Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / The Trouble with the Raven - 4/19/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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The Trouble with the Raven - 4/19/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
• 0:15
  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  Genesis chapter number eight. I
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  appreciate the good singing tonight and
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  I just want to share with you what the
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  Lord has put on our heart. A little
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  different portion of scripture. I don't
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  know that you've ever uh I hope you've
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  heard this preached before, but we're
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  we're going to see what the Lord does
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  for us tonight. Genesis chapter number 8
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  verse number six. When you find your
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  place, if you would stand on reference
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  to the reading of God's word, if you are
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  if you're able and I appreciate you very
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  much. Thank you for your faithfulness to
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  the house of God. And uh I just want to
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  say thank the Lord tonight for saving
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  me. I thank God for my wife and uh God's
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  been so good to me. And uh man, I just
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  bless the Lord.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> And uh thank God for it. And uh if it'
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  been left up to me, I know I'd have
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  messed up, but man, I'm thankful God
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  brought me my wife. Amen.
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  >> And uh I love her and I appreciate her
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  and I appreciate her service to the
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  Lord. And I'm just reminded today how
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  much she does. And I'm thankful for
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  that. Thankful for that. thankful for
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  all you ladies that work so hard in our
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  church and I just felt like that needed
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  to be said. Genesis 8 verse number 6,
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  the Bible says, "And it came to pass at
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  the end of 40 days that Noah opened the
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  window of the ark which he had made."
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  And the Bible says in verse 7, "And he
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  sent forth a raven which went forth to
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  and fro until the waters were dried up
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  from off the earth." Father, I ask you
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  this evening humbly that you would help
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  us. God, I have not come tonight, Lord,
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  to speak with enticing words of man's
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  wisdom, but God, I want to be a help to
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  this congregation.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Lord, I love these people so much. And
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  God, I pray, Father, that the word of
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  God would land on the good ground
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  tonight. I pray, Father, that it would
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  bear fruit. And I pray that it would be
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  effective in all of our lives. You said
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  it would not return void. And God, I
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  pray that you would allow me to speak
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  it, Father, tonight effectively. And
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  Lord, I ask you, God, tonight for every
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  need that's present. Lord, I thank you
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  for what you did for us this morning.
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  But Lord, we need new help tonight. And
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  so, God, I pray that you would help us
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  tonight. Thank you for the truth, Lord,
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  tonight. That in our heart, we know that
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  we're saved because of what your word
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  says. And Lord, I pray that we would
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  rest in that. Help us tonight, I pray.
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  Get glory to yourself and for what you
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  do. Well, thank you for it because we
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  ask it in Jesus name. Amen. And amen.
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  and you can be seated tonight. Thank you
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  for standing this evening. Now, I've
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  been just sort of jump jumping around in
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  these text and I felt burdened about
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  this particular text tonight and I want
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  to I want to preach to you tonight out
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  of verse number seven on this thought.
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  The Bible says, "And he sent forth a
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  raven." I want to preach tonight for
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  just a little while on the raven out of
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  this text. Now, I need you to stay with
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  me this evening for just a little while.
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  I got a thought, something I want to get
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  to tonight and I need your attention. So
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  stay with us for just a little while.
