Breath Of Life
Ministries Presents:
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Sermon #586  "He
Hurt Me to Help Me "
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[BREATH OF LIFE
MINISTRIES THEME MUSIC]
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PB:  Father, in the name of
Jesus, through the intercession
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of the Holy Ghost, come by
here. Somebody needs You, Lord,
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so come by here. We need
a blessing, so come by here.
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Breathe through the
aisles of this church, and may
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Your Holy Ghost make
itself known this day, we pray.
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And we be careful to give
you the praise, the honor and
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the glory, in the name of Jesus
we pray. Let everyone say amen.
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And amen. You may be
seated in the presence of God.
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He hurt me to help me. He
hurt me to help me. Come on,
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say amen. Amen. He hurt me
to help me. Amen. All right,
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let me try it this
way, let me start this way.
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When I was a little boy, when
you acted up you got a whooping.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:  Anybody
know what I'm talking about?
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[Aud. reaction] PB: 
All right, let me try again.
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The choir is
behind me and I hear them,
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but let me see if you hear
me. When I was a little boy,
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when you acted up you got a
whooping. It wasn't a spanking.
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It wasn't a paddling. It wasn't
a whipping. It was a whooping.
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Do I have a witness in
this place?  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  There wasn't all this
time out, like we have today.
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There wasn't all this
grounding, like we have today.
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There weren't all these
rules that said you couldn't use
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the belt, like we have
today. Back in the day,
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the mind-set was if you spare
the rod, you spoil the child.
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Does anybody know
what I'm talking about?
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:  So
when you disobeyed your parents,
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you got a whooping. When
you lied to your parents,
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you got a whooping. When you
talked back to your parents--
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[Aud. reaction] PB: 
--you got a whooping.
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When you didn't clean
your room, you got a whooping.
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When you didn't do your
homework, you got a whooping.
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When you played in
church--[Aud. reaction]
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PB:  --you got a whooping. When
you disobeyed your teachers,
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you got a whooping. And
I don't know about for you,
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but I grew up in church
school, and back in those days,
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in church school, they
could whoop you. And so,
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in my house if you
got a whooping at school,
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it was gonna be double
trouble. Does somebody know what
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I'm talking about? Because
when you got home, you were
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gonna get another what?
Whooping. All this time out,
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please. Time out, time out. Naw,
it wasn't any of that, you were
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gonna get a whooping. That's
probably what's wrong with the
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world right now. All this time
out, time out. No. You need a
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whooping! Touch your toes,
bend over, you 'bout to get a
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whooping. [Aud. reaction]  PB:
 But then if you were like me,
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after your got a
whooping, you asked why.
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There you are crying,
Mama, why? Daddy, why?
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Here goes my dad's favorite
line: It hurt me more than it
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hurt you. [Aud. reaction]  PB:
 No, it didn't. I'm crying and
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you're not. Does anybody know
what I'm talking about? But now
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as I get older, and I have my
own children, 16, 14 and 3,
modern-day Abraham.
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Come on, say
amen.  [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  Now that I have children
of my own, I realize that
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sometimes my parents had to
hurt me in order to help me.
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Are you hearing what I'm
saying? In the text we have an
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example of hurting to
help. In the text we have Jacob.
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Everybody say
"Jacob."  Aud.: Jacob.
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PB:  Now the Bible
begins--quickly in the text,
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I don't have much
time--the Bible begins and says
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that he was left all
alone. Left all what, everybody?
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Aud.:  Alone.  PB:  Now, I
want to suggest to you that
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being left alone may not
always mean or involve physical
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proximity from other people.
It may mean that there are
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other people all around
you all the time, but yet you
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feel alone. Does anybody
know what I'm talking about?
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All right, you have
people all around you, but these
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same people don't understand
what's going on in your life.
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You have people all around
ya, but nobody to talk to,
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and nobody to identify with
what's happening in your life.
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The Bible says that Jacob is
left all alone. He's left all
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what, everybody? Aud.:  Alone.
