Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / The Amazement of the Almighty - 3/9/26 - Bro. Austin Elkins - Meadows Baptist Church

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The Amazement of the Almighty - 3/9/26 - Bro. Austin Elkins - Meadows Baptist Church · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
• 0:15
  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  >> He's worthy tonight.
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  >> Amen. And thank you ladies for those two
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  beautiful songs. And I tell you what, we
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  ought to never stop.
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  >> Amen. And uh he said in everything, give
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  thanks. Amen. For this is the will of
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  God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I
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  tell you what, there ain't nothing that
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  we we faced yet or will we ever face we
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  can't give thanks in the face of.
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  >> Amen. And you say, "Preacher, you don't
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  know where I'm at." Well, you just think
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  about where Jesus went.
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  >> Amen. And uh
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  >> Hebrews said, writer of Hebrews said,
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  "Who for the joy?" That's right.
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  >> Set before him, endured the cross. Jesus
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  went to Calvary with a thankful heart.
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  >> You get a hold of that. That'll help
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  you. Amen.
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  >> Man, I appreciate this man of God being
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  here with us this week and been looking
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  forward to having him back with us. He
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  was with us, I guess, what were you with
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  us? November, I guess it was. Jubilee
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  preached for us on Sunday and I don't
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  guess that I mentioned this. I guess
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  first time I met you was 2017 I guess it
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  was Jubilee winter jubilee maybe I think
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  maybe and uh preach preach there and uh
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  I've tell you I've always admired his
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  preaching and I appreciate God using him
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  and he has used him and he is using him
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  and he's got his hand on. I'll say this
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  give me undivided attention tonight and
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  I told him to preach whatever God puts
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  on his heart. Amen.
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  >> And I know he'll do that tonight.
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  Preacher, you come and I love you in the
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  Lord. Thank you for being here. And I
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  appreciate you preach to us. Take as
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  long as you need, brother. God bless
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  you.
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  >> Amen. Well, it's good to be saved, isn't
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  it?
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  >> Amen. I sure love the Lord. Appreciate
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  all his goodness to us. You can be
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  turning Isaiah 59 tonight. Isaiah
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  chapter 59. We'll give you the thought
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  that the Lord has impressed upon our
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  hearts for this evening. And I sure
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  appreciate the privilege it is to be
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  back here at Meadows Baptist Church. And
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  uh thank you pastor for the invitation
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  and all the kindness and church. Thank
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  you so much for the wonderful
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  accommodations and all that you've
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  already provided. Got in the room there
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  about 5:00 and appreciate the Lord
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  allowing us to get safely up here. You
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  pray for our voice. We've been in
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  revival for the last several weeks uh in
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  different places. So we pray we and uh
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  and it's now springtime and you know
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  what that means. I've got them wonderful
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  allergies. So you pray God would help
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  our voice this week and thank God. I
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  enjoyed the good singing tonight.
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  Enjoyed the fellowship and I love uh
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  getting to fellowship with you. I've
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  thought about you ever since I left here
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  uh back in the fall. I really enjoyed
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  that Sunday. Got to spend with you and
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  just thank the Lord for all that he's
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  done. Let's stand together tonight as
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  you're uh able in Isaiah 59. We'll read
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  a few verses and I'll give you the
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  thought that is in our heart and uh
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  we'll uh give invitation for we're done
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  tonight and ask God to do only what he
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  can do. And we're trusting him and
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  preacher I thank you. I love you. love
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  you and your family. Been trying to pray
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  for us, pray towards these days. And I'm
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  excited to see what God's going to do. I
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  believe he's a big God and he's a good
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  God. He if we'll listen to him, do what
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  he says. Ain't no telling what he'll do.
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  And uh Amen. I so appreciate that. And
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  I'm thankful for it. Isaiah 59 and we'll
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  start reading in verse number one. The
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  Bible says, "Behold, the Lord's hand is
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  not shortened that it cannot save,
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  neither is ear heavy that it cannot
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  hear, but your iniquities have separated
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  between you and your God. And your sins
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  have hid his face from you that he will
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  not hear. For ye hands are defiled with
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  blood, your fingers with iniquity. Your
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  lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath
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  muttered perverseness. None calleth for
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  justice, nor any pleadith for truth.
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  They trust in vanity and speak lies.
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  They conceive mischief and bring forth
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  iniquity. They hatch cockatrous eggs and
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  weed the spider's web. And he that
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  eateth other eggs dieth, and that which
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  is crushed breakth out into a viper.
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  Their webs shall not become garments,
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  neither shall they cover themselves with
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  their works. Their works are works of
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  iniquity, and the act of violence is in
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  their hands. If you will skip uh down to
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  verse number 11, the Bible says, "We
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  roar all like bears, and mourn soar like
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  doves. We look for judgment, but there
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  is none, for salvation, but it is far
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  from us. For our transgressions are
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  multiplied before thee, and our sins
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  testify against us, and our for our
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  transgressions are with us. And as for
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  our iniquities, we know them in
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  transgressing and lying against the
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  Lord, and departing away from our God,
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  speaking oppression and revolt,
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  conceiving and uttering from the heart
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  words of falsehood, and judgment is
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  turned away backward, and justice
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  standeth a far off. For truth is fallen
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  in the street, and equity cannot enter.