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  We'll move quickly tonight. I noticed by
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  way of introduction tonight what has
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  transpired here in these verses
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  concerning the context. Of course, we
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  notice that the death of the world has
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  transpired according to Genesis chapter
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  number 7 and verse number 21. And your
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  Bible says, "And all flesh died that
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  moved upon the earth, both of foul and
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  of cattle and of beast, and of every
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  creeping thing that creepeth upon the
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  earth, and every man." Verse 22 says,
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  "All in whose nostrils was the breath of
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  life of all that was in the dry land
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  died." And so this is the death of the
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  world. And when I say the world, I say
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  that it is the the humans, all of the
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  human race, aside from Noah, his three
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  sons, and their wives, all of the human
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  race died. But as well, the animal life
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  died. All of those mammals and birds
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  that were there in the land. It was this
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  flood lasted long enough, and I told you
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  wrong this morning, the flood was is
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  estimated to be about a year to a year
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  and 10 days according to the numeric
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  here in the text. But I will say this,
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  this flood was long enough and it was
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  upon the earth for such a period of time
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  that the birds after a while could not
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  find food to survive. And so the only
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  birds that survived were the ones that
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  were on the ark and they were brought
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  forth in this text. So it's the death of
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  the world. The plant life has died. The
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  animal life has died. And really I
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  believe that the according to the text
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  there in verse number 22 that this the
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  life in the ocean it lived on. But you
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  understand the imagery. God has wiped
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  out the earth in this text because of
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  his judgment. And so we notice the death
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  of the world. And then you come over
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  into chapter number 8 verse 24 of
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  chapter 7 tells us that the waters
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  prevailed upon the earth
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  150 days. And so it's a lengthy period
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  that Noah and the his family and all
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  these animals are in this ark. But the
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  Bible says in chapter 8 and verse number
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  one, notice that first phrase, "And God
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  remembered Noah." Amen. And let me say
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  this tonight. It's not because God had
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  forgotten Noah. Amen. But it just means
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  that God recognized, Amen. Noah's still
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  in that boat. Amen. And he's going to
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  help him. And out of that, you see not
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  only the death of the world, but I see
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  the descending wind that comes in verse
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  number one of chapter 8. The Bible says,
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  "And all the cattle that was with him in
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  the ark, and God made a wind to pass
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  over the earth, and the waters, notice
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  that, as slaved." And so out of this,
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  there is the descending wind, and there
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  is the departing waters. This wind that
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  comes, begins to blow back the waters
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  here upon the earth. And there's a great
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  image and type in that tonight because
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  the wind is often typified as the Holy
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  Ghost of God. The Bible says that the
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  spirit of God in Genesis chapter number
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  one moved upon the face of the waters.
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  The image of that wind blowing there
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  upon the waters in Genesis 1. And Jesus
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  told Nicodemus in John chapter number
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  three that the wind bloweth where it
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  listeth. And you can hear the sound
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  thereof, but you can snot tell whence it
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  cometh or whether it goeth. And he what
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  did he say? So is everyone that is born
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  of the spirit. You know what he was
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  referring to? He was referring to the
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  life of the Holy Ghost of God on the
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  inside of the believer. And I want to
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  say this for this text. I'm thankful
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  that this image here shows us that it is
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  the Holy Spirit of God that's blowing
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  back the waters of God's judgment. Amen.
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  God has judged this world. But aren't
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  you thankful? His judgment was only
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  temporary. It did not last eternally.
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  Amen. And there's coming a day, friend,
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  when God is going to judge the world
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  that you and I are now on. But aren't
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  you thankful? It's just for a period of
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  time. Amen. Oh, I feel good in my soul.
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  Amen. That judgment is just for a period
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  of time. But there's going to come a day
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  when the Holy Ghost of God, John said it
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  this way in Revelation. He said, "I saw
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  new heavens and a new earth." Amen.
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  Prepared as a bride that do Jerusalem
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  coming down from God out of heaven,
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  prepared as a bride adorned for her
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  husband. Let me say this. This earth is
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  ripe for judgment. And judgment is
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  coming. But aren't you thankful?
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  Judgment is going to pass. Amen. And I
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  see in the text not only the death of
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  the world and the descending wind, the
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  departing waters, but I notice this
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  fourthly by way of introduction this
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  evening. I see a displaced window in the
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  text. Notice what your Bible says. The
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  Bible says in verse four, "And the ark
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  rested in the seventh month on the 17th
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  day of the month upon the mountains of
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  Arat, and the waters decreased
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  continually until the 10th month. In the
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  10th month, on the first day of the
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  month, were the tops of the mountain
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  seen. And it came to pass, notice this,
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  at the end of 40 days that Noah opened
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  the window of the ark which he had made.
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  So here in the text, we know according
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  to Genesis 6, the Bible tells us that
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  God told Noah, you're to make one
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  singular window in the ark. And the
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  Bible says you're to make it above. And
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  this is what that means. This window was
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  not on the side looking out. It wasn't
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  at the very top looking out from the
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  side, but this was a window that was
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  literally in the top of the ark. And you
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  say, "What is that?" It wasn't a clear
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  transparent glass. But what that word
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  window literally means is it's a
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  removable piece of the ark. And that
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  word window, when you look up, its
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  translation, every other time it's used
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  in the word of God has reference to the
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  rising of the sun at the middle of the
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  day. And so this window, what it would
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  be is it would be in the center point of
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  the top of that ark looking above,
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  pointing above. And I'll say this, the
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  imagery is this, that that window wasn't
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  on the side so Noah could look around.
