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I'll sing in glory to his name.

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Oh, glory to his name.

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Well, now there to my heart was the blood of light.

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I'm singing glory to his name.

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Come on, give him praise and glory today.

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He's worthy.

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Hallelujah.

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Amen. If you have your Bibles, be turning with me to Jeremiah 29.

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It is so good to see each of you in the house of the Lord today.

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If you're visiting with us, thank you so much for choosing Hopewell as your place of worship today.

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And I pray that you have worshiped the Lord in spirit and in truth and thus far have already encountered the Spirit of the Lord.

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Amen.

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And I trust before you leave today that you'll be blessed in his grace.

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Jeremiah 29, we want to begin at verse four and read just a little bit today.

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Amen. Amen. God's good for you there. Say amen.

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Verse four reads Jeremiah 29. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,

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and all that are carried away captives whom I have cause to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon.

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Build you houses and dwell in them and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.

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Take your wives and beget sons and daughters and take your wives for your sons and daughters to husbands,

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that they may bear sons and daughters, that you may be increased there and not diminished.

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That right there, that just caught me.

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Pardon me just a minute. I just had a little encounter with the word.

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I don't know how many times I've read that, but that just.

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That you may be increased there and not diminished and seek the peace of the city wherewith I have caused you to be carried away captives

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and pray unto the Lord for it. For in the peace thereof shall you have peace.

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For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, let not your prophets and your diviners that be in the midst of you,

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deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams, which you cause to be dreamed.

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For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name. I have not sent them, said the Lord.

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For thus saith the Lord that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon,

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I will visit you and perform my good word towards you and causing you to return to this place.

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For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end.

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Then shall you call upon me and you shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you.

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And you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart.

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And I will be found of you, says the Lord, and I will turn away your captivity.

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And I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, saith the Lord,

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and I will bring you again into the place which I cause you to be carried away captive.

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Just for a little while this morning with the help of the Lord and your participation.

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If you don't participate, we'll get out early. Unless I feel like I really got to prove a point, then it'll be longer.

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But this only simple thought today. What do you do when the end seems near?

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What do you do when the end seems near? Father, I love you.

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I thank you for your word and the power of your word and the presence of your spirit in this room today.

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Now, ask God in your sanctuary that you cause us to hear what it is the spirit would have to say to the church.

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Lord, as we are here now open-minded and our hearts are open and our faith is ready to be lifted,

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and Lord, to be built upon your word. I pray, Lord, you'd use me, Lord, somehow, some way to be an encouragement today,

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the edifier of the body, and Lord, that you'd quicken our spirits towards you.

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We give you praise for it all. In Christ's lovely name, in the church of Ed. Amen.

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Ask your neighbor, do you think the end is near?

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We look at our text today, even so, Lord, come quickly.

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We look at our text this morning. You think about the people of God, the children of God, Israel.

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Understand that Israel was firmly aware of their reality, and understand that they are firmly aware of their reality now.

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Now, as then, then being in the text, walking out of alignment with the will of God,

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but still understanding the reality of God toward them.

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If you haven't seen the news, yesterday's attack by Iran has globally, for Christians,

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are on high alert and are now looking toward the prophetic end

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and trying to understand where we are on God's timetable.

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Prior to October 7, 23, just last October, six months ago,

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the future for Israel seemed its brightest since its independence on May 14, 1948.

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They had signed six Arab-Israeli peace normalization agreements,

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and they were working on the seventh with Saudi Arabia just prior to that attack.

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Probably as peaceful a time in Israel's recent history that they have known prior to, right up to October 7, last fall.

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They were flourishing. Tourism, again, had just really begun to explode, and their economy was picking up.

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The attack from Hamas had not only affected Israel, but it has changed the global perspective toward Israel,

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especially over the last six months of this war that they are in.

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The world in the last six months has seemed to have turned,

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and the tide seems to be against the people of Israel again.

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I think the words of the psalmist in 83 has given us some insight as to the expectation that we can have,

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and even they can have, as the psalmist declares.

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Verse 1, Keep not thou silent, O God, hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God,

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for lo, thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate thee have lifted up their heads.

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They have taken crafty counsel against your people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

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They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

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For they have consulted together with one consent. They are confederate against thee.

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And if you read the remainder of that chapter 83, the names of those nations are called out,

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many of which are in coalition today against the people of God.

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Leads us to look at Zechariah 12, Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about,

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when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

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And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people.

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Now listen good. All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces,

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though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

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What does that mean, Pastor? That means they can come on with it. It's what that means.

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Little brother going to stand up strong because father is on his side.

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Little sister, if you will. God is on the side of Israel.

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God is not on the side of their rebellion against him.

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God is not on their side in their rejection of himself.

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That's not what I'm saying. God has never been for Israel's sin.

