Latest / Living Waters of Grace / Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland Sunday Services / Isaiah 43 : 1-21 - Moving Forward

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Isaiah 43 : 1-21 - Moving Forward · Living Waters of Grace / Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland Sunday Services

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  Getting over why I am too, but that's all right because God is
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  good. Yes, definitely.
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  I just want to thank you for your prayers as I prepared for
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  this. I know a lot of y'all was out
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  there praying for me and I appreciate that.
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  I really, really do. And I just thank God for you.
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  I thank God for this church and I just, I just thank God that
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  you are just soldiers in this army that we have here.
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  And I appreciate that. And this morning, I know I, I
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  was asked to give a message this morning and I've heard other
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  people give messages up here. You know, I heard Jerry when he
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  gave his testimony, what a powerful testimony gave John
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  Morris when he goes up here, gave his testimony and powerful
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  testimony, You know, and God has given me this message this
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  morning. And I don't know if I'm going to
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  sprinkle in my testimony or whatever, you know, maybe here
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  and there, but God has given me this word here this morning too.
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  And I just think it's, it's irrelevant to what is going on
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  now in, in our lives, in this church, in this, in this world
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  that that God is just speaking to us right now.
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  And I just want to 1st I'm going to just open up in prayer.
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  OK, Lord God, I just thank you. I thank you for who you are and
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  and our life. Lord God, I pray, Lord God, that
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  you would just just your word would go forth this morning.
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  You were Lord, Lord, we just thank you for your word, Lord
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  God and Lord, this morning, I ask you just to remove me out of
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  this equation. And oh Lord God and just your
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  word come through Lord, and that you would that this church would
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  hear and just walk in your word this morning.
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  And we just thank you for what you're doing and in Jesus name,
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  Amen, Amen. So this morning I want to start
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  in the OK, normally, you know, you have you do that Calvary
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  Chapel way, you know, or you go verse by verse, line by line.
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  But we're not going to do that this morning, OK, because
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  because you know, it's we're going to go through the word.
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  We're definitely going to be word, OK, But I'm not saying
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  it's going to be because we're going to be using our Bible this
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  morning, OK, We're going to go through the word this morning.
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  All right. But I just, you know, I just, I
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  just pray. But God gives you the same
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  insight that he gave me when I'm preparing this, You know, when
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  you don't sleep at night because he's like in you, you know,
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  you're in and whatever, just, and just thoughts are coming to
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  you, you know, and you, I know there's many.
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  Amy was saying, Amy was saying you're still in front of that
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  table. You're still sitting there.
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  She gets up, you know, early in the morning, you're at that
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  table again. I said I am, I am I just have to
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  be so that's how God deals was dealing with me through this
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  through this whole thing. OK, but let's start let's go in
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  in Isaiah, OK, Isaiah 43. We're going to start there this
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  morning, OK? And and you know, the word is
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  given for, you know, it's for inspiration, OK, for it's to be
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  profitable, OK, for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for
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  instruction, all in righteousness, Amen.
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  And that's what God is dealing with me now.
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  It's going to be like I call it when I was thinking about this,
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  I said, it's going to be a me, we us thing this morning, OK, a
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  me because God is dealing with me right now, you know, and when
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  you do this, it's him speaking to me directly, like through his
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  word, through his word, OK, because this word is alive.
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  This is Christ itself and this word speaking to you, OK,
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  speaking to us. All right.
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  And that's him speaking to me. So this is what I'm going
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  through. So OK, that's there's a
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  testimony right there. This is what this is what I'm
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  going through. OK, so and in Isaiah 43, let's
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  start. It says, but now thus says the
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  Lord who created you, O Jacob, and he who formed you, O Israel,
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  fear not. I want you to just put
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  yourselves in this. OK, We know this is Isaiah and
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  he's given prophecy. He's already given prophecy of,
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  you know, what's going to happen to Israel, you know, and, and
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  he's speaking to Judah, the southern, southern kingdoms and,
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  and, but anyway, he's already because of their, because of
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  their sin and all the things that they've gone through and
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  serving idols and, and disobeying God and going their
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  own ways. OK, he's already, he's gave him
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  that prophecy and he's given this, he says, but all not only,
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  OK, because of that, not only that, but it says I'm bringing
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  you back. He's going to bring them back.
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  OK, And that's this is that prophecy here.
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  It says he and he who formed Joe Israel.
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  Fear not though, you're going to be out there though, you're done
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  messed up. Fear not, it says, for I have
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  redeemed you. OK, now I want you to put
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  yourself in this place because I had to do this, put ourselves
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  here. And I know he's talking to
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  Israel and talking to them and and he's prophesying.
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  But when I read this and I I just, it just.
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  But now thus says the Lord, who created you, created us, O
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  Jacob, and we who formed you, O Israel, fear not you, it says,
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  for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name, OK,
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  just when you passed through the waters, I will be with you, and
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  through the rivers you shall not, they shall not overflow
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  you. When you walk through the fire,
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  you shall not be burned, nor shall the flames scorch you.
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  Now, when you think of that, you might, you know, you think of
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  maybe, you know, Israel coming outgoing through the Red Sea,
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  all right, or, and see the rivers and and when Joshua came
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  over to Jordan and how God pushed those rivers back 16
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  miles up, 15 miles up, so all those people can get through,
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  all right, you think of those things.
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  And when you walk through a fire, you might think of
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  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when that fiery furnished and
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  and the Son of man was right there and nothing happened to
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  him when they came through that fire.
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  OK, But these floods, you know, that could be us, you know, the
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  troubles and the trials and problems we go through when
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  we're in a fire, OK, those troubles, those fires that that
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  things that seem like they consume you.