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  It wasn't on the bottom so Noah could
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  look down. But that window was above so
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  he could look to God. Amen. And let me
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  say this, remind you tonight, we may be
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  facing judgment very soon in our country
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  to come in the days ahead. But let me
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  remind you, we're not to be looking
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  around. Amen. We're to be looking
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  upward. Amen. Jesus said, "When you see
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  these things, look up." Amen. For your
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  redemption drawth nigh. Amen. And this
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  window here in the text, the Bible says
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  that after some time, Noah has displaced
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  this window. The Bible says that he
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  opened the window of the ark which he
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  had made. You notice that colum there in
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  the text. And the Bible says in verse
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  seven, "And he sent forth, notice that,
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  a raven."
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  Now, tonight, I'm going to be honest
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  with you. I'm just going to give you
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  some simple thoughts out of this, but I
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  don't want you to miss the point tonight
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  concerning this raven. All right? I want
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  to give you four things about this raven
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  this evening. And you see, when I look
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  at this raven, I number one ask myself,
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  why is it that Moses or Noah sends out a
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  raven? Come on.
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  >> Why does Noah in this text, now I look
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  here in the text and the Bible says he
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  sent forth a raven which went forth to
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  and fro until the waters were dried up
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  from off the earth. And I I thought
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  about this. You know why some
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  commentators say that Noah when he sent
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  forth that raven, that raven did not
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  accomplish the work that he wanted it to
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  do. But I submit to you it did
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  accomplish the work that he wanted it to
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  do. Because when Noah sent this raven
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  forth, he had a practical intention with
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  this raven.
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  >> There's point number one. There's a
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  practical intention. You say, "What is
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  that?" Well, this raven here in the
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  text, his job was he was sending him
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  forth to gauge the depth of the water.
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  You're
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  >> right.
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  >> You say, "How is that?" Well, the Bible
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  says in the text that 21 days follow
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  this. You notice that in verse number
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  eight, also he sent forth a dove from
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  him to see if the waters were abaded
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  from off the face of the ground. Verse
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  number nine, the dove finds no place for
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  the soul of her foot. So she returned
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  unto him in the ark. The Bible says in
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  verse 10, he stayed yet other seven
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  days. He sent the dove forth the dove
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  out of the ark. Verse 11, and the dove
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  came into him in the evening. And lo and
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  her mouth was an odd of leaf plucked
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  off. So Noah knew that the waters were
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  abaded from off the earth. So what that
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  indicates right there is is that Noah
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  sends forth this raven and after seven
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  days the raven does not come back. Seven
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  days later he sends out the dove in the
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  text. The dove comes back. She finds no
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  place for the sole of her foot. So seven
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  more days pass. And then he sends out
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  that dove once more and she comes back
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  with that olive leaf. Then he waits
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  seven more days. And after that seven
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  days, that third seven-day period, the
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  dove leaves and she does not return. You
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  say, "Preacher, what is that saying?"
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  Well, when no Noah sent this raven out
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  in this text, the waters was still
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  covering the face of the earth.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> And I read this about a raven. I'll give
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  you this and get you the message
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  tonight. I kind of jumped ahead of
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  myself, but a raven in its flight,
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  number one, you think about a raven in
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  the the sense of the world which we live
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  in. Number one, I would say it's a solo
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  flyer.
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  >> Ravens do not fly in packs. They do.
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  They if they do fly in a pair, they fly
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  in a pair of two. They don't fly more
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  than one or more than two, but they
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  they're a solo flyer. And what do we
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  know about a raven? They're a scavenger
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  for food,
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  >> right?
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  >> They are scavengers like vultures and
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  and crows. They're scavengers upon dead
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  things. I'll give you more about that in
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  just a minute. But I'll say this.
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  According to the Bible, raven is a solo
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  flyer. They're also a scavenger food,
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  but it's a sinful foul as well. You see,
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  in the book of Leviticus, a raven was an
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  unclean bird. It was a bird that was not
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  wanted. It was a bird that was not
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  useful. And matter of fact, there was a
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  curse upon a man that would take a raven
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  and eat of it. And so you say, "Why do
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  you say all that, preacher?" Well, he's
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  a good type of you and me. That's
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  >> right. Come on.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> He's a good type of you and I. Amen. I'm
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  going to get to that in just a minute.
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  But I want to remind you this, okay,
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  this evening, I I say that it was a
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  practical intention because this raven
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  has a solo fly. I researched this this
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  afternoon and it said that a raven can
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  fly for up to a maximum of 14 to 16
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  hours before it has to land. Well, what
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  have we noticed in the text? Seven days
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  has passed. The raven's not come back.
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  >> Seven days passes, he sends out the
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  dove. Seven more days passes, the dove,
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  he the dove comes back. Seven more days
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  he sends out the dove again. Seven more
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  days sends out the dove the third time.