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He's always went out of his way to bring them back.

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And as we read in our text today, such said occasion,

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they are being given over to Babylon because of their rebellion.

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But I think in the midst of this text that we've read this morning will give us a little insight.

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You say, well, is the near in near pastor you throw debate out there, is it?

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Well, it's nearer today than it was yesterday.

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That'd be my prophetic utterance to you today.

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It's closer today than it was yesterday.

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And the reason I can tell you this is in accordance to Luke 21, verse 25 says,

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there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon.

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We had one of them last week. Amen.

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So there's going to be distress over the face of the earth. Right.

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We're in the middle of that right now.

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People are all torn up, all distressed about everything that's going on.

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And in verse 28, he says, and when these things begin to come to pass,

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then look up and lift up your heads for your redemption is drawing nigh.

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I'm not going to attempt to set a date, but I will set a time when he's good and ready.

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Hallelujah.

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When the fullness of time comes to pass for his return as it did in his coming to begin with,

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then it will happen.

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Just be rest assured and not only be rest assured, but be prepared for you know,

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for you know not the day nor the hour when the son of man come.

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You don't know when he's coming, but he is coming.

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He's coming like a thief in the night.

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He's going to come and carry us away.

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Hallelujah. And I'm going to be ready.

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I'm going to be. I said, I'm going to be ready.

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I am watching and eternally watching because I know that could be the very day in which we are living.

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We are in those end times.

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We are in that descriptive of Luke 21 and Matthew 24 with wars and rumors of wars.

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I don't know that we're hardly just there yet to fulfill all of the Psalm 83

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because Jordan will be one of those that rise up against them.

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But yesterday, Jordan was on defense mode.

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They were taking out drones and missiles as they were coming over.

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So we aren't hardly there yet. Egypt was on their side.

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Egypt was in defense of Israel.

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So I think we got this a little bit more time.

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It could be tomorrow though.

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It could be by the setting of this evening, son, the Lord could come.

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We must be ready.

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We must be on our toes.

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So when we stop to think, some scholars actually believe the next great sequence of events

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to usher us on into the end times and the soon return of the Lord would be found in Ezekiel 37 through 39

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when Gog and Magog make a coalition and they rise up and come up against.

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I don't know if you've been watching the news.

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Sometimes it's awful depressing and I don't like to watch a whole lot of it.

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I don't even like watching the weather anymore.

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You can't even count on that.

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But I've got something right here as an antidote for that.

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I think it's going to help you if we are looking for that last time event to really begin to usher.

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I think Iran and Russia has been in conversation and diplomatic conversation more than they ever have.

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So I think things are aligning and the pieces of the puzzle are at least coming out of the box

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and the picture's been turned over.

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And I think the world is looking for the corner pieces.

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You know what I'm talking about?

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You jigsaws, you look for the corners.

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And if you can get the corners and then you get the parameter to all the way around, then you feel in the middle.

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Well, I think we've got the parameters put together and we're waiting for the middle to come into pass.

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Jesus' coming was the last corner piece to put it all together.

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He is the head and the cornerstone.

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He's the one that the builders rejected.

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And so the parameters and the frame is made.

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And there are more pieces coming together than there ever has been in our time of living.

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The time could be near.

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It is near.

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The time for the Lord's return in the coming.

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We've got to be watchful.

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We've got to be ready.

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Watch the news.

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But I think there's some other things we can do.

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Is Israel the forecast for the future?

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Are they the forecasting instrument for and of the end of time?

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Here's another forecast instrument.

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A tourist traveling through West Texas stopped at a gas station, an old mom and pop gas station,

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one with a porch on it.

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How many remember those days?

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We're telling on ourselves now.

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But what he observes is a piece of rope hanging off the porch.

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He said, hey, what's that rope?

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There's a sign there that said weather forecasting.

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So he asked the man sitting in the chair on the porch, what's that supposed to mean?

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He said, well, if it's swaying side to side, it's windy.

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He said if water is dripping from it, it's raining.

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He said if it's froze still, if it's cold.

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He said if it's gone, it was a tornado.

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I think instead of watching so much about Israel, we need to be paying more attention to the church.

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I think the church is the forecaster for the full force of end time events.

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As long as you see the church here, I think you're good.

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The wind may be blowing, huh?

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It may be swinging.

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We may be dripping soaking wet or we may be froze still.

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But as long as we still here, there's hope for the world.

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My God, I said there's hope for the world.

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The forecasting indicator for the world is the church of the living God.

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They are the people of God engrafted.

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We've been bought in.

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We've been brought in.

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And the price has been paid.

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The precious blood has been poured out.

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So what I'm keeping my eye on is the church.

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And by virtue of the church, I'm keeping one eye toward the eastern clouds.

