WEBVTT 00:01:17.579 --> 00:01:19.500 If you're thankful for the blood, give the Lord 00:01:19.500 --> 00:01:21.459 a good praise in his house today. There's power 00:01:21.459 --> 00:01:32.000 in the blood. Wonder -working power, amen, in 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:35.659 the precious blood of the Lamb. If you have your 00:01:35.659 --> 00:01:39.239 Bibles this morning, turn with me to 1 Thessalonians. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:49.370 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. Thank you for being 00:01:49.370 --> 00:02:02.849 here on this first Sunday of the new year. The 00:02:02.849 --> 00:02:09.009 goodness of the Lord. His kindness and mercy 00:02:09.009 --> 00:02:13.569 extended to us every day. Amen. Grateful for 00:02:13.569 --> 00:02:20.530 that. Begin reading at verse 12, 1 Thessalonians 00:02:20.530 --> 00:02:28.069 5. And we beseech you therefore, brethren, to 00:02:28.069 --> 00:02:30.770 know them which labor among you and are over 00:02:30.770 --> 00:02:36.310 you in the Lord and admonish you. And to esteem 00:02:36.310 --> 00:02:38.889 them very highly in love for their work's sake 00:02:38.889 --> 00:02:43.189 and be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort 00:02:43.189 --> 00:02:48.430 you, brethren, warn them that are unruly. Comfort 00:02:48.430 --> 00:02:51.449 the feeble -minded. Support the weak. Be patient 00:02:51.449 --> 00:02:55.669 toward all men. See that none render evil for 00:02:55.669 --> 00:03:00.590 evil unto any man, but ever follow that which 00:03:00.590 --> 00:03:04.370 is good, both among yourselves and to all men. 00:03:04.550 --> 00:03:10.590 Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything 00:03:10.590 --> 00:03:13.610 give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ 00:03:13.610 --> 00:03:19.110 Jesus concerning you. Quench not the spirit, 00:03:19.289 --> 00:03:23.349 despise not prophesying. Prove all things, hold 00:03:23.349 --> 00:03:31.650 fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance 00:03:31.650 --> 00:03:39.689 of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you 00:03:39.689 --> 00:03:44.009 wholly. And I pray, God, your whole spirit and 00:03:44.009 --> 00:03:47.090 soul and body be preserved blameless unto the 00:03:47.090 --> 00:03:50.409 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is 00:03:50.409 --> 00:04:02.889 he that calleth you who also will do it. Faithful 00:04:02.889 --> 00:04:11.330 is he that calleth you who also will do it. I 00:04:11.330 --> 00:04:13.009 want to preach to you on a thought this morning. 00:04:15.629 --> 00:04:21.050 What's concerning you? What's concerning you? 00:04:21.810 --> 00:04:23.550 Father, I love you. I thank you today for your 00:04:23.550 --> 00:04:28.769 goodness and your mercy. The richness of your 00:04:28.769 --> 00:04:34.410 grace, the kindness, the encouraging power of 00:04:34.410 --> 00:04:37.649 your spirit. I ask, Lord, in the house today 00:04:37.649 --> 00:04:40.920 that you do great things. As we're fully trusting 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:47.519 in your wonderful grace. Lord, that spirit that 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:49.579 makes it easy to preach, let it be in the house 00:04:49.579 --> 00:04:54.139 today. I surrender self, mind, will, and body. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:05:01.600 Speak that which is pleasing to the spirit and 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:05.819 edifying to the body. In Christ's name. The church 00:05:05.819 --> 00:05:08.519 said it. Ask your neighbor, what's concerning 00:05:08.519 --> 00:05:19.029 you? On this first Sunday of the new year, today 00:05:19.029 --> 00:05:23.129 is the fourth day of January. We're four days 00:05:23.129 --> 00:05:30.129 in. We've got 361 more to go. It's like that 00:05:30.129 --> 00:05:37.529 already. Four down, 361 to go. And before we 00:05:37.529 --> 00:05:41.519 know it, we will be standing back here. Across 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:47.420 the threshold of another new year. Paul's giving 00:05:47.420 --> 00:05:51.319 some encouragement to the church in Thessalonica. 