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  But in all of those days, who never came
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  back?
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  >> The raven.
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  >> So what does this tell us? Well, when I
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  think about this text, the practical
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  intention was Noah sent this raven out
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  to see if the waters had lowered some.
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  But you see, Noah knew what this raven
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  was. And I'll say this second of all,
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  not only the practical intention, but I
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  want you to understand the putrid
• 14:14
  indication. That's right.
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  >> You see what's happened in this text is
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  this raven was finding a place to land,
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  but it wasn't land.
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  >> You see, waters were covering the face
• 14:26
  of the earth at this point in time. And
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  you you say, "Preacher, what did the
• 14:29
  raven land on in the text?" Well, you
• 14:31
  read between the lines and find out a
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  raven's a scavenger.
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  >> 14 to 16 hours of maximum flight. And
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  ravens don't fly that long. I mean, you
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  can look around and if you've seen a
• 14:42
  raven outside, you know that they don't
• 14:44
  fly that long. And so I would say this,
• 14:46
  this raven left the boat. This raven's
• 14:49
  landing outside the bloke. But let me
• 14:51
  say this to you. This raven's lunching
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  outside the boat, too.
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  >> Right.
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  >> While he was in the boat, he had a meal.
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  That's
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  >> right.
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  >> Come on.
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  >> WHILE HE WAS INSIDE THE SHIP, HE WAS
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  TAKEN care of by Noah.
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  >> That's right.
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  >> But when Noah sent him out, you know
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  what he did? He went back to his old way
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  of life.
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  >> Oh, there's so much preaching this.
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  >> When he went out of the boat, you see,
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  he left the boat. Noah sent him out. But
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  you see, Noah was using this raven. It
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  was a practical intention to see if the
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  raven in it was showing whether or not
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  there was judgment had taken place.
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  >> Right?
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  >> The putrid indication. You see, he was
• 15:29
  lunching on everything that was lost.
• 15:31
  >> You're right.
• 15:31
  >> You see, as that water began to descend,
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  you know what happened? There were
• 15:35
  places where those dead carcasses of
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  animals and people. I'm not trying to be
• 15:39
  crude or vulgar tonight, but you
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  understand a raven is a is a vulture.
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  It's a scavenger. And so he's lunching
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  on the dead things, the things that were
• 15:48
  lost. And the indication is that the
• 15:51
  waters here judgment had taken place and
• 15:53
  the raven had found lunch outside. And
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  I'll say this thirdly, and I'm moving
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  quickly. I told you I was going to be
• 15:59
  quick tonight. We see the practical
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  intention, the putrid indication. But I
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  noticed the prophetic implication in
• 16:06
  this.
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  >> Come on, preacher. Come on. You say,
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  "What do you mean?" Well, when I look at
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  this raven, what you find is as he's
• 16:12
  journeying out, Noah did not send the
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  raven out to come back to him again.
• 16:16
  >> You're right.
• 16:17
  >> Noah sent the raven out to see if
• 16:19
  judgment had taken place.
• 16:20
  >> Yeah.
• 16:21
  >> You know what happened? Because the way
• 16:23
  that ark was built, Noah had no way to
• 16:25
  look out,
• 16:26
  >> right?
• 16:26
  >> He had no way to view the outside world.
• 16:29
  There was no windows in the ark. There
• 16:31
  was nothing there that he could see. The
• 16:33
  only window was that window above. And
• 16:35
  the Bible says that it was closed. Amen.
• 16:37
  And so there was no light in the ark in
• 16:39
  that sense. And so there was no visual
• 16:42
  for Noah on the outside. So when he sent
• 16:45
  the raven out, this raven was sent out
• 16:47
  to look and see if judgment had taken
• 16:49
  place.
• 16:50
  >> Well, you see tonight, this raven is
• 16:52
  feeding upon the things that are dead.
• 16:54
  But you know, this is not the only place
• 16:56
  in the Bible where it's mentioned that a
• 16:58
  bird feeds upon the dead.
• 16:59
  >> Come on, pre.
• 17:00
  >> Jesus said this in Matthew chapter
• 17:02
  number 24 and verse number 28. You
• 17:05
  remember what he said? He said,
• 17:06
  "Wheresoever the eagles are gathered
• 17:08
  together, there shall the carcass be."
• 17:11
  And you know what he was referring to?