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  Yay, truth faileth, and he that
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  departeth from evil maketh himself a
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  prey. Notice this next verse. AND THE
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  LORD SAW IT, and it displeased him that
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  there was no judgment. And he saw that
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  there was no man, and wondered that
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  there was no intercessor. Therefore, his
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  arm brought salvation unto him, and his
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  righteousness it sustained him. For he
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  put on righteousness as a breastplate,
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  and an helmet of salvation upon his
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  head, and he put on the garments of
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  vengeance for clothing, and was clad
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  with zeal as a cloak. Let's pause and
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  ask God's help again tonight. Father in
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  Jesus lovely name. Father I stand where
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  no man needs to stand alone tonight. God
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  I beg you for a little while that you
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  touch our voice and body. AND GOD TOUCH
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  OUR mind and our heart that we'd be the
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  vessel you'd have us to be in this hour.
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  God for the sinner that you'd deal with
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  them and save them. And for us as your
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  people, oh God, that you'd draw us again
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  and that you'd revive us again. And oh
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  Lord, it wouldn't be for our glory. It
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  wouldn't be uh for US TO LOOK ON
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  OURSELVES. UH BUT it'd be for us to get
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  our eyes on you again. Uh and when it's
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  all said and done, we'll give you THE
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  PRAISE AND THE honor and the glory and
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  thanksgiving. Thank you, Lord, for being
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  so good in Jesus' name. We ask with much
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  thanksgiving. Amen. And amen. You can be
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  seated. Thank you for standing as we've
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  read and prayed together again tonight.
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  Isaiah chapter number 59. As I come to
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  these uh verses in your hearing, I I
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  I'll be honest. I I love the book of
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  Isaiah. It is known as uh the little
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  Bible. It's got the 66 chapters like our
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  Bible has the 66 books. Praise the Lord.
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  He's got me some water. Amen. Appreciate
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  that, dear brother. Amen. We'll make
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  good use of that. That ain't nobody's
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  spit bottle, is it? Amen. Praise God. I
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  got to make sure in these mountain
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  churches. I've come from back home. You
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  got to check. Hallelujah. Amen. But one
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  thing I love about Isaiah, it's that God
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  revealed much to this great man of God.
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  AND GOD SHOWED HIM MUCH ABOUT our Lord
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  and our Savior, uh, Jesus Christ. God
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  used him not only to be a mouthpiece for
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  the future, but God used him to be a
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  mouthpiece for his day and for his hour.
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  Let me remind you that when you're
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  looking at the Old Testament prophets,
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  it was not just for fortelling future
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  events, but it was for forthtelling what
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  needed to be dealt with in the day in
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  which they lived. Isaiah dealt with
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  political corruptness. He dealt with
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  kings that went astray and went ary. HE
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  SAW GOD DO GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS. AND
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  NOW HE IS standing in a nation that is
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  filled with wickedness. And the judgment
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  OF GOD IS ABOUT TO SET IN. And God is
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  looking for ONE MAN TO STEP BETWEEN his
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  wrath AND MAN'S SIN. BUT THIS BIBLE
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  tells us in verse 16, "AND HE SAW that
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  there was no man and wondered that there
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  was no intercessor." Isaiah standing
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  there prophesying in the midst of one of
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  Israel's darkest days. And it seems
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  hopeless and sad. But let me say, as
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  dark as the days were, and as dark as
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  THE DAYS ARE NOW, THERE IS A GOD THAT
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  WANTS US TO DRAW NIGH TO HIM. He said,
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  "DRAW NIGH TO ME AND I will draw nigh
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  unto you." HEY, THERE IS A GOD THAT IS
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  WANTING AND WILLING FOR US TO COME TO
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  HIM in prayer, to come TO HIM AND CALL
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  OUT ON BEHALF OF OUR NATION, ON BEHALF
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  OF OUR NEEDS, ON BEHALF OF OUR NEIGHBORS
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  that are lost in their sin and HEADED TO
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  HELL. GOD, HELP US TO DRAW back to God
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  again.
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  >> In Isaiah's day, there was major
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  disloyalty to God.
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  In that day it was so vile and so
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  wicked. There was DANGER ON EVERY HAND.
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  THERE WAS disintegration of the home and
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  the family AND THERE WAS DISOBEDIENCE
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  AND DISGUST in the public life and in
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  business.
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  The heart of the people had turned for
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  the most part away from God. Therefore,
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  and the therefore for the family and
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  society followed. Great light had been
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  given to them, had been given to Israel.
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  Therefore, GREAT RESPONSIBILITY WAS
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  REQUIRED of them. And can I say there's
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  not a nation on the face of the earth
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  than the last 250 years that God has
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  blessed more than the nation we're
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  sitting in tonight.
