1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,280 Thank you for listening to this message from Life House Church. 2 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:21,640 Amen, listen, turn to somebody beside you right now, give them a high five, tell them 3 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,480 they're looking pretty good on a Sunday. 4 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,520 Looking pretty good. 5 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,080 Your hair got wet out there this morning and you're still looking good, right? 6 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:30,080 Come on, it's true. 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:33,880 Some of you don't have any hair, so you don't even got to worry about it. 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,960 I was looking back over, I saw the shine as I was looking back over. 9 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,120 No, it's good to have you here at Life House this morning. 10 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,320 Man, you could go home right now and just say you experienced God's presence, right? 11 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,280 During the worship, it was amazing. 12 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,760 I love when we feel God just sweep in and feel His presence come in. 13 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,320 It really just, sometimes it's just thick. 14 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,000 The word I use is just thick. 15 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:57,000 It's good to be here. 16 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:58,400 It's good to see you. 17 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,680 And this is the final message in the message series, Loud and Clear. 18 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:04,400 We kind of got it posted on both walls. 19 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,960 We've had it all over the place for the last four or five weeks. 20 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:09,400 And this is the final message. 21 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:14,040 And I've really enjoyed preaching down through this message series about hearing God. 22 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:19,560 And I hope, our hope in prayer is that you've heard from the Lord, that you've maybe kind 23 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:24,560 of stepped up your prayer life and in some way you're hearing more from Jesus now than 24 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,740 you ever heard before in your life. 25 00:01:26,740 --> 00:01:29,720 And we've learned some things along the way, right? 26 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:34,800 We've learned that hearing from God is not some kind of special endowment, right, that 27 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:39,200 is just on a few people, but it really is about positioning ourselves in our Lord and 28 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:40,200 Savior, right? 29 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:44,640 It's about how we get ourselves postured before God, that Jesus wants to speak to all His 30 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,880 children, to His sheep, right? 31 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:48,980 That we can know His voice. 32 00:01:48,980 --> 00:01:54,400 And when He calls and if we follow close enough to the Master, the sheep will hear His voice 33 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,200 and He will call them by name. 34 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:58,840 That's what the Word of God says, right? 35 00:01:58,840 --> 00:01:59,840 Remember that message? 36 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:00,840 Say it. 37 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:02,640 Yeah, I know you all were there. 38 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:03,640 All right. 39 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:04,840 And the Holy Spirit resides with us. 40 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:05,840 He really does. 41 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:13,040 And He wants to speak with us openly and that the Father speaks to Him and to Jesus and 42 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:19,160 Jesus speaks to the Spirit and the Holy Spirit speaks into our spirit and we can hear from 43 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:20,160 God. 44 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,160 And if we go to a spot to pray, how many know you need a prayer spot? 45 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:25,280 You need a prayer closet. 46 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,720 You need a place that you call where you meet God. 47 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:33,880 If you go there on the regular, you're going to start hearing from God on the regular. 48 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:38,040 And one of the final truths that I want to really extract from God's Word today and bring 49 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,960 across to you, I pray it gets across to you, is that when the Holy Spirit speaks to our 50 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:47,420 spirit, He doesn't always speak the same way. 51 00:02:47,420 --> 00:02:49,240 He doesn't speak the same way. 52 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,340 God does not speak the same way to us all the time. 53 00:02:52,340 --> 00:02:53,400 It's different. 54 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:58,600 We don't communicate to one another in the same way and in the same manner all the time. 55 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,380 And neither does God. 56 00:03:00,380 --> 00:03:05,280 There are all kinds of ways to communicate and some are better than others. 57 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,000 Some are better than others. 58 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:08,220 Some of you can yell. 59 00:03:08,220 --> 00:03:09,920 Some of you can scream. 60 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:12,720 Probably not such a great way to communicate. 61 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,800 Some of us can talk in a whisper. 62 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:17,960 Turn to the person beside you right now. 63 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:18,960 Whisper something to him. 64 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:19,960 Say I'm whispering right now. 65 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:20,960 It used to be a commercial. 66 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:21,960 I remember this commercial. 67 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:27,040 If you want to get somebody's attention, you just whisper. 68 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:28,040 How many remember that commercial? 69 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,080 It's like it's 110 years old. 70 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,760 I'm the only one in the whole house remembers that. 71 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:33,760 I'm telling you it's legit. 72 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:35,000 Look it up. 73 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,200 And we can send text messages. 74 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,840 We can send emails. 75 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:48,660 It can go anything from sentences to words to even like grunts in size. 76 00:03:48,660 --> 00:03:54,720 Some little things that are sometimes just a look communicates something. 77 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,480 How many know a look can be worth a thousand words sometimes? 78 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:58,480 Yeah. 79 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:06,120 In fact, the longer you've known someone, the more communication patterns evolve and 80 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:11,000 they grow and communication expands. 