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  OK, But then he goes on to say in three here he says, for I am
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  the Lord your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior.
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  He goes, I gave Egypt for your ransom and Ethiopia and see
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  before your in your place. OK So you know, he he's going
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  back after these people and and he's saying that Babylon will be
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  you know, we overtaken, OK, but he's given people for them, OK,
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  for their ransom, it says. And for it says since you were
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  precious in my sight, you have been honored and I have loved
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  you. Therefore I will give men for
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  you and people for your life. I have loved you see, that's I
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  got to take that stuff personally, but you know, I have
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  loved you. And if you look and and
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  Deuteronomy 7, Deuteronomy 7, Deuteronomy 7 and starting with
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  verse probably 6, it says for you are a holy people to the
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  Lord your God, the Lord and he's talking to Israel and he's
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  talking to you know of why? But listen to this.
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  It says For you are a holy people to the Lord your God.
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  The Lord your God has chosen you.
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  It says you to be a people for himself, a special treasure
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  above all the peoples on the face of the earth.
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  The Lord did not set his love on you, nor choose you, because you
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  were more in number than any other people.
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  All right. It says for you were the least
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  of all the people. But because the Lord loves you
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  and because he would not keep the oath which he swore to your
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  father, because he would let me read it again, Lord loves you.
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  And because he wouldn't keep, he wouldn't keep the oath which he
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  swore to your father's. The Lord has brought you out of
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  a mighty hand and redeemed you from the House of bondage, from
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  the hand of Pharaoh. OK, king of Egypt.
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  OK, So he's brought the knot. He said he didn't choose you
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  because you were all that, because you were large in number
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  or anything like that. He chose them, but they were the
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  least. They were nobodies, you know,
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  But he was somebody. They were somebody to him.
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  He says, because I loved. I loved you.
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  All right, let's go on here. And five it says, fear not, for
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  I am with you. I will bring your descendants
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  from the east and gather you from the West.
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  I will say to the north, give them up, and to the South do not
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  keep them back. Bring my sons from afar and my
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  daughters from the ends of the earth.
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  Everyone who was called by my name, whom I have created for my
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  glory, I have formed you. Yes, I have made you.
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  And see, I got take this literally.
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  And it's saying bring those people.
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  Now these people are scattered because of their their sins and
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  everything. They were scattered all over.
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  OK, But he's saying bring them back.
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  But and I think of us as a people, all right, and our
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  families that we have and all the loved ones we have and all
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  those friends that we have. OK.
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  And you want them to just come into the presence and the glory
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  of Christ and who he is and what he means and how he is with with
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  us. You know, and that now that we
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  have we have, you know, he's in our hearts and we have accepted
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  him as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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  And we have that that eternal promise.
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  That's what we want for those that are out there.
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  OK. And when it says our sons and
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  daughters, we want our children so badly just to receive him and
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  to just to know the glory, love that he has for him.
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  Amen. That's touchy.
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  That's touchy, right, dear? But let's go on.
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  It says, bring out the blind people who have eyes and the
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  deaf who have ears. OK, Those people that, you know,
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  really didn't really believe, first of all, they sing, but
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  they, they're blind. They don't, they don't know.
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  They they just don't trust what's going on, OK.
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  And the deaf who have ears hear, you know, go in one ear and out
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  the other, you know, but that's those people that are hearing,
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  but they're, it's falling on deaf ear, you know.
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  Then he says, let all the nations be gathered together and
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  let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this
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  and show us former things? And it's a question who among
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  them can declare this and show us former things?
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  Let them bring out their witnesses that they may be
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  justified. All those, you know, they, they
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  didn't know, you know, they didn't believe it.
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  They're seeing it and it's now and, and he's prophesying that,
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  you know, they're coming back and this is what's going to
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  happen when they come back. And when they come back, you're,
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  you know, they're not going to believe what they, what they're
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  seeing because they, they it fell on diff here before and now
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  they're going to see it. And let's go on here.
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  I don't want to like go far ahead of myself and show us
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  former it says who can declare this and show us former things?
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  Let them bring out their witnesses that they may be
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  justified or says let them hear and say it is true because
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  they're they're saying it. OK, they were dispersed out all
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  over the place. And now he's prophesying that
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  they're they're coming back. They're going to see that what
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  God prophesized through Isaiah is true.
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  And and he's saying, you know, they're going to be the witness.
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  They're going to be that witness of this.
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  It says you are my witnesses, says the Lord and my servant
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  whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and
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  understand that I am he before me.
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  There was no God form, nor shall there be after me.
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  You're the you're the witness, the witness.
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  Have you gone through something and you know, you just just
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  never thought it would would happen or whatever.
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  You know somebody, you just never thought it would happen,
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  but you've seen it. You witnessed.
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  Have you prayed for somebody and and they've gotten through
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  situations OK, You've seen it. You're that witness of, of God
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  and the power that he has. He says before me there was no
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  God form, nor shall there be after me.
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  I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Savior.
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  I have declared and saved there. I have declared and saved.
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  I have proclaimed it says, and there was no foreign God among
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  you. I told you it says I would.
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  Now it says that you see it and you, you see it and see what he
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  what he has done. And that witness, the foreign
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  gods, they, they're, that's that's what they went out there
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  for because they're idols and they're foreign gods that they
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  serve. But let's go on here and and it
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  says, therefore you are my witness, says the Lord that I am
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  God indeed, before the days was I am He all right?
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  Before the day was I am he. And there is no one who can
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  deliver out of my hand. I work and who will reverse it.