00:05:54.220 --> 00:05:59.379 I don't know about you, but I, in my 30 years 00:05:59.379 --> 00:06:05.920 of ministering the gospel and preaching, I like 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:10.959 to bring a conclusion to the previous year. Normally 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:14.980 try to do that on the last Sunday of the year, 00:06:15.100 --> 00:06:18.000 but with the way everything fell this year, it's 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:21.839 the first Sunday. I have learned over 30 years 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:24.660 not to try to cast a new focus or a new vision 00:06:24.660 --> 00:06:28.379 on the first Sunday because a lot of folks aren't 00:06:28.379 --> 00:06:33.060 there. And I want everybody to hear it. To catch 00:06:33.060 --> 00:06:35.180 everybody at Hopewell, I'd have to preach it 00:06:35.180 --> 00:06:40.540 for at least six weeks every Sunday. For it appears 00:06:40.540 --> 00:06:43.199 as though we are on a six to eight week rotation. 00:06:49.100 --> 00:06:59.759 Oh, wait a minute. I forgot this thing. Somebody 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:01.579 might want to hear this again. Maybe not that 00:07:01.579 --> 00:07:13.209 last statement. Technology, isn't it amazing? 00:07:14.310 --> 00:07:18.970 That's a microphone for the recording. So I'll 00:07:18.970 --> 00:07:21.129 back up and say that again so it's on record. 00:07:22.870 --> 00:07:28.730 It seems as though congregationally we are on 00:07:28.730 --> 00:07:33.189 a six to eight week rotation. That's the reason 00:07:33.189 --> 00:07:36.290 I like to wait at least a week into the new year 00:07:36.290 --> 00:07:39.810 to share with you the new focus that the Lord's 00:07:39.810 --> 00:07:42.750 laid on my heart. for the upcoming year, something 00:07:42.750 --> 00:07:45.550 that we can dive into, something we can really 00:07:45.550 --> 00:07:49.129 study toward and put a goal. How many of you 00:07:49.129 --> 00:07:52.110 are goal -oriented? You like to have some type 00:07:52.110 --> 00:07:54.370 of goal. Well, we're going to set that next week, 00:07:54.430 --> 00:07:56.550 and I don't want to preach it for six to eight 00:07:56.550 --> 00:07:58.649 weeks, so we're going to record it, and we can 00:07:58.649 --> 00:08:02.430 just point them to the recording. But I like 00:08:02.430 --> 00:08:05.930 to conclude the ending of the previous year. 00:08:11.629 --> 00:08:16.949 If you've noticed already four days in, things 00:08:16.949 --> 00:08:24.410 that you were dealing with in 2025, you're still 00:08:24.410 --> 00:08:33.769 dealing with them. Notice that just because the 00:08:33.769 --> 00:08:39.460 ball dropped, the problems didn't go away. Just 00:08:39.460 --> 00:08:42.799 because we flip the page on a calendar to a brand 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:51.200 new year doesn't mean everything's new. All that's 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:56.000 new is January. All that's new is an opportunity 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:00.659 to do things differently in this upcoming year 00:09:00.659 --> 00:09:07.220 than we have done in the previous year. I don't 00:09:07.220 --> 00:09:09.519 know about you, but I've watched and I've looked 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:18.419 and I've seen those prophecies about 2026. And 00:09:18.419 --> 00:09:21.220 people proclaiming all this really, really, really, 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:23.600 really, really good stuff. And I pray that it 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:28.440 really, really, really comes to pass. But as 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:33.789 I've noted before, I'm a realist. I'm not a pessimist. 00:09:33.850 --> 00:09:35.889 I'm not an optimist. I'm right in the middle. 00:09:35.929 --> 00:09:39.750 I am a realist. I look at things as the way they 00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:42.370 are and I call them like I see them and deal 00:09:42.370 --> 00:09:45.870 with them as they are. There ain't no half empty, 00:09:45.929 --> 00:09:51.789 half full. It is what it is. It's not positive. 