 PB:  And so he wrestles with a
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man until the breaking of day.
Now, the Bible does not tell us
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who the man is. Many theologians
and writers, including Ellen
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White, have suggested and I
concur that this man was God.
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So in Genesis 32 we have
Jacob wrestling with God.
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Now, it's one thing for us to
have struggles with each other.
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It's one thing for us to
have struggles and fights with
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each other, but it's another
thing for us to struggle with
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God. But I've learned in
my life--I'm 45 years old now,
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getting a little old now--I've
learned in my life, whenever God
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is working on us, whenever God
is trying to do something in our
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lives, whenever God is trying to
get our attention there's gonna
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be a struggle. Has anybody ever
struggled with God? Come on,
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if you're honest today, have
you ever struggled with God?
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Have you ever had a
pow-wow with God? Have you
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ever wrestled with
God? Has anybody had an
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experience where you've
said, God, I know You're
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doing something, but I don't
really know what You're doing.
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Verse 25. Look at it, look
at it, look at it, look at it.
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The Bible says, "And
when he [the man] saw that he
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prevailed not against him,
he touched the hollow of his"-
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-what, everybody?
Thigh. Everybody say "thigh."
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"And the hollow of
Jacob's thigh was out of joint,
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as he wrestled with
him."  Now, look up.
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Don't misunderstand the
text. Jacob did not prevail
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in his wrestling over
God. Jacob didn't beat God.
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Jacob didn't win over
God. That's not what the text
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is saying. Understand,
Jacob does not have as much
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power as God. God is
omnipotent, which means God is
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all powerful. Do I have
a witness in this place?
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The maximum of our
power is a joke to the minimum
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of God's power. God's
power on our--our power on our
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best day pales in comparison
to God's power on God's
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worst day.  But God, the
Bible says, touches Jacob.
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God had to touch his hip
to bring his flesh back into
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submission to God's
Spirit. You see, whenever your
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flesh begins to prevail
over the spiritual requirements
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in your life that you need
to go through, God will hurt
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you In order that He might help
you.  Oh, you don't understand.
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By the time this is
over, you gonna understand.
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Let me tell you
something. All of your hurt is
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not rendered
upon you by the devil.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
All of your hurt does not
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come from the devil's
folk. All of your hurt does
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not come from the
devil's imps. Sometimes,
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I've learned in my life,
God has to knock you down,
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that in order you might look
up from whence cometh your help,
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because when you're
lying on your back all you can
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do is look up. Are you
hearing what I'm saying?
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Sometimes God will hurt
you to help you, because
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God knows that if you're
ever gonna get in your purpose,
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if you're ever gonna be
where you need to be, sometimes
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God has to hurt you so
that you might realize the
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spiritual purpose in
your life. God chastises those
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whom He loves. Are you
hearing what I'm saying today?
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I mean, are you really
hearing what I'm saying?
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Have you ever been
there, struggling with God?
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If we're real today, you
pray, but you can't pray,
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struggling with God. You
try to sing, but you can't sing,
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struggling with God. You come
to church but you just here,
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struggling with God.
The sermon means nothing,
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the songs mean nothing,
fellowship means nothing,
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you're just numb,
struggling with God. What do you
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do when God comes into
your life, and you end up
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wrestling and nobody
understands? I've come to tell
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you, you'd better do like Jacob
did. God, if we gonna wrestle;
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God, if we gonna struggle,
God, if we gonna fight,
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I tell you what. I
ain't moving, I'm not going
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anywhere until You bless
me. I'm not go--I'ma stay
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right here. I'm not going
anywhere until You bless me.
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I know the day breaketh,
I know the dawn of a new day
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is on the horizon, but I'm not
going anywhere until You bless
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me. Look at verse number
27. Don't have much time left.
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Look at verse 27. The Word
of God says, God asks Jacob,
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What's your name? Now,
anytime God asks you a question,
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you'd better be careful.