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  And he's prophesied this. He's telling them what's going
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  to happen. And OK, here it is.
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  You've seen it, you witness it, all right, and here it is, says
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  I'm God, who? Who can reverse this?
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  Who can doubt what God is doing? And fortunately he goes thus
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  says the Lord your Redeemer, your Redeemer, and the Holy One
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  of Israel. For your sake I will send the
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  Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, the Chaldeans who
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  rejoice in their ships. And I am the Lord, your Holy
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  One, the Creator of Israel, your king.
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  But he's going to bring even Babylonians down and, and
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  they're, they're going to be, you know, overtaken by other
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  countries. And, and it says about their
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  ships. And that's their, their pride.
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  They use their ships for war and trade and commerce and you know,
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  all those things all right. But their pride, it says about
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  their ships, it says who rejoice in their ships.
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  That's what was talking about. I am the Lord your God, the Holy
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  One, the Creator of Israel, your King, He says.
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  Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path
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  through the mighty waters, and he's coming back to this.
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  It says a path through the mighty waters, who brings forth
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  the chariot and the horse, the army and the power.
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  They shall lie down together, they shall not rise.
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  They are extinguished. They are quenched like a Wick
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  and in you know, I said about floods and going through stuff
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  and fire and all those things and it overtakes.
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  But in here in in the mighty waters, you know that coming
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  through the Red Sea and and they were saying, who brings who?
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  It says who brings forth that chariot in the horse.
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  And you can just imagine. I know back in for the kids
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  classes. You know, when you see those
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  pictures, you know, they have the parting of the Red Sea and,
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  you know, the the Israelites coming through on dry land and
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  the, and the Chariots are, you know, racing after them, but
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  overtaking the Chariots. And I can just imagine, you
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  know, stuff floating, you know, like Chariots and people and
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  swords and chills and all that stuff.
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  And the Israel and the Israelites were on the other
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  side. OK, you know, but he's bringing
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  us through those problems, OK, And then, OK, it when you're in
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  something, right? You when you walk, when you're
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  in something, when you're in problems, you have no idea what
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  to do or whatever. We still have to go through
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  that. And that's what you know, he's
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  bringing us through those situations, those problems,
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  those those fires in our life, OK.
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  And if you're in it and you turn back from it, you're just
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  looking at it again, you look at it face to face.
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  You got to go through it again. And but if you're in it, it
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  seems like it's consuming you, you know, But if you walk, I
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  always say it's going to end one day.
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  It's going to end whether you know, when we go or we know
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  whatever, but you know, we got to go through that fire.
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  And God is he's that. Then he goes on here, do not
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  remember, this is the good part here.
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  He says do not remember the former things nor consider.
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  The things of old now he's brought these people here.
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  He's telling them that, you know, you're going to go through
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  all this, you know, because of your sin, you're going to be
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  scattered. You're going to you know, you're
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  and then he but he says, I'm bringing you back.
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  All right. And then when he brings them
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  back, he's going to be their Redeemer, their savior.
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  All right, And then he says don't remember it.
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  I don't remember those former things.
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  And he says he says do not remember former things nor
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  consider the things of old. All right, can can we do that in
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  our life? I know some I just you, you
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  think of things that happened in the past, you go through
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  experience that happens in the past, right.
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  Some of them things still sends chills down my back, you know,
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  but I remember, I'll tell you one story.
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  One time I went in in in college, this guy came back in
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  to school, he had graduated, came back in this brand new car
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  and he, you know, was showing his car and he gave me good, you
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  know, look in the car, whatever you just said, just sit and look
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  at it. So I started his help and took
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  off with it. And then when I came back, he
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  was mad. But he goes, you know what, you
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  could have somebody could have hit you.
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  You could have wrecked. I didn't even think of that kind
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  of stuff. But when I think about it, I
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  said, oh, my, if that would have happened, like that was crazy.
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  But things like that. But forget the past, those
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  former things. And this is what he's telling
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  you. He says, Behold, I will do a new
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  thing now it shall spring forth. Shall you not know it?
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  I will even make a road in the wilderness there.
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  Here it is, the road in the wilderness and rivers in the
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  desert. The beast of the fields will
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  honor me, the jackals and the ostriches.
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  Because I give, because I give waters in the wilderness and
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  rivers. People I have formed for myself,
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  they shall declare my praise. They shall declare my praise.
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  Look, you're going to go through some stuff in life.
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  We all, we all go through some stuff in life.
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  We do. But you know, God is there even
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  when it feels like it's never going to happen.
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  It's dry. God's going to give waters in
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  those dry places. You know, you just have to keep
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  moving, OK? And, and here this is the really
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  the title of I would, if I could get this title.
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  It's moving forward, OK, we're moving forward.
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  God has given us a new is doing a new thing in our life and this
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  when I was preparing for this this morning, even I was at home
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  and I was playing that song at home this morning and I the
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  first song that I hear is that song that I was singing this
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  morning. That's that is so I don't know.
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  So filling that it brought tears in my eyes that God knows what's
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  going on in our life. OK, and and in the men's study
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  this morning, the things that they're talking about, you know,
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  it's, it's right there, the things that we have to do, you
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  know, and just all that the songs in worship, you know, this
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  morning, it's just some of those songs had that the text that,
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  you know, that I was studying all week.
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  And it's just confirmation of, you know, that I just love just
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  being on the, you know, the right page.
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  I'll say put it that way, you know, but but it's all God and
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  how he forms and fashions us and puts us together and, and that's
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  the whole thing. And and, and it's just moving
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  forward. And I just think this is a new
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  time that's doing a new thing. And he wants us to move forward.