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  >> There is not been a place where more
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  light has come to and gone out of than
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  the United States of America. I'm
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  patriotic to the core, buddy. I love our
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  nation, but I'm heartbroken. Hey, over
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  the sin AND OVER THE MESS THAT IS IN OUR
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  land tonight.
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  >> We can sit and complain till the cows
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  come home. Matter of fact, that's what a
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  lot of people did in those prophets
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  days. They would hear the message AND
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  THEN THEY WOULD TURN, THEY WOULD sit in
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  THEIR LITTLE GROUPS AND THEY WOULD TURN
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  AND SAY, "WELL, things are bad. Things
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  are horrible AND THINGS ARE AWFUL. WELL,
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  GUESS WHAT? THAT'S WHERE IT IS
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  EVERYWHERE. AND LET US SAY TONIGHT, GOD
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  HELP US. WE DON'T NEED ANYMORE SPITTING
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  WIDOW CLUBS, HEY, TO FIGURE OUT THE
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  WORLD'S PROBLEMS. IT IS TIME FOR GOD'S
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  PEOPLE, HEY, IT'S TIME FOR US TO STEP
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  BACK BETWEEN THE JUDGMENT OF ALMIGHTY
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  GOD AND THE SIN OF OUR NATION. AND THE
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  SIN OF OUR FAMILIES AND THE SIN OF THOSE
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  WE'RE TRYING TO WIN FOR GOD AND MAKE A
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  DIFFERENCE in that place.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Ezekiel dealt with the same issues in
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  his day for he said he said of THE LORD
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  SAID I SOUGHT for one that would step
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  into the gap and make up the hedge BUT
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  HE SAID I FOUND NONE.
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  >> Can I just remind us? You say, "What in
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  the world are you dealing with tonight?"
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  In Isaiah's DAY, HE'S DEALING WITH
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  RELIGIOUS HYPOCRITES who need major
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  major help.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> And if there's ever been a day of
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  religious hypocrisy, it is today.
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  >> Right?
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  >> But God's wanting to do something.
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  Aren't you glad for a God that wants to
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  do something to help? HE WANTS TO STEP
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  IN. HE WANTS TO INTERCEDE. HE WANTS TO
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  MAKE a difference in the people's lives.
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  >> Amen. but is looking for one somebody
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  >> to step up to the bar. He's looking for
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  one somebody to stand. I'll never forget
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  one of my heroes preached a message out
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  of this and it broke my heart and I'll
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  never see it the same way again. Oh
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  friend, GOD WAS LOOKING FOR ONE PERSON
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  TO PRAY. GOD WAS LOOKING FOR ONE PERSON
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  TO GET A HOLD OF HEAVEN. GOD WAS LOOKING
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  GOD WAS WAITING. HAD GOD DESIRED AND
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  DESIGNED IT FOR US TO APPROACH HIM, BUT
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  HE FOUND NONE.
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  Look at verse 16. And he saw that there
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  was no man and wondered that there was
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  no
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  intercessor.
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  The word for wonder there is not used
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  like we use it in our day. We wonder
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  when the Amazon delivery guys going to
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  show up
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  >> and leave more of them annoying boxes on
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  our porch. Amen. We wonder when it's
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  going to rain again. Or we wonder what
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  how things are going to go with this or
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  that. But God is not wondering because
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  he does not know. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> That word wonder right here in the
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  context. It speaks of amazement. It
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  speaks of shock. It speaks of
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  appalation. God is looking down and he's
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  wondering in the shape of the religious
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  WORLD IN THE SHAPE OF THE HOME LIFE OF
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  THE NATION OF ISRAEL IN THE SHAPE OF THE
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  MESS THAT THEY ARE IN WHY IS NOBODY
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  STEPPING UP TO PRAY.
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  >> I would say that today I hope it's not
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  the case but I wonder in our day and
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  this is the burden of my heart for
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  tonight. God settled it in me pretty
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  well for tonight.
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  for just a little while. I'd like to
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  preach on that thought about the Lord
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  looking down. And I like to call it
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  this, the amazement of the Almighty.
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  >> The amazement of the Almighty. You know
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  why? Because I genuinely believe in our
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  day, God's looking for somebody that'll
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  step in and pray. God, the Bible is
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  filled with intercessors. Those, hey,
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  that had the SPECIAL PLACE IN THE HEART
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  OF GOD. HEY, THEY CHOSE THAT WAY. THEY
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  DESIRED THAT WAY. I think of Moses, that
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  great man. He was a great man of prayer.
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  HE WAS A FRIEND TO THE LORD. He re the
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  reason HE WAS SO GREATLY USED IS HE WAS
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  A MAN OF intercessory prayer. I think
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  about those like Abraham who stood there
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  in between God and Sodom and Gomorrah
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  and his nephew Lot and their family. and
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  he stood there with the Lord. In Genesis
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  chapter 18, the Bible said Abraham stood
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  yet before the Lord and he would not let
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  God go until he knew
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  >> that everything was going to be all
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  right, at least to the best of his
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  ability. I think about the man of God,
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  Samuel, who was standing there at the at
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  that place that we have come to know
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  called Ebenezer.
