1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,680 It is, it's good to be back after a couple of weeks. 2 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:20,800 Okay, who is still talking, if you'd like to come and take your seats? Thank you. 3 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:35,240 I just, I just really want to praise God because my husband, Mylon and myself and 4 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,520 Mum, we all went back to England for a couple of weeks and my niece got married 5 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,920 and originally I think Mylon just thought he was doing a prayer for the 6 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,120 wedding and then I think two days before I was told by the beautiful young 7 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:54,520 couple in love that he was actually doing the wedding and then realised it 8 00:00:54,520 --> 00:01:00,000 was part of a Anglican church and that he would have to do it in tango with the 9 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,760 vicar and so he connected with this beautiful vicar of this fairy tale 10 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:10,720 church in a beautiful English village and God is so good because sometimes you 11 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:18,280 can be prayed into a situation and Mylon really really connected with this 12 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:24,480 beautiful man who was very very humble and he had had a word that someone was 13 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:31,080 going to come to his church and they would come without reputation and 14 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:36,800 basically they would help lead his church, cutting a very long story short, 15 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:43,840 into the ways of the Holy Spirit and when he met Martin he said I know that 16 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:48,360 you are this man and what was so interesting was the Sunday after the 17 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:54,560 wedding you know we you know really felt led to go to his church and it was 18 00:01:54,560 --> 00:02:00,280 Pentecost Sunday and the bishop had come as well and he was commissioning and he 19 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:05,240 asked Martin to get up and share some of the things that God had been doing and 20 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:10,360 that Martin had been seeing and even though what we would consider maybe 21 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:16,360 formal with the liturgy whatever the Holy Spirit was really there but you know 22 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:21,320 everything was going along to the program and then we went to the prayer 23 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:28,160 meeting in the week and he said to Martin I know that you're the man so he 24 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:33,400 asked Martin to preach in his church the next Sunday and it was incredible 25 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:38,280 because he said look he said my people don't respond so if you do an 26 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:47,400 article they probably won't get up and Martin preached and right at the end it 27 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:54,880 was like every single person in that church came up and what we saw was as 28 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:59,640 they were coming up both men and women young and old with tears in their eyes 29 00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:06,040 and afterwards this beautiful vicar he was so excited and so happy because he 30 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:13,000 said now I know now I know what to do and he had been praying he had a little 31 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,840 group of people and they've really really been praying for God to move and 32 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:22,800 God to lead them and we were so encouraged because we just stepped into 33 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:29,920 this prayer and so I want to encourage every single one of you and you know one 34 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:33,280 of the things he shared with me was he just didn't know how it was going to be 35 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:39,520 possible and sometimes when we pray we sometimes want to find the solution in 36 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:45,760 our mind we don't have to do that whatever you're asking God for simply 37 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:51,440 believe leave it with him and he will answer so I want to give all glory and 38 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:58,000 all honor to the Lord Jesus Christ amen amen okay if you would like to I'm gonna 39 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,320 read the passage from my husband that he's gonna preach from if you'd like to 40 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:10,440 turn to the book of Isaiah chapter 50 and I'm reading Isaiah 50 verse 10 you're 41 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:22,280 gonna be reading from verse 10 who among you fears the Lord who obeys the voice 42 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:31,240 of his servant who walks in darkness and has no light let him trust in the 43 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:39,520 name of the Lord and rely upon his God look all you who kindle a fire who 44 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:45,960 encircle yourselves with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks 45 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:52,160 you have kindled this you shall have from my hand you shall lie down in 46 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,720 torment the word of the Lord 47 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:57,780 you 48 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,800 good it is to be back at home in the house of God tell somebody it's good to 49 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:11,520 be in the house of God yeah I I thought I was going on a holiday and now I need a 50 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:18,000 holiday because as my wife just explained we just went oh yes went to 51 