• 17:12
  He was referring to the judgment of
• 17:14
  Israel. He was referring to the judgment
• 17:16
  of God's people in the last days in the
• 17:19
  tribulation period. He was saying, "Hey,
• 17:21
  there's a death coming. There's judgment
• 17:24
  coming." And you know what? At the end
• 17:25
  of all my judgment, when all his wrath
• 17:28
  is poured out, you know what happens in
• 17:30
  that text? Jesus said the eagles,
• 17:32
  literally translated vultures, they're
• 17:34
  going to be there gnawing on the bones
• 17:36
  and on the flesh of those men that died.
• 17:39
  AND YOU SAY, "PREACHER, what does that
• 17:40
  mean to me this evening?" Well, let me
• 17:42
  give you this and I'll be get to the
• 17:44
  application tonight. I consider this
• 17:46
  prophetic implication. It's not only
• 17:49
  there in the tribulation, but you see
• 17:51
  the last battle that'll ever be fought.
• 17:53
  the Lord. In the book of Revelation,
• 17:54
  chapter number 19, he mentions a subject
• 17:57
  he calls the supper of the great God.
• 18:00
  You're
• 18:00
  >> right.
• 18:01
  >> In Revelation 19 and verse 17 and in
• 18:04
  verse 21, God the Father literally
• 18:07
  invites the fowls after that last
• 18:09
  battle, Gog and Magog, he invites the
• 18:12
  fouls to come and devour the flesh of
• 18:14
  that last army, devour the flesh of men
• 18:17
  and beasts that were lost in that last
• 18:20
  battle. And you say, "What is it?" Well,
• 18:22
  Noah sent this raven forth as a image.
• 18:25
  >> Yeah.
• 18:26
  >> To clean up judgment.
• 18:27
  >> You're right.
• 18:29
  >> I preached all night to get to this. All
• 18:31
  right, I'm done. We see the practical
• 18:34
  intention, the putrid indication. I
• 18:37
  consider the prophetic implication
• 18:39
  showing that judgment had transpired and
• 18:41
  God has now sent the fouls. that's
• 18:43
  mentioned in Mark Matthew 24:28, Luke
• 18:47
  17:37, and Revelation 19:17-21
• 18:52
  concerning the supper of the great God.
• 18:54
  But I want to say this tonight, and I'll
• 18:56
  be done this evening. You see, it's not
• 18:58
  only a prophetic implication, but there
• 19:00
  is a personal identification here.
• 19:02
  >> Come on, preacher. Come on.
• 19:04
  >> You say, "What is that, preacher?" Well,
• 19:06
  it's you and me. That's
• 19:07
  >> right.
• 19:07
  >> More specifically, our flesh.
• 19:09
  >> You're right. Amen. Right. You say, "How
• 19:12
  is that, preacher?" Well, you see,
• 19:14
  tonight your flesh is like this raven.
• 19:18
  >> It's a solo flyer.
• 19:21
  Scavenges for food.
• 19:23
  >> You're right.
• 19:23
  >> And it's utterly sinful.
• 19:25
  >> You're right.
• 19:26
  >> Amen.
• 19:27
  >> You see, I thought about this raven
• 19:29
  tonight. He was sent forth. I thought
• 19:31
  about this raven. You understand? He
• 19:33
  stayed with the dead.
• 19:36
  >> When that raven left the boats, you know
• 19:37
  what happened? He found his life amongst
• 19:40
  dead things.
• 19:41
  >> You're right.
• 19:43
  >> But you know what? He didn't only find
• 19:44
  his life among dead things. He also
• 19:47
  survives
• 19:48
  >> on dead things. You're
• 19:50
  >> right.
• 19:51
  >> You know, the life of this raven, he was
• 19:53
  sustained
• 19:54
  by the curse, the judgment of God. He
• 19:57
  ate off of the death of where other
• 20:00
  people were judged. You're
• 20:02
  >> right.
• 20:03
  >> You ever seen somebody that feast on
• 20:04
  somebody else's calamity?
• 20:06
  >> Come on, brother.
• 20:08
  That's what this raven does.
• 20:10
  >> Yes, sir.
• 20:12
  >> I I told you I was done. This is it. All
• 20:14
  right. He stays with the dead. He
• 20:17
  survives on dead things. But here's the
• 20:18
  here's the trouble with the raven.
• 20:21
  You know what the trouble of the raven
• 20:22
  was? After all that time he spent in the
• 20:26
  boat.
• 20:27
  >> When he was sent forth, you know what he
• 20:29
  didn't do? He didn't come back.
• 20:31
  >> That's right.
• 20:33
  >> He slided the ark.