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  And there he stood and there Israel
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  began to beg him to SACRIFICE AND TO
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  PRAY TO GOD FOR THEM BECAUSE THE
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  PHILISTINES HAD COME AGAINST THEM.
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  >> RIGHT?
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  >> And oh friend, Samuel prayed. He offered
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  that sucking lamb and he began to bleed
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  across that altar and he prayed to God
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  and God heard and GOD ANSWERED AND GOD
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  MOVED in a mighty mighty way.
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  >> Do you know what? I still believe that
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  God is able.
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  >> Amen. to hell.
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  >> I still believe that God's able to save
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  your lost family members and my lost
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  FAMILY MEMBERS. I STILL BELIEVE HE can
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  step in, hey, to a wicked and ungodly
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  nation LIKE OURS AND SHOW MERCY TO US.
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  HE'S BEEN SHOWING MERCY AND HE'S BEEN
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  REAL GOOD. HEY, BUT IT'S TIME FOR US,
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  HEY, THAT KNOW GOD TO STEP BACK INTO
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  THAT PLACE AND SEEK HIM AGAIN.
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  Number one, I got to hurry tonight.
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  There are the issues of defiance
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  described.
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  I don't have time to go through every
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  verse, but let me say this. It was a day
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  of popular sin.
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  >> Can I come down here?
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  >> All right.
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  >> I don't want to scare nobody.
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  >> Sometimes it just helps me think a
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  little bit. I don't know. It makes
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  people pay attention, too, because
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  they're scared I'm gonna come up to
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  them.
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  >> Amen.
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  It was a day of popular sin. You know
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  what the popular sin of the day was?
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  Idolatry
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  to put it pretty flat.
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  They would build these idols out of wood
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  and stone and different things. They
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  would cover it and they'd melt gold down
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  and brass and silver and all these
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  things. They'd carve stuff and and
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  they'd make it look like animals or men
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  or half men, half animals or whatever.
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  They'd make all kinds of things. It's
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  what the people of the land were
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  involved in,
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  >> right? It was what the Canaanites were
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  doing. God said, "You're supposed to."
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  That's why he wanted them destroy them
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  so they wouldn't worship like they did.
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  He didn't want their worship getting
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  infected with that mess.
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  >> By the way, we got to keep our worship
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  pure. Got to keep it right because
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  worship is the basis of who we are. It's
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  what we are. It's how we're going to
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  LIVE OUR LIFE. WORSHIP CONTROLS EVERY
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  other aspect of our life.
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  >> God knew that. And that's here. They're
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  dealing with idolatry. They were dealing
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  with Molech. They were dealing with
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  Baal. They were dealing with asteroth.
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  THEY WERE DEALING WITH THESE HORRID
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  OTHER S. YOU SAY, "WHAT WAS IT?" IT WAS
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  AT ITS CORE devil worship.
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  >> They were evil. Oh, friend. It was so
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  vile. It was so evil. It was immoral. It
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  was immodest. IT WAS UNGODLY. OH,
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  FRIEND, HOW BAD THEY WERE. AND HERE'S
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  THE THING ABOUT IT. THEY W THEY DIDN'T
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  JUST QUIT completely and go to idolatry.
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  Sunday technically their Sunday to
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  Friday
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  they were worshiping Baal, Ashroth and
• 18:50
  Molech and all them other false gods.
• 18:52
  >> Matter of fact, they sacrificing babies.
• 18:55
  Yeah,
• 18:55
  >> they take that that they take them
• 18:57
  little babies,
• 18:58
  >> precious little things, and they'd put
• 19:00
  them into the hands of that half bull,
• 19:04
  half man, and they'd watch them little
• 19:06
  babies roll off into a fire.
• 19:09
  They'd call it sacrifice and worship to
• 19:11
  their false gods. It was wicked. It's
• 19:14
  ungodly. And by the way, it's still
• 19:15
  wicked and ungodly.
• 19:17
  >> Just because they call it Planned
• 19:18
  Parenthood doesn't change the sin.
• 19:21
  >> Amen.
• 19:22
  >> That's exactly right.
• 19:24
  But oh friend,
• 19:27
  what they would do is they would worship
• 19:29
  that way. They would participate in this
• 19:31
  pagan mess six days a week, but they
• 19:35
  would step into the temple. They would
• 19:37
  go to the tabernacle. They would go to
• 19:38
  the high. They would still try to
• 19:40
  worship Jehovah God. They'd say, "The
• 19:42
  temple of the Lord, the temple of the
• 19:44
  Lord, the temple of the Lord are these."
• 19:47
  They would GO THROUGH THE RIGHTS and the
• 19:49
  ceremonies and the rituals. They would
• 19:51
  BRING SACRIFICES EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T a
• 19:54
  good sacrifice. They were giving their
• 19:56
  best to every other thing under the sun
• 19:58
  instead of God. They were bringing
• 20:00
  injured stuff and LAME STUFF. STUFF THAT
• 20:03
  NOBODY STUFF YOU WOULDN'T GIVE A DOG AND
• 20:05
  THEY WERE TRYING TO BRING IT TO GIVE TO
• 20:07
  THE GOD OF HEAVEN. HEY, THEY WERE LIVING
• 20:10
  one way DURING THE WEEK AND THEY WERE
• 20:12
  LIVING ANOTHER WAY ON THE LORD'S DAY.
