Latest / One Voice Many Conversations / Crushing Strongholds #29- Exhortation- What are we to be doing?

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Crushing Strongholds #29- Exhortation- What are we to be doing? · One Voice Many Conversations

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, everyone.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Crushing Strongholds.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: This is a podcast where we turn pain into power, trauma into triumph, and a place where we get to talk and expose the lives of the enemy.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: And how do we do that?
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: We do that by the grace and the love and the word of Jesus Christ.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: And today I'm really excited to share some stuff with you.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: So I am Mickey.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a Christian life coach and I'm your host today.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: So you get to spend the next uh 30 minutes or so with me in the Word of God.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have your Bibles, can you get them out?
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Get them in your hands, and let's dive in today.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: I have a lot I want to share with you.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, a really important passage that God really laid on my heart to just pour out today.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna talk about exhortation, okay?
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: And kind of like what that means and um what we're supposed to be doing, okay.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um to have exhortation, we're we're supposed to address and communicate um sympathetically, urging someone to do something, okay?
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: We're we're supposed to do something, okay?
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: That not just sit idle.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: We're not supposed to sit around and just do nothing.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: We were not called to just sit around and do nothing.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to dive into 1 Thessalonians because it's a great chapter, and this is chapter 5, and this is talking about the day of the Lord, okay?
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I'm gonna start with verse 1 and 2, and then I'm gonna I'm gonna jump over to verse 12 through 22.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I'm gonna read that whole passage, but I have a lot to share, so I want to dive right in.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have your Bible, read along with me.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, if you don't, you could always look up the scripture later.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I just really think it's important that you have the word of God in your hands so that way you just don't take my word for what I'm reading, that you take the word of God um at face value.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um so let's dive in.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: First Thessalonians chapter 5, the day of the Lord.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: It says, But but concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so come as a thief in the night.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: See, we've heard this before.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: We know this.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: I know this scripture.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: I know people talk about Jesus is gonna come.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna come like a thief in the night, and he's coming sooner than later, and we need to be prepared.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: And it and and we're supposed to be concerned, um, and we're supposed to be paying attention to the seasons and the time that we're in, the time, times that we're living in.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: At all times, okay?
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: From from past to right now to present to what's coming.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: We need to be in season at all times, okay?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: And um, how do we how do we exhort that?
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Exhortation, like I said, means um urging us to do something.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: We are supposed to be doing something, and we're supposed to encourage other people to do something as well.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what is that?
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Let's jump over to verses 12 through 22, and I'm gonna read them.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Hopefully I don't mess it up, but I'm gonna read them to you, okay?
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: It says, and we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, excuse me, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in the love for their work's sake.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Be at peace among yourself.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort their comfort the faint hearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all, see that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good, both for yourselves and for all.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God and in Christ Jesus for you.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: Do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophecies, test all things, hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: We live in a very demonic evil world right now.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's dark, it is very dark.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: People are um just all over the place.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: People are killing people left and right.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, children are going against their parents.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: The the government, the government is a mess, okay?
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm not, excuse me, I'm not gonna get into politics because that is not my thing, but it's a mess.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: We all know it's a mess, okay?
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of conspiracy theories.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of conspiracy, period.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: There is a lot of evil, evil, evil, evil, evil, evil.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: And it says in the this word of God right here that in the end times there's going to be more and more and more and more evil.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: But what are we to do as Christians?
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: What are we called to do?
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: We are to have a heartfelt call to tell people to share, to live out our faith.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: What is our faith?
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: If if we're participating in evil, we're not living out this word of God.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: We're not living out our faith.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, we're conforming to the world.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: The world is dark and full of evil.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: We want to we wanna be kingdom seekers.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: We want to be kingdom, have a kingdom mindset.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: We want to think above worldly things, okay?
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: We want to seek where God wants us to seek and where Jesus wants us to be.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that means taking yourself to another level, a higher level, above evil.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: And how do you do that?