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  I I know he's speaking to me anyway when he says, you know,
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  and the whole reason, let me say this, OK, The whole reason that
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  I'm standing here today, we were at a men's a men's retreat out
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  in, in, in Ligonier, OK. And the guy was talking about
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  your Christian comfort zone, OK. And I told pastor.
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  I said, Pastor, I thank you for bringing me out of my Christian
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  comfort zone. You know, I was talking about,
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  you know, the men's, the men's down to men's.
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  I'm sorry, but the, the, the, our prayer group, the second
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  Tuesday prayer group. And when we start, it was for
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  retired individuals, OK. And pastor was the head of it,
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  right? And then I think he went back to
• 25:20
  work, right? So he's not retired anymore.
• 25:23
  But he asked me, he asked me to, you know, to, you know, to, I
• 25:29
  always say facilitate, ask me to, you know, facilitate because
• 25:35
  the group is, it ain't about me. That's what I just love who, who
• 25:42
  God is in that group, you know, and in a group of individuals
• 25:46
  that come together and we get to know each other and we get into
• 25:50
  the word and, and we, you know, just, it's how that word is just
• 25:57
  guiding and directing our life and how it applies to our life
• 26:00
  right now. That's what it's about.
• 26:03
  We pray for each other, We pray for people that we know.
• 26:07
  That's what it's about. It's all about God in that
• 26:11
  group. I'm going to tell you, I'm just
• 26:13
  there, it's ours, it's ours and I'm saying ours.
• 26:21
  I'm saying the churches, you know, ours and the group, the
• 26:26
  people that come, I just, when I come in here and I just love to
• 26:30
  see that. I just love to see them coming
• 26:32
  and sharing God's word. And oh, there's some.
• 26:36
  And like I always say, they're a lot smarter than I will ever be.
• 26:40
  And I just, I just love it though.
• 26:42
  But he's doing it, doing a new thing.
• 26:44
  And I think he just wants us to come out of our our Christian
• 26:49
  comfort zone, OK, in this Christian comfort zone.
• 26:53
  I told pastor, I said, thank you for bringing me out of that
• 26:55
  Christian comfort zone. And he goes, oh, John, I want
• 26:58
  you to to speak on one one Sunday in November.
• 27:03
  And I said so much for comfort zone said I could just, And it
• 27:11
  was that like that, you know what I mean?
• 27:13
  He said you're not out in your comfort zone yet, John.
• 27:19
  He didn't say that, but that's what I'm hearing.
• 27:21
  You know, you're not your comfort zone yet, but did not
• 27:28
  even tell Amy and she got but but God is good though.
• 27:34
  But every comfort zone that we have and, and God wants to do a
• 27:39
  new thing in our life and he wants us to move all right, and
• 27:42
  he wants us to share. He wants to share this joy that
• 27:46
  we have for Christ. He wants us to this, these word,
• 27:50
  these, these words in here. This is Christ speaking to us
• 27:54
  directly. And he wants us to share his
• 27:56
  self OK with others, you know, and that's what I want that I
• 28:01
  want that boldness, OK to no matter whom, no matter where I
• 28:06
  want to. And that's what John was talking
• 28:09
  about this morning, too, to show who we are in there in Christ,
• 28:12
  no matter where we're at, no matter what situation that you
• 28:15
  know, we want that boldness to speak, all right, to come out of
• 28:20
  our Christian comfort zone sometimes.
• 28:23
  And being in that comfort zone, we, we come to church, you know,
• 28:26
  and then we, we go home. But we, we know, I'm not saying
• 28:30
  that's a bad thing. That's not a bad thing at all.
• 28:31
  But I'm saying, you know, sometimes we hesitate to speak
• 28:36
  for it, but, you know, on his behalf or on Christ's behalf or
• 28:40
  whatever, you know, but I just want, I want to be, I want to be
• 28:43
  bold. I do, I want to be bold.
• 28:46
  I want to come out of my Christian comfort zone.
• 28:49
  I want to profess Jesus Christ. I want my family members, my, my
• 28:56
  children or my friends to know who Christ is.
• 29:00
  It's not about me. It's not even about, you know,
• 29:03
  me being bored. It's about who he is in our
• 29:06
  life. Amen.
• 29:09
  And that's what we, that's what we want to do.
• 29:11
  OK, Part 2. Oh my, this is where we're going
• 29:23
  to, we're going to get into the subscription.
• 29:25
  Let's go to Psalms 100. You can turn there if you want
• 29:28
  to or or not want to listen or whatever.
• 29:30
  But Psalms 101 to 5, I just want to show and improve through
• 29:35
  through the word what God is doing and why he's doing OK.
• 29:42
  And Psalms 105, it says make a joyful noise.
• 29:46
  It says, no, make a joyful shout, OK, Make a joyful shout
• 29:52
  to the Lord. Oh, you land.
• 29:54
  Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with
• 29:58
  singing. Know that the Lord, he is God.
• 30:01
  Now that that is bold. And when we have that, that's
• 30:07
  going, that's going to equip us to do the things that we need to
• 30:10
  do, OK? It says it is he who has made us
• 30:14
  and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep
• 30:19
  of his pasture. Enter into his gates with
• 30:24
  Thanksgiving. OK, Now enter in his gates with
• 30:30
  whatever the gates. Enter his gates.
• 30:34
  That's those steps we take. That's those moving forward
• 30:39
  speaking to people. Those gates, When you see
• 30:43
  somebody hurting, you're going to enter that gate and talk to
• 30:45
  him or help him. Try to help him.
• 30:48
  Are we going to enter the gate? See, enter that gate it says
• 30:51
  with Thanksgiving and into his courts with praise.
