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Morning Devotion from Hebrews: God Is the Reward · The BLAZE (Bible Study)

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  Speaker 1: Good morning, family. Good morning. God bless you. Welcome back
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  Speaker 1: to the Morning Devo. It's your bro, Sam Lopez, a.k.a.
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  Speaker 1: DJ Sam Rock. Sowinners with a Z dot O-R-G and live.sowinners
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  Speaker 1: with a Z dot O-R-G. The two platforms that I
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  Speaker 1: highly recommend that you visit. Amen. Because those are the
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  Speaker 1: platforms that have less distraction than these social media streets, man.
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  Speaker 1: So you already know. I recommend those two for less distraction.
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  Speaker 1: I try to be in the studios live, man. The
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  Speaker 1: studio live weekdays 5 30 a.m eastern standard time for
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  Speaker 1: us to get into god's word right to pray to
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  Speaker 1: focus on our faith and to grow in our faith
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  Speaker 1: man that's the mission here amen is to encourage you
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  Speaker 1: to get into the word of god for yourself right
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  Speaker 1: today we're going to continue in the book of hebrews
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  Speaker 1: we're going to be in chapter number 10 and verse
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  Speaker 1: oh this is wrong here am i right here or
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  Speaker 1: am i wrong here let's see Hebrews 11, sorry. That
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  Speaker 1: was yesterday. Hebrews 11, verse number 6. And I'm calling
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  Speaker 1: this one, God is the reward. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6.
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  Speaker 1: I'm thinking about 1010 from yesterday. Praise the Lord. Amen. So,
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  Speaker 1: God is the reward. Think about it. If you want
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  Speaker 1: anything in life, you need to really Think about this
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  Speaker 1: real clearly. What do you want as your reward? Money, fame, stardom?
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  Speaker 1: What do you want? Well, according to the word of
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  Speaker 1: God in Hebrews chapter 11, verse number six, God himself
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  Speaker 1: is the reward. Amen. Pastor Michael Jakes, I see you.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning. God bless you. Praise the Lord. Yes. Welcome
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  Speaker 1: to the morning, Devo, my brother, my friend. So we're
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  Speaker 1: going to pray. If you have any questions, comments, concerns,
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  Speaker 1: prayer requests, or anything along those lines, the live chat
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  Speaker 1: is available here on the social media. Also, at live.soulwinnerswithaz.org
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  Speaker 1: and at soulwinnerswithaz.org on the live stream tab, there's also
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  Speaker 1: a live chat there. So let's pray. And also, keep
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  Speaker 1: my mom in prayer. She's in the hospital. She got
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  Speaker 1: rushed to the hospital last night. So if you have time,
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  Speaker 1: Pray for her, her comfort, her healing, just God's will
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  Speaker 1: and his way in her life. So Father, I thank
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  Speaker 1: you so much for today. I thank you for waking
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  Speaker 1: us up, keeping us through the night. I pray, Lord God,
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  Speaker 1: especially pray for my mom that you will have your
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  Speaker 1: hand upon her body physically, emotionally, and spiritually, that you
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  Speaker 1: will give the wisdom to the doctors and physicians that
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  Speaker 1: are handling her. And I thank you, Lord God. Just
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  Speaker 1: thank you. that you have provided a way for us
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  Speaker 1: to speak to you and bring our burdens to you.
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  Speaker 1: Even when we don't see you working, Lord God, we
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  Speaker 1: understand that you are working, that you are there. Jehovah Shammah,
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  Speaker 1: the God who is in our affairs, the God who
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  Speaker 1: is there, the God who is here. I thank you,
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  Speaker 1: Lord God, that you continue to teach by way of
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  Speaker 1: your Holy Spirit. I pray, Lord God, peace. I pray,
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  Speaker 1: Lord God, protection in the powerful name of Jesus. And
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  Speaker 1: I speak life concerning all things living. And I speak
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  Speaker 1: death to those things that try to take our life
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  Speaker 1: in the powerful name of Jesus. I pray for, fourth,
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  Speaker 1: our angels to annihilate the tactics of the enemy and
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  Speaker 1: the plans of the enemy over our lives. And Lord God,
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  Speaker 1: you will cut those things out and cut them short
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  Speaker 1: as we prepare and we are eagerly awaiting your return.