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: Some people say, Well, I don't know how to do that.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: I deal with I deal with evil every single day.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: I deal with people talking back, I deal with um argument, people that argue all the time, people that are just ugly and mean to each other all the time, people that are hateful, people that are rude.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: I can't even go through the drive-thru and um try to be nice, and and and and and people aren't just aren't nice anymore.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: They don't have a desire to even be nice.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Because everyone thinks everyone is wicked.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I I disagree with that.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: I don't believe everyone is wicked, and I know everyone's not wicked.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: But as a Christian, what are we to be doing about it?
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: What are we to be doing?
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, we need to involve ourselves in blending encouragement, comfort, counsel.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I'm a I'm a I'm a Christian life coach.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: I counsel, okay?
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: I give counseling.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: This is counseling today.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Me sharing the word of God is a form of counsel, okay?
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, also includes a firm warning or even a challenge for yourself.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: And we're gonna get into that as well, okay?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: But let's go back and look at the scripture.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: I really want to look at the scripture because man, it is so good.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: It is just amazing, okay?
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to talk about this scripture right here, verse 14 specifically, okay.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, actually, let me back up.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry, let's go to 13.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: It says, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Be at peace among yourself.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: Are you at peace with yourself?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Are you living in peace with yourself?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Are you confident that you're living in peace?
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: The word of God says to be at peace with yourself.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, where do we start before before we go out and and um help others?
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: We have to be living at peace, living in peace with ourselves.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: How can we share?
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: How can we share how good something is if we don't have goodness in us?
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: How can we share um how good versus evil is better if if we don't have peace within ourselves?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: We have to get peace within ourselves.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Then it says, now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good, both for yourselves and for all.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, we need to look at this.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: We need to break this down.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: So those who are unruly, who are the unruly?
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: The people that do not think they have to follow the laws.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't think you have to follow laws, you're unruly.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: If um a teenager is disobedient to their parent, they're unruly, okay.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: If you're in an argument with somebody and they don't want to work on a solution to the problem, that's unruly.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: They're being unruly, okay?
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um what about the faint-hearted?
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: We're supposed to comfort those that are faint-hearted.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: We need to uphold people that are weak.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: If we see they're struggling in their weakness, we're supposed to lift them up.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: We're supposed to encourage them and build them up, okay?
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: How do we get people to a higher level if we're knocking them down?
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: And that's unruly as well.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: We need to not be knocking one another down.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: It says, be patient with all.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: I am not a patient person.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: I am not.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I can only withstand something for so long before I put my foot in my mouth, usually.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because I'm not patient.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: And God has really, really had to work with me on my patience.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I know a lot of people that we live in a world that is very impatient right now.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: We want things.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: We we want things right now.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: We we're so used to having everything at the tip of our fingers, right here, right now.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Right here, right now.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: If and if I can't get it to work right here and right now, then I'm mad.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Throwing the phone, having a fit.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: I've seen it.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: I've seen my kids do it, I've seen my grandkids do it, I've seen um I've done it, I've seen grown adults get mad at their phone and throw it across the room because they're not getting the information they want immediately right now because they have zero patience.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: I've been in that situation.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever been on hold or get the automated service and you have to get through all the 500 buttons before you actually can talk to a human being?
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: That annoys me to no end.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I get that we live in such a busy world that it's really cool that we could just put an automation on our phone and it could take care of some of your business for you without actually having to have a conversation with you.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: I personally would rather have a conversation with you.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: So that's something that really annoys me.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: And God had to teach me patience.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: Some things in life we have to endure, some things in life we have to accept and work through and not allow it to steal our patience.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: We need to hold on to that.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: Another thing is um when it says, see that no one renders evil for evil to anyone.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: What does that mean?
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: So if someone cusses me out, should I cuss them out too?
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just gonna pause a minute.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know why?
