Hello and welcome again
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to the Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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We are on our
third message in a series
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of three that
makes sense, doesn't it,
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with a Focus on Revival?
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And today, we will
have our final message
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by Pastor John Lomacang.
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He is our senior pastor here
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and a very anointed
and gifted Bible teacher.
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So we are
looking forward to that.
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Is everyone having a
wonderful week of revival?
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Yeah! It has been good.
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And I know that the Lord's
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been doing things
in my life as well.
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You know, 1
Corinthians 5:17 says that,
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"When we are in
Christ, we are new creations.
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The old has gone
and the new has come."
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So far Pastor Lomacang
has taken us, telling us...
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He's taken us on a journey,
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telling us the story
of God's amazing love.
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And he used Gomer
as that illustration.
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And we can know
that God loves us
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with an everlasting love.
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And then this
morning we had the message
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of the road to Emmaus.
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And how the disciples
were walking on the same road
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in the presence of Jesus
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and didn't even
recognize His presence.
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But today, His message
is going to be Go Forward.
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And, you know,
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I think of what
Romans 5:17 says.
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And in Romans
5:17, the Bible says,
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"That those who have
received an abundance of grace
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and the gift of righteousness
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will reign in life
through Christ Jesus."
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It is time for
a Laodicean Church
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to wake up, to recognize.
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Lord, revive us, fill
us with Your Holy Spirit
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that we may be
prepared for the latter rain.
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You know, if your
ground is really dry,
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have you ever
noticed what happens
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when a big rainfall comes
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and the ground
is totally parched?
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It just sweeps right across
it and it doesn't soak in.
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We each
individually need to be filled
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with the Holy Spirit, day by day
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reconverting
ourselves day by day.
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So that as the latter rain,
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which I believe
is beginning to fall.
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Amen?
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We want to be prepared that
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we can take it in and
be part of that movement.
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Let's go before
the Lord in prayer.
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Heavenly Father,
we thank You so much
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for Your everlasting love, Lord.
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We thank You.
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Father, God that
You are calling us near
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and as we try to
draw near to You, Lord,
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please draw near to us.
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I ask in the name of Jesus
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that this message today
that Pastor John Lomacang
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will bring us.
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Oh, Lord, anoint his
lips, anoint his mind once again
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with a double
portion anointing, Father.
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I ask in the name of Jesus that
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this message will
penetrate our hearts, Father,
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and that it will penetrate
the hearts of all those
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who are watching by
television, or internet,
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or who may be listening.
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Lord, wake us up, shake us up,
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shake everything in our lives
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that can be shaken
that is not of You.
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And I pray now, Father,
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that You will
bless this message,
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bless Your people, and
call many into Your kingdom
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in Jesus' holy name.
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Amen.
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And now for our
scripture reading,
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I want to introduce
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my dear friend, Mollie Steenson.
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Well, good afternoon.
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And I hope all of
you have your Bible.
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Three things you're supposed
to always bring to church.
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Number one is your Bible.
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So get that Bible, open it up
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to Exodus the 14th Chapter,
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and you at home open
up your Bibles as well.
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Exodus the 14th Chapter,
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and we're going
to read verses 13,
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14, and 15.
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So as soon as you get
there, let me hear an amen?
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Okay, reading now Exodus 14:13,
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"And Moses said unto
the people, 'Fear ye not,
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stand still, and see
the salvation of the Lord,
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which He will show to you today,
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for the Egyptians
whom you have seen today,
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ye shall see them
again no more for ever.
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The Lord shall fight for you,
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and you shall hold your peace.'
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And the Lord said unto Moses,
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'Wherefore criest thou unto me?
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Speak unto the
children of Israel,
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that they go forward.'"
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May God add a
blessing to the reading
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and the hearing of His Word.
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Amen.
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Trust in the Lord
with all of your heart
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and lean not on
your own understanding.
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Now we have a beautiful
song by a very precious,
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lovely woman of God.
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And she is Denise Barclay.
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We're so pleased that
she has joined us today.
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She's going to be singing
a song called "Trust Me."
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Close your eyes
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Take a stand
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It's okay
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I know where we're going
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Don't fret I've been before
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Through these valleys
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Down these long
And dangerous roads
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Yet dark as it seems Trust me
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Though you can't see
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You can trust me
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The way may be steep
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You can trust me
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Let me lead
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Trust me
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Now open your eyes
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But don't let go of my hand
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Let your tears
give way To smiles
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See the joy inside your trial
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Don't worry
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You're safe with me around
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Rest assured I'm on your side
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I won't let you hit the ground
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Yet dark as it seems
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Trust me
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Though you can't see
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You can trust me
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The way may be steep
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You can trust me
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Let me lead
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Trust me
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Oh, I know that
What's in front of you
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It isn't always clear
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But in your heart If you believe
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That I'm here,
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I'm here
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Trust me
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Though you can't see
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You can trust me
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The way may be steep
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You can trust me
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Let me lead
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Trust me
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Though you can't see
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You can trust me
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The way may be steep
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You can trust me
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God says, trust me
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You can trust me
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Oh, yes, just let me lead
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Trust me
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Trust me
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God says, trust me
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Though you can't see
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Still trust me
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Oh, trust me
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Amen!
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Shall we pray?
00:11:04.63\00:11:05.96
Lord, the hour in which
we live is one that is late.
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And it calls for a determination
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on the part of God's
people to begin to trust Him.
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In spite of what we cannot see,
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Lord, the challenge today to us
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is to trust Me.
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As we open Your Word
today, Lord, we pray that
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You can lay the
foundation for us to see that
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because You are
the God leading us.
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There is no
reason to believe that
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we will not make
the Promised Land.
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Encourage us to keep
our eyes fixed on You
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and to go forward.
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And we ask this in
Jesus' name, we pray.
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Amen.
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If you have your
Bibles, and I believe you do,
00:11:56.01\00:11:57.88
thank you so much
Denise for that song,
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one of my favorite artists.
00:12:00.42\00:12:02.78
Throughout the years,
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I've listened to a young lady
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by the name of Crystal Lewis.
00:12:05.95\00:12:08.06
And matter of fact,
00:12:08.09\00:12:09.49
I think that's Pastor
Stanton's favorite singer.
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And he introduced me to
her a number of years ago
00:12:12.79\00:12:14.73
and then our
daughters and our children,
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you all go ahead
and figure that out
00:12:18.60\00:12:19.93
in your own mind.
00:12:19.97\00:12:21.57
Because last you heard
that Pastor John and his wife
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didn't have any
children, but we have two now,
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and we got them full grown.
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But praise the Lord,
brothers and sisters.
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When we focus on the Lord,
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we find all the
reasons to trust Him.
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But when we turn our
eyes away and look to man,
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we can find many reasons
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to begin to doubt the
Lord that is leading us.
00:12:41.39\00:12:44.23
Exodus Chapter 14
begins with a very wonderful
00:12:44.26\00:12:47.83
understanding that
00:12:47.86\00:12:49.86
when God calls you out,
God not only brings you out,
00:12:49.90\00:12:55.10
but God can keep you out.
00:12:55.14\00:12:56.57
Can you say amen?
00:12:56.60\00:12:58.41
God not only sees where we are.
00:12:58.44\00:13:00.58
God sees where we need to be,
00:13:00.61\00:13:02.74
and God sees where He
wants us to eventually end up.
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In other words, God
takes us from a life of sin,
00:13:07.12\00:13:10.55
gives us a life
of righteousness,
00:13:10.59\00:13:12.89
and gives us a
direction to His righteous
00:13:12.92\00:13:15.02
and eternal kingdom.
00:13:15.06\00:13:16.39
Today, we're gonna see
00:13:16.42\00:13:17.83
how important it is
for the people of God
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in the midst of
trials, and difficulty,
00:13:20.60\00:13:23.53
and tribulation
to make up their mind
00:13:23.57\00:13:26.00
and just remember
two words, go forward.
00:13:26.03\00:13:30.34
Now before we
read Exodus Chapter 14,
00:13:30.37\00:13:32.24
I want to focus on a quotation
00:13:32.27\00:13:34.74
from my favorite
author, Ellen White,
00:13:34.78\00:13:36.68
in the book
Counsels on Stewardship.
00:13:36.71\00:13:39.55
I have quite a
library of reading.
00:13:39.58\00:13:40.92
And matter of fact,
00:13:40.95\00:13:42.28
I still have
quite a bit of books
00:13:42.32\00:13:43.65
that have not yet been unpacked.
00:13:43.69\00:13:45.02
But I put this in my
sermon to remember that
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there is nothing that I
can face as a child of God
00:13:48.69\00:13:52.06
that God cannot
find a solution for.
00:13:52.09\00:13:55.46
But I also want
to open your eyes
00:13:55.50\00:13:56.83
to the unseen battle
because while we look around us
00:13:56.87\00:14:00.40
and think the battle is
against flesh and blood,
00:14:00.44\00:14:04.51
our real battle, friends,
is not against flesh and blood.
00:14:04.54\00:14:07.74
As a matter of fact,
the battle is so spiritual,
00:14:07.78\00:14:11.35
and it is so great that
00:14:11.38\00:14:12.91
the Lord has
promised two things,
00:14:12.95\00:14:16.28
to fight the battles for us,
00:14:16.32\00:14:18.45
and to stand with
us when we cannot see
00:14:18.49\00:14:21.92
what stands against us.
00:14:21.96\00:14:23.99
Counsels on Stewardship,
page 154 and paragraph 1.
00:14:24.03\00:14:28.43
Listen carefully.
00:14:28.46\00:14:30.73
"As the people of God approach
the perils of the last days,"
00:14:30.77\00:14:34.30
Are we in the last days?
00:14:34.34\00:14:36.60
"Satan holds
earnest consultation
00:14:36.64\00:14:40.28
with his angels as to
the most successful plan
00:14:40.31\00:14:44.58
to overthrow their faith.
00:14:44.61\00:14:47.52
He sees that
the popular churches
00:14:47.55\00:14:49.55
are already lulled to sleep
00:14:49.58\00:14:52.59
by his deceptive power.
00:14:52.62\00:14:55.62
By pleasing
sophistry and lying wonders,
00:14:55.66\00:14:59.53
he can continue to
hold them under his control.
00:14:59.56\00:15:04.37
Therefore..."
00:15:04.40\00:15:05.73
This is the most
important part of the quotation.