• 20:17
  >> And if that doesn't sound familiar, I
• 20:19
  don't know what did. That's right.
• 20:21
  >> Their popular sin. They wanted to live
• 20:24
  any way they want. Oh, and by the way,
• 20:26
  their idol worship had all kinds of
• 20:28
  wicked music around it. It had all kinds
• 20:30
  of WICKED GROTESQUE DISPLAYS OF
• 20:33
  IMMORALITY around it. IT WAS FLESHLY. IT
• 20:36
  WAS CARNAL. HEY, THAT'S ALL IT WAS WAS A
• 20:39
  DISPLAY OF THE FLESH OF OPENING UP DOORS
• 20:42
  TO DEMONIC ACTIVITY. IT WAS VILE. IT WAS
• 20:46
  WRETCHED. HEY, THERE WERE LIES. THERE
• 20:48
  WERE FALSEHOOD. AND GOD LOOKED down
• 20:53
  and he got tired
• 20:56
  >> of putting up with the hypocrisy of the
• 20:58
  day.
• 20:58
  >> Right.
• 21:00
  >> Because of their hypocrisy in their
• 21:03
  worship. You know what it caused?
• 21:05
  >> It caused hypocrisy in their jobs.
• 21:08
  >> It caused hypocrisy in the homes. It
• 21:11
  caused hypocrisy and lies and failure in
• 21:14
  every ASPECT OF SOCIETY BECAUSE THEY HAD
• 21:18
  FORSAKEN GOD.
• 21:20
  >> AMEN.
• 21:22
  >> Oh friend, there's the popular sin. Can
• 21:26
  I say there's the poor situation?
• 21:29
  You know who was paying the price for
• 21:32
  the sin of mom and daddy?
• 21:34
  >> The next generation.
• 21:36
  >> You're right. You know what I'm saying?
• 21:37
  When I look around, when I go try to
• 21:39
  preach youth stuff different places, you
• 21:41
  know who's paying the price for this
• 21:43
  generation of hypocrites and this
• 21:45
  generation of sin and wicked LIVING ONE
• 21:48
  WAY SIX days a week, coming to church on
• 21:50
  SUNDAY LIKE EVERYTHING'S ALL RIGHT. HEY,
• 21:53
  YOU KNOW WHO'S PAYING THE PRICE? The
• 21:56
  next generation is
• 21:58
  >> these little babies around here is going
• 22:00
  to be the ones paying the price. These
• 22:02
  teenagers I preach to every week,
• 22:03
  they're going to be the ones, they are
• 22:05
  the ones PAYING THE PRICE FOR THE busted
• 22:07
  homes and the busted MARRIAGES AND THE
• 22:10
  THING DADDY'S ON THIS AND MAMA'S ON THIS
• 22:13
  AND THEY'RE GONE LIVING THIS WAY AND
• 22:15
  THEY'RE MARKING AND DOING THAT WAY. HEY
• 22:18
  FRIEND, WE'RE IN A DAY GOD HELP US LIKE
• 22:21
  THAT. AMEN.
• 22:24
  >> The issues of defiance described, he
• 22:26
  said, "Truth had fallen in the streets."
• 22:32
  He said, "Anybody that was trying to do
• 22:34
  right was now public enemy number one.
• 22:39
  If I've ever seen a day where if you'll
• 22:42
  just try to live for God,
• 22:43
  >> Yeah. Come on.
• 22:44
  >> He'll be cast aside even from some
• 22:47
  church folk."
• 22:48
  >> You're right.
• 22:48
  >> Like you're crazy. I know there are some
• 22:51
  crazies in every family, but just living
• 22:53
  for God. Oh, friend. Hey, LIVING FOR GOD
• 22:56
  USED TO BE THE NORM. AND NOW IT IS NO
• 23:00
  LONGER the norm.
• 23:03
  >> It is abnormal and everybody treats you
• 23:05
  like you're abnormal.
• 23:07
  >> The issues of defiance described number
• 23:09
  two, I got to hurry. There are, notice
• 23:11
  this. There's the intercessor's
• 23:13
  departure. Verse 14, and judgment is
• 23:15
  turned away backward. Justice standeth a
• 23:18
  far off. Truth is fallen in the street,
• 23:20
  and equity cannot enter. Yay, truth
• 23:23
  faileth, and he that departeth from evil
• 23:25
  maketh himself a prey. And the Lord saw
• 23:27
  it, and it displeased him that there was
• 23:29
  no judgment, and he saw that there was
• 23:32
  no man, and wondered that there was no
• 23:35
  intercessor. You say, "Well, what in the
• 23:38
  world does this intercessor have to do
• 23:40
  with anything?" Number one, let me say
• 23:41
  this. There's the work described
• 23:44
  pictures. The picture in my mind, the
• 23:46
  picture as far as scripture goes, the
• 23:47
  picture of a judge in a court of law.