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: Because I have.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: I thought, no, I'm not, I don't have to, I do not have to tolerate this, and I'm gonna dish it right back out.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to dish it right back out.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: We can make the decision not to dish it out.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: We can hold a conversation without attacking someone, even if they're attacking you.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: And you may say to me, like, uh, yeah, no.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: No, no, no.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, you can.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, you can.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm getting better at it.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: God is really helping me in this area because I live in a very busy household.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: Nine of us live in my home.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of people like to speak, and not always is it pleasant.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I walk out of the room.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes I'm so irritated.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: I just go in the other room, I just go outside, I leave.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: I don't have to be around it.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: I don't have to participate in it, I don't even have to engage in the conversation.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: If it's something I don't want to hear, something I don't like, something I disagree with, something that I don't want to bring an argument to the table with because it's really not going to do any good, I just leave it alone.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Now there's sometimes that I will jump in the discussion and I'll say something, but I don't have to get ugly with it.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: I've gotten ugly in my lifetime.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: I've said some things in my lifetime that I've regretted wholeheartedly.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: I've had to go to God and ask for forgiveness.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: So we got to be really careful.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: We don't handle evil with evil.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you have an evil spirit in you, you need to work on that.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: You need to say, God, help me take that, take that urgency, that desire out of my heart because we we do not want to fight evil with evil.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: David and Goliath, Goliath was evil, David was not.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: He won the battle because it was a spiritual battle.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't just a physical battle.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: He won because he didn't show up to the battle with a heart full of evil.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: He showed up with a heart full of spiritualness and the word of God and the faithfulness as a servant of God to show up.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: And that little boy took out that great big giant because he showed up with the right tools.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: This word of God is our tool.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's a tool for us to get through these battles that we're gonna face.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna tell you, there's times that I've sat my Bible down and I've walked away walked away and I encountered a situation and I had to go back to the Word of God because I didn't handle it right.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't handle it right.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I had to go back and be like, okay, God, can you show me again?
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: Teach me again, forgive me again.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes it's a repetitious thing.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it is.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now, um, it says we're always, but always pursue what is good, both for yourself and for all.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: So when we not only have peace with ourselves, but we want to pursue what is good, but not just selfishly so we can have keep keep all the goodness for ourselves.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: We want other people to have goodness too.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: We want to show them one that we pursue what is good.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: So lead by example, set the example.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, raise the bar.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: I used to be down here when I came to an argument.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm up here.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm the peacekeeper, I'm the peacemaker, I'm the one that defuses situations most of the time.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: I will say probably about 95%.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the other 5%, I'm still working on it, like I said.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: But I don't want peace just for myself.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: I want peace for everyone.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: I want us to all get along in unity.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: We're supposed to get along in unity, okay.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: One way that you can exhort people around you is just to rejoice.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: Rejoice and be happy.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: And some people think, how can I be happy in the world that we live in?
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: It is so ugly out there.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: Do it anyway.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: Rejoice and be happy.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: Do it with the mindset that you're thinking of all of the things you should be thankful for, not for all of the things going on around you.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: If you walk around with a thankful heart, you'll rejoice.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: Wake up singing.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: This is the day that the Lord hath made.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if you all know that song, but I sing it.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: I sing it a lot.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: I share it a lot.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, one thing that um my cousins and my aunt used to say when they'd come over about four or five years ago when I was watching some of my cousins, my aunt taught them to say, Thank you, Jesus, for another day.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Jesus, for another day.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: And and the kids would walk around and during the daycare that I ran, and they would say, Thank you, Jesus, for another day.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: And it became contagious.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the thing about good and evil it's contagious.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if I would have walked around going, oh, what a this day is just awful.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: It stinks.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: This is a stinky day.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Then the kids are gonna go, oh, this day is just awful.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's a stinky day.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we we could have that mindset, but we want to we want to be rejoicing.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: And these were young little kids, and they were like, Thank you, Jesus, for another day, you know, because they were taught that.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: Someone taught them that, which was my aunt.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: And it was such a joy to hear them say it, even throughout the day, not just in the morning, but throughout the day.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: We'd sit down and pray over our food, thank you, Jesus, for another day.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: We'd get to do something fun, thank you, Jesus, for another day.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: We get to go home with mommy, thank you, Jesus, for another day.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's snowing outside, thank you, Jesus, for another day.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's simple to rejoice.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: You can rejoice by choice.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: You can.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: You can make that decision to get out there and rejoice always.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: It says always, it doesn't say if and when you feel like it, if and when you're only having a good day, if and when you know the cards fall right, or your car doesn't break down.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: Or like for us, the wash machine doesn't break.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we have nine people doing laundry in this house.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: Our wash machine just went out on us um a week or so ago, and it took a while to get a new one in.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: Then we got a new one in.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: There was something wrong with the new one.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: And and you know, we have this backlog of laundry.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: Who rejoices in that?