I say anytime God asks you a
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question, you'd better be
careful. What am I talking
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about? Here is God, omniscient,
all knowing, but God's
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asking a question. Here
is God who knew you before
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you knew yourself, but
He's asking a question.
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Here God 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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And Jacob says,
my name is Jacob.
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Now remember, I teach
you then I preach you.
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Understand, in Hebrew
culture, your name was
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symbolic of your
character. So your behavior
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defined you name. So
in the Bible, Joseph meant
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God will give increase.
Moses meant to pull out,
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to draw out of water.
Samuel meant God has heard.
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David meant beloved. Jesus'
name was the transliteration
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of the word Yahshua,
which means Jehovah saves.
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Whatever your name was, it
was symbolic of your character.
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Your behavior defined
your name. What would your name
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be if your behavior
defined your name? It's getting
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quiet in here now. If
your past defines your name,
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what would your name be?
That's why you can't point
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at other people, you've
got three fingers pointing
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back at you. You
don't live in a glass house,
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we all sinners saved by
grace. I'm not talking about
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what your mama named you;
I'm not talking about what
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Daddy named you, but I'm
talking about if you look
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back over your life, what
would your name be? Jacob says,
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God, my name is Jacob. Jacob
means supplanter, trickster,
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player, hustler, get over,
gamer, deceiver. But as a result
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of his wrestling experience
with God, Jacob's name changed.
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Let that be a lesson for us
today. Sometimes you've got to
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wrestle with God in
order to experience a change.
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I wish I had a witness
in this place. You've got to
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go through some stuff
to experience a change.
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You've got to go through some
tough times, some dark days,
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to experience change.
You've got to shed some tears to
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experience change. And let
me tell you this, when your
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life has been changed,
it doesn't happen overnight.
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It's a process. Are you
hearing what I'm saying?
00:12:06.19\00:12:08.79
If we're honest with
ourselves today, the first time
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we heard Jesus' voice,
many of us did not come.
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We did not respond. We
wrestled with God. And if you've
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never wrestled with God, you'll
never understand who you're
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supposed to be. You'll
never understand your purpose.
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Let me put a kickstand
right here. You see, there are a
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lot of people who are
doing things because that's what
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other people named you.
They named you preacher,
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they named you
teacher, they named you doctor,
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they named you
engineer, they named you doctor,
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and what happens is,
because people named you,
00:12:44.23\00:12:46.93
you set your mind on a
particular field or career
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and then you realized
that while you study for it,
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or while you're doing it
every day, you don't have
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completeness. You see,
I've learned in my life--and
00:12:54.80\00:12:58.14
look at the young people
at Oakwood--and I learned
00:12:58.17\00:12:59.57
in my life, people aspire
to what they see up front.
00:12:59.61\00:13:04.21
People aspire to what
they see up front. So then,
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now, we have people operating
outside of God's purpose
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because of what they see,
rather than what God sees.
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But all that glitters
is not gold. What's on the
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outside may not be
what's on the inside. What you
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see may not be what is.  Let
me give you some counsel today.
00:13:24.83\00:13:28.04
Be careful of wishing
you were something else or
00:13:28.07\00:13:31.11
somebody else, because
I've never known anybody who
00:13:31.14\00:13:34.21
was not--who was unbelievably
powerful, who was not
00:13:34.24\00:13:37.11
equally painful. No battle;
no blessing. No pain; no gain.
00:13:37.15\00:13:44.49
No valley; no victory.
People always want your power,
00:13:44.52\00:13:49.36
but they never ask you for
your pain. And if you're not
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willing to carry my
cross, you can't wear my crown,
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because my crown is created
by the intensity of my cross.
00:13:57.60\00:14:02.20
Y'all don't hear what
I'm saying.  [Aud. reaction]
00:14:02.24\00:14:04.54
PB:  You see, I've
learned in my life, Pastor,
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when you know your purpose,
it will make you a target.
00:14:06.11\00:14:10.11
When you know your purpose,
you will become a marked man;
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a marked woman. Are you
hearing what I'm saying?
00:14:15.82\00:14:18.25
The brighter the light,
the more you attract bugs.