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And I'm keeping one ear open, listening for the trumpeter to sound that I may hear the shout of that archangel saying,

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Come up hither, come up hither.

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That's the forecaster for end time events.

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And when the church is out, then all holes are off.

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But we can read the times.

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Israel is a forecasting agent for the end of the age.

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But keep your eye on the church.

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Better yet, as long as you stay in it, you're going to be all right.

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Remain in the arc of the safety of his redemptive work through his blood.

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What does that mean?

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Stay sin free and you're going to be good to go.

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We'll just get simple with it.

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We'll just explain it.

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As a believer, you and I, we find ourselves searching and scratching our heads from time to time.

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And much perplexed by the anti-Christian decisions that our nation makes.

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And it seems like I've just woken up and our nation just seems to have took a hard left.

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It just seemed I don't know if I've not been paying as close attention as I should have.

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But I scratch my head and I do ponder sometimes at how in the world could we be this far away from God's idea

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and plan of what life is supposed to be about.

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And when people of our nation march for the right to murder, hello, innocent blood.

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And they march for it and get violent about it, about the right to do it and commit it.

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I just go, really?

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And then we march and we protest for the right to allow children to mutilate themselves.

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They got a right. Mine did.

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They had a right to do what I told them to and that's about it.

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They had a right, all right.

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And they better have been careful of how they done that.

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But our nation, that's how far away we're getting.

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Marriage, next thing you know, it's going to be people and dogs and animals.

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Hello, don't think it's strange. It'll happen.

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Multi-millionaires are already leaving their wealth to cats and dogs.

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You have to get your head out saying, read something every now and then, you'll see it's going on.

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And so I am remained and left behind somewhat perplexed.

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Pardon me, but for the stupidity of our nation, it can't be ignorance because surely they know better.

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You know, I've got a little leeway for ignorance.

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You can be taught, but you can't fix stupid.

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You know, for you visitors, hopefully you'll make it back next week.

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You know, this is about as straight as I'm just plain.

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But that's the shape that we're in and we're eyeing the end of time.

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And then the last day, Seth, God, there's going to be some things it takes over.

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Men are going to be drawing away from God.

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We're talking about the church now.

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They're going to be heaping to themselves, having tingling, itching ears.

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Somebody that will come in and tell them the way they want to live is quite all right.

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As long as you're not offending anybody, well, forget the offending,

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as long as you're not affecting or bothering anybody, you do whatever you want to.

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And God's a great big God of love.

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And we're all going to make it at the end and that all roads lead to heaven.

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That's not what you're going to hear from me.

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There's one way to heaven.

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There is only one way to heaven and all roads don't leave there.

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Jesus declared, I am the way, the truth and the life.

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And no man come to the Father but by me.

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Our God is holy and without holiness no man shall see God.

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There's a criteria to this thing.

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There's a way to live it.

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There's a way to live it out.

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And it's not to your heart's pleasure because the heart of all members is evil.

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We all right?

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The all out assault on moral Christian values, I never thought I'd see the day.

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It's hard to understand that so many cannot and will refuse to see the blessings

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that we have and that we've been afforded because of the alignment of the standards

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of faith and morality and the practice of Judeo-Christian actions in our laws.

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All of the founding fathers were not Christians, by the way,

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but they understood to have a society it had to be based upon the morality

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and the teaching and the laws and the work of God's Word.

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So it was woven into the framework of the documents that we have governing our nation.

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But as man's heart grows continually more evil, they are drawn away from those

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statutes and principles and all they want to do is change them, change them,

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change them, change them, change them.

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Change them. Why?

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Because when you see those things present it brings about a conviction in the heart

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of even a sinful man.

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You know why I've told you before why they raise so much cane to get Scripture

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out of courthouses and to take the Ten Commandments off the wall because when

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you're sitting there a criminal and you've committed murder and you're just

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looking around the room waiting on your case to be called up and your attention

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is drawn to the Ten Commandments and you see where God says,

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thou shalt not kill.

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When you've robbed your neighbor blind and you're looking around the room

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waiting on your case to come up, you see the words thou shalt not steal.

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And then you look up to the top, thou shalt love the Lord thy God and have

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no other gods before you.

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And then you read down toward the bottom and you see remember the seventh day

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and keep it holy.

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And if you were took to Sunday school when you were a young child and you're

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sitting in a courtroom chained up and bound and you begin to read,

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it causes a stirring in you because if you've ever been taught and if you ever

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knew the way, you can't get away from it.

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And it causes conviction to come into a human's heart and they are bowing down

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and they don't want to see it.

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Even unbelievers struggle to understand the condition of things.

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As I mentioned two weeks ago, we live in a world who keep waiting on it to change.

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One thing we cannot do is to lose our heart or begin to live without purpose,

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principle or vision.

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Just because you see the wickedness of the world rising up, you cannot live

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without purpose.