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I did.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: I did because I have I did because this is what it says.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: It says always.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: Don't go around grumbling and complaining about every little thing.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, I I I did complain a little when I got the new washing machine, it didn't work, but I still was able to do laundry, even though it wasn't working right.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: Still was able to get somebody out here and you know, yada yada, you know, go through the motions, get it all taken care of.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I could have lived miserably for two weeks, or I could have just rejoiced.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: And we say, Well, what about death?
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: What about all of the death, you know, when there's all these shootings going on?
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: How do we rejoice in that?
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: That's nothing to rejoice.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'm in a lot of different groups on Facebook, and I'm in several dementia groups, and um for my podcast that'll be coming out soon about dementia, but um every day people talk about their loved ones that pass away or the struggles they go through.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's not something you always want to rejoice in.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember saying something one time, hey, we should just rejoice every day the time that we have left with them until their end comes because their end is going to come, the struggle will be over.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: It is not a fun disease to live with or to help take care of.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: But you know what?
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna come to an end, and we need to rejoice every single day with that person.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: And the person got really mad at me.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: They're like, this is nothing to be rejoicing, and that's a heart posture, that's a heart posture problem.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: We are to be rejoicing.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: We really are to be rejoicing.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, my dog is growling, so if you hear some barking, my dog is growling.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: There must be a dog walking by.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: So let's continue on.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: This is the one scripture that I really want to touch base on before we close out today.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: Something that I had to work on because I didn't do it often enough, and I still don't do it often enough, and I'm working on it, and I'm I'm really needing to go and spend some time at Jesus' feet because I'm such a Martha, and I'm trying not to be, I'm trying to spend that quality time with Jesus instead of his feet like Mary did.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: And this is one way to do it.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: It says in in verse 17 of 1 Thessalonians 5, pray without ceasing.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: We are not to stop praying.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: God wants us to talk to him.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: Even if it's repetitious.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't really want repetitious prayers.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know about you when you sit down to eat, you're like, thank you, Lord, for the food, good food, good meat, getting hungry, let's eat.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, we we've said that before, you know, usually in joking and you know, kind of, you know, whatever.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: No, God doesn't want that.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: Are you thankful for your food?
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: Tell God you're thankful for your food.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: Are you thankful for the hands that prepared your food?
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: I am thankful very much when I don't have to cook dinner.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I ask God to bless the hands of the person who prepared the food that I'm eating because I didn't have to cook it.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm very thankful for that.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: So, what are we praying for?
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: Are we praying for one another?
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: Are we praying for our kids at school?