81 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:15,420 Some of you that have been married for a while and you've got some years under your belt, 82 00:04:15,420 --> 00:04:19,880 you can almost communicate without any words at all. 83 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:24,760 Hardly any kind of communication or audible expression is needed to communicate. 84 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:30,480 You can pick up on one another's subtle cues and subtle communication methods. 85 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:37,880 A slight sigh. 86 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:39,320 A gentle grunt. 87 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:45,720 I just communicated with some of you right there. 88 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,720 It can mean all kinds of things. 89 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:52,440 A sigh can mean you're an idiot. 90 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,040 It can come out just like that. 91 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:58,520 Or a gentle grunt can mean it's going to be a long ride home. 92 00:04:58,520 --> 00:04:59,520 It can be those kinds of things. 93 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,180 And they didn't even verbalize an entire word. 94 00:05:03,180 --> 00:05:05,320 It was just part of a word. 95 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,240 It was just part of something. 96 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,640 So there's a lot of ways to communicate. 97 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,400 And how many of you know that doesn't even happen on your first date, right? 98 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,800 First time or two you go out, you can make all kinds of noises that are looking at you 99 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:16,800 like, what's going on? 100 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:17,800 Right? 101 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,120 You're clearing your throat and you think they're choking on something. 102 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:21,680 You get ready to do the Heimlich maneuver, right? 103 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:23,720 That doesn't mean anything to you. 104 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,920 But the longer you're together, the communication changes. 105 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,160 And we don't always communicate the same way. 106 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:32,160 Neither does God. 107 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:37,560 The longer you follow close behind God, the longer we slide up beside Him as sheep who 108 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:43,100 follow closely, right, to the shepherd, He begins to communicate to us in different ways, 109 00:05:43,100 --> 00:05:44,420 in different methods. 110 00:05:44,420 --> 00:05:46,040 And here's the truth about God. 111 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:47,680 He is crazy creative. 112 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:48,680 OK? 113 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:50,080 He is the Creator. 114 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:55,420 And He finds all kind of ways that He can communicate with us. 115 00:05:55,420 --> 00:05:59,100 Everything in the universe is at His disposal to use. 116 00:05:59,100 --> 00:06:01,440 He can use anything to communicate. 117 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:09,040 The earth is His and everything therein belongs to God so He can use it to communicate to 118 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:10,040 His own. 119 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:11,040 He can speak through a book. 120 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:12,600 As a matter of fact, He does. 121 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,240 He's got a collection of 66. 122 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:16,040 It's called the Bible, right? 123 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:17,880 He can speak through a book. 124 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:19,480 He can speak through nature. 125 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,040 He can speak through people. 126 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:22,760 He can speak through your best friend. 127 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,280 He can speak through an enemy. 128 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:25,280 Right? 129 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:27,320 He can speak to you Spirit by Spirit. 130 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,600 The Holy Spirit, we learned this a week or two ago. 131 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,960 He can speak, the Holy Spirit can speak directly into our spirit. 132 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,960 He can use anything, anything to speak to us. 133 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:42,760 And sometimes He'll speak one way and the next time He might speak another way. 134 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:44,340 It might be completely different. 135 00:06:44,340 --> 00:06:47,720 In the Old Testament, Moses, say Moses. 136 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:52,780 Moses initially heard from God by the angel of the Lord, at least the first place it's 137 00:06:52,780 --> 00:06:55,160 written about Moses here from God. 138 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,720 It's an angel of the Lord who speaks to Moses out of a burning bush. 139 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:00,720 It says this in Exodus 3.1. 140 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:05,260 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. 141 00:07:05,260 --> 00:07:09,640 He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 142 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:15,160 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. 143 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,720 Moses stared in amazement, though the bush was engulfed in flames. 144 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:20,120 It didn't burn up. 145 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:21,640 This is amazing. 146 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,040 Moses said to himself, why isn't the bush burning up? 147 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:25,760 I must go see it. 148 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:30,360 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of 149 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,640 the bush, Moses, Moses. 150 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,200 Here am I or here I am. 151 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:36,200 Moses replied. 152 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,020 He said, God said, do not come any closer. 153 00:07:39,020 --> 00:07:43,680 The Lord warned, take off your sandals for where you are standing, you are on holy ground. 154 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:48,660 I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. 155 00:07:48,660 --> 00:07:55,000 And when Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. 156 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,480 God can get our attention and he can do it in a big way. 157 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,560 He can get a message across any way he chooses. 158 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:08,040 And when he speaks, when he really truly speaks to us, wherever that is becomes a holy place. 159 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,160 Wherever that is, it is a reverend place. 160 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:11,960 It is holy ground. 