00:09:51.830 --> 00:09:56.730 It's not negative. It is what it is. And believe 00:09:56.730 --> 00:09:58.830 it or not, that's exactly the way I live out 00:09:58.830 --> 00:10:04.279 my faith as a realist. I know God is real. I 00:10:04.279 --> 00:10:07.559 know the devil is real. And I know right smack 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:11.980 in the middle of that is where I exist. You and 00:10:11.980 --> 00:10:15.000 I exist within the tension of the pull of the 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:19.600 realms of spirituality. You've got a devil. You've 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:23.500 got the enemy that's trying to pull you to hell. 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:28.120 And you've got the loving spirit of an almighty 00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:31.470 God that's wooing. He's not... necessarily pulling 00:10:31.470 --> 00:10:33.970 like the devil. He don't get his claws in you. 00:10:34.029 --> 00:10:37.210 The devil doesn't want to let go. God will let 00:10:37.210 --> 00:10:41.309 you do you. And the whole time you were doing 00:10:41.309 --> 00:10:45.990 you, he is wooing and lovingly drawing. And you 00:10:45.990 --> 00:10:47.769 have to see and understand the difference in 00:10:47.769 --> 00:10:51.049 the tension between the two. One's got a death 00:10:51.049 --> 00:10:53.929 grip on you. The other has life he's trying to 00:10:53.929 --> 00:10:57.330 give to you. One's trying to separate. One's 00:10:57.330 --> 00:11:00.289 trying to unite. One's trying to draw you close 00:11:00.289 --> 00:11:02.789 and bless. The other's trying to curse and kill. 00:11:03.850 --> 00:11:07.350 So that is the tension. You can optimize. You 00:11:07.350 --> 00:11:09.090 can negative. You can do whatever you want to 00:11:09.090 --> 00:11:11.529 do. You can be the pessimist. But I encourage 00:11:11.529 --> 00:11:13.649 you to kind of get real about what's going on 00:11:13.649 --> 00:11:16.129 in life. And just because that ball dropped in 00:11:16.129 --> 00:11:19.309 New York and the calendar is flipped over, whatever 00:11:19.309 --> 00:11:22.070 time you went to bed Wednesday or for those that 00:11:22.070 --> 00:11:25.039 were up all night at the... At the lock -in, 00:11:25.220 --> 00:11:28.159 and it was later on Thursday when you finally 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:30.840 got to close your eyes for a little bit, when 00:11:30.840 --> 00:11:34.519 you woke up, situational circumstances had not 00:11:34.519 --> 00:11:38.059 automatically disappeared. Amen? There are people 00:11:38.059 --> 00:11:41.539 who are prophesying a reset, a new beginning, 00:11:41.740 --> 00:11:44.559 a fresh start, and all these things, and we want 00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:47.669 that to happen. But wherever you woke up Thursday, 00:11:47.850 --> 00:11:50.610 you woke up with the same thing staring at you 00:11:50.610 --> 00:11:52.850 as you went to sleep with. There's still the 00:11:52.850 --> 00:11:55.070 reality of a devil that wants to kill you and 00:11:55.070 --> 00:11:58.309 the reality of a God who's trying to save you, 00:11:58.450 --> 00:12:01.870 to bless you, and to spare you, and to add his 00:12:01.870 --> 00:12:05.389 favor on your life. That is the reality of life 00:12:05.389 --> 00:12:08.389 every morning that the sun rises, and when the 00:12:08.389 --> 00:12:10.529 sun sets in the evening, that is the reality. 00:12:10.769 --> 00:12:13.710 God loves you. The devil hates you. It's that 00:12:13.710 --> 00:12:19.320 simple. So with that, it'll cause us. If the 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:22.360 cares of life didn't reset and the cares of life 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:25.620 have not disappeared, then just proclaiming it's 00:12:25.620 --> 00:12:29.299 a new year is simply not enough. Just saying 00:12:29.299 --> 00:12:32.559 a new start, I gave up resolutions a long time 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:35.220 ago because I have determined that resolutions 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:39.279 mean not a lot to me. It has to be a life -altering 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:43.360 decision for me in order to do something different. 