00:15:05.77\00:15:07.37
"Therefore he directs his angels
00:15:07.40\00:15:10.11
to lay a snare
00:15:10.14\00:15:12.74
especially for those
00:15:12.77\00:15:14.74
who are looking for
the second advent of Christ
00:15:14.78\00:15:18.75
and are endeavoring
00:15:18.78\00:15:20.12
to keep all the
commandments of God."
00:15:20.15\00:15:23.75
Revelation 12:17
says it this way,"
00:15:23.79\00:15:26.12
And the dragon is
wroth with the woman,
00:15:26.15\00:15:28.59
and went to make war
with the remnant of her seed,
00:15:28.62\00:15:31.79
which keep the
commandments of God,
00:15:31.83\00:15:33.50
and have the," what friends?
00:15:33.53\00:15:34.90
"Testimony of Jesus Christ."
00:15:34.93\00:15:37.17
If you are looking
forward to the advent of Christ,
00:15:37.20\00:15:39.43
the devil is trying
to lay a snare for you.
00:15:39.47\00:15:42.24
If you're satisfied
with five commandments,
00:15:42.27\00:15:44.84
you're not a
problem to the devil.
00:15:44.87\00:15:46.64
If you're satisfied with
six or your favorite group here,
00:15:46.68\00:15:50.48
some people said, well, I
love my neighbors as myself.
00:15:50.51\00:15:53.21
Well, if that's all
the commandments are,
00:15:53.25\00:15:55.02
then you're not a
danger to the devil.
00:15:55.05\00:15:58.59
The Bible says, "Love
the Lord, your God with,"
00:15:58.62\00:16:00.16
how much of your heart, friends?
00:16:00.19\00:16:01.62
"All your heart."
00:16:01.66\00:16:02.99
That's the first
four commandments,
00:16:03.02\00:16:05.29
including the
seventh day Sabbath.
00:16:05.33\00:16:07.56
Then the last
six, love your neighbor
00:16:07.60\00:16:10.13
as yourself is outlined
in the last six commandments.
00:16:10.17\00:16:13.84
We have 10 Commandments,
not 10 suggestions,
00:16:13.87\00:16:17.41
not 10 menu items,
but 10 Commandments.
00:16:17.44\00:16:20.38
And Satan knows that
00:16:20.41\00:16:21.94
they are so vitally
important in our walk with God
00:16:21.98\00:16:25.48
that he's laying a snare,
00:16:25.51\00:16:27.88
especially for
those endeavoring to keep
00:16:27.92\00:16:31.12
the commandments of God
00:16:31.15\00:16:32.79
and those looking forward
to the second advent of Christ.
00:16:32.82\00:16:35.62
Now there was a time that
00:16:35.66\00:16:36.99
I would think that
that's not an issue.
00:16:37.03\00:16:39.36
But there are a
lot of Christians
00:16:39.39\00:16:40.73
today not looking forward
to the second advent of Christ.
00:16:40.76\00:16:42.96
A lot of Christians
today are looking forward
00:16:43.00\00:16:44.73
to the secret rapture.
00:16:44.77\00:16:47.54
Not looking forward
00:16:47.57\00:16:48.90
to the second
appearing of Christ,
00:16:48.94\00:16:50.57
they're looking
forward to some disappearing,
00:16:50.61\00:16:53.11
not appearing.
00:16:53.14\00:16:54.81
So if you're
looking to disappear
00:16:54.84\00:16:56.24
and not have the Lord appear,
00:16:56.28\00:16:57.71
you're not a threat
to the camp of the enemy.
00:16:57.75\00:17:00.95
In the story,
the Lord reminds us
00:17:00.98\00:17:04.25
and I'm gonna say this
with all the proclamation
00:17:04.29\00:17:06.12
I can muster up.
00:17:06.15\00:17:07.49
Brothers and
sisters, we are nearing home.
00:17:07.52\00:17:11.19
We are nearing home.
00:17:11.23\00:17:13.83
Now Paul the Apostle says,
00:17:13.86\00:17:15.86
is our salvation nearer than
00:17:15.90\00:17:18.00
when we first believe,
the night is far spent,
00:17:18.03\00:17:22.10
the day is at hand.
00:17:22.14\00:17:24.07
If you keep looking
00:17:24.11\00:17:25.44
and straining your eyes forward,
00:17:25.47\00:17:26.91
I think the
songwriter says it so well.
00:17:26.94\00:17:29.68
We can see the gleams
of the golden morning,
00:17:29.71\00:17:33.62
piercing through
the midnight sky.
00:17:33.65\00:17:36.38
Got to keep our eyes fixed
00:17:36.42\00:17:37.99
because as long as you look
to the left or to the right,
00:17:38.02\00:17:40.49
you may see the precipice
00:17:40.52\00:17:41.96
that may cause you
to get discouraged.
00:17:41.99\00:17:44.16
But we got to look unto Jesus
00:17:44.19\00:17:45.69
who is the author and
finisher of our faith.
00:17:45.73\00:17:48.50
Time to look in
only one direction.
00:17:48.53\00:17:51.50
You see when God led
the Israelites out of Egypt.
00:17:51.53\00:17:54.84
Deuteronomy 6:21 says,
00:17:54.87\00:17:56.81
"The Lord brought them
out with a mighty hand."
00:17:56.84\00:18:00.28
God didn't just
almost deliver them.
00:18:00.31\00:18:03.14
God delivered them
with a mighty hand.
00:18:03.18\00:18:05.55
In other words,
there was nothing that
00:18:05.58\00:18:07.62
Pharaoh could do to
keep God's people in Egypt
00:18:07.65\00:18:11.12
once God wanted them out.
00:18:11.15\00:18:12.49
What do you say?
00:18:12.52\00:18:13.86
And I want to
encourage you parents today,
00:18:13.89\00:18:15.26
lot of your children
are in the spiritual Egypt.
00:18:15.29\00:18:18.36
They've left the church,
00:18:18.39\00:18:19.73
gone back into
the old lifestyle,
00:18:19.76\00:18:21.73
gone back into the old habits,
00:18:21.76\00:18:23.67
gone back into
the old addictions.
00:18:23.70\00:18:25.60
But, brothers and
sisters, once you name
00:18:25.63\00:18:27.67
the name of Jesus Christ,
00:18:27.70\00:18:29.27
He's gonna go back
to Egypt and find out
00:18:29.30\00:18:32.01
whatever He needs to do
to get His sons and daughters
00:18:32.04\00:18:34.98
out of the land of Egypt,
00:18:35.01\00:18:36.54
and God can still bring them out
00:18:36.58\00:18:38.11
with a mighty hand.
00:18:38.15\00:18:39.48
What do you say?
00:18:39.51\00:18:40.85
The children of Israel
being free from Egypt...
00:18:40.88\00:18:42.88
Forgot a number of
things that we need to remember.
00:18:42.92\00:18:46.35
For you see, friends,
00:18:46.39\00:18:47.96
it was not Moses that
brought them out of Egypt,
00:18:47.99\00:18:50.63
it was God.
00:18:50.66\00:18:52.26
It was not Moses that decided
to free them, it was God.
00:18:52.29\00:18:57.03
It was not Moses that saved them
00:18:57.07\00:18:59.07
from the
destroying angel, it was God.
00:18:59.10\00:19:02.10
It was not Moses
that gave them water
00:19:02.14\00:19:04.07
in the wilderness.
00:19:04.11\00:19:05.44
Who was it, friends? It was God.
00:19:05.47\00:19:07.58
It was not Moses
that rain down bread
00:19:07.61\00:19:10.01
when they were hungry.
00:19:10.05\00:19:11.38
It was who? It was God.
00:19:11.41\00:19:13.31
It was not Moses
that protected them
00:19:13.35\00:19:15.68
from the
serpents and the scorpions
00:19:15.72\00:19:17.75
in the wilderness, it was God.
00:19:17.79\00:19:21.29
It was not Moses
that performed the signs
00:19:21.32\00:19:24.29
and wonders that kept
them from the attacking armies,
00:19:24.33\00:19:28.53
it was God.
00:19:28.56\00:19:30.37
It was not Moses that gave them
00:19:30.40\00:19:32.07
a cloud during the day to
cool them down in a pillar
00:19:32.10\00:19:36.07
of fire by
night to warm them up,
00:19:36.10\00:19:38.07
it was God.
00:19:38.11\00:19:40.31
And I say that to say this.
00:19:40.34\00:19:42.58
It is not us
that's delivering us,
00:19:42.61\00:19:45.38
it is God that's delivering us.
00:19:45.41\00:19:47.75
It is not us providing our need
00:19:47.78\00:19:49.42
in the wilderness
journey to the kingdom,
00:19:49.45\00:19:51.39
it is God
providing all of our need
00:19:51.42\00:19:54.49
according to His
riches and glory.
00:19:54.52\00:19:56.22
What do you say?
00:19:56.26\00:19:57.79
We forget so often
that on our best day
00:19:57.83\00:20:00.76
we can't do
anything that's better than
00:20:00.80\00:20:03.37
what God can do
on His worst day.
00:20:03.40\00:20:06.07
And God never has a worst day.
00:20:06.10\00:20:08.80
God never says, "You know what,
00:20:08.84\00:20:10.34
I am so tired answering prayers.
00:20:10.37\00:20:12.77
I don't want to
go to work today."
00:20:12.81\00:20:15.31
Can you say amen?
00:20:15.34\00:20:17.81
He that keeps Israel
neither sleeps nor slumbers.
00:20:17.85\00:20:23.85
God does not take vacations
00:20:23.89\00:20:25.82
because He knows
00:20:25.85\00:20:27.26
the devil
doesn't take vacations.
00:20:27.29\00:20:29.99
God goes to church still
00:20:30.03\00:20:32.03
because He knows the
devil has gotten used to go
00:20:32.06\00:20:34.83
into church today.
00:20:34.86\00:20:37.60
God still sends His
angels to protect us
00:20:37.63\00:20:40.47
because He knows
the devil tries to send
00:20:40.50\00:20:42.54
his angels to harm us.
00:20:42.57\00:20:44.84
And I want to say to you today,
00:20:44.87\00:20:46.21
when the angels got kicked out,
00:20:46.24\00:20:48.14
one-third God put out,
00:20:48.18\00:20:49.58
Brethren,
two-thirds stayed with God.
00:20:49.61\00:20:52.08
So there are twice
as many on our side
00:20:52.11\00:20:54.58
than there are
on the devil side.