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,600 this place and to England and I thought we were going on a holiday lovely family 52 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:25,440 holiday and gonna sit there and have a dance and watch someone get married and 53 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,200 all the rest of it till they got there and they said well you're doing the 54 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:32,600 wedding and that was but then you know God had given me a word that he'd used 55 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,080 me in nations this year and it's so encouraging because you know we've been 56 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:41,720 used in the nation of of England now and and this little Church of England church 57 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:45,880 you know which which so needs revival and so needs a move of the Holy Spirit 58 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:52,920 and as Michelle said we were over there and I met this lovely man just really 59 00:05:52,920 --> 00:06:00,000 godly man and he's like really seeking renewal and revival and been praying for 60 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:04,600 a long time and God had told him that the way it would come that he would send 61 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:09,200 a messenger and so I'm over there and I'm thinking this is a lovely wedding 62 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:14,560 and this satin this vicar said to me said you're the messenger and then it 63 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:19,600 was all on and then it was meetings and prayer meetings and was so wonderful 64 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:23,840 because at the end as Michelle said you know part of his word God had told him 65 00:06:23,840 --> 00:06:30,080 was that the messenger would come and things would not be the same and this 66 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:35,640 church hadn't doesn't have a culture of response and the vicar had said people 67 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:40,800 won't respond but when the Holy Spirit moved there was a tremendous response 68 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:47,520 and a culture of responding to God was established and I really believe is like 69 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:52,840 Angela had a vision of a pebble being dropped into a pond and the effect will 70 00:06:52,840 --> 00:06:59,800 ripple out so it's wonderful to be used of God even in surprising ways and and 71 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,840 we just rejoice because that's what we want to do we want to just simply be 72 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:10,560 used by God wherever and with whoever God ordains so wonderful okay let's come 73 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:16,200 to the Word of God Father I thank you for your word but this is not going to 74 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:23,880 help us Lord unless this word penetrates into where we hear you so Father we ask 75 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:28,080 that you open our ears where hearts are hard that you soften them this morning 76 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:33,200 but Father you have wonderful things to say things to encourage us things to 77 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:39,140 heal us things to strengthen us Lord let this word go into the place our spirit 78 00:07:39,140 --> 00:07:43,540 where we actually hear from you in Jesus name amen you know it's it's so 79 00:07:43,540 --> 00:07:49,320 wonderful to be a Christian when you I just call it on top where you're walking 80 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,760 in the presence of God you're walking in the fellowship of God and you know you 81 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:57,560 actually there's a place where you know the anointing is flowing you can actually 82 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:02,120 feel the smile of God on your life that's just wonderful and then you know 83 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,600 life your life is full of light and it's full of life and peace and joy in those 84 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:12,000 times and you know we often call those as Christians we call those times you 85 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:19,440 know mountaintop experiences and and and it's wonderful and the trouble is some 86 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,680 people think that is the and it's even been taught incorrectly in some parts 87 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:28,240 of the church that's where a Christian ought be and that's where a Christian 88 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:35,200 lives and and God's plan for them is just to be in that place but this 89 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:41,040 passage my wife just read it kind of shocked me when I read it not that I 90 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:46,120 don't know it but the way it is read here is just so obvious and verse 10 says 91 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,960 who among you who fears the Lord who obeys the voice of his servant so that's 92 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:55,040 that's a serious believer and he says who among you who fears the Lord who 93 00:08:55,040 --> 00:09:01,120 obeys the voice of his servant who walks in darkness and has no light let 94 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,840 him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God so he's saying this 95 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:09,840 person who is a real serious believer who fears God you know he's in awe that 96 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:14,840 God is that he exists that's what it is to fear God and and he obeys God's he 97 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:18,780 obeys the voice of God when God speaks to him when he reads the Word of God he 98 00:09:18,780 --> 00:09:22,000 actually doesn't just hear it he actually does it and he says this 99 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:29,520 person who's a serious believer very next verse says walks in darkness and 100 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:40,360 has no light and you know there are times where you know light means revelation 