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:46.179 I can resolute, and by the end of the first week, 00:12:46.179 --> 00:12:50.980 that's done, or the first day. Right? It's not 00:12:50.980 --> 00:12:53.220 about resolutions. It's about determinations 00:12:53.220 --> 00:12:56.379 in our life and in the life of the Spirit that 00:12:56.379 --> 00:12:59.919 we are trying to endeavor to grow closer to within 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:05.059 God. So, if something has to change in the issues 00:13:05.059 --> 00:13:07.279 for them to be different, then the thing that 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:12.169 has to change must be on me. If the issues are 00:13:12.169 --> 00:13:14.190 the same, the enemy's the same, trying to do 00:13:14.190 --> 00:13:18.009 the same thing to me in 26 as he was in 25 that 00:13:18.009 --> 00:13:20.970 he previously tried in 24, amen, he's going to 00:13:20.970 --> 00:13:24.090 try again in 26. And just because the calendar 00:13:24.090 --> 00:13:26.850 changed, the ball drops, the new year comes, 00:13:26.950 --> 00:13:29.950 we shoot fireworks and we carry on, it doesn't 00:13:29.950 --> 00:13:32.450 mean those issues are going away. And when I 00:13:32.450 --> 00:13:35.009 woke up in the new year, they were staring me 00:13:35.009 --> 00:13:37.889 in the face. So I had to make a decision. I've 00:13:37.889 --> 00:13:40.870 already made another one for 26. I am not. I 00:13:40.870 --> 00:13:46.029 am not going to repeat the failures of 25 and 00:13:46.029 --> 00:13:50.850 26. Amen? I am not. I refuse to repeat those 00:13:50.850 --> 00:13:54.269 failures. Maybe, just maybe, the reset, the fresh 00:13:54.269 --> 00:13:58.029 start, a new beginning is in you and it's in 00:13:58.029 --> 00:14:01.850 me. We have to leave the idea of insanity behind, 00:14:02.129 --> 00:14:04.929 meaning we cannot do the same things over and 00:14:04.929 --> 00:14:07.789 over and over and over, and yet every time we 00:14:07.789 --> 00:14:10.259 do them, we expect something different. to be 00:14:10.259 --> 00:14:13.019 the result from what we have just done. No, child 00:14:13.019 --> 00:14:16.779 of God, in 26, you have to resolve within yourself 00:14:16.779 --> 00:14:21.259 to fail to call and to fall into the idea of 00:14:21.259 --> 00:14:24.440 insanity. You have to do something different 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:28.299 if you want a different end result at 26's end. 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:32.820 When we get to the 31st day of December of 2026, 00:14:32.980 --> 00:14:37.200 through the course of the next 361 days, we must 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:40.860 endeavor to take the alternative the change upon 00:14:40.860 --> 00:14:43.120 ourself. There's some things that we're going 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:45.879 to have to do differently if we expect different 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:48.940 results in our life. It doesn't matter if it's 00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:51.840 physical. It doesn't matter if it's mental, emotional, 00:14:52.279 --> 00:14:55.419 spiritual, or financial. You cannot repeat the 00:14:55.419 --> 00:14:58.460 same cycles and expect different results. I'm 00:14:58.460 --> 00:15:01.580 going into 26 with something that's been concerning 00:15:01.580 --> 00:15:04.159 me. The other morning I was reading to Sister 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:08.419 Kathy, and this verse popped out, verse 18. Chapter 00:15:08.419 --> 00:15:11.860 5 of 1 Thessalonians. And in everything give 00:15:11.860 --> 00:15:15.000 thanks for this is the will of God concerning 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:18.139 you. And I've been gnawing over the word concerning 00:15:18.139 --> 00:15:21.600 all week long. Like a dog chewing on a bone. 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:24.360 And I've almost gotten a marrow from the bone 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:27.159 and all that's left is that which I cannot crack. 00:15:27.419 --> 00:15:30.419 And I have been dying to get here. Just urgently 00:15:30.419 --> 00:15:33.320 waiting to get here. Asking to pose that question 00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:36.340 to you. What is concerning you? What is the cause 00:15:36.340 --> 00:15:39.330 of your anxiety? What is the cause of your worry? 