00:20:54.62\00:20:56.42
What do you say?
00:20:56.45\00:20:57.79
I got a quotation
number of years ago.
00:20:57.82\00:20:59.35
I used to always say to kids,
00:20:59.39\00:21:00.72
"You've got an angel with you."
00:21:00.76\00:21:02.09
But I discovered
Ellen White says,
00:21:02.12\00:21:03.63
"You don't have a single angel.
00:21:03.66\00:21:05.19
You got one on the right side,
00:21:05.23\00:21:06.86
and you got one
on the left side."
00:21:06.90\00:21:08.23
Can you say amen?
00:21:08.26\00:21:09.60
And then the Bible
says, "God is our real word."
00:21:09.63\00:21:11.80
Which means God's got our back.
00:21:11.83\00:21:16.40
But the Bible made it
clear that even though
00:21:16.44\00:21:18.71
we know all these
things in our mind,
00:21:18.74\00:21:20.61
there are days
that we think that
00:21:20.64\00:21:21.98
the enemy is stronger than God.
00:21:22.01\00:21:23.55
Notice what the Bible
says in Exodus Chapter 59.
00:21:23.58\00:21:26.65
Matter of fact,
Exodus Chapter 14,
00:21:26.68\00:21:28.95
not Exodus 59 that
came from somewhere,
00:21:28.98\00:21:31.12
I have no idea.
00:21:31.15\00:21:33.66
Exodus 14:10.
00:21:33.69\00:21:35.59
Look at the deliverance process.
00:21:35.62\00:21:39.73
"And when Pharaoh drew near,
00:21:39.76\00:21:43.00
the children of
Israel lifted their eyes."
00:21:43.03\00:21:47.67
Now if the text stopped there,
00:21:47.70\00:21:50.31
I would have said
they did the right thing
00:21:50.34\00:21:52.17
because David the Psalmist says,
00:21:52.21\00:21:53.78
"I will lift up
my eyes unto the hill
00:21:53.81\00:21:56.28
from whence comes my help."
00:21:56.31\00:21:58.15
When we lift up our
eyes in the midst of trials
00:21:58.18\00:22:00.28
and look up to Jesus,
that's the good thing to do,
00:22:00.32\00:22:01.95
am I right?
00:22:01.98\00:22:03.32
But the Bible said,
00:22:03.35\00:22:04.69
"They lifted
their eyes and behold,
00:22:04.72\00:22:07.16
the Egyptians
marched after them.
00:22:07.19\00:22:09.62
So they were very afraid,
00:22:09.66\00:22:11.36
and the children of
Israel cried out to the Lord."
00:22:11.39\00:22:15.50
When they lifted their eyes,
00:22:15.53\00:22:17.30
they did not lift
their eyes to look to Jesus,
00:22:17.33\00:22:20.10
they lifted their eyes to look
00:22:20.14\00:22:22.00
to the
approaching armies of Pharaoh.
00:22:22.04\00:22:24.67
And when you read the Bible,
00:22:24.71\00:22:26.44
Pharaoh didn't send a
weak army after the Israelites.
00:22:26.47\00:22:28.51
As a matter of
fact, it says in verse 7,
00:22:28.54\00:22:31.08
"He took six hundred
of his choice chariots,"
00:22:31.11\00:22:35.78
Exodus 14:7, "and
all the chariots of Egypt
00:22:35.82\00:22:41.09
with captains over
every one of them."
00:22:41.12\00:22:44.26
Pharaoh unloaded his ammunition
00:22:44.29\00:22:47.50
against the people of God.
00:22:47.53\00:22:49.33
He sent his choice
chariots, his best soldiers,
00:22:49.36\00:22:54.47
he gave captains
over every one of them,
00:22:54.50\00:22:56.91
and there was not a
single chariot left in Egypt
00:22:56.94\00:22:59.64
because they all were
pursuing the people of God
00:22:59.67\00:23:02.34
to kill them in the wilderness.
00:23:02.38\00:23:05.11
Brethren, if we can see
the battle against us today,
00:23:05.15\00:23:10.12
I believe that
we'll shake in our boots.
00:23:10.15\00:23:13.42
And so I praise the Lord that
00:23:13.46\00:23:15.29
what we don't
see God can handle,
00:23:15.32\00:23:17.79
what do you say?
00:23:17.83\00:23:19.26
Because the Bible says,
Satan is coming after us.
00:23:19.29\00:23:22.70
In other words,
let me translate that.
00:23:22.73\00:23:24.60
As Pharaoh emptied Egypt,
00:23:24.63\00:23:26.43
Satan has emptied the barrels
of a hell against God's people
00:23:26.47\00:23:30.77
in these last days.
00:23:30.81\00:23:32.41
And I wanna repeat
what I said this morning.
00:23:32.44\00:23:34.18
I don't care how
many are not left in hell,
00:23:34.21\00:23:36.38
there's not
enough angels in hell
00:23:36.41\00:23:38.21
to defeat God even
if He was by Himself.
00:23:38.25\00:23:42.28
The gates of
hell, the Bible says,
00:23:42.32\00:23:43.85
will not prevail
against the church.
00:23:43.89\00:23:47.42
And the weakest saint...
00:23:47.46\00:23:48.92
I heard that
quotation number of years ago,
00:23:48.96\00:23:50.49
I looked it up and I found it.
00:23:50.53\00:23:51.86
"The weakest saint on his knees
00:23:51.89\00:23:55.20
is more than a
match for the devil."
00:23:55.23\00:23:57.83
What do you say?
00:23:57.87\00:23:59.20
You can be
fainting, not able to pray,
00:23:59.23\00:24:01.84
but you muster
up a prayer of faith
00:24:01.87\00:24:03.97
and the Spirit
of God dresses it up
00:24:04.01\00:24:06.21
and makes it
right before the Father.
00:24:06.24\00:24:08.01
The weakest saint in prayer
00:24:08.04\00:24:11.71
is more than conquerors
against the battles of hell.
00:24:11.75\00:24:16.05
But the Egyptians pursued them,
00:24:16.08\00:24:18.15
and they picked up their eyes,
00:24:18.19\00:24:19.99
instead of looking to God,
00:24:20.02\00:24:21.42
they began to
look toward the enemy,
00:24:21.46\00:24:23.83
and Pharaoh pursued them.
00:24:23.86\00:24:26.36
They took their
eyes off of Jesus,
00:24:26.39\00:24:28.80
a lot of us are guilty of that.
00:24:28.83\00:24:30.30
You can go ahead and say amen.
00:24:30.33\00:24:32.27
They took their
eyes off of their journey
00:24:32.30\00:24:34.20
and their destination.
00:24:34.24\00:24:36.07
You know, I've
heard people nowadays say,
00:24:36.10\00:24:38.34
there was a time they
used to believe in heaven.
00:24:38.37\00:24:40.41
But some Bible teachers
are now beginning to say,
00:24:40.44\00:24:44.28
"Heaven is an imaginary place."
00:24:44.31\00:24:48.72
Some scholars are saying,
"Scholars not of God's Word."
00:24:48.75\00:24:52.52
Some scholars
are beginning to say,
00:24:52.55\00:24:54.06
"Heaven is just
an imaginary thing
00:24:54.09\00:24:56.49
that God has
created to encourage us
00:24:56.52\00:24:59.29
to keep trusting
and worshiping Him."
00:24:59.33\00:25:02.00
But Paul, the Apostle says,
00:25:02.03\00:25:03.37
what John wrote down is not even
00:25:03.40\00:25:05.53
what heaven really looks like
00:25:05.57\00:25:07.44
because our eyes
have not even seen
00:25:07.47\00:25:12.17
all that God has prepared
for those that love him.
00:25:12.21\00:25:17.35
But I'm looking forward
00:25:17.38\00:25:18.71
to my streets of
gold, anybody else?
00:25:18.75\00:25:20.42
I'm looking forward to walking
through one of those 12 gates.
00:25:20.45\00:25:23.49
I'm looking forward to the
day when I can walk into a place
00:25:23.52\00:25:26.49
where the gates don't
have to be closed day or night
00:25:26.52\00:25:29.56
because it's nothing but a place
00:25:29.59\00:25:30.93
of eternal peace forevermore.
00:25:30.96\00:25:33.19
But they forgot
about their destination,
00:25:33.23\00:25:35.03
they forgot about their journey,
00:25:35.06\00:25:36.53
they took their
eyes off of Jesus.
00:25:36.56\00:25:38.23
They lost sight of
those traveling with them.
00:25:38.27\00:25:40.57
Let me say something
about that, Brethren.
00:25:40.60\00:25:42.50
You may be traveling to heaven,
00:25:42.54\00:25:44.14
but the person
sitting next to you,
00:25:44.17\00:25:45.94
I hope they're traveling
also in the same direction.
00:25:45.97\00:25:49.71
We've got to remember
that if they're in the church,
00:25:49.74\00:25:51.91
if they're in the message,
00:25:51.95\00:25:53.28
we've got to encourage
them along with ourselves
00:25:53.31\00:25:56.48
to keep on traveling
in the same direction.
00:25:56.52\00:25:59.39
And I want to say
00:25:59.42\00:26:00.76
what a dear old
saint said in Fairfield,
00:26:00.79\00:26:02.12
California, Sister Travis.
00:26:02.16\00:26:04.59
She said to me,
"Brother, if you could see them,
00:26:04.63\00:26:07.96
they're not your enemy."
00:26:08.00\00:26:10.73
I'm gonna say that again.
00:26:10.77\00:26:12.33
Brother Matt, excuse me.
00:26:12.37\00:26:14.87
If you could see them,
they're not your enemy.
00:26:14.90\00:26:19.17
Too often the devil
makes us enemies of each other
00:26:19.21\00:26:21.68
and not enemy of his kingdom.
00:26:21.71\00:26:23.51
Too often we fight
against each other,
00:26:23.55\00:26:25.98
rather than fighting
against the forces of darkness.
00:26:26.01\00:26:29.72
Too often we think that
00:26:29.75\00:26:31.09
somebody in the
church is trying to do us
00:26:31.12\00:26:32.45
and when in fact,
00:26:32.49\00:26:33.82
if there are un-surrendered
weaknesses in their lives,
00:26:33.86\00:26:36.62
Satan can use that to
maybe hinder our journey,
00:26:36.66\00:26:40.50
but the devil can
never stop our journey
00:26:40.53\00:26:42.63
once our eyes
are fixed on Christ.