101 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:46,520 and it means sensing the presence of God his peace and his joy in your life and 102 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:54,640 this passage is saying there there are times in your life where you will not 103 00:09:54,640 --> 00:10:03,040 experience and feel God and there are times where you will not have vision of 104 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:08,280 what God is doing with you and an understanding of what God is saying to 105 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:16,080 where he is leading you there will be a times where you're in darkness and in 106 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:23,040 darkness you you can't see and you have no vision and it's very very interesting 107 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:28,720 that many of the significant people in the scriptures experience darkness and 108 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:35,480 deep darkness Adam God put him into a deep sleep sleep of darkness and then 109 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:42,720 out of his rib he pulled Eve sometimes God will put you in a place of darkness 110 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:48,680 but you'll discover something that you didn't know was in you in the times of 111 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:55,120 darkness Abraham was put into a place of darkness and and God spoke to him and 112 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:59,800 God made a covenant with him and when he came out of that place of darkness he 113 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:06,000 just knew his children and his children's children would be blessed even 114 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:13,840 Jesus three days in a tomb before he was glorified place of darkness and Paul he 115 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:20,000 was Saul was killing Christians and persecuting Christians and before he 116 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:27,520 was changed from Saul to Paul he spent three days blind completely in darkness 117 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:32,720 so you you as a believer it's not all mountaintops and it's not all glory it's 118 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:41,240 not all the presence of God there are times where you are not gonna know what 119 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:46,720 God is doing with you not gonna know where God is leading you you're not gonna 120 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:54,160 always because God's ways are above your ways and it's really important is really 121 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:59,280 important because I've seen so many Christians blow it when they can't feel 122 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:06,120 God when they don't know what God is saying it's really important that you 123 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:10,720 know what to do you know why because as I am we had this word over this church 124 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:16,000 in 2020 the start of it before the virus came and all the that that that what was 125 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:22,520 the word Isaiah 60 says this this is a word arise shine for your glory has come 126 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:27,560 we love that bit but verse 2 behold the darkness shall cover the earth and deep 127 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:33,400 darkness the people and I believe we're actually heading into a time where there 128 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,720 is going to be darkness economic darkness lots of darkness in the world 129 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:46,920 and God's people need to know what to do when you're in that situation and this 130 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:52,280 scripture says that first of all it tells us when you're in that time of 131 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:58,160 darkness he said let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God 132 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:06,280 that's faith talk to trust in the name of the Lord and rely on God it's just 133 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:12,320 another name of saying what's important when you're in darkness is faith it is 134 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:19,440 to stay in faith it's so important because Jesus spoke in the scriptures 135 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:25,840 three times he rebuked the disciples for not having faith in Matthew chapter 6 136 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:32,640 verse 33 and 40 I think it is he actually speaks about having faith for 137 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:37,640 your provision he says look at the birds of the air and how you know God closed 138 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,840 them or feeds them and look at the flowers of the field the lilies how God 139 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:46,360 closed them and he says God cares more about you than a than a lily and a bird 140 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:52,920 and he rebukes them for having little faith and having you know anxiety about 141 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:56,920 tomorrow and their provision another time he rebukes them when they're in a 142 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,760 storm and Jesus is with them and so they rebuke because they don't believe 143 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:07,920 God with you is enough another time when Peter's got out of the boat and walked 144 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:16,200 on water for a few steps Jesus rebuked him for having little faith so Jesus 145 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:21,680 wants us and expects us to have faith that's important because without faith 146 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,680 it's important to believe him and when you're in a time of darkness what is 147 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:32,360 important is faith it is faith and it's really important because the one thing 148 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:36,640 Jesus was concerned about when he returned and he is returning he said 149 