• 23:51
  You remember when Job said, "Neither is
• 23:53
  there any daysman betw twix us that he
• 23:55
  might lay his hand upon us both."
• 23:59
  >> Do you know what God's LOOKING FOR RIGHT
• 24:00
  HERE? YOU KNOW WHAT GOD'S LOOKING FOR
• 24:02
  TONIGHT? HE IS LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY
• 24:04
  THAT'LL STEP IN BETWEEN HIS HOLINESS AND
• 24:07
  HIS WRATH AND THE SINFUL PEOPLE, HEY,
• 24:11
  THAT NEED SOMEBODY TO CARE. HE'S LOOKING
• 24:14
  FOR ONE SOMEBODY THAT'LL BRING THE TWO
• 24:17
  TOGETHER.
• 24:18
  >> AMEN.
• 24:20
  >> OH, FRIEND. He is looking. It's the
• 24:22
  picture. Oh, and I I don't know if
• 24:24
  you've ever been in a modern day
• 24:25
  courtroom or not. I had the I don't know
• 24:27
  if it's a displeasure or not. I had the
• 24:29
  duty to sit on a federal case one time
• 24:32
  to see the workings of the law, to see
• 24:34
  what it looks like when the defendant
• 24:36
  steps up to the bar to be handed
• 24:38
  judgment.
• 24:40
  Oh friend, this work described, it's a
• 24:43
  picture of the judge who has his gavl
• 24:46
  raised getting ready to SLAM IT DOWN IN
• 24:48
  THE final decree.
• 24:51
  There's the work described, but there's
• 24:53
  the willingness and desire.
• 24:56
  We know that God sits with his gavl
• 24:59
  ready to drop
• 25:00
  >> right
• 25:01
  >> AT ANY MOMENT.
• 25:03
  >> WE KNOW that what the Bible says about
• 25:06
  the sins of our day.
• 25:07
  >> Yeah. We know what the Bible says about
• 25:10
  the sodomy and about the abortion and
• 25:12
  about the mess, the wickedness, the
• 25:14
  murder, the drugs, the drunkenness, the
• 25:16
  dope, the fornication, adultery, all the
• 25:18
  GARBAGE WE'RE SEEING IN OUR DAY. WE KNOW
• 25:21
  WHAT GOD SAYS.
• 25:23
  But have we gotten so used to it?
• 25:26
  >> Yeah.
• 25:26
  >> Have we gotten so numb? Have we gotten
• 25:29
  so
• 25:32
  accustomed to just living life
• 25:34
  >> in this day and saying, "Well, it's just
• 25:36
  a bad day. Well, it's just a dark day
• 25:40
  >> that we have lost our heart of concern.
• 25:43
  Does anybody have a desire to step to
• 25:46
  between a holy God, a righteous God, and
• 25:49
  a poor and hurting people that are
• 25:51
  wrapped in their sin?
• 25:54
  The work described the willingness and
• 25:56
  desire. He is looking for somebody.
• 26:00
  He is wandering and he is calling and he
• 26:03
  is asking and he is waiting. The Lord
• 26:07
  sees the misjudgment. The Lord sees the
• 26:10
  mess. THE LORD SEES THAT THERE IS NO
• 26:13
  EQUITY. HE SEES THAT TRUTH IS FALLEN IN
• 26:16
  THE STREETS.
• 26:19
  >> And he waits for one to step up.
• 26:22
  >> Can I say there's never been a move of
• 26:24
  God in all genuineess in history without
• 26:27
  at least one
• 26:29
  >> Yes.
• 26:29
  >> that was willing
• 26:31
  >> to step in that place.
• 26:33
  preacher.
• 26:34
  >> Oh, friend. Everybody thinks, "Well, the
• 26:35
  preacher is the one that puts it in his
• 26:37
  pocket and brings it." Oh, no.
• 26:39
  >> Come on.
• 26:40
  >> I can promise you as great a man of God
• 26:42
  as brother Josh is as he's coming in the
• 26:44
  end of this week. I can promise you he
• 26:46
  doesn't have revival in his pocket.
• 26:48
  >> You're right.
• 26:49
  >> And I can promise you I didn't. I ain't
• 26:51
  got enough room for it in mine.
• 26:52
  >> Right.
• 26:53
  >> But you know what it takes? It takes
• 26:55
  God's people. Right.
• 26:57
  >> If my people which are called by my name
• 27:00
  shall humble themselves and pray and
• 27:02
  seek my face and turn from their wicked
• 27:04
  ways, then will I hear from heaven
• 27:08
  >> forgive their sin and heal their land.
• 27:11
  As the judgment hangs,
• 27:14
  as the gavl stands,
• 27:18
  God is waiting for somebody.
• 27:23
  Most I'll be honest tonight, there's
• 27:25
  probably most of us probably would not
• 27:27
  even be here had it not been for
• 27:30
  somebody doing the same thing for us.