00:15:39.450 --> 00:15:42.490 What is cause to upset you? Or what is cause 00:15:42.490 --> 00:15:45.330 to bring joy in your life? What is it that is 00:15:45.330 --> 00:15:49.490 concerning you entering into this 2026 year? 00:15:49.730 --> 00:15:52.529 I'm looking for a brand new season. I am looking 00:15:52.529 --> 00:15:55.549 for the newness and the freshness of life. Amen. 00:15:55.610 --> 00:15:58.389 I'm looking for differences in health. I'm looking 00:15:58.389 --> 00:16:01.590 for God's blessings and his favor that he has 00:16:01.590 --> 00:16:04.929 spoken over my life. And I am not going to repeat 00:16:04.929 --> 00:16:10.690 whatever I did. in 2025 that kept me from inheriting 00:16:10.690 --> 00:16:13.190 the goodness and the favor of God in my life. 00:16:13.309 --> 00:16:15.509 Oh, God bless me. Don't get me wrong. But you 00:16:15.509 --> 00:16:17.750 know what? I always stop and wonder. I always 00:16:17.750 --> 00:16:19.809 stop and wonder what did I leave hanging on the 00:16:19.809 --> 00:16:23.009 vine. Amen. I know what I partook of. I know 00:16:23.009 --> 00:16:25.870 what I received. But what's always in my mind? 00:16:25.929 --> 00:16:30.750 What of God's goodness did I not acquire in 2025 00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:34.389 because of something that I may could have done 00:16:34.389 --> 00:16:37.639 differently to God? more of him. I don't know 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:41.159 about you, but my desire is more of him. Church, 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:44.940 it's time we become motivated one more time that 00:16:44.940 --> 00:16:48.179 we want more of him. I don't know if you've been 00:16:48.179 --> 00:16:50.820 paying attention a lot, but this world is turned 00:16:50.820 --> 00:17:10.950 upside down. To leave the insanity behind. Abandoning 00:17:10.950 --> 00:17:15.750 tried and failed methods to receive God's favor 00:17:15.750 --> 00:17:22.430 for something greater. Ecclesiastes 7 and 8 declares, 00:17:22.609 --> 00:17:25.349 better is the end of a thing than the beginning 00:17:25.349 --> 00:17:29.569 thereof. Better is the end of a thing than the 00:17:29.569 --> 00:17:31.470 beginning thereof. Why? Because there's hindsight. 00:17:32.970 --> 00:17:37.500 In hindsight, it's 2020. I would not have believed 00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:40.759 that what befell upon our lives would have weighted 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:44.000 us when we preached and going beyond and breaking 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:47.440 the limits in 2025 as our focus for the year. 00:17:47.619 --> 00:17:50.180 There's many areas of our life that we've broken 00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:52.720 the limits of and we've encountered the favor 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:56.079 and the blessing of God. God has been good, continues 00:17:56.079 --> 00:18:00.039 to be good, and will always be good. But I'm 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:02.980 wondering, what have I left in 2025 that is gone 00:18:02.980 --> 00:18:05.299 now? It's behind me. I have to look forward. 00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:09.160 Forward now to 26. And no, I do not want to abandon 00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:12.839 and forsake or forfeit any of the goodness and 00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:16.039 the blessings of God that he has for me in 2026. 