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You cannot have life without vision.

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You have to see the purpose that God has for you in your life and own your life.

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And I think if we'll look, just breathe, if you'll give me a few minutes,

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and we'll look at the 29 Jeremiah here and we'll see some of those.

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We'll begin to stop and think about how God is aligning things.

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It was probably one of Israel's darkest moments.

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God was still speaking in it though.

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When you think about it, they have just been told God says the Babylon's coming

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to carry you away.

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They're going to take you away and you're going to be held and bound in

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captivity.

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And he told them why, because my prophets that are calling me being the one who

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sent them, they are not.

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They are lying to you.

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They're misaligning you.

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They're telling you everything is all right and everything's hunky-dory.

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But that's not what I've said.

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I've sent word to you that you need to turn around.

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You need to turn back toward me.

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You need to forsake your sin and follow and serve me.

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But you wouldn't have it and they wouldn't bring it.

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And he even told O'Bennie and I there, he said before the year is out, you will be

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dead because you prophesied lies to my people.

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And seven months later, he fell over dead because he wouldn't bring the word of the

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Lord to the people of the Lord.

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And here, I'm not going to be one of those.

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I want to live out the year.

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Hello?

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I don't want to leave this world in seven months, but I'm going to tell us the

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truth.

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The Lord is calling his church to repentance.

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The Lord is calling us to come near to him and draw nigh unto him because of his

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faithfulness and goodness.

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And I can hear a word like he sent to Jeremiah to tell his people.

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Proverbs 4.18 says, But the path of the just is like the shining sun that shines

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ever brighter unto the perfect day.

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When we think about it, in the darkest day of Israel, God was still speaking to

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them.

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He was still prophesying and having his servants stand up.

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He's still speaking to his church today.

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He's not abandoning the church in an amoral society and in an amoral world.

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He's still telling us he's God and he's still on the throne.

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Amen.

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He's still there and his word is still true and he's still promising to us in

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the dark, dark reality.

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Our light in our culture must shine through.

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Your faith and your hope and your desire to know God and please God must be seen

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in a community and people's lives who do not know God.

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You and I are the demonstrators.

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You and I are the examples that you can live a good life, a clean life, a moral

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life, a righteous life and be blessed of God because he is moral, he is righteous,

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he is holy and he is faithful.

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And when they see that in our life and we're shining light in the darkness that

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is around us, it instills hope in a people who have no hope.

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Y'all right?

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We're still good?

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When we find ourselves in a place so unfamiliar and unrecognizable, we should

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remind ourselves of the message the Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah in

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our text.

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The first thing we need to be reminded of is that we must be steadfast in prayer.

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Look at verse 7.

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He said, and seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried

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away captive and pray to the Lord for it, for in its peace you will have peace.

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We still have a responsibility to pray.

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Amen.

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God was letting them know.

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He said, here's what I want you to do.

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When they come and carry you away to Babylon, when you get there, you go ahead

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and build houses, you go ahead and plant gardens, you go ahead and eat the fruit

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of it, you go ahead and have your sons marry and your daughters marry and your

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grandchildren to marry because you're going to be there for 70 long years.

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But while you are there, you better not stop praying for the peace of Babylon.

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Why?

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Because, honey, you're living in Babylon.

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We better not stop praying for America because we're living in Babylon.

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Hey, are you hearing me?

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We're living in a Sodom and Gomorrah of our day.

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And the depravity of man and the perversion of sin that's on a rampant,

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somebody better pray for this nation.

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Why?

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Because when this nation is in peace, that means you and I are in peace.

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And that's what God was telling them.

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You better pray for Babylon because as long as you are there, you'll want the

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peace that's on their house to be on your house because what will happen is the

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enemy will come through and not care one way or the other who you are.

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They're just going to wreak havoc.

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I'm telling you today, the enemy doesn't care who you are.

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There's a lion out seeking to kill, steal, and destroy.

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He's roaring on every side.

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One thing I do know, God has given a word and he said, pray, pray, pray,

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pray for their peace.

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Somebody needs to start bending a knee and praying for the peace and the

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prosperity again of God's good hand on this nation.

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How do we pray, 2 Chronicles 7-14, if my people who are called by my name will

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not be saved from themselves?

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Seek my face, turn from their wicked ways, then and then only.

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Oh, come on now.

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It doesn't mean every person under the banner of that nation was saved.

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It means that his people were sparing those people's lives.

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God said, I will hear if my people.

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He's looking for his people to bow down in the street and lift up his name.

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He's looking for his people to bow down and lift up his name so that they be

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empowered with the light and the love of truth that they may invade the

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rainbow brigade and preach the good news of Jesus Christ and the saving

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grace of God Almighty.

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Hallelujah.

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It wasn't that Babylon was going to acquire the peace of God.