• 30:54
  Be thankful to him and bless his name, for the Lord is good, His
• 31:00
  mercy is everlasting and his truth endures to all
• 31:05
  generations. See, that's the, we want to get
• 31:09
  that message to people who he is in our life and who he can be in
• 31:14
  others lives. OK, Those that we know that are
• 31:17
  hurting, all right? And when they're hurting that we
• 31:21
  can just say, well, let's pray. Do you know, do you know Christ,
• 31:28
  do you have a relationship? You know, I, I just, I just want
• 31:32
  to have that boldness. All right, let's go because
• 31:35
  we'll never get done if I don't. Let's go.
• 31:39
  Matthew 25. Matthew 25.
• 31:52
  I hope that's the right one. Matthew 25.
• 31:56
  Wait a minute. Let's go to Matthew 20.
• 32:05
  I'm sorry. Let's go to Matthew.
• 32:08
  Wait a minute. Yeah.
• 32:16
  Matthew 2514. I'm sorry.
• 32:20
  Matthew 2514, it says this, OK? It says, OK, this is the parable
• 32:30
  talents, OK, but let's get it. This is for the Kingdom of
• 32:34
  heaven is like a man traveling to a Now just listen to this,
• 32:42
  OK? Because it's about talent, OK?
• 32:46
  It's about whatever, but listen to this.
• 32:48
  This is for the Kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling
• 32:53
  to a far country. It says who called his own
• 32:58
  servants and delivered his goods to them to 1 he gave 5 talents
• 33:05
  to another 1-2 another story to the other one one and it's to
• 33:09
  each according to his own abilities.
• 33:15
  See God's going here. He's not going to give you more
• 33:17
  than you can handle. So we don't want to be nervous
• 33:22
  or scared or scared when we go out, all right, because he's
• 33:32
  he's not going to give you more than you.
• 33:35
  Are you able to handle according to their abilities?
• 33:39
  And immediately he went out on a journey.
• 33:41
  Then he he who had received it OK, the five talents he got five
• 33:45
  more than and the one they got two, he got two more.
• 33:48
  And the and the one that received 1, he dug it hole and
• 33:52
  and put the and put it in there, OK.
• 33:55
  And and they were talking about monies, you know, silver await
• 33:59
  whatever. And he dug a hole and put it in
• 34:01
  there. OK.
• 34:03
  So he who had received the five talents came and brought his
• 34:08
  five talents to the Lord. But he says, and he says, OK,
• 34:14
  let me read 19 He says, after a long time the Lord of those
• 34:19
  servants came and settled accounts with them.
• 34:25
  OK, he went away, He ascended into heaven.
• 34:32
  All right. He distributed talents to the
• 34:36
  people, OK, according to their abilities.
• 34:41
  What are you going to do? You're saying, look, I'm giving
• 34:44
  you these, what are you going to do with it?
• 34:48
  And so two of them did something and one dug a hole, OK?
• 34:54
  But he said to the, you know, to really the first two, he says,
• 34:58
  he says his Lord said to him, well done, good and faithful
• 35:02
  servant. You were faithful over a few
• 35:06
  things. I will make you rulers over many
• 35:09
  things. OK, servant, then we know the
• 35:15
  two. And he said to say, well done,
• 35:16
  thy faithful servant. And that's that that ability
• 35:23
  that he gives us that first of first of all, yeah, when we come
• 35:29
  in, you know, they go through worship and that really like
• 35:32
  builds you up whatever and and this, you know, to receive the
• 35:35
  word. But and and remember that verse
• 35:38
  we said that, you know that come in with a shout of praise, a
• 35:42
  shout to build you up. He's going he's going to build
• 35:47
  you up. And but he equips you with his
• 35:50
  word. All right.
• 35:52
  And he's given us his word and some of us are in different
• 35:56
  situations, different work atmospheres, different whatever.
• 36:00
  It made different people that we associate with different family
• 36:04
  members that are going through different stuff.
• 36:07
  But if we have that faithfulness, he says it says
• 36:14
  good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things,
• 36:20
  just a few things, you know, a few things.
• 36:26
  But he's given that us that faith, that ability to go
• 36:30
  forward, but we have to have that determination to do so.
• 36:33
  OK, all right, it says. And then but that's that's the
• 36:46
  what I wanted you to see there. But the last one, he buried that
• 36:53
  talent, didn't do nothing with it, didn't reap the reward of
• 36:58
  it, OK? Didn't use that talent that God
• 37:01
  gave him, all right, that he didn't have increase in what
• 37:07
  he's given them. OK, just bear it away.
• 37:11
  That's when we don't, when we don't talk, when we don't say
• 37:16
  anything, he's burying. We're burying that.
• 37:22
  We're we want to be like Jeremiah, you know, that fire
• 37:28
  shut up in our bones and we can't we can't retain it.
• 37:32
  We got to get it out. OK, All right, let's go.
• 37:41
  OK. And all right, Matthew 24 and
• 37:45
  three. Here's the 24.
• 37:48
  Matthew 24. Three.
• 37:56
  All right, it says. Now, as he sat on the Mount of
• 38:04
  Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, Tell us,
• 38:07
  when will these things be? And what will the sign of your
• 38:12
  coming in the end of the age? Listen?
• 38:18
  And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no one
• 38:22
  deceives you. For many will come in my name,
• 38:26
  saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many.
• 38:29
  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.
• 38:34
  See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come
• 38:38
  to pass, but the end is not yet, it says, For nations will rise
• 38:42
  against nations, and Kingdom against Kingdom, and there will
• 38:45
  be famines, pestilence, earthquakes in various places,
• 38:49
  and all these are the beginning of sorrows.
