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WHEN THE ENEMY INTERRUPTS YOUR PLANS · THIS IS THE LIFE PODCAST

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  Speaker 1: Yesterday we considered how God sometimes interrupts our plans and
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  Speaker 1: redirects our steps. I hope you were here to join
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  Speaker 1: us with that yesterday. Today the Lord is going to
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  Speaker 1: be speaking to us on something that's just the opposite
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  Speaker 1: of that. And that is when the enemy interrupts your plans.
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  Speaker 1: Yesterday it was when God does. But there's also a
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  Speaker 1: time in our lives, if we understand that, that the
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  Speaker 1: enemy may not always be able to stop God's purpose,
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  Speaker 1: but he will certainly try to distract us from God's purpose.
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  Speaker 1: And in 1 Corinthians 14, verse 33, it says, For
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  Speaker 1: God is not the author of confusion. but of peace
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  Speaker 1: as in all churches of the saints. I want you
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  Speaker 1: to notice that he's not the author of confusion, but
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  Speaker 1: he is the author of peace. And as we look
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  Speaker 1: at that this morning, what we need to understand is
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  Speaker 1: how the enemy works. He introduces confusion where God is
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  Speaker 1: trying to give direction. He creates fear where God desires
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  Speaker 1: for us to have faith. And he reminds us of
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  Speaker 1: past failures. You ever been there? He reminds us of
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  Speaker 1: past failures when God is leading us towards new beginnings.
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  Speaker 1: And that's the difference between the two. If he cannot
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  Speaker 1: persuade us to abandon our purpose completely, he will try
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  Speaker 1: to keep us so distracted that we never really pursue it.
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  Speaker 1: And that's where a lot of people, especially that I've
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  Speaker 1: talked to over the years, Where they get bogged down
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  Speaker 1: in pursuing their purpose is there's always something there to
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  Speaker 1: take its place. And that's called a distraction from the enemy.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes interruptions arrive through unexpected circumstances. We talked about that yesterday.
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  Speaker 1: But others begin within our own mind. See, a single
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  Speaker 1: negative thought just this morning could cause you to question yourself.
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  Speaker 1: what you were once certain God told you to do. Perhaps,
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  Speaker 1: just perhaps this morning, you have had one discouraging conversation
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  Speaker 1: with someone and has it made you feel broken and
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  Speaker 1: unsure about the direction you need to go? That's the
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  Speaker 1: interruptions we're talking about this morning. See, this is why discernment,
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  Speaker 1: spiritual discernment, is so important. Because when God redirects us,
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  Speaker 1: I want you to make sure you understand this this morning.
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  Speaker 1: This is coming straight from the Lord. When God redirects us,
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  Speaker 1: there will ultimately be a purpose for his leading. Even
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  Speaker 1: when we don't understand it, there is still a peace
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  Speaker 1: within the chaos. But when the enemy interrupts us, his
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  Speaker 1: goal is confusion, discouragement, and ultimately defeat. God may change
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  Speaker 1: our direction, but he will never lead us away from
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  Speaker 1: his truth or his will. I want to say that
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  Speaker 1: again because it's important. God may change our direction, but
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  Speaker 1: he will never lead you away from his truth or
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  Speaker 1: his will. And Satan, he will never lead you towards
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  Speaker 1: God's truth or his will. Nehemiah, if you read the
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  Speaker 1: story of Nehemiah, Nehemiah understood this. He understood that when
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  Speaker 1: he was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, his enemies repeatedly
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  Speaker 1: tried to pull him away from the work. But he
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  Speaker 1: answered them and said this, I am doing a great
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  Speaker 1: work so that I cannot come down. See, he recognized
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  Speaker 1: that their invitation was not an opportunity. It was a distraction.
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  Speaker 1: And sometimes we must have the same determination that Nehemiah had.
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  Speaker 1: We cannot come down from what God has called us
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  Speaker 1: to do every time someone criticizes us. We can't stop
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  Speaker 1: the work just every time fear creeps into our minds.
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  Speaker 1: And we can't stop God's purpose in our lives every
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  Speaker 1: time something demands our attention. See, some things do not
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  Speaker 1: deserve a response. Everything Every voice that you hear does
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  Speaker 1: not deserve to have influence over the decisions. And some
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  Speaker 1: distractions may simply be recognized and refused because they do
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  Speaker 1: not fulfill the purpose that God has for you. I
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  Speaker 1: hope it's making sense this morning to you. Because I
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  Speaker 1: couldn't leave you with God's interruptions without telling you through
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  Speaker 1: the power of the Holy Spirit this morning. That there's
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  Speaker 1: also interruptions that come from our enemy. So today, just
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  Speaker 1: simply ask the Lord to help you. Help you recognize
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  Speaker 1: the difference between His redirection and the enemy's interruptions. Before
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  Speaker 1: changing course, I want you to pause and I want
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  Speaker 1: you to pray. And I want you to remember this scripture.
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  Speaker 1: That John wrote in 1 John chapter 4 and verse
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  Speaker 1: number 1. He said, Beloved, that's you. Believe not every spirit,
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  Speaker 1: but try the spirits, whether they are of God, because
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  Speaker 1: many false prophets are gone out into the world. Return
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  Speaker 1: this morning to what God has already spoken to you.
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  Speaker 1: Let His words settle the confusion and restore your peace.
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  Speaker 1: If God changes your plan, follow Him. But if the
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  Speaker 1: enemy is merely trying to interrupt the plan, stay focused.
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  Speaker 1: Stand firm and keep building a better life by building
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  Speaker 1: a better you. Today be safe, be strong, and be blessed.
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  Speaker 1: And have a discerning spirit. Lord's will, we'll see you
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  Speaker 1: back here again tomorrow. And until then, have a great day.