00:14:18.29\00:14:22.96
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
Dogs don't bark at parked cars.
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Dogs bark at moving
cars. Are you hearing what
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I'm saying? And I've
learned in my life, when you're
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operating in God's purpose
there will always be an element;
00:14:34.64\00:14:38.37
an element of envy and
jealousy that seeks to undermine
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you at every possible
turn. But I'm a witness that if
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God be for us, who can be
against us. No weapon formed
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against us is gonna prosper!
It won't work. In the name
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of Jesus! Get in your
purpose today. If not, you'll
00:14:55.92\00:15:02.26
be frustrated. You'll be
making money, you're doing well,
00:15:02.30\00:15:06.57
but you're not in your
purpose, and you're frustrated
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because you let people tell you
what to do and when to do it.
00:15:08.60\00:15:11.54
You're supposed to be this,
you're supposed to be that.
00:15:11.57\00:15:13.44
And because you felt pressure,
there you are doing this
00:15:13.48\00:15:15.58
and doing that, but it's
not what God called you to do.
00:15:15.61\00:15:18.91
But there comes a point in
your life when you have to say,
00:15:18.95\00:15:22.35
God, I need You to name
me. I need You to name me.
00:15:22.38\00:15:26.69
There's a calling on your
life. God has a purpose for
00:15:26.72\00:15:30.19
your life. No devil in
hell can stop God's purpose and
00:15:30.23\00:15:34.20
plan for your life. You
don't believe me? A Red Sea
00:15:34.23\00:15:37.87
couldn't stop God. A
lions' den couldn't stop God.
00:15:37.90\00:15:41.67
A fiery furnace couldn't
stop God. No wedding punch
00:15:41.70\00:15:45.51
at a wedding could stop
God. No food on a New Testament
00:15:45.54\00:15:48.74
countryside could stop God.
God will quicken whom He will,
00:15:48.78\00:15:52.41
when He will, where He will, and
how He will. God is sovereign.
00:15:52.45\00:15:57.35
God can do whatever He wants,
when He wants, where He wants,
00:15:57.39\00:16:01.59
and how He wants. God is
God. He's CEO of the universe.
00:16:01.62\00:16:06.80
You didn't vote Him in
and you can't vote Him out.
00:16:06.83\00:16:09.53
You can't impeach Him,
and He's not gonna resign.
00:16:09.56\00:16:12.80
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
God is God. Let God name you.
00:16:12.83\00:16:18.64
Are you hearing what
I'm saying today? And so,
00:16:18.67\00:16:21.18
God tells Jacob, Jacob!
Your name is not what you
00:16:21.21\00:16:25.25
used to be. Your
name is no longer Jacob.
00:16:25.28\00:16:28.82
That's what everybody
calls you, but your name,
00:16:28.85\00:16:30.99
your old name, has too
much baggage. Your new name
00:16:31.02\00:16:34.82
is Israel. Israel means
chosen. Everybody say "chosen."
00:16:34.86\00:16:40.03
Aud.:  Chosen.  PB:  You
see, after you wrestle with God,
00:16:40.06\00:16:41.63
God says, I'll choose
you. God says, I'll choose you.
00:16:41.66\00:16:45.83
You're the head and
not the tail. You're above
00:16:45.87\00:16:49.04
and not beneath.
You're on the top, you're not
00:16:49.07\00:16:52.27
on the bottom. I
had to wrestle with you,
00:16:52.31\00:16:54.64
but I renamed you, and
when I renamed you I chose you.
00:16:54.68\00:16:59.11
The days of trickery are over.
The days of games are over.
00:16:59.15\00:17:03.45
The days of getting
over are over. The days of
00:17:03.49\00:17:07.49
player-player are over. I
didn't choose you for you,
00:17:07.52\00:17:11.63
I chose you for Me. I chose
you that I might get the glory.
00:17:11.66\00:17:16.23
Let me tell you something.
People run away from struggle.
00:17:16.26\00:17:19.20
People fear tension.