• 38:55
  I don't know about you, that sounds familiar, it says.
• 39:00
  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and
• 39:05
  you will be hated by all nations by mind that for my name's sake,
• 39:10
  and will hate one another. Offended will betray one another
• 39:16
  and will hate one another. Says.
• 39:18
  Then many false prophets will rise up and and deceive many,
• 39:24
  and because of lawlessness will abound.
• 39:30
  The love of many will grow cold, but but Pastor Lewis, he likes
• 39:38
  that it's something good. But he who endures to the end
• 39:44
  shall be saved. That's you know, you're going to
• 39:49
  when you go out, when you go forward, when you go through the
• 39:52
  gates, when you give that message, some people are going
• 39:56
  to receive it. Some people aren't.
• 39:58
  Some people are going to say you're crazy.
• 40:01
  I don't believe it. All right.
• 40:03
  All right, and there's there's already all that lawlessness in
• 40:07
  this nation, you know, and and all of those things seems like
• 40:15
  it's going on right now. But he says, but he who endures,
• 40:21
  see, we got to stay in fast to the end will be saved.
• 40:25
  And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the
• 40:29
  world as a witness to all the nations.
• 40:33
  And then the end will come, OK, all the world, all the nations,
• 40:41
  this gospel will be preached. Let's just be part of that
• 40:49
  around here or, you know, and your own, you know, environment,
• 40:57
  all the world. See back there when they were
• 41:00
  talking about, you know, the Israelites and what they're
• 41:02
  doing and all the Babylon's all with it.
• 41:05
  But you know, but it's all see and you put yourself, it's us
• 41:14
  because there's there's no more Greek and Gentile or whatever.
• 41:19
  We're all one in Jesus Christ, all right?
• 41:32
  Let's go to, let's go to Ephesians.
• 41:38
  All right, now, Ephesians, Ephesians 219.
• 41:50
  Now this is OK. Now listen 19 it says.
• 41:54
  Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners,
• 42:00
  but fellow citizens, with the Saints and members of the
• 42:04
  household of God having been built on the foundation of the
• 42:08
  apostles and the prophets. Jesus Christ Himself being the
• 42:13
  chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted
• 42:17
  together grows into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you
• 42:22
  also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in
• 42:29
  the spirit. I always think of this when,
• 42:32
  when I'm reading this of with Christ being that chief
• 42:36
  cornerstone and, and the builder is, you know, has other stones
• 42:41
  around because they're all part of his Kingdom.
• 42:43
  But we're all, you know, have different ministries and, and
• 42:47
  different responsibilities or whatever.
• 42:49
  But he's going around and he's picking up those stones and he's
• 42:52
  form and fasten them, fitting them into the form of building
• 42:56
  to build a building. OK, but as he's we are part of
• 43:01
  his, his Kingdom, all right, and he's fitting us together for a
• 43:06
  purpose is to, you know, to go out and and just to speak to
• 43:12
  whatever whatever that is that he wants you to do, to step
• 43:16
  forward out of our comfort zones into his, his gloriness.
• 43:21
  And you know, those things that he's given us to do.
• 43:24
  All right, it's a but we are in 21 in whom the whole building
• 43:30
  being fitted together, grows into a holy temple.
• 43:39
  We, us, all of us in that part of that building we are.
• 43:47
  OK, let's go to Romans. Romans 8.
• 44:02
  This is one of my favorite chapters.
• 44:05
  Romans 8 Start with verse 31. It says what then?
• 44:11
  OK, after reading all that right, it says, OK then what
• 44:14
  then shall we say to these things?
• 44:16
  If God is for us, who can be against us?
• 44:20
  It says, He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him
• 44:24
  up for us all, how shall not with Him also freely give us all
• 44:29
  things? It says we shall bring.
• 44:32
  It says we who? Who shall bring a charge against
• 44:36
  God's elect? It is God who justifies.
• 44:41
  Who is he who condemns? Who is he who condemns?
• 44:44
  It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who
• 44:49
  is even at the right hand of God, who also makes
• 44:52
  intercessions for us, Who shall separate us from the love of
• 44:56
  Christ? So tribulation, you're going to
• 45:00
  have troubles, you're going to have tribulations in our life.
• 45:03
  Is it going to separate us from the love of Christ or distress
• 45:07
  or persecution or famine, All those things that we mentioned
• 45:11
  before. It says those things are like
• 45:13
  going on. You know, it's, it's, it's
• 45:17
  happening. It says so.
• 45:18
  Or nakedness or peril or sword as is written for your sake.
• 45:23
  We are killed all day long. We are counted as sheep for the
• 45:27
  slaughter, yet in all these things we are more than
• 45:31
  conquerors. Through him who loved us and
• 45:34
  says, For I am persuaded all right, I am persuaded that
• 45:42
  neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
• 45:47
  power, nor things present, nor things that come, nor height nor
• 45:51
  depth, nor any other created things shall be able to separate
• 45:57
  us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• 46:01
  OK, nothing. When those things, when you're
• 46:05
  out, when you're speaking, when God-given us that boldness to
• 46:10
  move forward, don't let nothing separate us.
• 46:14
  He's with us and he's saying that nothing, all right, nothing
• 46:21
  will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
• 46:24
  Christ Jesus. All right, a few more here.
• 46:30
  Philippians 3, Philippians 3 and and 15.
• 46:42
  We'll start with 12. We'll start with 12.
• 46:45
  It says not that I have already obtained nothing.