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It was only that if God's people prayed, then by virtue of their presence, oh,

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my God, by virtue of their presence, then Babylon would be blessed.

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Can I tell you somebody close to you is being blessed because of your prayer

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and because of God's favor on your life?

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So don't quit now.

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Don't give up now.

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But they're heathens.

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But it's his grace.

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It's able.

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And if you keep getting that grace on your life, that grace is going to spread

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over their life.

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And who knows the day that they bow a subjected knee to the wonderful grace of

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redemption?

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Hallelujah.

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Seek the peace of that city.

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We're steadfast in prayer.

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We have responsibility to pray.

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See, I get double time to preach today.

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I didn't get to last week.

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In light of current events, there's no other option for the church but to pray.

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And with that note, mark your calendars the month of May.

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Every Thursday evening from 7 to 830, right here in this sanctuary, we're

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going to have an hour and a half of prayer right here.

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You say, did that just come up?

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No, it actually came up when the Holy Ghost fell in this place on Wednesday

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night.

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Hallelujah.

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And the Lord stirred our heart.

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We are living in and we are functioning from and enjoying the blessings that we

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are because of a couple years ago of a labor of prayer that happened on

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Thursday mornings.

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I know some of you got to go to work, so we're making it in the evening so

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you can get home, get refreshed, get your mind set right, and make your way in

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and pray.

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I don't care if you come in and pray for five minutes, ten minutes, or two

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hours.

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The doors are locked when you leave.

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But we have an obligation to pray.

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We need to intercede for our nation.

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You do realize, thankfully, on my part and opinion, you have yours, but

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thankfully, the U.S. was part of that defense coalition defending Israel

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yesterday.

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Hallelujah.

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Intercepting dozens of missiles and those drones that were coming in on

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attack.

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Thankfully, we were there in support.

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And you do know what could stem from that, right?

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The heathen is going to rage.

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Are you hearing me?

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So we have to pray.

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We have to engage in God's grace and have supplication for his mercy upon

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our nation.

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We've got to pray.

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Psalm 122 and 6 says pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

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They shall prosper that love thee.

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Hebrews 1025, for us, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as

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the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much more as you see

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the day approaching.

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Time for laying out a church and laying out a worship is not now.

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Not as we see if we're talking and what we're discussing is forecasting the

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end.

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We don't have time for that.

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It's forecasting the end.

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We don't have time to mess around.

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You don't have time to dilly-dally.

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You don't have time to be in and out and in and out and in and out of God's

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grace.

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I can understand a little up and down in life because I have them myself, but

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we can't have the in and out.

460
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:22,000
Serving God today, sinning tomorrow, serving God next Sunday, sinning on

461
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:25,000
Wednesday through Saturday, trying to get back in on Sunday.

462
00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,000
You can't have an in and out relationship with God.

463
00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,000
It's okay because when you're down, he'll lift you up.

464
00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:32,000
Hallelujah.

465
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:33,000
Amen.

466
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:37,000
But thank God while you're out, he'll never allow his grace to escape you,

467
00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:41,000
but he'll always be seeking you to bring you back in.

468
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:47,000
We can have our ups and downs, but not our in and outs.

469
00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:53,000
Whoo.

470
00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:58,000
The nation of Israel would eventually be restored back to their home because

471
00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:01,000
God said that's what he was going to do.

472
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:06,000
I'll bring you back to this place.

473
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:13,000
Seventy years in verse 10, when this is over, God said, I'll pay heed to my

474
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,000
people.

475
00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:20,000
He said, I'll visit you with my good word.

476
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,000
Isn't that wonderful?

477
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:28,000
I'll visit you with my good word.

478
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:30,000
His blessings.

479
00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:34,000
I got hung up in reading, these things flushed through my mind when we read

480
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:37,000
verse 6 in our reading this morning.

481
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:42,000
He said that you may be increased there and not diminished because he's already

482
00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,000
sent his good word.

483
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,000
He said, go and you're going to prosper while you're there.

484
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:51,000
Plant, if God said you're going to reap in the garden that you're to sow, that

485
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,000
means God's going to bless the garden that you till the ground of and you plant

486
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:55,000
and you sow.

487
00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:58,000
He said, if you're going to eat the fruit of it, that means God's going to

488
00:34:58,000 --> 00:34:59,000
bless it.

489
00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:00,000
He's already given him a good word.

490
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,000
He said, you'll not diminish there, but you will flourish there.

491
00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,000
Somebody needs to hear that this morning where you are, the condition and the

492
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,000
situation where you are.

493
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:12,000
You may feel like you've been taken captive, but you've not forsaken God.

494
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,000
God says to you this morning, hang on.

495
00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:18,000
He's going to perform and visit you and his good word is coming your way.

496
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:21,000
If he's made a good promise to you, God is going to fulfill that.