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:42,680 will the Son of Man find faith in the earth when you're in darkness what's 150 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:48,680 important is faith and this is the problem verse 11 look all you who kindle 151 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:52,600 a fire who encircle yourselves with sparks walk in the light of your fire in 152 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:57,560 the sparks you have kindled this you shall have from my hand you shall lie 153 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:02,120 down in torment what's that speaking about it's speaking about someone when 154 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,080 they get to that place of darkness and they don't know what God's and they 155 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,720 don't know what God's doing they don't know where God's going to direct them 156 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:12,280 they don't know if God's forgotten them that instead of being someone who trusts 157 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:19,200 God and lives in faith they kindle a fire for themselves walk in the light of 158 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:25,200 your fire the sparks you have kindled so they try to create a solution they try 159 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:31,840 to do something of themselves but it's a not faith solution it's something that 160 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:36,320 excludes God something it doesn't depend upon God or rely upon God it's getting 161 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:40,320 something happening for yourself and he says the trouble when you get to go down 162 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:48,280 that path it will end where you shall lie down in torment it shall lie down in 163 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:56,360 torment so you don't try to create your own light when you're in darkness don't 164 00:15:56,360 --> 00:16:03,880 try to create your own situation to get yourself out what's important what God's 165 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:13,240 looking for is faith because darkness when you're in darkness it's a faith 166 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:23,960 battle in fact every battle is a faith battle every time you're placed in a 167 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:33,280 place where things are challenging it's a test of faith in every battle it's a 168 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:40,400 faith fight it is a faith fight when you're in darkness it is a faith fight 169 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:49,920 it is a faith battle and faith and only faith is the victory so it's really 170 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:56,400 important that we we understand you know I always say you know you can have all 171 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,600 the feelings you can have all the emotions you can fall on the ground you 172 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,240 can laugh you can do all the things people prone to do in the church but 173 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:07,960 until faith comes in nothing's going to change until faith comes in there'll be 174 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:18,760 no victory faith is what counts and you know that's why before Jesus died he 175 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:23,920 knew that Peter was going to go into a time of darkness where the enemy came 176 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:32,400 and he prayed and said Peter I know the enemy wants to sift you like 177 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:41,400 wheat but I have prayed that your faith will not fail not the alive his life 178 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:46,800 failed but Peter got onto his destiny because even though his life failed even 179 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,760 though his character failed even though morally for his faith never failed 180 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:54,480 therefore he was able to make a comeback and therefore he was able to keep on 181 00:17:54,480 --> 00:18:01,760 track with Jesus because his faith did not fail this is what's important in 182 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:08,720 dark times you know it says here let him trust who walks in darkness has no light 183 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:18,080 let him trust in the name of the Lord let him rely upon his God and let me say 184 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:23,560 let him rely upon and trust in the name of his God this is speaking about faith 185 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:29,720 and there's a lot of talk about faith kind of in the word faith movement some 186 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:34,200 of its goods and it's not so good but the problem is a lot of it's speaking 187 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:38,320 about you having to produce faith you having to work up faith and faith and 188 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:42,920 you end up in a place where you have faith in your faith but that's not what 189 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:48,000 biblical faith is the Bible never speaks about having faith in faith and never 190 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:54,920 says just have faith and believe it says the Bible teaches have faith in God 191 00:18:54,920 --> 00:19:01,400 believe in Jesus Christ because faith biblical faith has an object it rests 192 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:06,120 upon the object then it rests upon the person and character of God and Jesus 193 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:18,280 Christ that's what biblical faith is and it rests on God rests that's what says 194 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:24,760 trust and rely but see what is what is needed if you're going to trust and 195 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:35,160 rely on God what is needed and what is essential to biblical faith is knowledge 196 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:40,560 of God there is nothing more valuable that listen to this there is nothing 197 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:46,840 more valuable than a faith-based