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  Speaker 1: So I pray, Lord God, that you will continue to
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  Speaker 1: move And these morning devils, I pray that over every
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  Speaker 1: single person that's listening and watching right now, including me
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  Speaker 1: and my family, our children, our grandchildren, our whole entire bloodline,
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  Speaker 1: from the very youngest to the very oldest family member,
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  Speaker 1: I pray that protection and that peace over every single
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  Speaker 1: person's family right now that's connecting. In Jesus' holy name,
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  Speaker 1: we pray this by faith. And those who agree, we
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  Speaker 1: say amen to the amen. And that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  Speaker 1: Sister Joanne, I see you. Good morning. God bless you.
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  Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Morning Devo, my sister and my friend. Listen,
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  Speaker 1: let's go for it. Let's get into this word. Hebrews
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  Speaker 1: chapter 11, verse number 6. Hebrews 11 and 6. The
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  Speaker 1: Bible is clear. And without faith, it is impossible to
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  Speaker 1: please God. Because anyone who approaches him must believe that
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  Speaker 1: he exists and And that he rewards those who earnestly
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  Speaker 1: seek him. Not seek a religion. Not seek a tradition.
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  Speaker 1: Not seek a self-help. Not seek just his hand. But
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  Speaker 1: to seek God. He rewards. God is the reward. That's
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  Speaker 1: why it's important for us to stay in his word.
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  Speaker 1: Read his word. Understand his word. rely on his word,
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  Speaker 1: apply his word, trust his word, we have the reward
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  Speaker 1: for those who are seeking him. And I truly believe
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  Speaker 1: that this applies for those who are seeking truth, who
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  Speaker 1: don't know God, who the true God is, and they're
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  Speaker 1: looking for truth. I believe they're going to bump into,
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  Speaker 1: no disrespect, they're going to realize that Jesus is the
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  Speaker 1: truth because he will show up. Because your heart and
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  Speaker 1: your mind and your diligently seeking him, you're going to
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  Speaker 1: find Jesus, the Christ, the Lord. He will reveal himself
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  Speaker 1: when you seek him earnestly. But without faith, it's impossible
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  Speaker 1: to please God. So it's been one of my goals
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  Speaker 1: to please the Lord. What about you? Right? One of
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  Speaker 1: our goals should be to please the Lord. And that
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  Speaker 1: means we have to have faith. The Bible is clear
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  Speaker 1: on that, right? So knowing that we cannot please God
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  Speaker 1: without faith, then we should be building our faith. To me,
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  Speaker 1: it's like common sense. I know there's a lot going
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  Speaker 1: on in the world. I know there's a lot of destruction,
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  Speaker 1: a lot of disease, illness, suffering, pain. You know, those
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  Speaker 1: are always going to be those things that challenge our faith.
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  Speaker 1: But I think through those things, while we're going through
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  Speaker 1: those things, I believe God is building our faith and
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  Speaker 1: that pleases him, right? If it's impossible to please God
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  Speaker 1: without faith, that means with faith, it's possible to please God.
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  Speaker 1: Without faith, it's impossible to please him. With faith, it's
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  Speaker 1: possible to please him. So what if the greatest reward
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  Speaker 1: you could ever receive was God himself? Because I think
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  Speaker 1: that's This is what this verse speaks to me at
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  Speaker 1: least about, that God is the reward. So what if
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  Speaker 1: the greatest reward you could ever receive is God himself?
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  Speaker 1: Shouldn't that be enough? I believe that God as a
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  Speaker 1: reward is worth more than any amount of money you
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  Speaker 1: could throw this way. It's worth more than any type
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  Speaker 1: of fame or fortune or worldly possession. God himself. And
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  Speaker 1: he shows himself to us, reveals himself to us through
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  Speaker 1: his word and through people. It's amazing. Sister Issa, God
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  Speaker 1: bless you. Good morning. Blessings to you, my sister, my friend.