00:26:42.66\00:26:46.00
They lost sight of
those traveling with them,
00:26:46.03\00:26:47.94
and then they turn
their attention away
00:26:47.97\00:26:50.61
from the work of the Lord.
00:26:50.64\00:26:52.14
And that's why the Bible
says, "They were sore afraid."
00:26:52.17\00:26:57.65
They were very afraid.
00:26:57.68\00:26:59.88
I've seen Christians nowadays
fearful of all kinds of things.
00:26:59.91\00:27:03.39
You know, some say, Well...
00:27:03.42\00:27:06.09
I have to go back to
these temporal things
00:27:06.12\00:27:07.62
because we get all
hooked up on temporal things.
00:27:07.66\00:27:10.69
You know, I'm afraid
that I'm not gonna be
00:27:10.73\00:27:12.89
able to pay my child's tuition.
00:27:12.93\00:27:15.43
Well, Brethren,
if the Lord wants you
00:27:15.46\00:27:16.80
to have a Christian education,
00:27:16.83\00:27:18.17
He'll make a way for
that bill to be paid.
00:27:18.20\00:27:19.53
What do you say?
00:27:19.57\00:27:21.27
I'm not gonna be able
to pay my medical bill.
00:27:21.30\00:27:23.04
What if God is
concerned about your health,
00:27:23.07\00:27:24.41
He'll make a way
00:27:24.44\00:27:25.77
for that
medical bill to be paid.
00:27:25.81\00:27:27.51
Or maybe you'll have them
00:27:27.54\00:27:28.88
forgive the
whole thing altogether.
00:27:28.91\00:27:30.25
What do you say?
00:27:30.28\00:27:31.61
Whatever God has
in store for you,
00:27:31.65\00:27:33.75
God can provide whatever
00:27:33.78\00:27:35.82
He says He's
going to give to us.
00:27:35.85\00:27:37.85
We need not fear the
temporal circumstances
00:27:37.89\00:27:41.32
because given time,
every problem you have
00:27:41.36\00:27:45.29
is going to be taken care of.
00:27:45.33\00:27:47.30
We always live in the problem.
00:27:47.33\00:27:48.80
We've got to live
outside the problem
00:27:48.83\00:27:50.57
and abide in the
promises of Jesus Christ
00:27:50.60\00:27:53.87
because He who
promised is faithful.
00:27:53.90\00:27:55.94
And God will not
allow us to save ourselves,
00:27:55.97\00:27:59.44
God wants to save us
00:27:59.47\00:28:00.81
because our
salvation will not get us
00:28:00.84\00:28:04.65
an inch off the ground.
00:28:04.68\00:28:07.75
They lost sight of Christ.
00:28:07.78\00:28:10.15
They looked to
Pharaoh, they turned away
00:28:10.19\00:28:13.89
from the one leading
them, and they began to look
00:28:13.92\00:28:16.66
to the one that
was pursuing them.
00:28:16.69\00:28:19.69
That's why the Bible
went on to say in Isaiah 26:3.
00:28:19.73\00:28:23.26
Brethren, what kind of
peace do we need today?
00:28:23.30\00:28:25.67
Let me suggest, we
need perfect peace.
00:28:25.70\00:28:27.90
Say that with me.
We need what? Perfect.
00:28:27.94\00:28:29.94
You know what
perfect peace means?
00:28:29.97\00:28:31.51
The kind of peace
that cannot be interrupted,
00:28:31.54\00:28:33.38
no matter how the wind blows.
00:28:33.41\00:28:36.04
A peace that
has no faults in it.
00:28:36.08\00:28:38.88
A peace, as the writer says,
that passes all understanding.
00:28:38.91\00:28:42.72
Whereas the New
Living Translation says,
00:28:42.75\00:28:44.79
a peace that does
not need to be explained.
00:28:44.82\00:28:48.89
In other words,
when you visit somebody
00:28:48.92\00:28:50.43
on their hospital bed,
00:28:50.46\00:28:51.79
I've had opportunity to do that.
00:28:51.83\00:28:53.93
And sometimes we go
00:28:53.96\00:28:55.30
to the hospital to
encourage individuals,
00:28:55.33\00:28:57.37
and we leave more encouraged
than when we got there.
00:28:57.40\00:29:01.47
Here they are wasting away.
00:29:01.50\00:29:02.90
I think of my sister-in-law
there who passed away
00:29:02.94\00:29:05.54
not too long ago in
St. Thomas, Romaiah.
00:29:05.57\00:29:09.61
Here I am talking
to her on the phone,
00:29:09.64\00:29:11.11
she's been told
that she has cancer.
00:29:11.15\00:29:13.28
She's been told that they
can't do anything for her.
00:29:13.31\00:29:16.89
She's been told that
she doesn't have much time.
00:29:16.92\00:29:18.99
We're all praying for a miracle.
00:29:19.02\00:29:21.16
And in the midst
of her fading away,
00:29:21.19\00:29:24.03
she says to my brother,
00:29:24.06\00:29:25.39
"You know, the Lord
00:29:25.43\00:29:26.76
has already answered my prayer."
00:29:26.80\00:29:28.26
Now we've been praying
for deliverance, but she says,
00:29:28.30\00:29:31.03
"The Lord already
answered my prayer."
00:29:31.07\00:29:34.87
And he wandered what it was.
00:29:34.90\00:29:36.34
And she said to him,
00:29:36.37\00:29:37.71
"The Lord has decided
that in this condition,
00:29:37.74\00:29:41.08
it's the best time to save me."
00:29:41.11\00:29:42.84
Come on and say amen. Amen.
00:29:42.88\00:29:44.51
Somebody may die on
their bed of affliction
00:29:44.55\00:29:47.45
because the Lord says,
"Now they're safe to save."
00:29:47.48\00:29:50.89
God knows how to save,
when to save, who to save,
00:29:50.92\00:29:54.79
and what to save.
00:29:54.82\00:29:56.16
So if God allows your loved one
to be laid to rest and you say,
00:29:56.19\00:29:59.16
"Lord, they were just about
00:29:59.19\00:30:00.53
to give their lives
fully to Your cause."
00:30:00.56\00:30:02.30
God says, the
reason I took them now,
00:30:02.33\00:30:04.43
the reason I allow
them to be laid to rest.
00:30:04.47\00:30:06.20
Let me not use the word take
because God doesn't kill, folk.
00:30:06.23\00:30:09.64
But the reason I allow them
00:30:09.67\00:30:11.01
to be laid to rest
as Isaiah 57:1-2 says,
00:30:11.04\00:30:14.84
"I want to spare them
from the evil, and the trials,
00:30:14.88\00:30:17.85
and temptations that are
yet to come up on this world."
00:30:17.88\00:30:21.82
And Ellen White
says that there are many
00:30:21.85\00:30:23.18
that are gonna be laid
to rest by the mercy of God
00:30:23.22\00:30:28.06
before the time of
trial comes upon this world.
00:30:28.09\00:30:30.96
I know two dear
saints in California,
00:30:30.99\00:30:32.49
Sam and Kathy James.
00:30:32.53\00:30:34.00
And I remember years ago
00:30:34.03\00:30:36.53
that Kathy is
like Paul the Apostle.
00:30:36.56\00:30:38.80
She said, "I want to be alive
00:30:38.83\00:30:41.14
when the time of trouble comes."
00:30:41.17\00:30:42.50
And her husband says, "Not me."
00:30:42.54\00:30:44.21
Not me.
00:30:44.24\00:30:45.57
He's tall,
build, and she's short,
00:30:45.61\00:30:47.68
and very strong in the Lord.
00:30:47.71\00:30:49.34
And she says,
"I want to be alive
00:30:49.38\00:30:50.71
when the Lord comes.
00:30:50.75\00:30:52.08
I want to go
through the time of trial.
00:30:52.11\00:30:53.45
I want to see
the church triumph."
00:30:53.48\00:30:54.82
And he said, "Not me.
Lord, lay me to rest."
00:30:54.85\00:30:57.19
He's about 6'6"
good, 200 and some pounds.
00:30:57.22\00:30:59.49
And I thought it would
be the other way around.
00:30:59.52\00:31:00.89
So, Brethren,
00:31:00.92\00:31:02.26
it's not our physical attributes
00:31:02.29\00:31:03.63
that give us faith,
00:31:03.66\00:31:04.99
but it's our faith
and our trust in God
00:31:05.03\00:31:06.36
that makes all the difference.
00:31:06.39\00:31:07.73
Can you say amen?
00:31:07.76\00:31:09.10
They have their faith
in Moses and not in God.
00:31:09.13\00:31:11.07
And I wanna say this,
"Although pastors ought to do
00:31:11.10\00:31:14.14
what God called them to do,
00:31:14.17\00:31:16.37
you got to still have
your faith in nobody else
00:31:16.40\00:31:18.91
other than Jesus Christ '
00:31:18.94\00:31:21.54
cause He is the author and
the finisher of our faith."
00:31:21.58\00:31:25.58
Took their eyes off of Jesus,
00:31:29.25\00:31:31.79
took their eyes off the journey.
00:31:31.82\00:31:34.59
And then they said something
that really, really shocked me,
00:31:34.62\00:31:36.56
Pastor Stanton.
00:31:36.59\00:31:37.93
They said in verse
12 of Exodus Chapter 14.
00:31:37.96\00:31:41.36
This blew me away,
but it gave me an insight
00:31:41.40\00:31:44.63
to how low we can sink
00:31:44.67\00:31:46.97
when we lose
sight of the purpose
00:31:47.00\00:31:49.40
that God has for
us, where He plants us.
00:31:49.44\00:31:51.34
Somebody said,
"You may be an oak tree
00:31:51.37\00:31:53.81
or you may be just a
fern, but when God plants you,
00:31:53.84\00:31:57.38
you ought to grow
where God plants you."
00:31:57.41\00:31:58.81
Amen.
00:31:58.85\00:32:00.18
God brought them into
00:32:00.22\00:32:01.55
the wilderness not to kill them,
00:32:01.58\00:32:03.15
but to separate them from Egypt.
00:32:03.18\00:32:05.52
Let me make that
very clear today.
00:32:05.55\00:32:07.22
In separating them from Egypt,
00:32:07.26\00:32:08.99
He was separating them
from the dress of Egypt.
00:32:09.02\00:32:12.13
He was separating them
from the diet of Egypt.
00:32:15.63\00:32:20.20
I got more amens on
the diet than on the dress.