161 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:18,040 I'll never forget a day of hunting in the woods and for generations, for four generations, 162 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,520 my family hunted in a place called Sipes Mills. 163 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:22,240 It's in Fulton County. 164 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:23,840 You can look it up on the map. 165 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,600 And we had a particular farm down there we hunted on for four different generations. 166 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:29,600 And I remember going there since age 12. 167 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,300 I got my license, went with my dad, my grandfather, my uncles. 168 00:08:33,300 --> 00:08:36,560 We all went down there to hunt and we would go spend time down there. 169 00:08:36,560 --> 00:08:40,880 So it was it was this really great connection for me with my family. 170 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:45,920 But I remember as a young man, as an adult being in that area hunting and down at the 171 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:50,840 end of that that hollow, it was a big field and it was this ravine. 172 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:55,640 And at the bottom of that ravine one day, God spoke to me in the woods. 173 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:57,240 He spoke something very clear. 174 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:58,240 He did. 175 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,100 And you want to hear the story sometime. 176 00:09:00,100 --> 00:09:02,960 You get 35 bucks and take me out to lunch and I'll tell you. 177 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:03,960 All right. 178 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:05,240 I'll give you the whole deal. 179 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:06,240 Right. 180 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:10,280 But I got to the end of that ravine and God did an amazing thing and spoke to me. 181 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:11,960 I'll never forget it. 182 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,280 God spoke and it's almost holy ground to me. 183 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,680 I got pictures of that place on my computer. 184 00:09:16,680 --> 00:09:17,680 That land got sold. 185 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:18,920 We can't go in there anymore. 186 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:21,080 I might sneak in someday just for fun. 187 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:22,080 All right. 188 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:23,280 As you get back in there. 189 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,000 And I've even gone as far as this. 190 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:31,520 I said when I die one day, you know, I want my ashes to be spread with Dixie's ashes somewhere. 191 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,400 And then I want just a pinch of me to be there. 192 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,880 I told my kids just take a pinch and throw me somewhere out there because that place is 193 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:38,440 sacred to me. 194 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:39,800 It's where I met God. 195 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:40,800 Right. 196 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,400 He spoke to me in that place. 197 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:49,720 And it can be it can be God roaring from a mountaintop or it can be subtle as as a whisper 198 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:50,720 in your spirit. 199 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,520 It can be a burning bush moment kind of thing. 200 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:59,320 Or it can be just God whispering into our soul in a just quiet moment in your quiet 201 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,600 spot in a prayer spot. 202 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:03,000 What am I saying? 203 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,240 Don't stick God in your little communication box. 204 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:07,240 Right. 205 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,480 Don't put him in with what you think, how things work and how things are communicated 206 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,000 and what it all looks like. 207 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,000 Right. 208 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:15,000 We've all got boxes. 209 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,280 You got raise your hand if you got a box, you got a communication box. 210 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:18,600 You do every one of you do. 211 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:19,600 Right. 212 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,320 You got this idea of what things look like, how God's supposed to speak to you, what this 213 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:24,320 might be. 214 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:25,320 Right. 215 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:26,600 God doesn't fit in your little box. 216 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:28,140 He owns it all. 217 00:10:28,140 --> 00:10:30,220 And he doesn't communicate the same way. 218 00:10:30,220 --> 00:10:31,280 He is sovereign. 219 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:32,980 He is ruler of the universe. 220 00:10:32,980 --> 00:10:33,980 He created. 221 00:10:33,980 --> 00:10:35,840 He spoke it in existence. 222 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,480 And all things are at his disposal. 223 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:40,640 And he can speak through them. 224 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:41,640 Right. 225 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:46,520 And as long as he's and as long as whatever is being spoken to you lines up with the will 226 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,920 of God and the word of God, it is him. 227 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:50,920 You got to check that. 228 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:51,920 You got to make sure. 229 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:52,920 Right. 230 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,340 You got to make sure it's just not something else speaking in your spirit or or you speaking 231 00:10:56,340 --> 00:10:57,340 in your spirit. 232 00:10:57,340 --> 00:11:01,160 But if it lines up with God's will and it lines up with the word of God because the 233 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:04,200 Holy Spirit wrote the word of God and he was he is God. 234 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:05,200 Right. 235 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:11,960 I think we missed God's communication sometimes because we have this narrow slice of communication 236 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:12,960 view of God. 237 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:13,960 Right. 238 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:14,960 It's this thing. 239 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,160 And I'm not talking about wacky stuff. 240 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:18,160 Right. 241 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:19,840 Like seriously, there's some wacky stuff out there. 242 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:20,840 I get it. 243 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:21,840 Right. 244 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,680 Some people like, you know, like my cereal bowl talks to me in the morning. 245 00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:25,680 Right. 246 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:28,080 Every time I pour Lucky Charms in there, you know, it's speaking something. 