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  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Morning Devo. So many people are looking
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  Speaker 1: for God. Many people are seeking God because they want
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  Speaker 1: him to change their circumstances. I ask God, can you
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  Speaker 1: just change this, please? You know? If that's something to
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  Speaker 1: be guilty about, I'm guilty about that. Brother John, I
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  Speaker 1: see you. Good morning. God bless you. Graham rising to
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  Speaker 1: you as well. Many people see God because they want
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  Speaker 1: him to change their circumstances. How about this? We want
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  Speaker 1: God to answer our prayers. And this is okay. I'm
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  Speaker 1: not mocking this because I go through this too. God,
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  Speaker 1: how come you're not answering my prayers? Right? How about this?
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  Speaker 1: Financial blessings. Yes, we could all use a financial breakthrough.
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  Speaker 1: Some of you right now have been receiving financial breakthroughs
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  Speaker 1: in your life. Amen. And that's a beautiful testimony to
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  Speaker 1: what God can do with a person that puts their faith, hope,
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  Speaker 1: and trust in them. God knows exactly what we need.
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  Speaker 1: He knows everything about us. He knows what we need,
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  Speaker 1: what we don't need, right? He's building our faith. Our
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  Speaker 1: trust should be in him The one who owns everything good.
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  Speaker 1: How about this? Open doors, opportunities. We're seeking God for
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  Speaker 1: all of that. And it's all good because we know
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  Speaker 1: that he can do all those things. He's not obligated.
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  Speaker 1: I think in my reasoning, when I read the scripture,
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  Speaker 1: I kind of realized that God's not obligated to do
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  Speaker 1: any of that for me. Right? There's no obligation whatsoever.
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  Speaker 1: God is faithful to his word. And that means he's
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  Speaker 1: faithful to us because if we trust in his word
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  Speaker 1: and we're growing our faith in him, then he's going
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  Speaker 1: to show up. And he shows up, he rewards those
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  Speaker 1: who earnestly seek him, who diligently seek him, who believe
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  Speaker 1: in him. Right? We trust in him. Nothing wrong with
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  Speaker 1: the way that we bring our needs to the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: There's nothing wrong with that. I was joking earlier. Sorry.
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  Speaker 1: There's nothing wrong with that. Honestly. You're looking for a
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  Speaker 1: breakthrough financially, You want God to change circumstances in your life. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: I learned a long time ago you can't change people.
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  Speaker 1: So like if I ask God, can you please change
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  Speaker 1: this person and that person? I don't think that's any
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  Speaker 1: of my concern on my business. We could pray for
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  Speaker 1: people's well-being, pray for their health, pray that they would
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  Speaker 1: get saved. You know, of course, bring all those things
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  Speaker 1: to the Lord. But I don't think it's our responsibility
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  Speaker 1: as children of God to change people. As a matter
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  Speaker 1: of fact, I don't think we can change anyone that's
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  Speaker 1: God's business by way of his Holy Spirit there's nothing
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  Speaker 1: wrong with bringing our needs before the Lord right however
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  Speaker 1: however our relationship with God right has to be about
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  Speaker 1: more than what he can give us like it shouldn't
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  Speaker 1: be like a consumer thing I'm going to go to
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  Speaker 1: church get all this information get all the blessings get
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  Speaker 1: everything I can can't all I get no It should
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  Speaker 1: be about a relationship with God. And it must or
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  Speaker 1: should be about, I shouldn't say must, you don't have
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  Speaker 1: to believe this, but it should be about more than
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  Speaker 1: what he can give us, right? It's about knowing him
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  Speaker 1: and that knowing word is intimate. Intimacy with God, knowing
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  Speaker 1: his character, knowing his promises, knowing his word. Right. Knowing
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  Speaker 1: that he's trustworthy, knowing that his love endures forever. Knowing him,
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  Speaker 1: trusting him and loving him, not only for what he
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  Speaker 1: can do for us, but loving him because we know
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  Speaker 1: who he is. You get to know who God is. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: You're going to build your faith. You can't. I don't
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  Speaker 1: know anyone who can honestly say that God has failed them.