knowledge and knowledge based on faith 198 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:55,480 a faith based on knowledge a faith which is based on really knowing who God is 199 00:19:55,480 --> 00:20:01,520 that's what's so important that's what's so violent so precious in two Peter if 200 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,760 you turn to 2 Peter chapter 3 now Peter is writing this and Peter is about 201 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:10,880 himself to be martyred and he knows the church is entering in a season where 202 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:15,520 great persecution is going to come to this is this is a time where Nero was 203 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,320 lighting Christians up and using them as oil lamps in the city he was just 204 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:24,680 killing people most dreadful way and Peter knew that this was going to be a 205 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:29,880 great faith fight for the church they were going to need to stand firm and 206 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:34,240 believe and trust God because they were going into a season of great darkness 207 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:42,400 and this is the last words Peter said in his letter and he says verse 18 because 208 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:50,320 there is a great faith fight in front of you grow in the grace and knowledge of 209 00:20:50,320 --> 00:21:00,520 our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ grow in the grace and knowledge of God because 210 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:09,560 in a faith fight what you need is knowledge of God it is knowledge of God 211 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:17,320 which is that knowledge of God is the basis of faith it is a foundation of 212 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:22,400 faith it is your faith rests upon knowing that God is faithful these long 213 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:27,620 suffering that God is Jehovah Jireh your provider he is Jehovah Rapha your 214 00:21:27,620 --> 00:21:32,320 healer he is merciful he's caring he's long suffering he will fight for you 215 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:37,480 faith is based on knowledge of who God is and what's what's really important is 216 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,480 we're living in a generation you know I don't know if you've read but a lot of people 217 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:46,000 are read this guy Tim someone this week on the internet he's talking about how 218 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,440 Millennials are deconstructing and I've heard this before but it's like yeah we 219 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:55,000 don't we don't really want to have the faith that's been passed down to us for 220 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,720 2,000 years we kind of want to do something different and what the focus 221 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:04,520 is now a lot of young people they want to focus on discovering who you are 222 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:09,680 there's nothing wrong with knowing your identity in Christ in fact it's good but 223 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:14,800 but but when you're in a faith fight when you're in a place of darkness 224 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:20,080 knowing who you are isn't going to help you knowing who you are isn't going to 225 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:27,280 get you out you need to know who God is you need to know the greatness of God 226 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:31,280 when you're in a dark place when you're in a battle you don't need to know who 227 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:40,760 you are you are dust you need to know someone greater you need to know the 228 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:48,080 amazing attributes of God and that's why we need to be growing in the knowledge 229 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,880 of God and that's why in this church what we're doing we know dark times are 230 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:56,640 coming so we have Bible studies why do we have Bible studies to see you grow in 231 00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:10,800 the knowledge of God that your faith may not fail that may not fail you know the 232 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:17,520 it's all about not knowing and thinking that you are somebody that's actually 233 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:27,160 really knowing somebody great that's that's what your faith rests on and and 234 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:32,840 knowledge is so important because knowing who God is is so important 235 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,760 because when you're in a faith battle you know what the enemy does is what 236 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:39,320 Satan does when you're in place of darkness you're you're you're under the 237 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:44,000 pump and you can't feel God and maybe things are happening in your life which 238 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:52,480 are difficult what Satan comes to do he doesn't come to convince you 239 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,720 particularly if you're a believer that God doesn't exist because you know that 240 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:04,960 you've been born again but what he comes to do is to distort and 241 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:12,160 misconstrue who God is I was reading the same thing online this week this this 242 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:18,320 man who married this woman and he shortly after he got married his bride 243 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:23,640 got cancer and you need believing for a wife for a long time and his wife got 244 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:29,480 cancer and he he watched to die and he said you know he was in this great test 245 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,840 at the time he's in this great battle the great battle fate he said the the 246 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:41,900 