People don't like drama.
00:17:19.23\00:17:25.61
But you can't clean
clothes without agitation.
00:17:25.64\00:17:29.91
[Aud. reaction]  PB:  You
have to irritate an oyster
00:17:29.94\00:17:32.28
before it becomes a pearl.
You have to shake a bottle
00:17:32.31\00:17:36.12
of medicine in order for
the healing substance to take
00:17:36.15\00:17:39.89
effect. That's why any doctor
will tell you, shake it before
00:17:39.92\00:17:42.02
you take it. It takes
tension to change. The struggle
00:17:42.06\00:17:46.46
is necessary. The battle
is necessary. The wrestling
00:17:46.49\00:17:50.80
is necessary. I've got to
hurt you in order to help you.
00:17:50.83\00:17:55.87
I've got to break in order
to bless you. I've got to scar
00:17:55.90\00:18:00.24
you in order to save ya.
I've got to change your name.
00:18:00.28\00:18:06.51
Changing your name means
that God will change you from
00:18:06.55\00:18:10.25
the inside out. He changed
Abram to Abraham. He changed
00:18:10.29\00:18:17.03
Saul to Paul. He changed Jacob
to Israel. And somebody knows,
00:18:17.06\00:18:24.53
you can sit up here like
you all that and then some,
00:18:24.57\00:18:26.50
but somebody knows, He changed
you from sinner to saint,
00:18:26.53\00:18:31.17
from drunkard to deacon. He
changed you from a convict to
00:18:31.21\00:18:38.71
a Christian, from an alcoholic
to an Adventist, from a
00:18:38.75\00:18:44.62
mess to a miracle. If any man be
in Christ, he's a new creature.
00:18:44.65\00:18:50.96
Old things are passed
away; all things become new.
00:18:50.99\00:18:54.93
And I know there are people
who like to remind you of yo-
00:18:54.96\00:18:57.90
-their pa--your past. And
they call you everything but a
00:18:57.93\00:19:01.30
child of God. But somebody
knows, God will change your
00:19:01.34\00:19:05.51
name. That God will pick you
up and He will turn you around.
00:19:05.54\00:19:08.38
Hallelujah! Jesus saves. 
I got one more point to make.
00:19:08.41\00:19:12.28
I'm on 28, 30 minutes, so
I gotta hurry up and finish.
00:19:12.31\00:19:15.05
Ellen Whi--I'm doing the
best I can--Ellen White says
00:19:15.08\00:19:18.99
in Patriarchs and Prophets,
chapter 18, that the night
00:19:19.02\00:19:22.72
of the wrestling, that Jacob
had to know that the unknown
00:19:22.76\00:19:26.73
Wrestler was more than
human. Because no single touch
00:19:26.76\00:19:32.37
from a human, no single
touch from a human would have
00:19:32.40\00:19:36.24
had the power to leave
him permanently crippled.
00:19:36.27\00:19:39.24
Which means--Carlton
Byrd's interpretation--sometimes
00:19:39.27\00:19:43.88
God will deliberately
give you a deformity to create
00:19:43.91\00:19:47.42
a divine
dependence.  [Aud. reaction]
00:19:47.45\00:19:50.62
PB:  Did you
hear what I just said?
00:19:50.65\00:19:57.73
[Aud. reaction]Yes. 
PB:  God will deliberately
00:19:57.76\00:19:59.53
give you a deformity to
create a divine dependence.
00:19:59.56\00:20:06.57
Let me tell you something.
People will walk around-
00:20:06.60\00:20:09.27
-I'm fifth generation
Adventist, I can say this-
00:20:09.30\00:20:11.41
-we got off the morning
star. Y'all don't hear what
00:20:11.44\00:20:13.54
I'm saying. I'm more Adventist
than anybody in this room.
00:20:13.58\00:20:17.01
Somebody says, Pastor
Byrd, no you're--yes, I am.
00:20:17.05\00:20:20.18
I say it all the time.