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  Speaker 1: I know people who could say that the church system
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  Speaker 1: has failed them. Humans, including myself, probably has failed you, right?
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  Speaker 1: But I've never met a person who's honest and said
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  Speaker 1: that Jesus let them down, that God the Father let
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  Speaker 1: them down. Never heard a person say that. Maybe you
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  Speaker 1: heard a person say that and they could be in
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  Speaker 1: a situation where they're in their emotions, full of pain, hurt,
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  Speaker 1: you know, church hurt. It's big, right? But I've never
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  Speaker 1: heard a person that was honest about this situation saying
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  Speaker 1: that God let them down. So when you trust him
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  Speaker 1: and you love him, it's because you know him. You
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  Speaker 1: have a relationship with the Lord. So this scripture, Hebrews 11, 6, right?
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  Speaker 1: It basically reminds us that faith is necessary to please God.
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  Speaker 1: And it's okay If your faith is being challenged, it's okay.
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  Speaker 1: That means you're being strengthened. Anything that's not challenged will
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  Speaker 1: not be strengthened. I think I hurt this arm when
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  Speaker 1: I go like this at the gym. I hurt it.
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  Speaker 1: I'm older now, and I guess I was going too heavy,
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  Speaker 1: and I hurt it, right? So I feel the pain
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  Speaker 1: when I know that some muscles were being activated, worked on,
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  Speaker 1: maybe too much. But now I'm waiting for the healing
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  Speaker 1: of this arm. Just like people are waiting for their
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  Speaker 1: healing in their mind, their soul, their body, physically, emotionally,
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  Speaker 1: and spiritually. Wait for it. Use wisdom. I can't go
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  Speaker 1: to the gym thinking that everything's okay with my arm.
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  Speaker 1: And we can't go through life thinking that everything's okay
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  Speaker 1: with us when we don't know the one who could
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  Speaker 1: heal us. When we don't know the one to trust
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  Speaker 1: is God. When we don't know that the reward is
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  Speaker 1: the Lord. Amen? We might lose out on this pleasing
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  Speaker 1: God situation. We have to have faith to please God.
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  Speaker 1: Gotta believe that He's this. I'm saying gotta and must
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  Speaker 1: take that with a grain of salt because you don't
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  Speaker 1: have to do any of this. This is not a
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  Speaker 1: forced religion. No, I'm just giving you some ideas here.
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  Speaker 1: According to what the scripture says, at least for how
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  Speaker 1: I see it, amen, I'm believing that we should believe
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  Speaker 1: that he exists. We should trust that he rewards those
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  Speaker 1: who earnestly seek him, those who are really after him.
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  Speaker 1: According to the scripture, I believe the word of God
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  Speaker 1: is true. I believe the scripture is accurate. I believe
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  Speaker 1: the scripture has power. I believe the scripture is always
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  Speaker 1: relevant to our time, yesterday, today, forevermore. That's my way
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  Speaker 1: of thinking. Amen. But I invite you to think the
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  Speaker 1: same way. And if we say amen and we agree
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  Speaker 1: on the scripture, amen, praise the Lord. If you don't
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  Speaker 1: agree with the scripture, amen, ask God to reveal the
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  Speaker 1: scripture to you to give you understanding. It's okay. I
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  Speaker 1: don't understand all of the scriptures either. Trust me. There's
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  Speaker 1: a lot of things, especially if you know me, you
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  Speaker 1: know I've been saying this for years, King David, I
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  Speaker 1: still don't really understand how God said he's a man
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  Speaker 1: after his own heart when he did all those things.
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  Speaker 1: And I know I've heard explanations and I'm getting there. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: I have nothing against King David, but I'm like, wow. Right.
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  Speaker 1: So it's just we're learning. We're growing together in faith.