00:32:20.24\00:32:23.87
He was separating them
00:32:23.91\00:32:25.24
from the entertainment of Egypt.
00:32:25.27\00:32:27.84
He was separating them
from the night life of Egypt.
00:32:27.88\00:32:31.78
And when they
got in the wilderness
00:32:31.81\00:32:33.35
and saw all that God
was taking away from them,
00:32:33.38\00:32:36.22
they fail to see
what God was about
00:32:36.25\00:32:38.19
to give to them.
00:32:38.22\00:32:40.69
And they said,
"Why would anybody
00:32:40.72\00:32:42.06
want to live in Thompsonville
when we have New York?
00:32:42.09\00:32:45.36
We've got Atlanta.
00:32:45.39\00:32:46.76
We've got LA?
00:32:46.80\00:32:48.16
Why would anybody want
to live in Thompsonville?
00:32:48.20\00:32:52.13
Well, Brethren,
Thompsonville has some people
00:32:52.17\00:32:54.04
that used to live in New York.
00:32:54.07\00:32:55.40
Amen, New Yorkers.
00:32:55.44\00:32:56.77
Used to live in
Atlanta. Amen, Atlanteans.
00:32:56.81\00:32:59.24
Used to live in
some major cities
00:32:59.27\00:33:01.24
because we know that
the time is drawing near
00:33:01.28\00:33:03.58
to get out of
the populated cities
00:33:03.61\00:33:06.82
because
Pharaoh/Satan can do more harm
00:33:06.85\00:33:11.25
to the church in the city
00:33:11.29\00:33:13.15
than he can do to the
church in the wilderness.
00:33:13.19\00:33:17.86
They took their
eyes off of the journey.
00:33:17.89\00:33:19.73
And then they said
this ridiculous statement.
00:33:19.76\00:33:22.26
Ridiculous, ridiculous.
00:33:22.30\00:33:24.73
Exodus 14:12.
00:33:24.77\00:33:26.43
They began to rebuke Moses,
00:33:26.47\00:33:28.27
they began to
rebuke their leader.
00:33:28.30\00:33:29.64
Brethren, watch it.
00:33:29.67\00:33:31.01
When you start
rebuking the pastor,
00:33:31.04\00:33:33.38
he may not always be right,
but he's still God's anointed.
00:33:33.41\00:33:39.05
There's some church
committees get together and say,
00:33:39.08\00:33:40.65
now what can we do to
get rid of our pastor?
00:33:40.68\00:33:42.52
You better be careful.
00:33:42.55\00:33:43.89
You may get rid of
yourself in the process.
00:33:43.92\00:33:46.45
The Lord says it clearly,
touch not the Lord's anointed
00:33:46.49\00:33:49.32
and do my prophet no harm.
00:33:49.36\00:33:51.06
The prophet of God,
00:33:51.09\00:33:52.43
the preacher of
God may be resting,
00:33:52.46\00:33:53.80
but God is still
watching over that man.
00:33:53.83\00:33:56.06
And if he steps out of line,
God is gonna take care of him
00:33:56.10\00:33:58.67
and put him back in line.
00:33:58.70\00:34:01.24
But don't take it upon
yourself as the responsibility
00:34:01.27\00:34:04.11
of the caring
committee of the church
00:34:04.14\00:34:06.07
to get rid of
somebody that God sees
00:34:06.11\00:34:08.64
ought to be there
for specific reason.
00:34:08.68\00:34:11.81
Sometimes God puts ministers
00:34:11.85\00:34:13.42
in situations they can't handle,
00:34:13.45\00:34:15.08
so that they can grow,
00:34:15.12\00:34:17.09
not that we can get rid of them.
00:34:17.12\00:34:19.42
A lot of people nowadays,
00:34:19.45\00:34:20.79
"Well, I don't like
the ideas of the pastor."
00:34:20.82\00:34:22.19
Well, take him to
the Lord in prayer,
00:34:22.22\00:34:24.03
the one who hired him
could take care of him.
00:34:24.06\00:34:27.13
Amen.
00:34:27.16\00:34:29.50
Some people say, "I
don't like the music
00:34:29.53\00:34:30.87
the pastor's
bringing into the church.
00:34:30.90\00:34:32.23
Well, pray, because the
Lord can move them anytime,
00:34:32.27\00:34:34.70
the Lord can send them overseas.
00:34:34.74\00:34:37.71
The Lord can give
him a call somewhere else
00:34:37.74\00:34:39.97
or the Lord can turn him
into a real-estate salesman.
00:34:40.01\00:34:45.48
But if you don't
approach your leaders with love
00:34:45.51\00:34:47.18
and the right
motive in your heart,
00:34:47.22\00:34:49.28
you can hinder
more of the work of God
00:34:49.32\00:34:51.45
than you can give
glory to the work of God.
00:34:51.49\00:34:53.19
What do you say?
00:34:53.22\00:34:55.42
They said to Moses...
00:34:55.46\00:34:59.39
Verse 12, Exodus 14.
00:34:59.43\00:35:01.40
"Let us alone, they said,
00:35:01.43\00:35:03.43
that we may serve the Egyptians,
00:35:03.47\00:35:06.20
for it would have been
00:35:06.23\00:35:07.57
better for us to
serve the Egyptians
00:35:07.60\00:35:11.14
than that we should
die in the wilderness."
00:35:11.17\00:35:13.98
Brethren, you know,
you got to be blind.
00:35:14.01\00:35:16.95
Excuse my vernacular of English,
00:35:16.98\00:35:18.81
splitting it up
and breaking it down.
00:35:18.85\00:35:20.58
You've got to be
blind to think that
00:35:20.62\00:35:22.98
it's better serving sin
than it is serving the Savior.
00:35:23.02\00:35:27.29
You've got to be blind to
think that it's better to go
00:35:27.32\00:35:29.86
be a drug addict
than be one filled
00:35:29.89\00:35:32.16
by the Spirit of God.
00:35:32.19\00:35:33.83
You've got to be blind to
think that it's better to live
00:35:33.86\00:35:36.16
for the world
than to live for Jesus.
00:35:36.20\00:35:38.87
You've got to be blind to think
00:35:38.90\00:35:40.57
that you're
having more fun partying
00:35:40.60\00:35:42.64
than you're having
fun serving the Lord.
00:35:42.67\00:35:44.61
You see, the devil
has signed a contract
00:35:44.64\00:35:46.21
with all those in the world
00:35:46.24\00:35:47.68
that look like
they're having fun now.
00:35:47.71\00:35:49.54
He said, you know what?
"I'm gonna give you fame.
00:35:49.58\00:35:51.81
I'm gonna give you fortune.
I'm gonna give you visibility.
00:35:51.85\00:35:54.72
I'm gonna give
you all the money,
00:35:54.75\00:35:56.08
and all the
material you can have,
00:35:56.12\00:35:57.75
but don't forget to read
the fine print at the very end
00:35:57.79\00:36:00.22
before you sign your
name to this contract
00:36:00.26\00:36:01.96
I'm making with you.
00:36:01.99\00:36:03.32
I have only one clause
to my contract that I make
00:36:03.36\00:36:05.86
with those of the world.
00:36:05.89\00:36:07.63
I want to kill
you at the very end."
00:36:07.66\00:36:10.97
If you can agree
to give me your life,
00:36:11.00\00:36:15.00
I'll give you all
these things temporarily,
00:36:15.04\00:36:17.27
you'll get the visibility,
00:36:17.31\00:36:18.94
you'll get the fame,
you'll get the fortune.
00:36:18.97\00:36:21.08
There are those who
used to sing for the Lord
00:36:21.11\00:36:22.84
that are now
singing for the world.
00:36:22.88\00:36:24.38
And they say, "Well,
we got a good contract.
00:36:24.41\00:36:25.95
We're making a
whole lot of money."
00:36:25.98\00:36:27.32
Brother, but you cannot
buy your way to the kingdom.
00:36:27.35\00:36:29.78
You've got to go through Jesus.
00:36:29.82\00:36:32.85
They said, "Let's go back that
we may serve Pharaoh in Egypt.
00:36:32.89\00:36:37.53
Now what makes it so ridiculous?
00:36:37.56\00:36:40.40
As they said, they figured that
00:36:40.43\00:36:43.33
if they go back
to Egypt willingly...
00:36:43.37\00:36:45.50
Don't miss this point.
00:36:45.53\00:36:46.87
They thought that
00:36:46.90\00:36:48.24
if they go back to
Egypt willingly, Melissa,
00:36:48.27\00:36:51.41
that Pharaoh was
going to be nicer to them
00:36:51.44\00:36:54.48
this time around
than he was the last time.
00:36:54.51\00:36:58.85
They said, you know what?
00:36:58.88\00:37:00.22
Last time we were there slaves,
00:37:00.25\00:37:02.28
but if we go back
with a new attitude,
00:37:02.32\00:37:05.19
maybe Pharaoh would treat us
with a different disposition.
00:37:05.22\00:37:09.82
In other words, we
were drug addicts last time
00:37:09.86\00:37:11.96
because we were hooked.
00:37:11.99\00:37:13.63
But if we go back now
as a casual drug user,
00:37:13.66\00:37:16.43
it won't be so bad
because we could quit anytime.
00:37:16.46\00:37:20.84
Let me make it really clear.
00:37:20.87\00:37:22.20
There are those
who are in the church
00:37:22.24\00:37:23.71
whose marriages
are being attacked,
00:37:23.74\00:37:26.24
whose jobs are being attacked,
00:37:26.27\00:37:28.31
whose children
are being attacked,
00:37:28.34\00:37:30.11
and instead of turning to Jesus,
00:37:30.15\00:37:32.15
they're turning to drugs,
they're turning to marijuana,
00:37:32.18\00:37:36.28
they're turning to all
kinds of illegal drugs,
00:37:36.32\00:37:39.02
feeling to themselves
that if they dead in the pain
00:37:39.05\00:37:41.96
that somehow the
pain is really gone.
00:37:41.99\00:37:43.83
Brother, what you really need
00:37:43.86\00:37:45.19
is to be filled by
the power of Christ
00:37:45.23\00:37:47.73
because when you're
sober all of a sudden,
00:37:47.76\00:37:49.60
you realize that the problem
has now changed its address.
00:37:49.63\00:37:54.70
There are those that think
00:37:54.74\00:37:56.07
that there is an
answer in the bottle.