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: Because they are up against a wall at school with all of the stuff going on in the schools, in the public schools these days, if your kids go to public schools.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm praying about that actually.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm considering not having my child in public school anymore because it's the world is just getting so bad.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: Although I know that she really wants to be in public school.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway, verse 18 says, In everything give thanks, for it is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: So in prayer, we should be giving thanks.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_00: We should be praising God.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of times people only go to God and pray when they need or want something.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's not being thankful.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: We are supposed to be thanking God.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: When we pray to God, we're also supposed to be praising Him and thanking Him in our prayer life.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: That's not always easy to do when your washing machine breaks down and you're like, oh Lord, help me get a new wash machine.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: Oh Lord, help me get this laundry done.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: Oh Lord, oh, the washing machine don't work.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, help me fix it.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: Help me get it fixed.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: I can't be without a washing machine, God.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: You know.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: These are things that we we should be praying for, and we should just say, you know what, Lord, thank you for getting me a wash machine.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's not working right now, but I know, I know, God, in time, it'll get taken care of.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm still thankful.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm still gonna be thankful even if I don't have a wash machine.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: And that is the part that's the hardest for people.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: They don't want to be thankful during the tribulations and the trials and the tests.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: We need to be thankful.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: That's where exhortation comes in.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: We need to be demonstrating as Christians that we are going to be thankful in and out of season.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Always.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna always rejoice.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, let's get to the end of this, okay?
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: So it says, do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophecies, test all things.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: Hold fast what is good, not bad, not evil, not comfortable, not sustainable, not doable, what is good.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_00: Four letter word, good, okay?
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: Abstain from every form of evil.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't say to dabble.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: It does not say to dabble in evil.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: It says to stay away from every form of evil.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: Are you doing that?
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not, you're conforming to the world.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: You need to be careful.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: I caution you on this scripture.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_00: I do, I really do.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not easy because we live in a world full of evil.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: Everywhere we go, evil surrounds us.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: You do not have to participate in it.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to partake in it.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_00: The only bread that you should be breaking should be the bread of Jesus Christ.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_00: The only blood you should be drinking should be the blood of Jesus Christ.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: Do not partake in evil.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: Protect yourselves.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: Be wise.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: Be cautious.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_00: And encourage other people to do the same.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: If you see people doing this, tell them no.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because in in an in an in or out of season, whatever season you're in, right now we're in fall.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: Getting ready to go into Halloween, which is a very evil and wicked and deviled and horrible season.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_00: Satan loves Halloween.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: And people like, oh, as long as my kid doesn't dress up like a devil, it's okay.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: No, it's not okay.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, if my kid, as long as I don't let my kids go to the house where they have fake blood smear all over and dead bodies laying in the front yard, it's not okay.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, as long as they don't dress up like witches and gargoyles.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: No, it's not okay.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_00: You're dabbling, period.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: It says, but concerning the times and the seasons, that means you need to be concerned about every single season and you need to be aware because the thief will come like a I mean the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus is coming.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_00: Are you ready?
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: Are you gonna be out there participating in all the evilness going on?
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: Be careful.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: I just I just want to caution you, just be careful, okay?
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: This is a firm warning, and I challenge you this week.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna challenge you right now, actually, as we go into closing, that um you need to be mindful, mindful.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: Get in the word of God and read it.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: It says, do not, do not participate in anything that is evil, anything that is evil.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't mean to put your toe in and feel to see if the water's warm or cold.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't say, oh, just take a little sample to see see if something bad is really gonna happen.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: Are you really gonna test God like that?
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: I really don't recommend it.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: I don't recommend it.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna tell you, my friends, I have tested God on many levels.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: I thought, oh my gosh, I've allowed people to talk me into telling me, you know, well, if you're going to the church, it's okay.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's it's harvest time.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: Kids are still in costumes.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_00: Kids are still in costumes.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: We're not supposed to be dressing up.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: We're not supposed to be partaking in it.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_00: We need to be careful.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_00: We need to be careful.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_00: We need to tell people, we need to warn people.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: And people can make their own decisions, just like you can, like I'm going to.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: People say, What do you do for Halloween?