• 27:31
  You're
• 27:32
  >> right.
• 27:33
  >> We had a mama or a daddy. We had a
• 27:35
  grandma, a grandpa, an uncle or an aunt.
• 27:38
  SOMEBODY THAT GOT BETWEEN US AND HELL.
• 27:42
  SOMEBODY THAT GOT BETWEEN US AND
• 27:44
  JUDGMENT. SOMEBODY DID IT FOR ME. HEY,
• 27:47
  SOMEBODY DID IT FOR YOU. HEY, YOU
• 27:49
  PRODICAL THAT HAVE COME HOME. HEY, YOU
• 27:52
  KNOW WHAT IT IS FOR SOMEBODY TO BE OUT
• 27:54
  IN THE BARN WHERE GOD IS BEGGING THE
• 27:57
  LORD TO bring you HOME AGAIN. AND YOU
• 27:59
  WOULDN'T BE HERE HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR
• 28:02
  SOMEBODY STEPPING UP. I WOULDN'T BE HERE
• 28:05
  HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THOSE INTERCESSORS
• 28:08
  IN MY LIFE. HEY, THEY'VE MADE THE
• 28:10
  DIFFERENCE. IT'S TIME FOR YOU AND ME TO
• 28:15
  MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
• 28:19
  YES.
• 28:22
  >> Somebody come to the piano for me,
• 28:24
  please, while I'm finishing this up.
• 28:26
  They'll think I'm quitting and they'll
• 28:28
  be excited.
• 28:30
  >> Come on, brother.
• 28:32
  >> The work described the willingness and
• 28:34
  desire.
• 28:37
  Somebody
• 28:38
  have a desire.
• 28:41
  There's the wonder of a departing deity.
• 28:46
  And the Lord saw it.
• 28:48
  This displeased him that there was no
• 28:50
  judgment.
• 28:52
  He saw that there was no man
• 28:55
  and wondered that there was no
• 28:57
  intercessor.
• 29:00
  God in astonishment
• 29:03
  and all in appolation and in shock.
• 29:08
  I believe it hurts the heart of God.
• 29:10
  >> Amen.
• 29:12
  >> That no man will step up.
• 29:14
  >> Right.
• 29:15
  >> It was a dark day. It was a hard day. It
• 29:17
  was a bad day.
• 29:20
  But Isaiah saying from the heart of God,
• 29:23
  somebody's got to do it.
• 29:24
  >> Right,
• 29:25
  >> church? I'm asking you tonight. I'm
• 29:27
  begging you tonight. Somebody's got to
• 29:29
  do it.
• 29:30
  >> For this generation, for this church,
• 29:32
  for this pastor and his family, hey, for
• 29:34
  this generation of young people,
• 29:36
  somebody's got to do it.
• 29:39
  >> Right.
• 29:40
  >> Thirdly, and lastly, and we're done.
• 29:42
  Let's stand across the building. I'll
• 29:43
  give you this thought. Go ahead, sis.
• 29:44
  Whenever you're ready.
• 29:48
  Nobody looking around. This altar is
• 29:50
  open.
• 29:52
  There's the internal decision.
• 29:57
  Therefore, his arm brought salvation
• 29:59
  unto him, and his righteousness it
• 30:02
  sustained him. For put on righteousness
• 30:05
  as a breastplate, and a helmet of
• 30:06
  salvation upon his head, and he put on
• 30:08
  the garments of vengeance for clothing,
• 30:10
  and was clad with zeal as a cloak.
• 30:14
  There's a beautiful picture of Christ,
• 30:18
  the great strong arm of our God,
• 30:22
  the one who is able, the one who does
• 30:24
  care when nobody else cares.
• 30:28
  You say, "Well, if the Lord was going to
• 30:30
  see on the Lord, if the Lord was
• 30:31
  prophesying about, then why in the world
• 30:33
  does he need us?" Oh, friend,
• 30:36
  he wants us.
• 30:38
  He desires for us to make a difference.
• 30:43
  Before you make a difference in witness
• 30:45
  and song and preaching and service of
• 30:49
  any kind, you're going to make a
• 30:51
  difference in prayer.
• 30:55
  You'll never be in your service what you
• 30:57
  are not in prayer.
• 31:00
  There's the power of the coming one. I'm
• 31:02
  glad God's able. There's the person of
• 31:05
  courage.
• 31:07
  Abraham stood.
• 31:10
  Moses stood. Samuel stood, David stood,
• 31:14
  Job stood at the altar every morning and
• 31:17
  he said, "It may be that my children
• 31:20
  have sinned in their heart."
• 31:22
  Daniel prayed in that pagan land and beg
• 31:25
  God to bring them back home.
• 31:30
  All of these stood in the gap
• 31:33
  for somebody else. Remember what Jesus
• 31:35
  said to Peter?
• 31:37
  But I have prayed for thee
• 31:41
  that the faith fail not. When thou art
• 31:44
  converted, strengthen the brethren.
• 31:47
  Oh, what a great thought.