battle wasn't about who you know whether God is the battle is about what God was 247 00:24:41,900 --> 00:24:50,240 like was God still good was God still good and he said the way I know God is 248 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:55,000 good is not just through my experience of God that's good enough but I know 249 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:59,600 through the Word of God and I want to tell you you are not going to have a 250 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:07,000 faith which can stand up in dark times you're not going to have that without 251 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:11,620 the knowledge of God and the only place you get the knowledge of God is through 252 00:25:11,620 --> 00:25:20,800 this book the only place you get the knowledge of God and develop a faith 253 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:27,960 which can be tested which can go through fire which can stand in darkness which 254 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:34,360 can endure when you can't see the only way you can get that is to have knowledge 255 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:40,840 of God which comes from this word and if you're not reading this word if you're 256 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:46,640 not reading this word I when challenges come when darkness comes your 257 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:51,520 foundation if it's going to stand on who you got it who you are it's going to 258 00:25:51,520 --> 00:26:02,840 fail it is going to fail but see it's so vital that we have a knowledge of who 259 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:12,000 God is what he is like what his character is how trustworthy is how 260 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:17,440 perfect is his timing that he is my healer he is my deliverer he is my 261 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:24,540 provider that I have this not just head but I actually know who God is when 262 00:26:24,540 --> 00:26:33,800 darkness comes there's this Olympic swimmer is the I still think he's the 263 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:38,400 greatest swimmer he's won more gold medals than any other person his name is 264 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:45,520 Michael Phelps and the one of the reasons he became great was that he had 265 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:52,680 this trainer this coach and this coach trained him in a very unorthodox method 266 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:57,240 and what his coach would do instead of just sending him up and down the pool 267 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:02,280 like everybody else his coach would periodically put pinpricks in his 268 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:09,520 goggles and so he's swimming along and his goggles would fill up with water and then 269 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:13,160 other times you know they'd be training at night and you know they'd be training 270 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,880 and be going up and down in this heated pool that the coach and you know the way 271 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:23,440 the swimmer you know he learns to swim he's got the lines on the pool which 272 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:28,680 show him how to stay in the center of his lane and tell him where he is in 273 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:34,160 relation to the end of the pool but his coach periodically would turn the lights 274 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:44,480 off and he'd be swimming in complete darkness but what happened was in Beijing 275 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:50,640 in the final of the 400 or 200 meters that he Michael Phelps tells it in his 276 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:56,280 testimony he says he he stood on the blocks and he just sensed and he's you 277 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,400 know kind of in a man he just sensed something was going to go wrong and he 278 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:05,680 dived in the pool and sure enough after a little while 50 60 meters he started to 279 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:10,760 feel these goggles slowly filling up with water and they filled up with water 280 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:18,280 and they fill it until just before the last turn he could see nothing and he 281 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:29,600 said but because I'd had this experience he said and I'd been swimming in 282 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:35,600 darkness so many times when the coach turned out the lights he said I had 283 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:43,880 knowledge of the pool and he said when I turned from the last lap I knew the pool 284 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:49,520 and I knew there was exactly 21 strokes I had to take and then I'd sail into the 285 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:58,160 the the blocks and he said so I knew the darkness didn't worry me because I knew 286 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:04,960 the pool and when he sailed in and he sailed in after his 21 strokes he looked 287 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:13,040 up and not only had he won he looked up and there was a world record but the 288 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:19,440 darkness didn't fit didn't defeat him because he had knowledge of the pool 289 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:29,800 your pool is the Word of God it's the Word of God if you know your God if you 290 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:39,400 know who he is dark times will come but you will not only get through them I 291 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:45,480 want to tell you this this the Bible says what happens to people who in dark 292 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:49,440 times don't try to make their own way out and make their own planes but trust in 293 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,880 the name of the Lord and rely on him I tell you two things that happen at the 294 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:57,200 end if you just trust in God it's hard I don't sense you I don't know what you're 295 