497
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:29,000
He said, I'll not see you diminish, but I'll see you flourish there.

498
00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:37,000
My good word, Jeremiah 24, 5 and 6, the word of the Lord came to me saying,

499
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:44,000
thus says the Lord God of Israel, like these good figs, so will I acknowledge

500
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:48,000
those who were carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this

501
00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:53,000
place for their own good into the land of the Chaldeans, for I will set my eyes

502
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:55,000
on them for good.

503
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:56,000
Are you hearing this?

504
00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:01,000
I will set my eyes on them for good and I will bring them back to this land and

505
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:06,000
I will build them and not pull them down and I will plant them and not plug them

506
00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:07,000
up.

507
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:11,000
It doesn't matter how many rise up against them or how it looks like they

508
00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,000
may be destroyed or defeated.

509
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,000
God said, it will not happen on my watch.

510
00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:22,000
And if God has said it, rest assured everyone else will fail, but his word will

511
00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:23,000
stand.

512
00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:24,000
Why, pastor?

513
00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,000
Because God is not a man that he should lie.

514
00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:33,000
Everything that he says is true and will be.

515
00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:39,000
Still got a few more minutes?

516
00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:44,000
God has limits set for the triumph of evil.

517
00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:45,000
What does that mean?

518
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,000
God's got a line drawn and the devil can't cross it.

519
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:50,000
How do we know so?

520
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,000
Look at what happened in the life of Job.

521
00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:54,000
He was a wise man.

522
00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:55,000
He was a righteous man.

523
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,000
He was a wealthy man.

524
00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:00,000
He was a man blessed of God, right?

525
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:07,000
And he's in staff meeting in heaven and the devil shows up.

526
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:13,000
And God says to the devil, don't get this one wrong, it wasn't the devil said to

527
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:14,000
God.

528
00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:20,000
God said to the devil, have you considered my servant Job?

529
00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:28,000
Now, I don't know about you, but that's not a line I won't get in.

530
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:33,000
What are you saying?

531
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,000
Let the teacher's pet get that.

532
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:43,000
I've never been one, so let the teacher's pet get called out for that.

533
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:55,000
How would you like the devil to say, Satan, have you considered Fred lately my servant?

534
00:37:55,000 --> 00:38:01,000
I say, Lord, I didn't have my hand up.

535
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:05,000
I'm sure Job didn't have his hand up either.

536
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:12,000
But God knew Job and he knew the favor that he had on Job's life and he knew that Job

537
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,000
wasn't going to let him down.

538
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:19,000
Oh, he griped and belly ached like the rest of us.

539
00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:20,000
He did.

540
00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:24,000
Go read it.

541
00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:27,000
But he didn't give up.

542
00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:34,000
In all the things that come against him, he didn't turn on God.

543
00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:36,000
Didn't say he didn't have trouble.

544
00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:39,000
Have you considered?

545
00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:43,000
Sometimes we're brought into consideration of God.

546
00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:51,000
God has confidence in our confidence in him because he is confident in himself.

547
00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:55,000
God knew all along it wasn't about Job, it was just about Job believing in him.

548
00:38:55,000 --> 00:39:01,000
And when the enemy come up, he said, here's as far as you can go.

549
00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:04,000
Take everything the man owns.

550
00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:11,000
But if you lay a finger on him, huh?

551
00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:19,000
Sometimes we're so caught up in the things that we own, we forget in whom's possession we are.

552
00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:20,000
Job didn't forget it.

553
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:24,000
He said the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.

554
00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:28,000
But blessed be the name of the Lord.

555
00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:33,000
Can you say that?

556
00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:39,000
It's another thing to say it when they've got a truckload of wheels coming after your house.

557
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:45,000
Huh?

558
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:49,000
They coming to get that thing.

559
00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:50,000
They can have it.

560
00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,000
My hopes not tied up in a double wide anyway.

561
00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:56,000
Hello?

562
00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:59,000
Blessed be the name of the Lord.

563
00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:01,000
Let them have it.

564
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,000
30 years ago.

565
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,000
Let them have it.

566
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,000
Thank God they didn't have to come and get it.

567
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,000
I sold it to my uncle.

568
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:12,000
Right before they took ownership.

569
00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:14,000
Hello?

570
00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:17,000
Blessed be the name of the Lord.

571
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,000
Can you say it then?

572
00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:23,000
Can you declare it then?

573
00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:27,000
Can you say it when a child is bleeding out?

574
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:29,000
Can you bless the name of the Lord?

575
00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:34,000
Can you say it when they call and say, paralyzed from the middle of the chest down?

576
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,000
Can you praise him anyway?

577
00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:40,000
Can you glorify him in the tribulation?

578
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:46,000
I hope that we can because God is faithful through every tribulation and every trial.