247 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,480 Well, if it's speaking the word of God and the will of God. 248 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:31,680 OK, I'll go with that. 249 00:11:31,680 --> 00:11:32,680 Right. 250 00:11:32,680 --> 00:11:33,680 But if not, it's just a wacky thing. 251 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:34,680 Right. 252 00:11:34,680 --> 00:11:35,680 I like Lucky Charms. 253 00:11:35,680 --> 00:11:36,680 Right. 254 00:11:36,680 --> 00:11:37,680 They're not spiritual, though. 255 00:11:37,680 --> 00:11:38,680 All right. 256 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:45,200 But at the same time, don't downplay what God can do, what he can use to get your attention, 257 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,800 to speak to you. 258 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:48,680 Don't put God in your box. 259 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:53,920 And one of the most amazing stories of God communication in scripture that's outside 260 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,800 the box is the story of Balaam. 261 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:01,000 So I want to I want to read to you and preach down through the story of Balaam. 262 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:02,040 It's wild. 263 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:03,040 It's crazy. 264 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:04,040 It is unusual. 265 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:05,040 I love it. 266 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:06,040 It's amazing. 267 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:07,040 Right. 268 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:08,040 Numbers twenty two one says this. 269 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:12,160 Then the children of Israel moved and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan 270 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:13,760 across from Jericho. 271 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:20,320 Now Balaam say Balaam, the son of Zippor, so that all Israel had done to the Amorites 272 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:25,320 and Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many and Moab was sick with 273 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:28,000 dread because of the children of Israel. 274 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:30,400 Now let me fill in just a little bit here. 275 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:37,360 The people of Moab, their king is Balaam and he had good reason to be afraid of Israel 276 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:41,640 because God was going before Israel in every fight. 277 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:46,500 Every time the nation of Israel was moving, they were a nomadic people at that point. 278 00:12:46,500 --> 00:12:51,020 Every time they were moving, God was going out before them and fighting with them or 279 00:12:51,020 --> 00:12:53,160 for them in front of them. 280 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:54,680 And people start hearing about it. 281 00:12:54,680 --> 00:13:00,040 And just if you read in the Word of God, just the chapter two before this, Israel was traveling 282 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,440 down the road and they need water. 283 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,040 Listen, there's a million plus people in this group, right? 284 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:10,440 And they need food and they need water for their livestock and for their children and 285 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:12,080 for all the people that are going along. 286 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,720 And they would meet and they would run into these kingdoms that they wanted to pass through. 287 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,280 And they would go to the kings and they would say, look, we'll buy the water, we'll buy 288 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:23,560 the food, just let us pass through. 289 00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:25,520 And some of these kings wouldn't, right? 290 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:30,680 Like the king of Arab, who was the king of the Canaanites who dwelt in the south. 291 00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:35,280 And they heard that Israel was coming on the road and the king of Arab come out to fight 292 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:39,000 against Israel and took some prisoners from Israel. 293 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:40,500 So Israel does this. 294 00:13:40,500 --> 00:13:43,680 They pray, they stop, they don't go out to war. 295 00:13:43,680 --> 00:13:46,960 They stop and pray and God says, just go ahead and get them. 296 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:49,100 I'll be with you in the fight. 297 00:13:49,100 --> 00:13:51,460 And they go in and they take out the Canaanites. 298 00:13:51,460 --> 00:13:54,860 They get their people back and God goes before them. 299 00:13:54,860 --> 00:14:00,400 You go a little further down the road in chapter 21 and Israel sends messengers to Seehan, 300 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:01,900 king of the Amorites. 301 00:14:01,900 --> 00:14:03,400 And he asked, they asked permission. 302 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:04,400 They're coming into the land. 303 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,600 They said, look, we won't go to the left or the right. 304 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:08,300 We won't go into the fields to eat. 305 00:14:08,300 --> 00:14:09,300 We won't do any of those things. 306 00:14:09,300 --> 00:14:10,300 We won't take in water. 307 00:14:10,300 --> 00:14:13,400 We just want to pass through your land quickly to get to where we're going. 308 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:18,400 And King Seehan says he doesn't not only say no, that they have to go around somewhere. 309 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:24,440 He said he comes out to war against them and God gives before them and they crush. 310 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:26,880 Israel crushes this king, crushes this kingdom. 311 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,360 And not only that, they take all their possessions. 312 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:30,360 Right. 313 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:35,720 So there's a reputation now with Israel and people around the lands around are hearing 314 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:40,040 that God is with Israel, that God goes before them. 315 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:45,760 So when the king of Moab, Balak hears that they're coming his way, he's worried. 316 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:46,760 Right. 317 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:51,120 He he's sweating it because God's favor is with Israel. 318 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,400 How many want God's favor in front of you? 319 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:54,400 Right. 320 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:55,400 He's with you in the fight. 321 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,600 You want God going before you in the fight. 322 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:03,320 So King Balak, King of Moab, he has good reason to be sweating it. 323 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:04,320 Right. 324 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:05,680 And he knew he couldn't win. 325 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:07,640 He knew he couldn't win with just military might. 326 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:09,320 You know, it wasn't going to happen. 327 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:12,680 And he realized that this is spiritual in nature. 