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  Speaker 1: And because we're growing in our faith, we're able to
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  Speaker 1: please God more and more. Amen. With our lives, with
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  Speaker 1: our lives. Right. How we are adjusting and growing in
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  Speaker 1: the Lord. So. Believe that he exists. Trust that he
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  Speaker 1: rewards those who seek him wholeheartedly. Sometimes the reward comes
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  Speaker 1: through answered prayers. Sometimes, right? That's beautiful when God answers prayers.
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  Speaker 1: When I first got saved, I really believed and I felt. Actually,
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  Speaker 1: I could testify that God was answering prayers. I think
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  Speaker 1: those prayers were already stored up to be released. He
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  Speaker 1: was just waiting for me to ask. He's waiting for
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  Speaker 1: you to ask for some things that are already released.
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  Speaker 1: but you need to take hold to God's promises, amen,
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  Speaker 1: through prayer. Unexpected opportunities, of course. You'll be in places
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  Speaker 1: in front of people. You'll be having opportunities that you'll
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  Speaker 1: be like, how did I get here? Remind yourself it
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  Speaker 1: was God that put you there. And wherever you are
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  Speaker 1: in life, God has a purpose and plan for you
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  Speaker 1: right where you are. You don't have to clean yourself off,
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  Speaker 1: dust yourself off, and get ready for God to move
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  Speaker 1: in your life. No, he'll move in your life according
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  Speaker 1: to your faith. He'll move in your life according to
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  Speaker 1: your relationship with him. He'll move in your life when
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  Speaker 1: he realizes that you finally trust him, that we realized
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  Speaker 1: that we could trust him. God knows us, right? So
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  Speaker 1: it could be through prayers, answered prayers, unexpected opportunities or
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  Speaker 1: blessings that we've never imagined that we would be blessed in. Amen?
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  Speaker 1: I would never have imagined you would ask me before 2001,
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  Speaker 1: excuse me, before 2007, when I started this ministry, when
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  Speaker 1: God gave me this to steward, you couldn't see I
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  Speaker 1: was in front, you couldn't put me in front of
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  Speaker 1: a camera preaching the gospel or doing Bible studies or
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  Speaker 1: morning devos. It was like not even in my mind. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: But then God opened the door. I said yes to
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  Speaker 1: the idea because I didn't even know what the whole
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  Speaker 1: thing was. And I still don't know what the whole
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  Speaker 1: thing is. I'm just hoping and trusting that and believing
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  Speaker 1: that God's moving in the lives of all those whosoevers
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  Speaker 1: who call upon him to be saved, and that he's
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  Speaker 1: moving in my life, in my family's life, in your life,
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  Speaker 1: in your family's life, through his word. Amen? The secret
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  Speaker 1: sauce to this whole ministry is the word of God
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  Speaker 1: and Holy Spirit. My reliance is totally on Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 1: when I get in front of this camera and when
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  Speaker 1: I get behind this mic, to be honest. Don't seek
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  Speaker 1: only God's hand, right? Seek his heart. I know you
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  Speaker 1: heard that before. It's so true. You know, God, he
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  Speaker 1: just doesn't want to give us handouts. He wants to
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  Speaker 1: give us a hand up. Absolutely. And his heart is compassion,
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  Speaker 1: full of compassion, steadfast love, enduring his love, endures forever. Right.
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  Speaker 1: But what about our faith? What about our part in this?
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  Speaker 1: Without faith, it's impossible to please God. So that means
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  Speaker 1: the opposite applies. With faith, it's possible to please God.
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  Speaker 1: Without faith, impossible. With faith, possible. Because anyone who approaches him,
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  Speaker 1: you have to believe. If you approach God unbelieving, then okay,
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  Speaker 1: I got saved in my unbelief, through my unbelief. I
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  Speaker 1: didn't believe in God when I called him out. I
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  Speaker 1: was drunk and high. But what he did see, It
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  Speaker 1: was my true intention, my heart, my posture. I need help. God,
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  Speaker 1: help me. Change me. That's what God heard. I knew
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  Speaker 1: what I was trying to say. Amen. And I was hoping,
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  Speaker 1: you know, in the back of my mind, I was hoping,
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  Speaker 1: I hope this is not real because if it's real,
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to be changed. And then he changed my life.