00:37:56.10\00:37:57.47
That's why I do not
support the idea that
00:37:57.51\00:37:59.67
there is anything
like casual drinking
00:37:59.71\00:38:02.21
when it comes to being a
Christian, what do you say?
00:38:02.24\00:38:04.55
Some folks say, "Well, you know,
00:38:04.58\00:38:05.91
as long as we
don't get intoxicated,
00:38:05.95\00:38:07.68
that's all right."
00:38:07.72\00:38:09.52
Not even Jesus would sip.
00:38:09.55\00:38:13.59
Jesus wouldn't even sip
in His moment of thirst.
00:38:13.62\00:38:17.66
Jesus wouldn't even sip it
00:38:17.69\00:38:21.26
in His moment that He was dying.
00:38:21.30\00:38:23.16
If He wouldn't sip it
when He was dying of thirst,
00:38:23.20\00:38:25.57
we should not sip it at all.
00:38:25.60\00:38:27.30
Spirit is on the label,
00:38:31.51\00:38:32.94
but you'll be
filled with a wrong spirit.
00:38:32.97\00:38:36.54
And in the Bible
says, the wise men says,
00:38:36.58\00:38:38.11
"Your eyes will
behold strange women."
00:38:38.15\00:38:40.92
They are those that think
00:38:45.79\00:38:48.39
that by working on the Sabbath,
00:38:48.42\00:38:50.56
I'll actually
strengthen my income.
00:38:50.59\00:38:53.36
I mean, if I
volunteer to do time and a half,
00:38:53.40\00:38:56.23
I'll be able to pay
off that school bill
00:38:56.26\00:38:57.70
at the end of the month.
00:38:57.73\00:38:59.07
Brother, you
cannot ever take care
00:38:59.10\00:39:00.84
of something that God promises
00:39:00.87\00:39:02.50
to take care of by compromising
with God's principles,
00:39:02.54\00:39:06.24
which are your guides for life.
00:39:06.27\00:39:09.94
Some folk say, "Well, I
won't do it every time."
00:39:09.98\00:39:11.41
But what you don't realize
00:39:11.45\00:39:12.78
is the moment
you compromise once,
00:39:12.81\00:39:14.22
the devil says, "Ah, gotcha."
00:39:14.25\00:39:17.62
You do it once,
it gets easier to do
00:39:17.65\00:39:19.49
it the second time around,
00:39:19.52\00:39:21.06
and the third time around
00:39:21.09\00:39:22.92
because the devil
knows how to sweeten the pot.
00:39:22.96\00:39:25.43
He made the Israelites
think that somehow Egypt
00:39:25.46\00:39:30.33
had something that they missed.
00:39:30.37\00:39:33.03
Even when they got to
Sinai, they said we remember
00:39:33.07\00:39:36.27
the leeks and the onions.
00:39:36.30\00:39:40.48
We remember the days
that we were able to eat bread
00:39:40.51\00:39:42.71
to the full and Moses
00:39:42.74\00:39:45.51
has brought us
into the wilderness.
00:39:45.55\00:39:47.78
And all we got
out here is a Walmart.
00:39:47.82\00:39:52.55
That's aside.
00:39:52.59\00:39:53.92
That's just to us
in Thompsonville here.
00:39:53.96\00:39:56.26
All we have is a super Walmart,
00:39:56.29\00:39:58.09
I miss Macy's and
I'm miss Nordstroms,
00:39:58.13\00:40:01.00
and I miss Dillard's,
and I miss all the fabulous,
00:40:01.03\00:40:03.97
I miss Saks Fifth Avenue.
00:40:04.00\00:40:05.73
I missed the Lord & Taylor's,
00:40:05.77\00:40:07.17
Brethren, the only Lord
you need is Lord and Savior,
00:40:07.20\00:40:10.31
not Lord & Taylor.
00:40:10.34\00:40:12.54
God knows exactly what
to do to get His people
00:40:12.57\00:40:14.91
ready for the kingdom.
00:40:14.94\00:40:16.28
They got out
there and they said,
00:40:16.31\00:40:17.65
"You know what, I
remember the nights
00:40:17.68\00:40:19.01
when we could wake up
at 3 o'clock in the morning
00:40:19.05\00:40:21.32
and have it our own way
by going to Burger King."
00:40:21.35\00:40:23.72
Well, you wake up 3
o'clock in the morning
00:40:23.75\00:40:25.09
in
Thompsonville, nothing's open.
00:40:25.12\00:40:28.12
Only thing you're gonna
have is time to spend with Jesus
00:40:28.16\00:40:30.19
and Bible study and prayer.
00:40:30.23\00:40:31.56
Am I right, Pastor Murray?
00:40:31.59\00:40:32.93
So God takes us
out of the wilderness,
00:40:32.96\00:40:34.86
God takes us, sorry out of Egypt
00:40:34.90\00:40:36.80
into the wilderness
to get our diets reform.
00:40:36.83\00:40:39.80
Come on and say amen, reformers.
00:40:39.83\00:40:41.67
I'm eating stuff out here
that I never thought I'd eat.
00:40:41.70\00:40:44.54
I'm even starting to like carob,
00:40:44.57\00:40:46.17
that's a scary one.
00:40:46.21\00:40:48.24
But God knows
that I won't be eating.
00:40:48.28\00:40:50.08
I won't be eating all
the stuff of the world
00:40:50.11\00:40:52.15
when I get to the kingdom.
00:40:52.18\00:40:53.52
God is changing our diet.
00:40:53.55\00:40:55.58
And some folk say,
"Well, you know what,
00:40:55.62\00:40:57.25
I feel like I'm
getting more square."
00:40:57.29\00:40:58.99
That's all right, brethren.
00:40:59.02\00:41:00.36
Heaven is a square
place, you'll fit in.
00:41:00.39\00:41:02.49
What do you say?
00:41:02.52\00:41:04.09
They took their
eyes off of the journey,
00:41:04.13\00:41:06.90
lost sight of
Jesus, began to complain.
00:41:06.93\00:41:10.27
And they said,
"Man, life is hard."
00:41:10.30\00:41:12.30
Let me say something to you.
00:41:12.33\00:41:13.67
The wise man said,
00:41:13.70\00:41:15.87
"The way of the
transgressor is hard."
00:41:15.90\00:41:19.97
It's not hard to be a Christian.
00:41:20.01\00:41:21.58
It's disciplinary
to be a Christian.
00:41:21.61\00:41:24.58
Some folk have
never been disciplined,
00:41:24.61\00:41:27.02
and all of a sudden
now God is disciplining us,
00:41:27.05\00:41:29.38
shaping us up.
00:41:29.42\00:41:30.75
Never forget, the Bible says,
00:41:30.79\00:41:32.22
"As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten."
00:41:32.25\00:41:35.09
God doesn't beat us
up, but I tell you what?
00:41:35.12\00:41:37.79
He does not spare the rod.
00:41:37.83\00:41:39.43
He would not spoil His
child, but He does not abuse us
00:41:39.46\00:41:42.50
because He's a God of love.
00:41:42.53\00:41:43.87
What do you say?
00:41:43.90\00:41:45.23
You think that
the devil is easier?
00:41:45.27\00:41:46.60
You go on back and
start smiling at him,
00:41:46.63\00:41:48.34
he'll take you
down in no time flat.
00:41:48.37\00:41:52.71
It may look glamorous out there.
00:41:52.74\00:41:54.11
You know, sometimes I sit down
and I listen to the, you know,
00:41:54.14\00:41:56.85
the Grammy Awards and I think,
00:41:56.88\00:41:58.21
"Man, that brother cannot sing
and he is raking in millions.
00:41:58.25\00:42:01.42
You know if I
spent a few days in the,
00:42:01.45\00:42:03.95
you know if I went out
and just sing for about a year
00:42:03.99\00:42:06.05
or so, I could have
all the money I need,
00:42:06.09\00:42:07.42
and I could be
back in the church
00:42:07.46\00:42:08.79
in no time flat and
be a stronger preacher."
00:42:08.82\00:42:11.09
And Lord says, "You fool,
00:42:11.13\00:42:12.73
you can't do
anything like that."
00:42:12.76\00:42:14.10
He's talking to me now, so
I could call myself a fool.
00:42:14.13\00:42:18.00
You are foolish to
think that having money
00:42:18.03\00:42:22.57
also equates with
having righteousness.
00:42:22.60\00:42:26.04
You are foolish to
think that having visibility,
00:42:26.07\00:42:29.04
and fame, and fortune...
00:42:29.08\00:42:30.41
You know what?
00:42:30.45\00:42:31.78
When you watch the lifestyles
of the rich and famous,
00:42:31.81\00:42:33.58
that's how I'm dating myself.
00:42:33.62\00:42:35.28
Let me make it contemporary.
00:42:35.32\00:42:36.65
When you watch Cribs,
00:42:36.69\00:42:38.02
all those young
folk are sitting back
00:42:38.05\00:42:39.39
and watching all the Cribs
00:42:39.42\00:42:40.76
that all the
basketball players have,
00:42:40.79\00:42:42.29
and all the wealthy stars have,
00:42:42.32\00:42:44.23
and people sit
down in the evening
00:42:44.26\00:42:45.59
while they're eating dinner
00:42:45.63\00:42:46.96
and watch ET
Entertainment Tonight,
00:42:47.00\00:42:48.33
looking at all
the fame and fortune
00:42:48.36\00:42:49.70
and who bought what,
and who's marrying whom,
00:42:49.73\00:42:51.30
and who's
switching wife with somebody.
00:42:51.33\00:42:53.03
They look at all the
filth of the world and think,
00:42:53.07\00:42:55.34
"Man, it looks glamorous."
00:42:55.37\00:42:56.71
Brother, sin may look glamorous,
00:42:56.74\00:42:59.27
but fire glitter's at night.
00:42:59.31\00:43:01.31
Took them out of Egypt
00:43:06.65\00:43:07.98
and now that we're nearing home,
00:43:08.02\00:43:09.72
Pharaoh is saying,
"Let's talk this over."
00:43:09.75\00:43:12.09
Brethren, remember this,
00:43:12.12\00:43:13.62
the way of the
transgressor is hard.
00:43:13.66\00:43:16.86
It is
disciplinary to be a Christian.
00:43:16.89\00:43:20.10
God's not breaking us.
00:43:20.13\00:43:21.80
God's molding us.