I've eaten more Grillers than
00:20:20.22\00:20:22.95
everybody. [Aud. reaction] 
PB:  I've eaten more Stripples
00:20:22.98\00:20:25.42
than anybody. Are you
hearing what I'm saying?
00:20:25.45\00:20:27.29
Are you hearing what
I'm saying? Y'all don't--let
00:20:27.32\00:20:29.96
me try this. I grew up in a home
where we kept the Sabbath 26
00:20:29.99\00:20:34.73
hours. [Aud. reaction]  PB: 
Somebody know what I'm talking
00:20:34.73\00:20:38.17
about. Somebody know what I'm
talking about? What do you mean,
00:20:38.20\00:20:40.94
Pastor Byrd? We kept the
Sabbath one hour before the
00:20:40.97\00:20:42.80
Sabbath started, one
hour after the Sabbath ended,
00:20:42.84\00:20:46.17
because we were guarding
the edges of the Sabbath.
00:20:46.21\00:20:48.48
Does somebody know
what I'm talking about?
00:20:48.51\00:20:50.01
So I am more Adventist
than you, so I can say this.
00:20:50.05\00:20:53.88
People who walk around
like they got it going on,
00:20:53.92\00:20:59.12
and that they don't have any
sin or problem in their lives.
00:20:59.15\00:21:03.19
Let me tell you something.
These are folk who have never
00:21:03.22\00:21:05.73
really met the Lord. They're
just frontin' and fakin',
00:21:05.76\00:21:10.07
like the young people say,
because when you really meet
00:21:10.10\00:21:12.67
the Lord, you're gonna be
in touch with your own human
00:21:12.70\00:21:16.30
condition. You're gonna really
see yourself in a mirror. Am I
00:21:16.34\00:21:19.17
preaching to anybody in this
place today? You see,
self-righteous folks,
00:21:19.21\00:21:22.84
who always got Bible in hand,
Sabbath school lesson in hand,
00:21:22.88\00:21:26.72
dressed to the nine, in your
suit, your tie, your bow tie,
00:21:26.75\00:21:30.62
your hat, who know how to walk
the walk and talk the talk, and
00:21:30.65\00:21:33.72
every word out of their mouth,
"happy Sabbath. Praise the
00:21:33.76\00:21:37.46
Lord." Let me tell you
something. I've learned these
are some of the biggest sinners
00:21:37.49\00:21:40.03
in the world.  [Aud. reaction]
00:21:40.06\00:21:42.73
PB:  It's not always
the demons on the outside
00:21:42.76\00:21:45.07
that are the
problem, but the pretentious,
00:21:45.10\00:21:46.74
phony fake angels
on the inside who have
00:21:46.77\00:21:50.17
skeletons in their
closets. Jacob's character
00:21:50.21\00:21:54.41
has been changed.
God allows Jacob to leave
00:21:54.44\00:21:57.91
the struggle, but
God gives Jacob permanent
00:21:57.95\00:22:01.38
evidence of the struggle.
 Look at verse 25 again.
00:22:01.42\00:22:07.49
"And when
he"--everybody say "he."
00:22:07.52\00:22:10.36
PB:  Come on, say it
like you mean it. Say "he."
00:22:10.39\00:22:12.26
PB:  "The man saw that he
prevailed not against him,
00:22:12.29\00:22:15.30
he touched the hollow of
his thigh, and the hollow of
00:22:15.33\00:22:17.40
Jacob's thigh was out of
joint as he wrestled with him."
00:22:17.43\00:22:20.10
God touched Jacob's hip.
God intentionally crippled him.
00:22:20.14\00:22:29.11
God purposely
deformed him. He was limping.
00:22:29.14\00:22:35.18
Everybody say
"limping."  Aud.: [limping]
00:22:35.22\00:22:37.85
PB:  Say it like you
mean it. Say "limping."