328 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,360 This is a healing king. 329 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,640 And he realized this is a spiritual fight. 330 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:18,280 So it says in verse four. 331 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:23,160 So Moab said to the elders of Midian, now this company, this company will lick up everything 332 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:28,800 around us talking about Israel as an ox licks up the grass of the field and Balak, the son 333 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,520 of Zippor was the king of the Moabites at the time. 334 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:33,280 He sent messengers to Balaam. 335 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:34,280 Now say Balaam. 336 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:35,280 All right. 337 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:36,600 Got a lot of bees today. 338 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:38,040 We got Balaak and Balaam. 339 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:39,040 Right. 340 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:40,680 The son of Baor of Pathor. 341 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:42,240 Balaam is a prophet. 342 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:47,880 He is a powerful prophet, which is near the cover of near the river of the land of the 343 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:52,160 sons of his people to call him saying, look, a people has come up from Egypt. 344 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:56,880 See they cover the face of the earth and are setting settling next to me. 345 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,080 Therefore please come at once. 346 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,440 Curse this people for me. 347 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,400 Balak realizes this isn't just a physical fight. 348 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:09,640 He's going to hire a prophet to curse Israel for they are too mighty for me. 349 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:13,680 Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. 350 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:20,000 For I know that he whom you bless is blessed and he whom you curse is cursed. 351 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:26,760 A king, a heathen king who has nothing to do with God realizes that he is in a spiritual 352 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,880 fight and he needs spiritual ammunition. 353 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,520 Now I can stop and talk and I could preach right here because there's a lot of Christians 354 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,880 I know this still don't realize they're in a spiritual fight. 355 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:38,900 You need spiritual ammunition. 356 00:16:38,900 --> 00:16:39,900 King Balaak. 357 00:16:39,900 --> 00:16:42,740 He understands that he gets it right. 358 00:16:42,740 --> 00:16:46,920 So he's going to hire Balaam to curse Israel. 359 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:49,720 So the elders, it says this in verse seven. 360 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:54,840 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with diviners fees in their hand. 361 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:58,520 They're going to Balaam to curse or to pay him to curse Israel. 362 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:03,200 They're hiring him and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balaak and he 363 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:08,960 Balaam said to them, lodge here tonight and I will bring back word to you as the Lord 364 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:10,720 speaks to me. 365 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:16,240 So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam when God came to Balaam and said, who are 366 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:17,700 these men with you? 367 00:17:17,700 --> 00:17:24,260 So Balaam said to God, Balaak the son of Zippor, king of Moab has sent to me saying, look a 368 00:17:24,260 --> 00:17:27,860 people has come up out of Egypt and they cover the face of the earth. 369 00:17:27,860 --> 00:17:30,400 Come now curse them for me. 370 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,920 Perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out. 371 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:38,160 And God said to Balaam, you shall not go with them. 372 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:43,760 You shall not curse the people for they are blessed. 373 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,520 Balaak comes to hire Balaam as the prophet to curse. 374 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,240 Balaam says, hey, you messengers, you just stay right here. 375 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,160 I'm going to pray to God tonight. 376 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:53,640 Find out what God has to say. 377 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:57,460 God comes and meets with Balaam and he tells Balaam, you're not going out. 378 00:17:57,460 --> 00:17:59,280 You're not going to curse Israel. 379 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,440 The people of Israel are blessed by me. 380 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:02,440 Right? 381 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,560 How many know that's clear communication when God says you shall not. 382 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:06,560 Right? 383 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:07,560 Hey, you're not. 384 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:09,040 I don't care what they're paying you. 385 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:10,040 You're not going. 386 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:11,040 It's not happening. 387 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:12,040 Don't go. 388 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:13,040 It's not happening today. 389 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:14,040 It's not happening. 390 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:15,040 Period. 391 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:16,040 Forget about it. 392 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:17,040 Right? 393 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:18,840 And he sends him back to Balak. 394 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:20,480 He says, I can't do it. 395 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,680 God's forbid me for do it for doing this. 396 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:24,840 And he sends him back. 397 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,420 But Balaak, he's persistent. 398 00:18:27,420 --> 00:18:32,160 He sends messengers back to Balaam again with more money. 399 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:38,100 And he says, I want you to go and, you know, I want you to convince him to come. 400 00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:41,800 And Balaam again tells the messengers that come the second time. 401 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:43,280 He says, I can't go. 402 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:48,360 I can't go even if they fill up Balaak's palace with silver and gold and give it to me. 403 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:52,080 I cannot because the Lord told me I can't go. 404 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,600 But while he's, how many know you get in trouble when the butt comes in. 405 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:56,600 Right? 406 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:02,320 But while he's saying it, and while he's telling these guys I can't do it, God said no. 407 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:06,360 He throws in a statement of reservation about the decision. 