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:00,760 saying I don't where you're leading me but I'm trusting you and I'm relying on 296 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,480 you even though it's hard what will happen 297 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:10,200 Word of God promises Psalm 112 says unto the upright light arises in your 298 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:15,080 darkness so there comes a time Jesus is the light of the world that you will 299 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:19,560 you suddenly you'll just feel how I'm not alone anymore here is God God's come 300 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:24,240 back to me this Holy Spirit has come and he's got a fresh word to me light has 301 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:30,720 risen into your darkness so if you trust and rely I promise you your darkness 302 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:41,600 will be temporary your darkness will be temporary and then Isaiah 45 3 I love 303 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:46,320 this this this I've meditated on this for a little while now and I haven't been 304 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:51,160 able to speak about it until I really understood it as I 45 3 speaks about the 305 00:30:51,160 --> 00:31:02,520 hidden treasures of darkness the hidden treasures of darkness see see God lives 306 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:07,920 the Bible says in a dark cloud and for you to grow you don't grow on the 307 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:14,440 mountaintops God takes you through times where you don't feel him you don't 308 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:18,160 understand what he's doing in your life you don't know where he's directing you 309 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:27,160 but if you trust and rely on him you discover his hidden treasures and what 310 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:38,200 his hidden treasures are is it's like a seed and you are a seed and God wants to 311 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:44,800 change you he wants to change you Bible says from glory to glory from faith to 312 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:49,240 faith from from being a little bit like Jesus to more like Jesus to more like 313 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:53,880 Jesus he wants to change you you know how he changes you it's like how a 314 00:31:53,880 --> 00:32:01,360 caterpillar is changed into a butterfly it has to be buried in the ground in a 315 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:06,080 place of darkness or like a seed before a seed becomes fruitful it has to be 316 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:11,160 buried in the ground has to be put in a great place of darkness but after that 317 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:18,120 time of darkness at the perfect moment that seed emerges completely different 318 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:25,480 it is changed and it is greater you think where's my biblical example of 319 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:38,460 that Jesus came out of the tomb glorified but the Apostle Paul before he 320 00:32:38,460 --> 00:32:48,760 was Paul he was called Saul and he was persecuting Christians until God got a 321 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:57,920 hold of him and he knocked him off his horse and he was blind for three days 322 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:07,080 he's in a place of darkness for three days couldn't see but he trusted on God 323 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:19,360 and he relied on God and in God's perfect timing Saul became Paul this is 324 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:25,360 the hidden treasures that people experience this is a hidden treasures 325 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:30,120 that God has for people who trust him and rely on him when they don't 326 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:41,120 understand when they can't see when they've got nothing but they choose faith 327 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:48,960 in the battle they choose faith and I just have a feeling today I when I 328 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:54,080 preach this I just have a feeling today there are people here who are in that 329 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:59,840 place where you you don't know where God is leading you you don't know where God 330 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:05,600 is directing you you don't know what God's doing with you now and you don't 331 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:13,000 feel God he's got you in that place I want to tell you it doesn't mean you've 332 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:21,720 done anything wrong in fact God's put you there and he's put you there and 333 00:34:21,720 --> 00:34:29,040 right where you are is a test it's simply a test whether you're going to 334 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:34,080 try to get yourself out are you going to rely on God and trust him where you're 335 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:40,880 going to try to make something happen in the flesh maybe it's singleness 336 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:48,400 singleness don't try to fix your singleness apart from God that's just 337 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:55,080 light in the fire don't try to fix it without relying on God and trusting in 338 00:34:55,080 --> 00:35:07,280 God but where you are it's just a faith test but if you rely on him and if you 339 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:13,800 trust in him what's going to happen is at the exact right time his presence 340 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:18,120 his word his direction is going to come back into your life and at the end of it 341 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:23,200 you are going to be changed you are going to God's not burying you he's 342 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:28,720 planting you you're going to come out of that time like that seed like Saul 343 00:35:28,720 --> 00:35:33,720 you're going to come out of that season changed and different you're going to 344 00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:36,520 you're going to have grown you're going to