00:22:37.89\00:22:39.55
Aud.:  Limping.  PB: 
You see, the bruise in
00:22:39.59\00:22:42.26
his thigh is symbolic
of his rebellion against
00:22:42.29\00:22:46.33
the will of God. So God
deliberately leaves Jacob
00:22:46.36\00:22:50.13
with this deformity in
order to help Jacob's ego,
00:22:50.17\00:22:54.27
because ego is the
acronym that stands for easing
00:22:54.30\00:22:57.27
God out. So God had to
hurt him in order to help him.
00:22:57.31\00:23:03.75
You see, before
the hurting of the hip,
00:23:03.78\00:23:05.71
Jacob was self-sufficient.
You couldn't tell Jacob
00:23:05.75\00:23:09.65
a thing. Jacob was
bullheaded, strong-willed.
00:23:09.68\00:23:12.92
Jacob always had an
answer for everything.
00:23:12.95\00:23:15.46
He always had a way
to get around the system.
00:23:15.49\00:23:19.09
But now he leaves this
experience with a limp.
00:23:19.13\00:23:24.63
And this limp will
become a permanent memorial of
00:23:24.67\00:23:28.30
his dependence upon God.
 You see, without the limp
00:23:28.34\00:23:32.94
Jacob would have said
"I prevailed. I won. I got
00:23:32.97\00:23:40.05
it goin' on. I'm all
that." But God gives Jacob a
00:23:40.08\00:23:47.89
limp in his flesh.
He's in his purpose now,
00:23:47.92\00:23:54.93
but he still has a limp
in his flesh. Y'all don't
00:23:54.93\00:24:00.14
hear what I'm saying, let
me hurry up. He's anointed,
00:24:00.17\00:24:04.41
but he has a limp. He's
gifted, but he has a limp.
00:24:04.44\00:24:10.38
He's talented, but he
has a limp in his flesh,
00:24:10.41\00:24:15.28
which means he's
got to depend on God.
00:24:15.32\00:24:18.45
And that's what I want to
leave with somebody today.
00:24:18.49\00:24:21.42
All of us in here have
been purposely left with a
00:24:21.46\00:24:25.29
spiritual deformity,
a spiritual limp so we
00:24:25.33\00:24:29.43
won't get the big head.
Can I preach? Doc Bradwait,
00:24:29.46\00:24:34.97
can I preach for a
minute? We've taught,
00:24:35.00\00:24:36.60
now we preachin'. I don't
care how well you can preach.
00:24:36.64\00:24:40.04
I don't care how well
they can play. I don't care
00:24:40.08\00:24:43.38
how well they can sing.
I don't care how well you
00:24:43.41\00:24:47.68
can plan and organize. I
don't care how long you've
00:24:47.72\00:24:50.99
been in the church. We
all have a limp. And in case
00:24:51.02\00:24:57.73
somebody has forgotten,
let me tell you what a limp is.
00:24:57.76\00:25:01.66
A limp is something that
you will always struggle with
00:25:01.70\00:25:05.33
in your flesh, that's
between you and God. Are you
00:25:05.37\00:25:09.04
hearing what I'm saying?
And God will put it there
00:25:09.07\00:25:12.47
so you have to depend on
Him.  I know there are some
00:25:12.51\00:25:15.61
holier-than-thous,
pious, fake folk who want you to
00:25:15.64\00:25:20.55
believe that they're not
limping. But let me tell you
00:25:20.58\00:25:24.05
something, if you just look
at them preaching long enough;
00:25:24.09\00:25:26.32
if you look at them
teaching long enough;
00:25:26.35\00:25:30.06
if you look at 'em
singing long enough;
00:25:30.09\00:25:32.29
if you look at 'em
talking long enough,
00:25:32.33\00:25:34.00
when they get
through preaching, when they
00:25:34.00\00:25:35.63
get through
teaching, when they get through
00:25:35.66\00:25:37.10
singing and talking, you
will realize they're limping.
00:25:37.13\00:25:41.04
Paul said, I've got a
thorn in my flesh, and he asked
00:25:41.07\00:25:45.31
the Lord, "God, remove it."