408 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:09,960 He tells the messengers to stick around for another evening. 409 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:13,520 And I'll see if God has more to say about the matter. 410 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:14,640 Now I don't know. 411 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:16,640 I don't know if the money started looking good. 412 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:17,640 Right? 413 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,640 I don't know if he's thinking, well, maybe if I talk to God long enough, he'll change 414 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:21,640 his mind. 415 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,080 I don't know if he didn't get the message. 416 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,320 I think he got the message loud and clear when God said you shall not go. 417 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:29,320 Right? 418 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:33,760 How many know how many know if somebody tells you shall not do something you shall. 419 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:35,760 That means don't. 420 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:36,760 Right? 421 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,240 Listen to Numbers 22, 18. 422 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:45,200 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, though Balak were to give me his 423 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:51,040 house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do 424 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:52,880 less or more. 425 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:56,520 Now listen, Balaam should have shut up right there. 426 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,380 He should have quit talking right there. 427 00:19:58,380 --> 00:19:59,780 But he doesn't. 428 00:19:59,780 --> 00:20:05,520 He says it's now therefore, please you also stay here tonight that I may know what more 429 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,400 the Lord will say to me. 430 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:08,400 Right? 431 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:10,480 He's flirting with the idea. 432 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:12,280 He's going to go to God again. 433 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,920 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, says the second time around, if the men 434 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,000 come to call you, rise and go with them. 435 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:24,220 But only the word which I speak to you that you shall do. 436 00:20:24,220 --> 00:20:30,880 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. 437 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,240 Balaam knows it's wrong to go. 438 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,360 He knows God's will in this matter, but he keeps pushing it with God. 439 00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:38,360 Right? 440 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:43,080 And God says, now, how many know there's an if in statement sometimes. 441 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,000 Sometimes you got to look close at what's in the word of God. 442 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:52,400 God said, if, if God's praying, Balaam's praying, God speaks to me, says, if the men come to 443 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,920 call you, how do we know if is conditional? 444 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:57,920 That means there has to be a condition met. 445 00:20:57,920 --> 00:20:58,920 Right? 446 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,880 God says, if they come on calling you tomorrow, then go with them and I'll tell you what to 447 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:03,880 say. 448 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:05,760 But Balaam doesn't do that. 449 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:07,560 Balaam just gets up in the morning. 450 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:09,920 It doesn't say the men come back and ask them again. 451 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:11,600 He just gets up in the morning. 452 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:16,760 He saddles his donkey and he heads off with these princes. 453 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:23,000 Numbers 22, 22 says this, then God's anger was aroused because he went and the angel 454 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:28,340 of the Lord took his stand in the way of the adversary against him. 455 00:21:28,340 --> 00:21:32,360 Sometimes God says, if when he's communicating with us. 456 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:39,720 Sometimes don't ignore the if when God speaks if to you, don't make your own interpretation 457 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:46,020 of if don't make if if statement, a green light, a yellow light or a red light. 458 00:21:46,020 --> 00:21:47,480 Don't interpret it that way. 459 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:51,440 If God says if that means there's a condition attached, right? 460 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:53,680 If you do this, I will do that. 461 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,680 If this is supposed to be, this will happen. 462 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,760 And how many know I don't ignore Dixie's ifs, right? 463 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:01,200 My wife Dixie, I don't. 464 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:02,200 Right? 465 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:06,720 If I say I want to buy something, she says you can buy this if we get X amount of dollars 466 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:07,960 in the savings account. 467 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:11,080 How many know it's a bad idea if I go beyond the if, right? 468 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,960 If I read into the interpretation of that, right? 469 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:20,520 There if I got to say that it can get iffy if you ignore the if. 470 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:21,520 Right? 471 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:22,520 I had to do it. 472 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:23,520 It's right there. 473 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:24,520 Right? 474 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,680 It can get iffy if you ignore the if. 475 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,320 And that's exactly what Balaam does. 476 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:32,880 Balaam loads up his donkey. 477 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:37,160 He goes with these guys and God is ticked off at Balaam. 478 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:42,840 He's a prophet who's hearing from God and God himself dispatches an angel with a sword 479 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,720 to stand in the way of Balaam going to curse Israel. 480 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:48,920 The angel appears on the road. 481 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:54,200 Now if you read on in the story, the angel appears on the road and Balaam is riding on 482 00:22:54,200 --> 00:23:00,160 a donkey and the only one that can see the angel on the road at this point is the donkey 483 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:06,840 and the donkey that he's riding goes off into a field and stops and Balaam gets angry. 484 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:07,840 Right? 485 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:12,480 The donkey sees the warrior angel, the warrior death angel standing in the way. 486 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:14,480 The donkey goes off into the field. 