• 20:36
  >> So, I'm done.
• 20:37
  You say, "What does that mean,
• 20:39
  preacher?" Well, I'm watching people in
• 20:40
  this day and time, and just bear with me
• 20:43
  just a minute. All right. I'm watching
• 20:45
  people walk out by the I mean, it seems
• 20:47
  dozens.
• 20:48
  >> You're right.
• 20:48
  >> I'm watching people throw in the towel.
• 20:50
  >> You're right.
• 20:52
  >> And I It don't It don't matter. I'll say
• 20:54
  it anyway. I know a man right now was a
• 20:56
  preacher. You know what? He's decided he
• 20:58
  preached many years of his life. And
• 21:00
  just last week, I found out he joined up
• 21:02
  with the Hell's Angels.
• 21:06
  And here's what I had to say to you
• 21:07
  about that. All right. The Bible says in
• 21:10
  this text right here that the raven, he
• 21:12
  never came back. You're
• 21:13
  >> right.
• 21:14
  >> You understand? So you say, "Preacher,
• 21:16
  is that man saved?" I really don't know.
• 21:18
  It don't look like it. But I will tell
• 21:19
  you this, friend. If you allow your
• 21:21
  flesh to take control, your flesh will
• 21:24
  stay with the dead.
• 21:26
  >> Hey friend, that Garinian maniac, you
• 21:28
  know where the Bible says he found
• 21:29
  himself when he had that legion of
• 21:31
  devils in him? He was living in the
• 21:33
  tombs. Amen. He was staying AROUND THE
• 21:36
  DEAD. AND WHILE HE WAS LIVING THERE, you
• 21:38
  know what he was doing? He was surviving
• 21:40
  off of dead things. He was cutting
• 21:41
  himself, nashing himself with stones and
• 21:44
  rocks. And let me remind you of this
• 21:46
  tonight. YOUR FLESH WILL DO THE SAME
• 21:48
  THING IF YOU ALLOW it to run rapid. It's
• 21:50
  like water. It's going to go to the
• 21:52
  lowest point and get as low as it can
• 21:54
  possibly get. I'M SAYING, FRIEND, YOUR
• 21:56
  FLESH TONIGHT IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. AMEN.
• 21:59
  AND IT WILL NEVER, LISTEN TO ME TONIGHT,
• 22:01
  CHURCH, IT WILL NEVER be submissive TO
• 22:03
  THE THINGS OF GOD. The reason why people
• 22:06
  don't like the commandments, the reason
• 22:08
  why PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE STANDARD, THE
• 22:10
  REASON WHY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE PREACHING
• 22:12
  IS BECAUSE THEY'RE CONTROLLED BY THE
• 22:14
  FLESH. THEY ARE A RAVEN.
• 22:17
  >> You're right.
• 22:18
  >> Thank you, Peter.
• 22:19
  >> You say, "Preacher, is that an
• 22:21
  indictment against me tonight?" No, it's
• 22:23
  an indictment against me.
• 22:26
  >> Come on, preacher.
• 22:27
  >> Cuz you know what? My flesh is the same
• 22:29
  way.
• 22:29
  >> You're right.
• 22:30
  >> And if you allow your flesh to control
• 22:32
  you, know you know what'll happen?
• 22:33
  You'll leave the ship. You're
• 22:35
  >> right.
• 22:35
  >> You'll never come back.
• 22:36
  >> You're right.
• 22:38
  >> The Bible says here in the text, I call
• 22:41
  it the personal identification because
• 22:43
  the Bible says he sent forth a raven.
• 22:45
  Notice the text. And which went forth to
• 22:47
  and fro. You ever seen somebody that's
• 22:50
  always going back and forth?
• 22:51
  >> Come on, preacher.
• 22:52
  >> One day they're in, one day they're out.
• 22:55
  >> Amen. One day they're okay, one day
• 22:57
  they're terrible.
• 22:59
  >> You say, "Preacher, we're all that way."
• 23:01
  Well, I understand to some extent, but
• 23:02
  I'm talking about spiritual things.
• 23:04
  >> You're right.
• 23:05
  >> I'm talking about people who can never
• 23:06
  get it settled.
• 23:07
  >> You're right.
• 23:08
  >> People who can never have a foundation.
• 23:09
  They can't never seem to get ground. And
• 23:11
  you know what's the problem with them is
• 23:12
  they're controlled by the flesh.
• 23:14
  >> You're right.
• 23:14
  >> Let me say this. If you have no desire
• 23:16
  to come back to the boat, I'll tell you
• 23:18
  this. You're not saved.