• 46:51
  I've already taken when when Isaiah when he accepted that
• 46:57
  call. I got to go back to that one now
• 47:04
  and Isaiah 6. I just want to read this real
• 47:08
  quick. When he accepted that, he says,
• 47:13
  woe is me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean
• 47:19
  lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.
• 47:24
  For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
• 47:30
  He didn't think he was, you know, he's what was me.
• 47:34
  He's he got unclean lips. He dwells with people with
• 47:37
  unclean lips. But he's seen, OK, He's seen the
• 47:42
  Lord of hosts, the King, the Lord of hosts.
• 47:45
  All right, not that I have already obtained.
• 47:51
  He didn't have it yet, but he was purged by by the Lord, OK,
• 47:57
  and he was able to do the things he says here am I send me.
• 48:02
  All right, it says or am already perfect, but I press on, press
• 48:08
  on that I might lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid
• 48:13
  hold of me, brother, and I do not count myself to have
• 48:18
  apprehended but one thing I do forget those things which are
• 48:24
  behind and reaching forward, moving forward to those things
• 48:30
  which are ahead. I press toward the goal of the
• 48:34
  prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
• 48:39
  That prize, you know, that's that the prom, eternal life for
• 48:44
  all those that we know and love, don't we?
• 48:46
  That's that the promise of eternal life.
• 48:52
  And they brought him through the Red Sea, all those Israelites
• 48:56
  and they were looking for they were coming into the promised
• 49:00
  land, right? They came into that land.
• 49:03
  They're sinning, doing whatever and judges it's all about sin
• 49:07
  and turn away from God and going back and forth.
• 49:10
  All right, then they're looking for the coming of Christ and
• 49:13
  Christ is, you know, is coming. Now we're looking for the return
• 49:16
  of Christ. But all through that we've got
• 49:20
  in and out. You got, you know, sin and we're
• 49:24
  crying out and sin and trying out in times of trouble.
• 49:27
  And it's still going on, crying out in times of trouble and
• 49:31
  turning. But, you know, if be steadfast
• 49:35
  in him planted by that river of water, right, and not turning
• 49:42
  aside, nothing will separate us, as the other Scripture said,
• 49:45
  from us. But we're going to, we have to
• 49:47
  press on a head for that prize, all right?
• 49:57
  All right, let's go to a couple more.
• 49:59
  Hebrew 11. Hebrews 11/30.
• 50:11
  No. Hebrew 11:30.
• 50:16
  It's L Star that says by faith. That's that.
• 50:22
  That's faith. OK, it says by faith, the walls
• 50:27
  of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.
• 50:31
  Now we talk about going in that, being in that fire and all that.
• 50:36
  Well, Joshua, all right, Joshua had to bring them over the
• 50:42
  Jordan. And here he's standing before
• 50:49
  the commander of the Lord's army.
• 50:51
  Remember that? And he said, he said, are you
• 50:54
  for us or against us? He's talking to the commander of
• 50:57
  the Lord's army, Christ itself. Are you for us or you against
• 51:01
  us? And he said I am the commander
• 51:04
  of the Lord's army. He didn't say it was for you or
• 51:08
  against them. He didn't say that.
• 51:10
  He said I am the commander of the Lord's army.
• 51:12
  And that was Jesus Christ itself.
• 51:18
  And I think of that and I think of, you know, as they brought
• 51:22
  them through and the things that that we do in life and the
• 51:27
  things that even looking back at the Israelites and in Judges and
• 51:32
  and crying out to God and doing their own thing and crying out
• 51:35
  to God and whatever, you know, and Joshua had to put up with
• 51:42
  with those things. But but and he was with Moses
• 51:47
  too. So he's seen it.
• 51:49
  OK, He's remember they held up Moses arms.
• 51:54
  You know, he was in a battle. So he knows.
• 51:59
  Oh, OK, but he was in the OK, but he listened to the the
• 52:04
  commandment of the commander of the Lord's army.
• 52:07
  He listened to what he said to do to capture Jericho.
• 52:12
  All right, OK, let's go on. It says by Faith, the harlot
• 52:17
  Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she had
• 52:23
  received the spies with peace Rahab the harlot, OK, Now, yes,
• 52:32
  she received and said by Faith, OK, she did these things.
• 52:37
  Now, if you listen to that story, the harlot Rahab, the
• 52:41
  spies came, she hid them, OK, And those soldiers came in,
• 52:45
  Where are they? She hid them right, but when
• 52:48
  they came down, the soldiers left and she told him to lie and
• 52:51
  whatever he knows well, but she told him she's I've heard how
• 52:58
  God has brought you through the Red Sea.
• 53:04
  I've heard how he took care of you all right, did all those
• 53:08
  things all right for them all right.
• 53:11
  He heard that she says I know that you're God is God.
• 53:19
  She had that faith. That's why she's mentioned here.
• 53:21
  She had that that faith because she knew she accepted all right
• 53:25
  and she she knew and she was saved because of her faith and
• 53:30
  who she knew God was all right, let's go on.
• 53:32
  It says it says and what more shall I say for the time would
• 53:40
  fill me to tell of Gideon. Gideon.
• 53:44
  He was in that time of judges. OK, and, and when the Angel of
• 53:49
  the Lord, OK, when the OK, when the Angel of the Lord, when the
• 53:53
  Angel of the Lord came to him, all right, the Angel of the Lord
• 53:56
  came to him all right. And he says he what he say he
• 54:01
  said the Lord is with you, my mighty man of valor.
• 54:06
  And he says, what are you talking about, mighty man of
• 54:09
  valor? He says, you know, if the Lord
• 54:12
  is with us, why is all these things happening to us?
