on this earth.
00:28:07.35\00:28:09.55
Though he slay me,
yet will I trust in Him.
00:28:09.58\00:28:14.49
I don't know about
you, but I need the Lord.
00:28:14.52\00:28:16.73
I need His
strength. I need His power.
00:28:16.76\00:28:17.76
>:  Thank you for
joining us for another exciting
00:28:17.79\00:28:18.66
Breath of Life
television broadcast.
00:28:18.69\00:28:20.66
Tune in next
week at the same time,
00:28:20.70\00:28:22.60
as Dr. Byrd will deliver another
00:28:22.63\00:28:24.47
dynamic message from the Lord,
00:28:24.50\00:28:26.37
just for you. Until next time,
00:28:26.40\00:28:28.70
may God bless you. [END]
00:28:28.74\00:28:43.75