• 23:19
  >> Amen.
• 23:20
  >> I'm not talking about the church. I'm
• 23:22
  talking about Jesus. That's right.
• 23:23
  >> If you can walk away from Jesus and you
• 23:26
  have no desire to come back to him,
• 23:27
  you've never known him.
• 23:28
  >> Come on.
• 23:29
  >> Jesus said, "All that the Father giveth
• 23:31
  to me shall come to me." Do you hear
• 23:33
  what I just said? All that the Father
• 23:35
  giveth me shall come to me, and he that
• 23:37
  cometh to me, I will in wise cast out.
• 23:40
  And let me say, when you get in his
• 23:41
  hand, you're not going to BE READY TO
• 23:43
  GET OUT OF IT.
• 23:43
  >> YOU'RE RIGHT.
• 23:46
  >> I tell you this, and I'm done tonight.
• 23:48
  The Bible says he sent forth a raven
• 23:50
  which went forth to and fro until the
• 23:52
  waters were dried up from off the earth.
• 23:55
  And you know what? There come a day when
• 23:57
  they saw this raven again.
• 24:01
  >> But you know what I think they found?
• 24:04
  You see this raven was the only raven on
• 24:06
  the earth. And so you know what he had?
• 24:10
  He had all the wealth of the world.
• 24:12
  >> Come on.
• 24:15
  >> Listen to what I'm telling you.
• 24:18
  Everything that died in the world was at
• 24:20
  his disposal.
• 24:21
  >> You're right.
• 24:22
  >> You know what that raven looked like
• 24:24
  when they found him?
• 24:29
  >> You know why? Because he was fat
• 24:31
  >> eating death. That's
• 24:33
  >> right.
• 24:34
  >> When you see somebody that's full of the
• 24:36
  world,
• 24:37
  >> come on. Come on.
• 24:38
  >> And full of death. Are you hearing me
• 24:40
  preach?
• 24:41
  >> Yeah.
• 24:41
  >> When you see somebody that's full of the
• 24:43
  world and full of death, I can tell you
• 24:45
  this. They don't know God. You're right.
• 24:47
  >> Yes, sir.
• 24:48
  >> Amen.
• 24:49
  >> God's not going to let you be full of
• 24:50
  the world and full of death.
• 24:52
  >> You say, "What is that, preacher?" Well,
• 24:54
  it can be anything. It's sin's what it
• 24:56
  is.
• 24:56
  >> Amen.
• 24:57
  >> But it can be bitterness.
• 24:58
  >> You're right.
• 24:59
  >> I've watched men,
• 25:01
  >> women be taken out because they became
• 25:03
  so bitter. God, they were never going to
• 25:05
  forgive. They were never going to get
• 25:07
  over that bitterness.
• 25:08
  >> Come on.
• 25:10
  >> I've seen men be taken out because they
• 25:12
  had spoken in the name of God and said,
• 25:14
  "I'm done with him.
• 25:16
  And
• 25:17
  >> you know what happens? God takes them
• 25:18
  out.
• 25:18
  >> You're right.
• 25:20
  >> You'll never see somebody fat on this
• 25:22
  world
• 25:24
  and they live too very long.
• 25:27
  >> I submit to you tonight. This raven
• 25:29
  lived a very short life.
• 25:31
  >> You're right.
• 25:32
  >> You say, "Preacher, what's the warning
• 25:33
  tonight? Be careful what you feeding
• 25:36
  on."
• 25:36
  >> You're right.
• 25:37
  >> Amen.
• 25:38
  >> Be careful what you feeding on, child of
• 25:40
  God. Be careful what you feeding on.
• 25:42
  These tendencies are in you.
• 25:43
  >> You're right. But listen to me, sinner.
• 25:45
  If you're here and you're lost tonight,
• 25:47
  this is all you'll ever want to eat.
• 25:49
  >> That's right.
• 25:50
  >> But you know what? There's going to come
• 25:51
  a day when it puts you in the ground.
• 25:52
  >> Amen.
• 25:54
  >> As we stand this evening, every head's
• 25:56
  bowed and every eyes closed.
• 25:58
  The message of the raven is this.
• 26:02
  You better be careful what you're
• 26:03
  feeding on.