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  Didn't he? Why is all these things
• 54:17
  happening to us? But he believed he had faith and
• 54:23
  he went forward to do what he had to do with faith.
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  He said he was the least of his house.
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  He was the this tribe was the least in his father, was the
• 54:36
  least in his tribe. I mean, he, he was the least in
• 54:38
  his father's tribe. OK?
• 54:40
  But he went forward. All right, I got to get going
• 54:42
  here. Samson, we know about Samson.
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  You know he loved his women whatever Jetha, he took the vow
• 54:50
  and he said when he comes back in peace that when the first
• 54:53
  thing that walks out of the house, you know that he was
• 54:55
  going to have a burnt, burnt sacrifice.
• 54:57
  But all of these are mentioned here because of their faith.
• 54:59
  David we know David and what he did and all that Samuel and the
• 55:03
  prophet prophets and it says who then faith and subdued kingdoms
• 55:08
  walk worked righteousness obtained promise, but they all
• 55:13
  through faith. All right, that's OK.
• 55:17
  One more, one more I got to quit one more.
• 55:20
  OK, I'm going to go to the book of Esther.
• 55:26
  All right, Esther chapter 4. And we know this story about
• 55:35
  Esther and Mordecai and Hammond conspired to kill the Jews, all
• 55:39
  right? And and he convinced the king
• 55:43
  that the Jews must die. And he did his signet on and all
• 55:47
  that. OK.
• 55:48
  But now Esther and Mordecai passing notes back and forth.
• 55:53
  Mordecai was saying, look, you got to go in and tell the king.
• 55:57
  You got to speak on our behalf, all right?
• 56:00
  And then. OK.
• 56:01
  And then listen to this. It says all and 11 all the
• 56:13
  King's servants and the people of the King's provinces knew
• 56:17
  that any man or woman who goes into the inner courts of the
• 56:21
  king who has not been called, it says they're going to perish,
• 56:27
  you're going to die, don't matter.
• 56:28
  It's the law, they're going to go.
• 56:30
  They haven't been called. All right, but this is what, OK,
• 56:38
  Mordecai told them. This is what I want to, it says.
• 56:41
  And Mordecai told them to answer Esther.
• 56:43
  It says, do not think in your heart that you will escape in
• 56:48
  the King's palace any more than all the other Jews.
• 56:53
  For if you remain completely silent at this time, listen to
• 56:59
  that. Don't think that you're going to
• 57:01
  be safe because you're up in there and you're Queen Esther,
• 57:04
  right? It says for if you remain
• 57:06
  completely silent at this time moving forward, speaking on
• 57:11
  behalf of God, if you remain completely sad this time, relief
• 57:15
  and deliverance will arise for the Jews from some other place.
• 57:20
  OK, they're, you know, they're going to get saved from other
• 57:21
  sources. But he said, but suppose whether
• 57:25
  you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this, Did you,
• 57:33
  did you, did you hear that? When I heard this, I'm saying,
• 57:40
  but you and your father's house will Paris and says yet who
• 57:43
  knows? So when we're speaking and you
• 57:47
  can, you can come up now when you're speaking, you don't know
• 57:54
  what's going to happen, right? You don't know what, what's
• 57:59
  going to come out of your mouth that's going to help somebody
• 58:01
  who's going to save somebody who you can minister to, who you can
• 58:07
  strengthen. And it and I just think that
• 58:12
  this he's, he's calling us to get out of our Christian comfort
• 58:17
  zone, Amen, our Christian comfort zone.
• 58:20
  And in this church, we have all kind of ministries, all right,
• 58:25
  we have a prayer group that meets every Thursday night.
• 58:28
  You know, all this, our children's ministry, all we can
• 58:30
  help in those ministries and and just doing that even, but it
• 58:34
  builds up, builds us up so we can go out and minister to
• 58:40
  others. It builds our own personal
• 58:41
  ministries up that we can go out our talents, our abilities.
• 58:48
  I love it when I see Francis up here playing the organ that me
• 58:52
  that's like my goodness, like use what God has given us is
• 59:00
  what I'm saying, Use what God has given us to step forward
• 59:04
  into what he wants us to do Amen.
• 59:07
  Amen. Let us take communion.
• 59:10
  Hallelujah. No, we just, we just thank you,
• 59:17
  Lord, for just how you speak, how you want us to move, how
• 59:22
  you, yes, one has to not, not keep still, Lord God, but to
• 59:27
  keep moving forward and professing who you are in our
• 59:30
  life, Lord God. And it says, For I receive from
• 59:38
  the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord
• 59:42
  Jesus on the same night in which he was portrayed, he took bread.
• 59:48
  And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take, eat.
• 59:53
  This is my body which is broken, for you do this in remembrance
• 59:58
  of me. In the same manner He also took
• 1:00:07
  the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in
• 1:00:13
  my blood. This do as often as you drink it
• 1:00:18
  in remembrance of me. For as ousting as you eat this
• 1:00:26
  bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until
• 1:00:32
  he comes. And that's we got to proclaim
• 1:00:36
  the Lord's death until he comes. We have to let's be bold.
• 1:00:42
  Let's us we be bold for what God is doing at this time, in such a
• 1:00:51
  time as this. We don't know when he's coming
• 1:00:56
  back. I know when I was a young boy in
• 1:00:59
  church, it's like and I heard them say, oh, this is troubled
• 1:01:02
  times and it's got to be the end times.
• 1:01:06
  We don't know when the end times are, but this is what we do know
• 1:01:10
  that we love the Lord and we want all those that we know to
• 1:01:15
  come to him and receive them to enjoy this life that we have.
• 1:01:22
  Amen.