487 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,520 Balaam gets ticked off because he doesn't see all this and he starts beating the donkey. 488 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,760 That's what the word of God says. 489 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:24,800 And Balaam forces the donkey back onto the road and the angel goes out a little further 490 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:29,240 on the road a second to a second place where there's a wall in this side and a wall on 491 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:33,720 that side and the donkey starts up through between these walls and the donkey sees the 492 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,720 angel with the sword and he begins to slide over to one of the walls to go around. 493 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:38,720 Right? 494 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:43,280 The angel with the sword and when he does he crushes Balaam's foot into the wall and 495 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:48,720 Balaam gets mad again and he beats the donkey again and a third time the angel moves out 496 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:56,260 ahead further on the road and the donkey is gone and this time Balaam's donkey lays down. 497 00:23:56,260 --> 00:23:57,360 He's not going to go to the right. 498 00:23:57,360 --> 00:23:58,360 He's not going to the left. 499 00:23:58,360 --> 00:23:59,560 He's not going to go to the side. 500 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:04,540 The donkey literally lays down road and Balaam is furious. 501 00:24:04,540 --> 00:24:06,040 He's furious at the donkey. 502 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:09,200 The word of God says that he starts to beat this donkey. 503 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,880 He starts beating and it says this. 504 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:17,520 Now remember I said God is terribly creative and he can do amazing things. 505 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:24,440 Numbers 22, 28 says this, then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to Balaam, 506 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:28,780 what have I done to you that you have struck me these three times? 507 00:24:28,780 --> 00:24:32,160 I just watched the Chronicles of Narnia last night with my grandson. 508 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:33,560 We were talking about the animals talking. 509 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:34,560 Let me tell you something. 510 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:37,480 If God wants an animal to talk, it can talk. 511 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:38,480 Right? 512 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:43,320 And Balaam said to the donkey because you have abused me and Balaam's still furious. 513 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,240 He's out of his mind furious. 514 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:47,560 I don't even think he realized he's talking to a donkey. 515 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:48,560 Right? 516 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:52,960 Because you have abused me, I wish there were a sword in my hand for now I would kill you. 517 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:54,440 That's what he said to the donkey. 518 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:58,920 So the donkey said to Balaam, am I not your donkey on which you have ridden ever since 519 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:00,800 I became yours to this day? 520 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,240 Have I ever disposed to do this to you? 521 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:04,600 And he said no. 522 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:09,040 And the Lord opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way 523 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:13,920 with a drawn sword in his hand and he bowed his head and he fell flat on his face. 524 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:18,840 And the angel of the Lord said to him, why have you struck your donkey these three times? 525 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:23,760 Lord I have come out to stand against you because your way is perverse before me. 526 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:27,240 The donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. 527 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:32,480 If she had not turned aside from me, surely I would have killed you by now and let her 528 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:33,480 live. 529 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:34,480 Amen. 530 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:37,640 Smart donkey. 531 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,460 Do not ignore God's if. 532 00:25:40,460 --> 00:25:44,840 Do not ignore if he said thou shall do something. 533 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,760 Right? 534 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:52,160 God is way more patient with us about getting clarity about what he says. 535 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:55,800 If God says something, he's okay with you coming back and saying, Lord, I'm not sure 536 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:56,800 about this. 537 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:57,800 Right? 538 00:25:57,800 --> 00:25:58,800 Can you give me a sign? 539 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:01,920 Can you give me, can you do something to let me know this is you? 540 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:03,080 He's fine with that. 541 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:06,360 He's okay with you coming and getting clarity along the way. 542 00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:08,600 But do not read into the if. 543 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:12,220 Do not read into the if he says thou shalt not. 544 00:26:12,220 --> 00:26:14,400 And Balaam, I love Balaam now. 545 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:19,040 And Balaam said to the angel of the Lord in verse 34, I have sinned for I do not know. 546 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,080 I did not know you stood in the way against me. 547 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:25,440 Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will turn back. 548 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:26,960 No kidding. 549 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:27,960 Right? 550 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:29,200 Now you're going to listen. 551 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:30,200 Right? 552 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:31,200 Now you're going to get it. 553 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,920 Then the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, go with the men. 554 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:38,640 But only the word that I speak to you that you shall speak. 555 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:41,920 So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. 556 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:48,520 And if I can give you the rest of this story, God sends Balaam from there to go to Balak. 557 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:52,880 Now he goes before King Balak three times. 558 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:57,480 He goes to curse Israel and God tells him, ah, you're going to bless Israel. 559 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:02,060 He's standing in front of the king, King Balak of the Moabites. 560 00:27:02,060 --> 00:27:03,400 This king can kill him. 561 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:05,520 He could take him out in a heartbeat. 562 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:07,840 And this king is paying him to curse Israel. 