• 26:07
  As a sister plays tonight,
• 26:10
  you say, "Preacher,
• 26:12
  preacher, I'm here. I'm not saved,
• 26:14
  preacher. I'm I'm feeding on the wrong
• 26:16
  things, preacher. I have no desire to do
• 26:19
  right. But God has stirred my heart. I
• 26:21
  cannot look back at my life and find
• 26:23
  where I ever tried to do right before
• 26:25
  God. But preacher, God stirred my heart
• 26:27
  tonight and revealed to me that it's
• 26:30
  time for me to change. It's time for me
• 26:34
  to be saved. Preacher, would you pray
• 26:36
  for me? There's nobody looking around
• 26:38
  but me tonight. You say, "Preacher, I'm
• 26:40
  not saved. I don't know the Lord." You
• 26:42
  just slip your hand up. I'll pray for
• 26:43
  you this evening. I say this tonight,
• 26:47
  child of God, you are never designed,
• 26:50
  listen to me, you are not designed to
• 26:52
  feed on what this world has to offer.
• 26:56
  Paul said it this way in Romans 6. How
• 26:58
  shall we that are dead to sin live any
• 27:00
  longer therein? You cannot live there.
• 27:04
  You will die there if you allow it to
• 27:06
  take you too far. Let me ask you
• 27:08
  tonight. You say, "Preacher, I've been
• 27:09
  feeding on all the wrong things."
• 27:12
  Preacher, I admit there's some things in
• 27:13
  my life maybe I'm not, you know, there's
• 27:15
  some things that I just know is not
• 27:17
  right and I'm struggling with it.
• 27:18
  Preacher, would you pray for me? You
• 27:20
  mean anybody be honest tonight? God sees
• 27:22
  that. God sees those hands tonight.
• 27:25
  Anybody else? Preacher, preacher, I just
• 27:29
  feeding on the wrong things.
• 27:31
  I'll say you tell you this. Just
• 27:33
  remember that nature's in you. But you
• 27:36
  do not have to let it control you. Cuz
• 27:38
  let me tell you this. That dead nature
• 27:41
  that you have, it's only alive when you
• 27:43
  feed it dead things. I hope you got what
• 27:46
  I just said. That dead nature in you is
• 27:49
  only alive when you feed it dead things.
• 27:51
  If you take away your diet of dead
• 27:54
  things, you know what? That old nature
• 27:56
  cannot live. Paul said, "I'm crucified
• 27:59
  with Christ. Nevertheless, I live." He
• 28:02
  said, "Yet not I, but Christ liveth in
• 28:04
  me, and the life that I now live in the
• 28:07
  flesh." He said, "I don't live of the
• 28:09
  flesh, but I live in the flesh. I live
• 28:11
  by the faith of the son of God who loved
• 28:13
  me and gave himself for me." Child of
• 28:15
  God, there is victory for you tonight.
• 28:18
  You do not have to feast on dead things.
• 28:23
  Cuz you know what? That dove comes on in
• 28:25
  the next few verses.
• 28:27
  You know what? He goes out and he finds
• 28:29
  no place to rest his foot.
• 28:32
  And I can tell you this, as a child of
• 28:33
  God, you'll feel that way. You'll go out
• 28:36
  in this world and you'll not find a
• 28:37
  resting place.
• 28:38
  >> That's right.
• 28:39
  >> You'll not find a place of peace.
• 28:41
  >> But I'll tell you this, friend. There's
• 28:43
  coming a day and we'll be in a better
• 28:44
  land.
• 28:45
  >> Amen.
• 28:46
  >> This world's not our home. You remember
• 28:48
  that tonight. Father, thank you so much
• 28:52
  for these truths tonight. May we take
• 28:54
  them and apply them to our heart and
• 28:56
  life. Lord, I know it's simple, but God,
• 28:58
  I pray that we would
• 29:02
  apply them, employ them, be controlled
• 29:06
  by them. Lord, that we might be
• 29:08
  fruitful,
• 29:10
  Lord, in the ministry that you've called
• 29:11
  us to be in. Lord, I pray that you would
• 29:13
  help us tonight,
• 29:15
  God, for every need that's present
• 29:17
  tonight. Pray you give grace and help.
• 29:20
  Lord, we know that you're able. You're
• 29:23
  able to help, God.
• 29:26
  Help us, please, Father, tonight.
• 29:32
  Help us, Lord.
• 29:34
  Thank you for joining our service today.
• 29:36
  We'd love it if you'd join us in person
• 29:38
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 29:41
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 29:44
  2988
• 29:45
  Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 29:48
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 29:51
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 29:53
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 29:55
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 29:58
  evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
• 30:01
  information, visit us at
• 30:03
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 30:05
  Thanks again for tuning in.