Three times he asked the Lord,
00:25:45.34\00:25:48.51
remove it, remove it,
remove it. But God said,
00:25:48.54\00:25:50.81
"I can't remove it." But God
said, "My grace is sufficient."
00:25:50.85\00:25:55.82
There is within all of
us a thorn in our flesh.
00:25:55.85\00:25:59.85
There are people all
across this city, all across
00:25:59.89\00:26:03.99
this country, all of 'em on
TV, on the Internet, YouTube,
00:26:04.03\00:26:08.13
radio, preaching, teaching,
singing on the anointing of
00:26:08.16\00:26:11.73
the Holy Ghost. They're
anointed. But you know what?
00:26:11.77\00:26:15.07
You don't follow them
home. Because if you follow some
00:26:15.10\00:26:19.91
of them home, you've
realized they have a limp.
00:26:19.94\00:26:23.55
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:26:23.58\00:26:25.28
You'd better understand
in Dupont Park today that
00:26:25.31\00:26:27.48
everybody sitting next to you,
everybody sitting behind you,
00:26:27.52\00:26:31.15
everybody sitting in front of
you, everybody in this church,
00:26:31.19\00:26:34.32
everybody on this property,
everybody here has a limp.
00:26:34.36\00:26:37.96
All have sinned and come
short of the glory of God.
00:26:37.99\00:26:43.23
We are all as sheep gone
to the slaughter. I don't
00:26:43.26\00:26:47.77
care how much Bible you
know. I don't care how much
00:26:47.80\00:26:50.77
spirit of prophecy you
know. I don't care how much of
00:26:50.81\00:26:54.21
the manual you can
recite. I don't care. Everybody
00:26:54.24\00:26:58.11
in here has a
limp!  [Aud. reaction]
00:26:58.15\00:27:01.75
PB:  And God gave you
the limp so you would learn
00:27:01.78\00:27:07.86
how to depend on Him.
God gave you the limp so you
00:27:07.89\00:27:11.39
wouldn't walk with your
head so big. God gave you
00:27:11.43\00:27:14.96
a limp so you wouldn't
walk with your nose so stuck
00:27:15.00\00:27:17.77
up in the air that if
it rained, you'd drown.
00:27:17.80\00:27:20.77
God gave you a limp.
He had to hurt you 'cause
00:27:20.80\00:27:29.98
He's trying to help you.
I'm about to take my seat
00:27:30.01\00:27:33.18
but the Bible says that
Jacob--gotta finish the text-
00:27:33.21\00:27:37.02
-Jacob called the place
Penuel. Everybody say "Penuel."
00:27:37.05\00:27:40.32
Aud.:  Penuel.  PB:  Now
anytime you see the name of
00:27:40.36\00:27:43.32
a place in the Bible, you better
know it must be important.
00:27:43.36\00:27:45.66
There's a meaning behind it.
When Abraham offered up his son
00:27:45.69\00:27:49.30
Isaac, he said, "I'll
name this place Jehovah Jireh,
00:27:49.33\00:27:53.70
for it's on this mount of
the Lord, the Lord did provide."
00:27:53.74\00:27:56.74
Are you hearing what I'm
saying? And that's how we
00:27:56.77\00:27:58.51
get Mount Moriah.
Everybody say "Mount Moriah."
00:27:58.54\00:28:00.21
"Thank you very
much for tuning into this
00:28:00.24\00:28:02.31
week's Breath of Life Broadcast.
00:28:02.34\00:28:04.18
We hope and pray
that you have been blessed
00:28:04.21\00:28:06.35
by Dr. Byrd's
inspirational message.
00:28:06.38\00:28:08.98
If you would like
to hear this sermon in
00:28:09.02\00:28:10.29
its entirety, please
feel free to visit us at
00:28:10.32\00:28:13.12
www.breathoflife.tv or
call us at 256.929.6460.
00:28:13.15\00:28:23.16
Again, thank you
very much for joining us,
00:28:23.20\00:28:25.50
powerful message from Dr. Byrd."
00:28:25.53\00:28:40.55