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  Speaker 1: You could probably testify something similar in your testimony, how
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  Speaker 1: you approach God. Maybe unbelieving. You approach them. You ask them,
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  Speaker 1: can you please help me? Can you please change me?
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  Speaker 1: And if you do help me and change me, I'll
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  Speaker 1: serve you. You know, some people make those, I call
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  Speaker 1: them shotgun prayers, those desperation prayers. Amen. Amen. And some
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  Speaker 1: of those prayers take hold and you see lives really
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  Speaker 1: change radically. Others, they get out of a situation, they
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  Speaker 1: give credit to the Lord, and then they go right
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  Speaker 1: back to the mess that they were in. You know,
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  Speaker 1: we got to see where we are. We got to
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  Speaker 1: be honest with ourselves. So when you make God your
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  Speaker 1: greatest pursuit, amen, you're going to discover, just like I
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  Speaker 1: discovered and I keep on discovering, that his presence is
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  Speaker 1: more valuable than anything that this world could offer. right?
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: I think one of the 007 movies was called The
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: World Is Not Enough. I think it was called one
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  Speaker 1: of those, and that's a great title to any kind
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  Speaker 1: of movie, any book. The world isn't enough. Trust me,
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  Speaker 1: I tried the world system. I tried what the world offered,
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: and it never satisfied me. What about you, right? Make
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: God your greatest pursuit. You realize that his presence is
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  Speaker 1: worth more than what The world can offer anything that
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  Speaker 1: the world can offer. It doesn't compare to the presence
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: of the Lord. Circumstances are going to change. Absolutely. Day
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  Speaker 1: by day, we're getting closer to our last day. These
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: are the last days individually for us, right? We're getting
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: closer to one of our last days. Circumstances may change.
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  Speaker 1: People may disappoint you, right? Opportunities may come and opportunities
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  Speaker 1: may go. But God remains. He remains faithful to his word.
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  Speaker 1: He remains faithful to his promises. He remains faithful to
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  Speaker 1: his children. He's our heavenly father. He sent his only begotten,
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  Speaker 1: Jesus the Christ, to save us. And Jesus, after he
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: completed his work at Calvary on the cross, he sent
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit God to live in us. So it was
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: the father, right? The Father was for us. He's the
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: lover of our souls. And, you know, he sent the
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  Speaker 1: Savior to save us, Jesus. Amen. Now we have the
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  Speaker 1: leadership of Holy Spirit God. It's an amazing plan. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: And we have this because we believe by faith. And
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  Speaker 1: I think that's what pleases God. The faith that he
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: sees in us pleases him because now he can work.
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  Speaker 1: Unbelief kind of cuts that out, right? not having faith,
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: not trusting, not believing in God kind of like cuts
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  Speaker 1: that short. God still remains faithful even when I'm not faithful.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: Even when you're not faithful, guess who remains faithful? The Lord, right?
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: So don't make a measurement. Like don't make this like
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: a measure, your relationship with God. Are you measuring up
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: to his faith that he wants to have in you?
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  Speaker 1: Or are you measuring up to the people around you
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  Speaker 1: that you got to measure up to them with their faith.
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: Now don't do that. Don't measure your relationship with God
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: solely because what he has done for you, because you
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: have faith in God. So he's going to do. And
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: this whole thing about commanding God, I get where they
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: see that in scripture and the old covenant. I'm just
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: not buying into that. I don't think I could personally,
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: I can't command God to do anything. I know there's
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: scriptures that say something, It might say things like that.