00:18:16.339 --> 00:18:18.759 There's some things of character and behavior 00:18:18.759 --> 00:18:21.980 spiritually that have got to change within me. 00:18:22.099 --> 00:18:24.920 And if it's got to change within me, I'm sure 00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:28.039 the Lord is drawing the attention to you. There's 00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:30.640 some things spiritually, characteristically, 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:34.019 that we have to change and alter in order to 00:18:34.019 --> 00:18:36.920 walk in. the richness and the fullness of his 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:39.500 favor and his love and the blessings that he 00:18:39.500 --> 00:18:43.839 desires to fill in our life every day. Why? Because 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:47.319 the God of glory knows every battlement and everything 00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:50.099 that's waiting for you. He knows where the enemy 00:18:50.099 --> 00:18:52.960 stands around the corner. And would to God that 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:55.440 we would finally understand that he's wooing 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:58.660 us, he's correcting us, he's giving us his word 00:18:58.660 --> 00:19:02.579 that we may be prepared so that we may be, as 00:19:02.579 --> 00:19:04.779 Paul wrote to the church, at Ephesus, when you 00:19:04.779 --> 00:19:07.380 see the devil coming, when the enemy's at hand, 00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:10.279 when you've having done all to stand, he said, 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:13.500 I want you to stand therefore. Too many fell 00:19:13.500 --> 00:19:16.599 by the wayside in 25. Too many have turned back. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:19.420 Too many are lukewarm. It's time that the church 00:19:19.420 --> 00:19:22.420 of the living God, we understand that hell is 00:19:22.420 --> 00:19:25.299 what's coming against you. devil is a force that's 00:19:25.299 --> 00:19:27.700 trying to destroy you. And I want to know what's 00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:30.359 concerning you this morning. And whatever it 00:19:30.359 --> 00:19:32.680 is that's concerning you is that you take the 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:34.980 instruction of the word of the living God and 00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:48.440 stand therefore. It's a good thing we only got 00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:59.930 two little hand scribble pages today. Isaiah 00:19:59.930 --> 00:20:04.170 5, 20 reads, Woe unto them that call evil good 00:20:04.170 --> 00:20:06.650 and good evil, that put darkness for light, light 00:20:06.650 --> 00:20:08.769 for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet 00:20:08.769 --> 00:20:16.750 for bitter. Current events, you can't escape 00:20:16.750 --> 00:20:18.450 them. The church, we're caught right up in them. 00:20:20.730 --> 00:20:26.809 Try not to and never have been much on. Politics 00:20:26.809 --> 00:20:29.170 from the podium and the platform of the preached 00:20:29.170 --> 00:20:35.910 word. But we're entangled in it. We're entangled 00:20:35.910 --> 00:20:39.569 in the culture and the environment in which we're 00:20:39.569 --> 00:20:53.890 in. Washington, D .C. has gone nuts. I hope some 00:20:53.890 --> 00:21:01.759 of them listen. You've gone nuts. See what the 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:08.420 Word of God said. Woe unto them. Woe, hardship, 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:15.500 warning. Take note. Be in knowledge of. Unto 00:21:15.500 --> 00:21:18.759 them that call good evil good and good evil. 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:22.420 We've got some of the dumbest people on the face 00:21:22.420 --> 00:21:26.309 of this planet trying to run this country. And 00:21:26.309 --> 00:21:28.529 I'm telling you, if the church, we don't get 00:21:28.529 --> 00:21:31.750 down on our knees and get between the porch and 00:21:31.750 --> 00:21:34.130 the altar and take hold of a horn on each hand, 00:21:34.250 --> 00:21:36.450 some of you don't have a clue of what I just 00:21:36.450 --> 00:21:38.910 said. If you'll do a little Google search about 00:21:38.910 --> 00:21:41.750 the horns of the altar and go read up on it sometime 00:21:41.750 --> 00:21:45.049 today, amen, and find out what your role in this 00:21:45.049 --> 00:21:47.450 needs to be, that's where the church needs to 00:21:47.450 --> 00:21:50.369 find its self -position, between the porch and 00:21:50.369 --> 00:21:52.670 the altar, and we take hold of the horns and 00:21:52.670 --> 00:21:55.309 we get a good grip and we begin to plead that 00:21:55.309 --> 00:21:58.269 power. of the blood that we were singing about 00:21:58.269 --> 00:22:02.950 because this nation, they will protest good and 00:22:02.950 --> 00:22:06.549 then celebrate evil. There's such idiocracy going 00:22:06.549 --> 00:22:09.789 on in this nation. How in the world can God continue 00:22:09.789 --> 00:22:13.109 to weep without crying and shedding tears? How 00:22:13.109 --> 00:22:16.269 can he weep at what's going on in this nation? 