00:43:21.83\00:43:23.26
As one sculptor
said, somebody asked him,
00:43:23.30\00:43:25.63
"How did you make
00:43:25.67\00:43:27.00
such a perfect statue of Jesus?"
00:43:27.04\00:43:28.74
He said, "You know how?
00:43:28.77\00:43:30.11
Whatever didn't look
like Jesus, I chiseled it off.
00:43:30.14\00:43:33.34
Whatever looked like
Jesus, I left it there."
00:43:33.38\00:43:36.75
Brethren, everything
that doesn't look like Jesus
00:43:36.78\00:43:39.31
in our lives, He's
gonna chisel it off.
00:43:39.35\00:43:42.55
It may be painful at times,
00:43:42.58\00:43:44.55
He may have to turn the fire up
00:43:44.59\00:43:45.99
to melt the filth
out of our golden lives.
00:43:46.02\00:43:48.59
But when He remolds us,
00:43:48.62\00:43:50.46
we are gonna
worth a whole lot more
00:43:50.49\00:43:52.26
after the melting process.
00:43:52.29\00:43:54.33
Let me clear it up,
after the smelting process
00:43:54.36\00:43:57.43
than before the
smelting process.
00:43:57.47\00:44:01.57
God does not
put iron in the fire
00:44:01.60\00:44:06.51
and increase its value.
00:44:06.54\00:44:08.61
He puts gold in the
fire to increase its value.
00:44:08.64\00:44:12.51
The reason why you go
through a fiery trial sometime
00:44:12.55\00:44:14.88
in your wilderness journey
00:44:14.92\00:44:16.69
is because God
is getting you ready
00:44:16.72\00:44:18.72
for the kingdom of heaven.
00:44:18.75\00:44:20.19
What do you say?
00:44:20.22\00:44:21.72
So don't get distracted by
what the enemy is trying to do.
00:44:21.76\00:44:23.83
He's trying to just make it
look like God is an upset God,
00:44:23.86\00:44:26.86
and God as a mean God.
00:44:26.90\00:44:28.26
But I like the
way that Moses did it.
00:44:28.30\00:44:29.96
Sometimes, every now and then,
like a very faithful leader,
00:44:30.00\00:44:33.00
we've got to stand up
and refocus the people of God
00:44:33.03\00:44:35.77
because, you know,
sometimes as a pastor...
00:44:35.80\00:44:37.94
And you pastors, you
know what I'm talking about?
00:44:37.97\00:44:40.84
Sometimes as a pastor,
you get so many phone calls
00:44:40.88\00:44:43.68
when you don't want
them, and so many complaints
00:44:43.71\00:44:46.68
when you don't
want to hear them,
00:44:46.72\00:44:48.42
and so many ideas that
00:44:48.45\00:44:49.78
you really don't
need to entertain.
00:44:49.82\00:44:52.25
And one opinion over here
and one opinion over there,
00:44:52.29\00:44:55.22
and somebody's saying,
"Well, Pastor, do it this way."
00:44:55.26\00:44:57.26
And then somebody
else has an opposite idea.
00:44:57.29\00:44:59.06
And you like both of the
folk and you want to say,
00:44:59.09\00:45:01.03
what if I don't do
what so and so says,
00:45:01.06\00:45:02.93
and do what so and so says,
00:45:02.96\00:45:04.30
they're gonna
dislike each other.
00:45:04.33\00:45:05.67
And who do I say, I
favor over the other?
00:45:05.70\00:45:09.07
And all these ideas
are flooding our minds.
00:45:09.10\00:45:11.01
That's why when
Moses got flooded
00:45:11.04\00:45:13.68
by the children of Israel
with how he need to lead them.
00:45:13.71\00:45:18.41
I like what Moses
said in Exodus 14:13.
00:45:18.45\00:45:21.98
Turn there with me, Brethren.
00:45:22.02\00:45:24.39
There comes a time
when God is saying,
00:45:24.42\00:45:27.12
"We've got to open our eyes,
00:45:27.16\00:45:28.82
the message to
Laodicea is you need to pray
00:45:28.86\00:45:32.59
for eye salve that you may see."
00:45:32.63\00:45:35.13
Here it is.
00:45:35.16\00:45:36.50
Exodus 14:13,
00:45:36.53\00:45:40.57
"And Moses said
to the people..."
00:45:40.60\00:45:42.27
And I would suggest to
you that Moses did not whisper
00:45:42.30\00:45:44.81
this to the people in the
midst of their complaining,
00:45:44.84\00:45:47.38
I would suggest to
you that Moses stood in
00:45:47.41\00:45:49.64
his pulpit and said,
"Let me tell you something.
00:45:49.68\00:45:52.58
Here's what God told me
to tell you this morning."
00:45:52.61\00:45:54.98
Moses said to the people.
00:45:55.02\00:45:56.99
Say it with me,
brethren, "Do not be afraid."
00:45:57.02\00:46:00.16
What else?
00:46:00.19\00:46:01.52
"Stand still, and see
the salvation of the Lord,
00:46:01.56\00:46:06.53
which He will
accomplish for you,"
00:46:06.56\00:46:08.66
when, Brethren?
00:46:08.70\00:46:10.30
When, brethren? "Today."
00:46:10.33\00:46:11.83
When, Brethren? Today.
00:46:11.87\00:46:13.30
When? Today.
00:46:13.34\00:46:14.80
Not tomorrow,
friends, not next week.
00:46:14.84\00:46:17.84
You may not see the
results of your salvation yet,
00:46:17.87\00:46:21.51
but God is able to
save every one of us today.
00:46:21.54\00:46:25.28
What do you say?
00:46:25.31\00:46:26.65
Paul the Apostle didn't say
00:46:26.68\00:46:28.02
tomorrow is the
day of salvation.
00:46:28.05\00:46:29.38
He said, "Today
is the salvation.
00:46:29.42\00:46:31.15
Today is the acceptable time.
00:46:31.19\00:46:32.99
If you hear His voice,
harden not your heart."
00:46:33.02\00:46:37.29
Today is the day of salvation.
00:46:37.33\00:46:39.29
Today is the acceptable time.
00:46:39.33\00:46:41.36
The Lord will save you today.
00:46:41.40\00:46:44.87
And then He says in
the remainder of the verse
00:46:44.90\00:46:46.87
and I like this.
00:46:46.90\00:46:48.24
And I praise God for this
because some people think that
00:46:48.27\00:46:51.67
the devil is gonna be
around for a long time
00:46:51.71\00:46:56.08
burning in the fires of hell.
00:46:56.11\00:46:58.58
But if you read the
text, the Bible says,
00:46:58.61\00:47:01.25
"For the Egyptians
whom you see today,
00:47:01.28\00:47:03.79
you will see
again no more forever."
00:47:03.82\00:47:06.35
What do you say?
00:47:06.39\00:47:07.72
There's not gonna be
some constant reminder
00:47:07.76\00:47:09.59
throughout eternity of
all the evil that existed.
00:47:09.62\00:47:12.09
He says, "Behold, I
make all things new."
00:47:12.13\00:47:14.30
The former things
shall not be remembered
00:47:14.33\00:47:16.26
nor come into mind.
00:47:16.30\00:47:17.63
I have reasons to rejoice today
00:47:17.67\00:47:19.00
because there are
problems I had in my past
00:47:19.03\00:47:20.94
that today I can smile about.
00:47:20.97\00:47:22.74
Anybody else?
00:47:22.77\00:47:24.64
But when you were
in the middle of it,
00:47:24.67\00:47:26.74
it was about to
consume your life.
00:47:26.78\00:47:29.21
When Merle was
on his hospital bed,
00:47:29.24\00:47:31.31
and your life was fleeting away,
00:47:31.35\00:47:32.68
it looked like,
00:47:32.71\00:47:34.05
"Oh, I was not going to
make it at camp meeting."
00:47:34.08\00:47:35.42
But praise God today, he's here.
00:47:35.45\00:47:37.62
Because God could say, "Well,
the doctors may have forgotten
00:47:37.65\00:47:39.85
what to do, but I am
the master physician,
00:47:39.89\00:47:42.62
I can do anything.
00:47:42.66\00:47:44.83
And when man
fails, God steps in.
00:47:44.86\00:47:48.50
And God doesn't step in and say,
00:47:48.53\00:47:49.86
"Doc, could you
give me your manual?"
00:47:49.90\00:47:51.27
God says, "Move aside.
00:47:51.30\00:47:52.63
Your manual
doesn't have the ideas
00:47:52.67\00:47:54.87
that I know
that My people need."
00:47:54.90\00:47:58.14
God can heal our sickness.
00:47:58.17\00:48:00.28
God can deliver us from trials,
00:48:00.31\00:48:02.08
and tribulation,
and financial ruin.
00:48:02.11\00:48:04.25
That's why the
Bible says in verse 14.
00:48:04.28\00:48:06.95
Notice this, it's there for even
00:48:06.98\00:48:09.75
the people of the last days.
00:48:09.78\00:48:12.72
He says, "The Lord
will fight for you,
00:48:12.75\00:48:17.79
you shall hold your peace."
00:48:17.83\00:48:20.33
Now I've been in fights before.
00:48:26.13\00:48:28.77
Anybody who had
been in a fight before?
00:48:28.80\00:48:31.41
I don't expect the
women to raise their hands,
00:48:31.44\00:48:33.88
but I've seen
one raised her hand.
00:48:33.91\00:48:35.48
I've been in a fight before.
00:48:35.51\00:48:38.15
And I've got a
permanent scar under my hair.
00:48:38.18\00:48:41.18
Every time I
cut my hair too low,
00:48:41.22\00:48:43.02
my niece says,
00:48:43.05\00:48:44.39
"You're losing hair Uncle John."
00:48:44.42\00:48:45.75
And I said, "No, I'm
not. I'm not getting older.
00:48:45.79\00:48:47.16
Don't talk about my hair.
00:48:47.19\00:48:48.52
I'm not losing
anything." That's a scar.
00:48:48.56\00:48:51.53
I got hit in the head years ago
00:48:51.56\00:48:53.13
fighting a gang
in New York City.
00:48:53.16\00:48:55.43
They broke a
broomstick over my head.
00:48:55.46\00:48:57.33
I'm glad it wasn't
in the 1990s or 2000s
00:48:57.37\00:49:00.27
'cause they would
have shot me then.
00:49:00.30\00:49:02.44
Broke a broomstick over my head,
00:49:02.47\00:49:04.44
threw a knife at me,
00:49:04.47\00:49:05.81
fighting three guys,
I got away with my life.