579
00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:50,000
He said, I'll not have you diminished up, but I will cause you to flourish.

580
00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:53,000
It doesn't mean you're going to have more money than you know what to do with,

581
00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,000
but it means he's going to touch your faith.

582
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,000
He's going to lift you up.

583
00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:05,000
And in the midst of every trial, you'll not be diminished, but elevated.

584
00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:06,000
Well, hallelujah.

585
00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:11,000
What do you do when it seems like the end is near?

586
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,000
You pray.

587
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,000
You have faith in God.

588
00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:16,000
You live in hope.

589
00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:20,000
I'm going to skip toward the end here.

590
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:26,000
Verse 11, Chapter 29 is one of our favorites.

591
00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:32,000
It's one of those tongue in cheeks, for I know the plans that I have for you, saith God.

592
00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:38,000
Not a rude ending, but a future and a hope for your future.

593
00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:44,000
That's after he just told them in verse 10, you're going to be there 70 years.

594
00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:48,000
See, when you pull that verse out and you just quote it without knowing what surrounds it,

595
00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:52,000
it's good and it's powerful, but when you know what surrounds it,

596
00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:56,000
my Lord, it even grows in strength and power for our life.

597
00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:00,000
You're going to be going over there for 70 years, but pray for their peace

598
00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:01,000
because you'll be at peace.

599
00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:05,000
And as long as you're there praying for peace, I'm going to be with you.

600
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,000
And I'm not going to leave you there.

601
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:22,000
I will come and get you and bring you home.

602
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,000
This world is not my home.

603
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:33,000
I'm only passing through.

604
00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:42,000
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

605
00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:49,000
Build a house, stay awhile, plant a garden, but don't get used to it.

606
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:53,000
I'm coming to get you out.

607
00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:59,000
Plant a garden, live in this old Babylon that we have a slice of.

608
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,000
Enjoy the freedoms that still remain that you have.

609
00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:05,000
Worship Him in spirit and truth.

610
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:08,000
Forsake not this sinning of yourself together for you never know.

611
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:20,000
And we've already been tested to see that folks will stay home.

612
00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:28,000
Trial run was a success.

613
00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:33,000
We can shut the door of the church.

614
00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:40,000
But I actually think if said circumstances were different than what they were,

615
00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:48,000
I think there'd have been a few more open doors for myself.

616
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:51,000
And I can only speak for me and hope well because that's the only one I've been

617
00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:55,000
giving charge over to lead.

618
00:43:55,000 --> 00:44:03,000
Your health for those few weeks until they figured some things out was more important.

619
00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:09,000
I think we had enough faith and enough of the Spirit of God to maintain us for a little while.

620
00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:17,000
But when they just come out and say, because we said so, uh-uh.

621
00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:21,000
No. All four of them out front will be open.

622
00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:26,000
I'll be out there with the kids waving one of them signs, you're welcome here.

623
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:30,000
We're not doing that.

624
00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:33,000
But those signs are nearing us.

625
00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:35,000
We must be prepared so we live with hope.

626
00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:40,000
Stand with me and I'll run through this.

627
00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:45,000
God said, I know the thoughts that I have for you and expect it in, meaning a hopeful future.

628
00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:50,000
The apathy of this world shouldn't take root in your heart.

629
00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:57,000
Do not allow the apathy and the disdain for God and righteousness and things that are holy in this world

630
00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:04,000
detour you from your hope and your faith in God.

631
00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:07,000
Thus saith the Lord.

632
00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:11,000
Jeremiah 31, refrain your voice from weeping.

633
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:13,000
Wow.

634
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:18,000
And your eyes from tears for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord.

635
00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:21,000
Your children shall come back from the land of the enemy.

636
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:30,000
There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border.

637
00:45:30,000 --> 00:45:36,000
It's like what mama used to tell me, dry it up, son.

638
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:40,000
Especially if you were kind of whining and wanting something.

639
00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,000
You got that.

640
00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:47,000
You better dry it up before I give you something to cry for.

641
00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:50,000
Words that are seldom used anymore.

642
00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:54,000
Take it from your pastor, try them out.

643
00:45:54,000 --> 00:46:03,000
And if they don't stop, implement and you'll see a world of good in your life and theirs.

644
00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:05,000
I said, dry up those tears.

645
00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:09,000
I told you I was coming to get you.

646
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:11,000
I'm not going to leave you there.

647
00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:15,000
That ought to give a lot of us a lot of hope this morning.

648
00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:21,000
Wherever you're feeling like you're being held captive, whatever the thing or situation or circumstance,

649
00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:26,000
whatever crisis that may have you feeling like you're in prison, God said,

650
00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:28,000
I'm not going to leave you in that mess.

651
00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:30,000
Dry it up.

652
00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:34,000
Hold back from weeping.