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_00: I give out gospel tracks to people that knock on my door.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: I give them the word of God.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: If someone dare knocks on my door, they're gonna get a gospel track.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I do that because it's one time of year where I can show the gospel, but I don't want to participate in it.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_00: I don't dress up, I don't decorate my house, I don't play ooey, gooey, spooky music.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: I don't do any of that.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_00: And if you do, I'm not mad or telling you, hey, listen to what I say.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to read the word.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_00: Get read this, read this.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_00: There's things that we're supposed to be doing.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: And through the exhortations in the word, we're supposed to be telling people.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: We're supposed to be sharing.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_00: And and I and I'm only saying this urgently because I care.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: I do care.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't want anything bad or evil to happen to any of you or anyone.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: I don't wish it.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_00: I don't even wish I don't even wish evil on my enemies.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_00: I don't wish evil on people that are bad.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_00: I don't wish evil on people that have hurt me.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_00: I don't wish evil on anyone.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_00: Because we're not to do that.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: We're supposed to be rejoicing and be thankful.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I am thankful.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm thankful God has got me to where I am today, not where I was six years ago.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm still a work in progress.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_00: We all are.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_00: God picked me up out of a huge mess, cleaned me up, put my feet back on solid ground because I was sinking in the sand.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_00: And my friends, if that's you, I hope, I hope that you um take a moment and just do some self-reflecting, get into the word of God, and understand what it is that God is saying here.
• 29:25
  unknown: Okay?
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's an urgency.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's not an if and when.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: If and when we feel like it.
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, I've walked away from the word of God.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_00: I've set the word of God up on the shelf and let it get dirty and dusty.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_00: My Bible never gets dusty now.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: There is not dust on my Bible anymore.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_00: Shame on me for that.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_00: I had to repent for that.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now I'm learning God's word and I'm putting it in here.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm learning God's word and I'm putting it in here.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm learning God's word and I'm spreading it everywhere.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: Because I know what the word of God does.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: It changes lives, it transforms hearts.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: It takes you out of the mire and the muck.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_00: So if this is you today and you're struggling, I just want to remind you, I'm I am a Christian life coach.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I design I design programs for each person individually.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_00: I don't do cookie cutter courses for anyone.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_00: I do have some courses that are cookie-cutter, but I when I do one-on-one coaching, I specifically design programs around people individually that are wanting to get over or crush some strongholds in their life.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um dealing with evil and participating could be seen as a stronghold that is rooted in your life from generational um growth, from being raised that way.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_00: I was raised that Halloween was okay.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_00: I was raised that trick-o-treating was okay.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_00: I was raised that you could be a ghost or a goblin, you know, the scarier the better, you know, the more evil, the more fun.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_00: Man, the enemy is such a liar.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_00: And this is what I mean by exposing the lies of the enemy.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: The enemy is evil, and we are not to be participating in that.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_00: Read 1 Thessalonians 5, the whole chapter.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: Read it, read it, read it.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_00: Get it in your heart.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want help today with crushing a stronghold, get a hold of me.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_00: Go to crushingstrongholds.com.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: You can sign up for a clarity call.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_00: You can even ask for prayer if you have prayer for something, if you're just struggling in an area.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you just need a power hour or a power hour plus where it's not a 90-day program, but it's just a one-day, 90-minute call where we get in there and we get to the root of the problem so you have something to challenge yourself with and work with.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_00: Go in there, take a look at the website and sign up for it.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_00: It'll truly help you and it'll truly change your life.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_00: This word of God will change your life, I promise you.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_00: So, having that said, I hope that you guys have enjoyed today's topic.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm glad that y'all beared with me.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_00: And um let's go out there and exhort the word of God through goodness, through rejoicing, through praying without ceasing, through doing what is through pursuing what is good and righteous, through thankfulness, through staying away from evil, rebuking the enemy.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_00: We need to do that.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_00: God loves you, and I love you too.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I just hope you have a great, great and fantastic day.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: This was another great episode of Crushing Strongholds, and I so look forward to seeing you all again.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, y'all have a blessed day and take care.