00:49:05.84\00:49:08.81
And the news on
the streets were,
00:49:08.84\00:49:10.25
don't ever come back
up in this area again.
00:49:10.28\00:49:12.51
Fulton and Franklin,
you know, I'm talking about,
00:49:12.55\00:49:14.08
Pastor Murray
00:49:14.12\00:49:15.45
because the word
out on the street
00:49:15.48\00:49:16.82
is you're as good as dead.
00:49:16.85\00:49:18.35
That was the word the
gangs were looking for,
00:49:18.39\00:49:20.82
you're good as dead.
00:49:20.86\00:49:22.79
I didn't know this text then.
00:49:22.82\00:49:25.33
But I had enough
sense to stay home.
00:49:25.36\00:49:29.30
Yes, I did.
00:49:29.33\00:49:30.67
I figured, well,
00:49:30.70\00:49:32.03
there's enough
things on television.
00:49:32.07\00:49:33.40
And I could go to the
subway on different direction.
00:49:33.44\00:49:36.20
If you're from New
York, you know, the trains,
00:49:36.24\00:49:37.81
I could go there another way.
00:49:37.84\00:49:39.37
I don't need to be
foolish and put myself
00:49:39.41\00:49:41.51
where I may not come back home,
but I had a big brother then.
00:49:41.54\00:49:44.71
He was my big brother.
He was like raised with me.
00:49:44.75\00:49:46.45
God bless him. He's
now resting in the grave.
00:49:46.48\00:49:48.48
And before he
gave, before he died,
00:49:48.52\00:49:50.79
he was a gangster.
He worked for the mafia.
00:49:50.82\00:49:53.25
They used to call him...
They called him the Collector.
00:49:53.29\00:49:57.06
And they called
his friend Sure Shot.
00:49:57.09\00:49:58.59
The reason, he
worked for the mafia.
00:49:58.63\00:49:59.96
If you have owe them,
00:50:00.00\00:50:01.33
he came after you and you'd pay.
00:50:01.36\00:50:03.00
His friend, they
call him Sure Shot.
00:50:03.03\00:50:04.37
He walked the streets every day.
00:50:04.40\00:50:05.73
He had a long
coat summer or winter
00:50:05.77\00:50:07.10
because he had a rifle
under his coat all the time.
00:50:07.14\00:50:10.24
And before I turned
my life over to the Lord,
00:50:10.27\00:50:11.77
I didn't know then
about what I know now.
00:50:11.81\00:50:13.34
Praise God that my
senses are sharpened then.
00:50:13.38\00:50:16.01
But back then,
I didn't know that
00:50:16.04\00:50:18.78
I had a shepherd to turn to,
00:50:18.81\00:50:21.45
back then I turned to humanity.
00:50:21.48\00:50:23.55
And my big brother
said to me one day,
00:50:23.59\00:50:27.59
go into the pool hall.
00:50:27.62\00:50:29.19
Just go in and walk in there.
00:50:29.22\00:50:31.46
And when I walked
into the pool hall
00:50:31.49\00:50:32.96
where this gang
was, they looked at me
00:50:32.99\00:50:35.86
like our
breakfast time, dinner time.
00:50:35.90\00:50:38.50
This is it. He's out.
00:50:38.53\00:50:39.87
And he walked in behind me.
00:50:39.90\00:50:41.87
And they said,
"Hey, how you doing."
00:50:41.90\00:50:43.61
Willie, Barney.
I could see his...
00:50:43.64\00:50:45.41
He died now. How you doing?
00:50:45.44\00:50:47.74
And he said, "I just want to say
00:50:47.78\00:50:49.11
one thing to you.
00:50:49.14\00:50:50.48
That's my cousin.
Nobody touches him.
00:50:50.51\00:50:52.55
You got that?
Nobody messes with him."
00:50:52.58\00:50:55.98
Brethren, from that day
on to this I'm still alive.
00:50:56.02\00:50:58.15
I'm above the ground.
00:50:58.19\00:50:59.52
I can go to New York
today and nobody messes with me.
00:50:59.55\00:51:01.72
Praise the Lord.
00:51:01.76\00:51:03.09
Now let me make it
clear and spiritual.
00:51:03.12\00:51:05.03
If a man can do that for us,
00:51:05.06\00:51:08.46
what can Jesus do?
00:51:08.50\00:51:11.67
Brethren, we've got a shepherd
that will never let us down.
00:51:11.70\00:51:14.70
His name is Jesus.
00:51:14.74\00:51:16.07
When you read the remainder
of the story, the Israelites,
00:51:16.10\00:51:19.57
when they look to Jesus,
He went to battle for them,
00:51:19.61\00:51:23.18
and the
Egyptians that pursued them
00:51:23.21\00:51:25.88
were destroyed by
the mighty hand of God
00:51:25.91\00:51:29.08
because God said through Moses,
00:51:29.12\00:51:30.89
"I've got only one thing to
say to the children of Israel.
00:51:30.92\00:51:33.05
Forget about your problems.
00:51:33.09\00:51:34.46
Forget about your difficulty.
00:51:34.49\00:51:35.82
Forget about the
things you can't solve,
00:51:35.86\00:51:37.66
just tell them stand still,
see the salvation of the Lord."
00:51:37.69\00:51:42.10
And I only got two
things to end this sentence
00:51:42.13\00:51:43.67
with, Brethren.
00:51:43.70\00:51:45.03
Tell them go forward.
00:51:45.07\00:51:46.57
Today as you
listen to Denise sing
00:51:46.60\00:51:48.10
"Shepherd of My Heart,"
00:51:48.14\00:51:49.47
I pray that you can stop looking
00:51:49.50\00:51:50.84
at your problems
and look to the shepherd
00:51:50.87\00:51:53.04
who knows how to lead His
wandering sheep to a place
00:51:53.07\00:51:57.48
where we can find eternal peace.
00:51:57.51\00:51:59.85
Amen.
00:51:59.88\00:52:01.22
Maker of this heart of mine
00:52:20.74\00:52:25.17
You know me very well
00:52:25.21\00:52:30.25
You understand my deepest parts
00:52:30.28\00:52:34.98
More than I know myself
00:52:35.02\00:52:40.02
So when I face the darkness
00:52:40.06\00:52:44.59
And when I need to find my way
00:52:44.63\00:52:49.83
I'll trust in You
00:52:49.86\00:52:52.50
Shepherd of my heart
00:52:52.53\00:52:59.61
Keeper of this heart of mine
00:52:59.64\00:53:04.15
Your patience knows no end
00:53:04.18\00:53:08.85
You've loved me
back Into Your arms
00:53:08.88\00:53:14.16
Time and time again
00:53:14.19\00:53:18.39
So as I start to wander
00:53:18.43\00:53:22.76
Like a lamb that's gone astray
00:53:22.80\00:53:28.00
I'll trust in You
00:53:28.04\00:53:30.61
Shepherd of my heart
00:53:30.64\00:53:33.24
You're the beacon of my nights
00:53:36.88\00:53:41.98
You're the sunlight of my days
00:53:42.02\00:53:46.55
I can rest within Your arms
00:53:46.59\00:53:51.66
I can know Your loving ways
00:53:51.69\00:53:56.10
So as I walk through valleys
00:54:00.14\00:54:03.97
Listening for my Master's call
00:54:04.01\00:54:08.68
I'll trust in You
00:54:08.71\00:54:11.15
Shepherd of my heart
00:54:11.18\00:54:14.52
O Giver of this heart of mine
00:54:31.23\00:54:37.54
You're what I'm looking for
00:54:37.57\00:54:42.51
For all my deepest gratitude
00:54:42.54\00:54:47.65
You love me even more
00:54:47.68\00:54:52.82
So as I walk through valleys
00:54:52.85\00:54:57.36
Listening for the Master's call
00:54:57.39\00:55:02.56
I'll trust in You
00:55:02.60\00:55:05.43
Shepherd of my heart
00:55:05.47\00:55:08.60
And You're the
beacon of my nights
00:55:12.21\00:55:18.28
You're the sunlight of my days
00:55:18.31\00:55:23.42
I can rest within Your arms
00:55:23.45\00:55:28.76
I can know Your loving ways
00:55:28.79\00:55:33.13
So as I walk through valleys
00:55:38.80\00:55:44.07
Listening for, Lord,
00:55:44.11\00:55:46.61
Your call I'll trust in You
00:55:46.64\00:55:52.21
Shepherd of my heart
00:55:52.25\00:55:55.55
I'll trust in You
00:56:00.36\00:56:05.06
Shepherd of my heart
00:56:05.09\00:56:09.23
Amen.
00:56:20.41\00:56:22.01
Friends, when my wife and I
were traveling back to Florida
00:56:22.04\00:56:24.21
number of years ago,
00:56:24.25\00:56:25.95
we were tired and
weary in the journey.
00:56:25.98\00:56:27.65
But when we saw the sign
said, "Welcome to Florida,"
00:56:27.68\00:56:31.39
all of our energy returned.
00:56:31.42\00:56:33.15
Brethren, one day
we're gonna see the sign
00:56:33.19\00:56:35.52
"Welcome to the kingdom of God."
00:56:35.56\00:56:37.96
If it's your determination
to continue following the Lord
00:56:37.99\00:56:40.50
until we see that
sign, let's stand together
00:56:40.53\00:56:42.86
and thank the
Lord this afternoon.
00:56:42.90\00:56:44.33
Let us pray.
00:56:44.37\00:56:45.70
Father God in heaven, we
thank You for Your faith.
00:56:45.73\00:56:48.20
And right now as Your sheep
in a wandering wilderness Lord,
00:56:48.24\00:56:51.67
we pray that You
maintain the relationship
00:56:51.71\00:56:55.54
to be our
Shepherd of our hearts.
00:56:55.58\00:56:57.95
Comfort us, guide us,
00:56:57.98\00:57:00.25
strengthen us, and one day
00:57:00.28\00:57:02.35
we will see with
our hearts face to face
00:57:02.38\00:57:05.25
to thank You for
what You have done.
00:57:05.29\00:57:07.29
Keep us to that end, we
pray in Jesus' loving name.
00:57:07.32\00:57:11.43
Amen.
00:57:11.46\00:57:12.79
Friends, may God bless
you, continue trusting Him
00:57:12.83\00:57:15.36
till He comes again.
00:57:15.40\00:57:16.83