have more faith you're going to be 345 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:41,240 more like Christ you're going to be more like Jesus because that change happens 346 00:35:41,240 --> 00:35:49,720 not on the mountaintop it happens in seasons of darkness the Bible says deep 347 00:35:49,720 --> 00:35:55,440 darkness will cover the people but if you belong to Jesus he's going to use 348 00:35:55,440 --> 00:36:03,040 that darkness and everything else in this world for your good for your good 349 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:09,000 amen amen I don't know who I'm talking to today but I know there are people here 350 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:13,880 who you're in that place you're saying where is God where you know have I done 351 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:24,760 something wrong the word is just trust him don't try to get just rely on him 352 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:35,000 look at his word know who he is and he'll turn everything for your good amen 353 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:43,680 amen let's stand up and praise him let's stand up because he is good the hidden 354 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:50,480 treasures of darkness these are the changes that God brings in your life 355 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:55,480 when you come out the other side that's what he's going to do because he's 356 00:36:55,480 --> 00:37:06,680 faithful and he's good amen Michael okay strengthening the souls of the disciples 357 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:11,680 exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying we must through many 358 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:17,480 tribulations enter the kingdom of God that is a confirmation Michael through 359 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:23,760 times of darkness they're normal but if we trust God you'll turn everything for 360 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:53,160 good let's praise you 361 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:57,360 and you're going to that time where you do feel distant from God you feel in a 362 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:01,200 dark place maybe you want to come forward just want to respond to God and 363 00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:06,840 those that come for I'm gonna pray like Jesus prayed the most important prayer 364 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:16,040 that your faith in this season will not fail but God will strengthen you from 365 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:21,760 faith to faith that you will go from one measure of glory to another that you 366 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:25,920 will not fail God you will not move in the flesh that you will trust him and 367 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:34,640 you will see great change in his life at the end of it if that's you God wants 368 00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:38,760 to if you feel we are in that place you come God's gonna deal with you today 369 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:44,320 God's gonna do something great in your life thank you Lord thank you Lord thank 370 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,840 you Lord he hasn't forgotten you you haven't done anything wrong God said you 371 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:54,680 haven't failed him it's just where God does his work 372 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:58,360 father God I pray for every person that's come here and is coming forward 373 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:07,520 today and father God we just know it's a test it's a challenge it's a battle that 374 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:14,000 only faith wins it's a battle that you have positioned these people for it's a 375 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:19,360 test that you have designed and I pray that father every person here that their 376 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:25,000 faith that their trust their reliance on you in this season will be strengthened 377 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:30,080 that Lord the faith that is there will be strengthened this morning that no 378 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:35,000 faith will fail that they will not look to the arm of the flesh in this time in 379 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:39,360 this challenge but they will look to God their healer their deliverer their 380 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:43,720 source of all things that they all trust in God that God will be their plan 381 00:39:43,720 --> 00:39:48,680 a their plan B their plan C and they will see the goodness of God in the 382 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:53,120 land of the living that they will see you change what they cannot change they 383 00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:58,360 will see you provide what they need they see you heal what needs healing they 384 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:04,640 will see you deliver them because Lord your timing is perfect we bless you and 385 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:11,760 praise you that you've given us we don't have to work it up but faith comes 386 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:18,920 through hearing and from this word today faith has been strengthened and faith 387 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:22,640 shall be strengthened from the knowledge of who you are 388 00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:27,760 father God strengthen us our understanding that you are faithful that 389 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:32,040 your eyes never depart from your children that you love us more than we 390 00:40:32,040 --> 00:40:38,200 can understand that you'll never forsake us and father God you will work 391 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:43,120 everything for our good that you never forget us or leave us on the shelf that 392 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:47,800 you have great plans for every single one of your children let our faith rest 393 00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:54,480 on the true knowledge of God and everybody said praise God for the change 394 00:40:54,480 --> 00:41:09,640 that's coming after the darkness hallelujah