• 31:53
  Take your feeble efforts. You say, "My
• 31:55
  prayers aren't big enough. I'm not a
• 31:57
  mighty prayer warrior."
• 31:59
  That's the trick. That's that's the
• 32:01
  secret.
• 32:03
  Nobody really is. but they've just got a
• 32:05
  big God that they're learning to to
• 32:06
  depend on.
• 32:13
  There may be people you're praying for
• 32:15
  right now you never thought you'd have
• 32:16
  to pray for.
• 32:19
  There may be situations you're having to
• 32:20
  pray through right now you never thought
• 32:22
  you'd have to pray through.
• 32:28
  Keep at it.
• 32:33
  Oh, keep at it.
• 32:36
  God's able. He's a big God. He's a good
• 32:39
  God.
• 32:43
  And he wants us to draw nigh. He wants
• 32:45
  us to get close.
• 32:49
  Folks are still praying. People doing
• 32:52
  business with the Lord tonight.
• 32:54
  You mind God?
• 33:08
  These altars are open this evening.
• 33:15
  You got plenty of time tonight.
• 33:19
  Maybe you went back to se to your seat
• 33:21
  and realize you maybe didn't pray about
• 33:24
  something you should have. Maybe didn't
• 33:25
  pray long enough. We got time.
• 33:52
  Truth is about all of our lives, we've
• 33:54
  been through things that we never
• 33:56
  thought we'd have to go through.
• 34:04
  Prayed for people. He said something
• 34:06
  there in that imitation, praying for
• 34:08
  situations you never thought you'd have
• 34:10
  to pray for.
• 34:12
  Every one of us has got an own
• 34:14
  particular trial that we're facing.
• 34:21
  You said, "Preacher, I'm burdened.
• 34:24
  Preacher, I'm burdened. I I prayed and I
• 34:27
  don't feel like I'm getting an answer or
• 34:30
  I'm getting an answer, but I don't feel
• 34:31
  like it's the answer that I want.
• 34:36
  Don't feel like God's telling me what I
• 34:40
  want to hear." Preacher, would you pray
• 34:41
  for me?
• 34:43
  There's nobody looking around but me.
• 34:47
  God sees that.
• 34:50
  God sees those hands.
• 35:01
  Lord spoke to my heart through that
• 35:02
  message tonight. You know, your prayers
• 35:05
  might be the difference between
• 35:08
  somebody's
• 35:09
  life being preserved.
• 35:19
  I tell you this, my heart broke while he
• 35:21
  was preaching cuz I thought to myself,
• 35:22
  wonder how many people
• 35:26
  that I've failed to pray for as much as
• 35:28
  I should have.
• 35:31
  >> Their life's in shambles now.
• 35:34
  Oh God, help us.
• 35:47
  These altars are still open.
• 35:51
  Some still praying.
• 35:59
  If it was left up to your prayer life to
• 36:01
  make a difference,
• 36:03
  would it make a difference?
• 36:08
  >> What would this church be if everybody
• 36:10
  prayed the way that you do for it?
• 36:25
  We think many times
• 36:29
  those verses Bible says where sin
• 36:32
  abounds grace much more abounds. And the
• 36:35
  thing about it is that's true in every
• 36:36
  situation.
• 36:39
  But I think the saddest thing
• 36:42
  about where sin abounds, grace does
• 36:44
  always much more abound. But the faucet
• 36:47
  that turns the grace on is prayer.
• 36:50
  >> Right?
• 36:53
  >> And though there's grace in abundance,
• 36:54
  so many times we'll let sin overtake
• 36:59
  because we refuse to pray.
• 37:03
  Father,
• 37:07
  Lord, thank you for challenging my heart
• 37:09
  tonight.
• 37:11
  Thank you for the man of God being
• 37:13
  obedient.
• 37:15
  And Lord, I pray every heart in this
• 37:17
  place was obedient to the word of God
• 37:19
  that was shared tonight.
• 37:23
  Lord, our church, our country, Lord,
• 37:26
  each individual Christian in this place,
• 37:28
  we need you,
• 37:30
  God. We need your help, Father. And we
• 37:33
  pray that you would have grace and
• 37:35
  mercy, Lord. Help us to be that
• 37:37
  intercessor that we're called to be. To
• 37:40
  stand in the gap, to make up the hedge,
• 37:43
  Lord, to be the one that rings the bells
• 37:47
  of heaven
• 37:50
  or with our prayers each and every day.
• 37:54
  Give us ferveny and urgency in these
• 37:56
  days, Lord, of apostasy
• 38:00
  to pray and to pray more
• 38:03
  to pray more earnestly.
• 38:06
  And Lord, I pray for the remainder of
• 38:07
  this meeting, God, you would help us. We
• 38:09
  ask it all in Jesus name.
• 38:12
  Amen.
• 38:14
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 38:16
  We'd love it if you join us in person
• 38:19
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 38:21
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 38:24
  2988
• 38:25
  Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 38:28
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 38:31
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 38:33
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 38:36
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 38:38
  evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. For
• 38:41
  more information, visit us at
• 38:43
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 38:45
  Thanks again for tuning in.