653
00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:36,000
Try a little rejoicing.

654
00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:38,000
It could be today that you get out of it.

655
00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:41,000
It could be tomorrow.

656
00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:43,000
But you're getting out.

657
00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:48,000
How do you know, pastor, if he said it to you?

658
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:49,000
Take my word for it.

659
00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:51,000
Take his.

660
00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:53,000
He told his right, I'm not going to leave you there.

661
00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:59,000
And if you read ahead, 70 years he went in there and got them.

662
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:02,000
Brought them out.

663
00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:09,000
When he said no enemy is going to destroy them today, God means that.

664
00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:12,000
That's exactly what he means.

665
00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:15,000
We're going to be people of hope.

666
00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:22,000
Hope of revival, hope of a restored nation, hope of our eternal home that we have awaiting us

667
00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:24,000
because we're just passing through.

668
00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:28,000
This world is not our home.

669
00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:32,000
You're just passing through, child of God.

670
00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:34,000
And he said he was going to come get us.

671
00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:39,000
That's why we need to keep our eye on the church.

672
00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:43,000
Two will be in the field working, one will be taking, one will be left behind.

673
00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:45,000
Huh?

674
00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:49,000
Two will be in bed sleeping, one will be taking, one will be left behind.

675
00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:53,000
One will be behind the wheel driving, one will be in the seat riding.

676
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:57,000
One will be taking, one will be left behind.

677
00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:00,000
It's the church we need to be watching.

678
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:07,000
Israel may be part of the forecasting system, but the church is where you better keep your eye.

679
00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:11,000
He died for you.

680
00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:13,000
So what we do, we move forward in faith.

681
00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:14,000
That's what you do.

682
00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:21,000
You move forward in hope, you move forward in prayer, and you move forward in faith.

683
00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:22,000
I know.

684
00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:23,000
Look at verse 12.

685
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:29,000
Then shall you call upon me and you shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you.

686
00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:34,000
You shall seek me and you'll find me when you shall search for me with all your heart.

687
00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:36,000
Can't do this thing half-hearted, people.

688
00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:38,000
Are you hearing me?

689
00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:40,000
You can't do this half-hearted.

690
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:46,000
You don't get to heaven half in and half out.

691
00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:50,000
It's all or nothing.

692
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:54,000
I will be found of you, says the Lord, and I will turn away your captivity.

693
00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:58,000
You hear it?

694
00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:03,000
And I will gather you from all the nations, all the places where there I have driven you,

695
00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:10,000
you say the Lord, and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

696
00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:15,000
May 14, 1948.

697
00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:21,000
Jews came from all around the world home.

698
00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:23,000
Well, that took an awful long time.

699
00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:25,000
God doesn't work on mine your time.

700
00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:29,000
He works on His Word.

701
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:33,000
And the man of eternity, you and I are not even a millisecond.

702
00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:38,000
I heard 50, 60, 70, 80 years, whatever you got working for you.

703
00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:42,000
Not even a blimp on the radar of time.

704
00:49:42,000 --> 00:49:46,000
God works on His Word.

705
00:49:46,000 --> 00:49:47,000
Remember, we've discussed it.

706
00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:54,000
When the fullness of time came, God sent His Son into the world, right?

707
00:49:54,000 --> 00:50:03,000
And when the fullness of that time comes again, He's going to send Him back in the clouds first.

708
00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:08,000
And the dead in Christ are going to rise first.

709
00:50:08,000 --> 00:50:11,000
They get to come up first.

710
00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:19,000
And we which are alive and remain shall be changed.

711
00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:21,000
And together.

712
00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:25,000
They just got to stand there a second, wait on us.

713
00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:28,000
You know, when your wife says, let me run in and change, I'll be just a minute.

714
00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:34,000
Just sit down, turn on ES and PN.

715
00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:35,000
Get you a baloney sandwich.

716
00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:40,000
You got a few minutes.

717
00:50:40,000 --> 00:50:47,000
And when the fullness of time comes, she'll come out ready and you'll be grateful.

718
00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:56,000
When the fullness of time comes and He calls us to Himself, my, won't we be grateful?

719
00:50:56,000 --> 00:51:00,000
What do you do when it looks like the end is near?

720
00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:07,000
You pray, you hope, and you keep on believing.

721
00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:15,000
And as long as you have to stay where you are, go ahead and plant your garden.

722
00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:19,000
Let's over at my house, you had to put it in a bucket until the last of May.

723
00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:22,000
Ground's too wet.

724
00:51:22,000 --> 00:51:29,000
I was told I put a building where the garden was supposed to win.

725
00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:33,000
He'll not see you diminish, folks.

726
00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:37,000
But He'll cause you to prosper where you are.

727
00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:45,000
Heavenly Father, I love you today.