563 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,960 And every time he stands up, he stands up one time. 564 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,880 He takes him a place over look Israel and he starts to speak. 565 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,000 And all he speaks is blessing over Israel. 566 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:18,960 And this king is irritated. 567 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:20,240 He is frustrated. 568 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:21,480 King takes him to another spot. 569 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:23,140 Says, I want you to curse him. 570 00:27:23,140 --> 00:27:25,120 And every time Balaam opens his mouth. 571 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:28,160 How many know when you disobey God, you get yourself in a pickle? 572 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:29,440 He's standing. 573 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:32,520 He's probably every time he's blessed in Israel, he's thinking I'm going to die. 574 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:33,520 Ten minutes later. 575 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:34,520 Right? 576 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:35,520 This king is going to take my head off. 577 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:38,200 He's paid me to curse and all I can do is bless Israel. 578 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:43,800 All I can do is speak amazing favor over Israel over and over. 579 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:45,200 Disobedience gets us into pickles. 580 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:46,280 It gets us in a jam. 581 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:50,640 I think God was just up there smiling like, OK, you want to go prophesy, go prophesy. 582 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:51,640 Right? 583 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:53,880 But you want to speak blessing, not cursing. 584 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:54,880 Right? 585 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:55,880 He puts us into place. 586 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:56,880 God. 587 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:57,880 Here's the thing. 588 00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,000 God can speak to you through anything. 589 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:00,200 He can use a donkey. 590 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,600 I was going to use the biblical term for that, but I thought I'll leave that out. 591 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:04,600 Look that up later. 592 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:05,600 All right. 593 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:06,600 He can use a donkey. 594 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:07,600 Right? 595 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:08,840 He can use a donkey with a sword in his hand. 596 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:10,400 He can use a burning bush. 597 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:11,560 He can use a wind. 598 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:12,860 He can use a whirlwind. 599 00:28:12,860 --> 00:28:14,060 He can use the Bible. 600 00:28:14,060 --> 00:28:16,760 He can use the Holy Spirit to speak directly into your spirit. 601 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:23,720 He can use people, places and things to say anything that he needs to say. 602 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:25,640 Just stay close. 603 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:27,920 Don't put him in your box. 604 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,560 Don't put him in your little communication box. 605 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,720 Don't read into the ifs. 606 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:34,720 Hear from them. 607 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:35,720 Get clarity. 608 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:36,720 Amen. 609 00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:37,720 I should stand. 610 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,720 I should stand this morning. 611 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:45,800 Listen, as you stand here in the house and maybe wherever you are, if you're listening 612 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:50,620 online and at East Shore, Pastor Eric and his team are coming forward right now to close 613 00:28:50,620 --> 00:28:52,680 out up there. 614 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:59,040 But as you're standing and you're and you're processing and if you're with us online today, 615 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,520 maybe you're somewhere and you need to get to a place to pray. 616 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,400 Maybe it spoke to you and you got it. 617 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,200 You can maybe kneel down right where you're at. 618 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:08,680 I always tell people, listen, if you listen online and you're in a car, please pull over 619 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:09,680 somewhere. 620 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,160 Find a safe place to pray. 621 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:16,920 But if that's you this morning, this is the last message in this series. 622 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:18,820 I'm here to tell you God can speak to you. 623 00:29:18,820 --> 00:29:22,440 He can use anything and everything to speak to you. 624 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:24,000 Anything and everything. 625 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:25,400 We just got to know it's him. 626 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:26,840 We just got to know it's his will. 627 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,440 We just got to know that it lines up with his word. 628 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:30,680 We got to make sure there's not an if. 629 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:33,600 And if there is an if, we got to wait for the condition and make sure we fulfill the 630 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,200 condition before we move forward. 631 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,400 God will give you listen, the Holy Spirit. 632 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,920 I told you before in this, the Holy Spirit is not a silent partner. 633 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:44,880 He did not come into your life to be a silent partner. 634 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:49,360 He came in to speak the will of God in your life for your purpose, for his purpose, for 635 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,400 the kingdom and for your benefit. 636 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:52,400 That's how he does it. 637 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:53,640 God's really amazing that way. 638 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:54,640 Right. 639 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:55,640 Everything he does in our life. 640 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:59,160 Somehow it's amazing for the kingdom of God and it's for your benefit. 641 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:00,160 I don't know how God does it. 642 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:01,520 He just does it every time. 643 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,120 He really does. 644 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:34,040 So how many you want to continue to hear from God? 645 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:35,120 God will give you the Holy Spirit. 646 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:36,120 God will give you the Holy Spirit. 647 00:30:36,120 --> 00:31:04,120 God will give you the Holy Spirit.