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: I'm not going to get into that discussion. God, Holy
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: Spirit is saying, get away from that right now. But listen,
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: let's allow God to move in our hearts and minds.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: Commanding God to do something, I don't think it's a
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: good idea if we're not understanding what that means. Make
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: God your greatest pursuit. Trust Him even when you don't
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: understand It's timing, Kairos timing, God's timing. We have the
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: chronological timing, right, in our calendar and our clocks. You know,
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: right now, it's five minutes to 6 a.m. for the
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: time of this recording right now. That's our clock according to,
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: you know, our time. It's a Kairos moment that comes,
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: God's perfect timing. So trust him even when we don't
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: understand his timing, his timing. Keep praying about whatever you're
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: praying for. Keep believing for whatever you're believing for, right?
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: And keep seeking him with your whole heart. And then
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: the Bible says he rewards those who do that, who
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: earnestly seek him. So when I look at that, I'm like,
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: so that means God, you are the reward. That's how
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: I see it. I could be totally wrong. Amen. Read
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: the whole chapter for yourself. But it's a beautiful thought
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: in my mind that wait, God is the reward? Because
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: if that's so, then he has everything in the palm
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: of his hands. He has everything that's good coming from him,
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: his mercies, his grace, his forgiveness, his salvation, his promises,
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: his blessings. I'm going to go to God for all
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: of that. I want it all. And the bonus is
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: when we're out of this world and we're in eternity
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: with the Lord, it increases for all of eternity. And
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: we won't have to deal with sin. We won't have
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: to deal with evil anymore. No more tears, no more suffering,
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: no more pain, right? No more death, no more darkness.
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: Like it'll just be daylight because the glory of God
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: will be our light for all eternity. But this is
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: just preparation for what's to come. Amen. So we might
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: as well have joy here for the short time that
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: we're here Might as well love other people. Might as
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: well preach the gospel. Might as well just trust God.
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: Might as well just have faith so that way we
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: can please him while we're here on this temporary time
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: so when we get to the next time, eternity, then
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: we have an idea of how this all could work.
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: This is just a snapshot of what he's given us here.
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: But we have his word on it and his word
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  Speaker 1: is true for eternity. So, Remember this, that God is
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: not merely the one who gives the reward. He's not
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: just the giver of the reward. If you know him,
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: you're going to know him as the reward or a
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: reward in itself. God is the reward. It changes kind
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: of like your perspective a little bit. For the rich,
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: God bless you. Everything starts with him and made by him.
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: And for him, his purpose should not be diminished because
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: of our own will. Yes, Brother Rich. Thank you for
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: that comment. It's true. Nothing about God weakens. His word
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: doesn't weaken. His plans never weaken. His power definitely never,
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: you know what I mean? So it starts with him.
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: Everything's made through him, by him, and for him. Right?
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: And it's God's will. for our lives to do everything
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: that his word says he's going to do. That's his will.
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: You want to know the mind of God? You read
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: the word of God. You want to know the will
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: of God? You read his word. The word is his will.
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: The word is the way he thinks. Amen. And this
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: is just a little, right, of what he has for us.
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: Because I know he has all eternity to show himself
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: to us. Amen. And he chose it to be that way.
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: We didn't choose him. He chose us. Remember that. So
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: God is not merely the only thing of this whole
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: thing about being blessed and rewarded. If you get to
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: know him and you earnestly seek him, he becomes the reward.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: God is the reward. So share this encouragement with somebody, man.
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: Be a blessing to somebody. Share this out. Amen, if
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: you would like. But I'm out of time. Thank you
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: so much for hanging out with me for these morning devos.
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: This is really the way I... strengthen my faith, myself, amen,
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: by dedicating some time to the Lord first thing in
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: the morning. I'm literally, literally not an early bird. I'm
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: technically a night owl, but I made some adjustments and
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: I said, God, I'm going to put you first in
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: my day. And I'm going to share this with as
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: many people as I can. So thank you for coming through. Amen.
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: Rich says, Rich Tyler said, this word is encouraging me
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: And good reminder. Thanks. Amen. Praise the Lord, right? Hebrews
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: chapter 11, verse number 6. Read the whole chapter for
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: yourself to make sure this was in context. But I'm
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: out of here. God bless you all. God keep you all.
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: And remember always that God is good. Peace.