00:22:16.410 --> 00:22:18.769 I'll tell you the only thing that's holding back 00:22:18.769 --> 00:22:22.750 my own personal opinion, the only thing that's 00:22:22.750 --> 00:22:25.349 holding back the hand of God is that there is 00:22:25.349 --> 00:22:28.470 a remnant down at the altar by the porch that's 00:22:28.470 --> 00:22:31.250 rooted and handheld and locked on to the horns 00:22:31.250 --> 00:22:35.009 of the altar and interceding for a lost and dying 00:22:35.009 --> 00:22:37.609 world. I'm telling you, you better start praying 00:22:37.609 --> 00:22:40.369 for this nation or the hand of protection of 00:22:40.369 --> 00:22:43.009 God will be lifted up and we'll see the wrath 00:22:43.009 --> 00:22:49.529 of this world and the enemy, not God. His wrath 00:22:49.529 --> 00:22:54.750 is being reserved. But the wrath Of the enemy. 00:22:56.670 --> 00:22:59.589 For the goodness that has come from our borders 00:22:59.589 --> 00:23:06.450 will be unleashed because of the ignorance. I 00:23:06.450 --> 00:23:10.390 don't know that you can call it ignorance. There's 00:23:10.390 --> 00:23:12.690 three or four of them that I see quite often. 00:23:12.730 --> 00:23:14.190 Yeah, they're just ignorant. They just ain't 00:23:14.190 --> 00:23:21.430 got no better sense. But those others are just 00:23:21.430 --> 00:23:32.509 plain. fell into stupidity. A direct spiteful 00:23:32.509 --> 00:23:37.690 refusal of the knowledge and the will of God 00:23:37.690 --> 00:23:43.769 in heaven. That's all it is. That's all. We've 00:23:43.769 --> 00:23:51.610 got our idiots protesting in the streets. Because 00:23:51.610 --> 00:23:56.869 of a capture this weekend. And the multiplied 00:23:56.869 --> 00:24:00.670 thousands and millions of those countrymen are 00:24:00.670 --> 00:24:06.069 celebrating. The potential for their freedom. 00:24:07.309 --> 00:24:11.369 And we got our idiots who are free. By the way. 00:24:22.279 --> 00:24:27.859 I better move along. I better move along. Because 00:24:27.859 --> 00:24:31.640 I feel I'm getting mad not anointed. And there's 00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:34.660 a fine thread between those two. It's a similar 00:24:34.660 --> 00:24:38.880 feeling. It really is. And when you got a hold 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:41.740 of this, you have to really try not to lose your 00:24:41.740 --> 00:24:50.579 total self to the mad side. Empty yourself to 00:24:50.579 --> 00:24:56.269 the anointed side. So let me digress. Because 00:24:56.269 --> 00:24:59.609 when I, I don't even hardly watch, I can't watch 00:24:59.609 --> 00:25:03.589 it. Watching the news anymore is like me watching 00:25:03.589 --> 00:25:07.690 a Tennessee football game. Sorry, Brother John. 00:25:08.049 --> 00:25:11.769 I know you're hardcore. You're a supporter. I 00:25:11.769 --> 00:25:21.609 watch it and I get so, it hurts. I don't know 00:25:21.609 --> 00:25:24.690 if I can explain that. I mean, it's painful. 00:25:25.349 --> 00:25:29.349 It's deep. Now, I know, and you've heard me, 00:25:29.369 --> 00:25:33.630 I've confessed it before. I should not allow, 00:25:33.809 --> 00:25:37.750 I told somebody that this morning, about how 00:25:37.750 --> 00:25:43.329 that bothers me. But when I try to watch the 00:25:43.329 --> 00:25:47.049 news and try to stay informed, there's an aching. 00:25:48.850 --> 00:25:52.170 I can't explain this to you very clearly. I don't 00:25:52.170 --> 00:25:56.650 have the ability to articulate and find the words 00:25:56.650 --> 00:25:58.269 that I really would like to express to you. It 00:25:58.269 --> 00:26:04.289 goes deep. It's inside me. It's inside me. And 00:26:04.289 --> 00:26:07.869 when I see it, I think, oh God, how have people 00:26:07.869 --> 00:26:12.940 abandoned the all sense of good sense? And we're 00:26:12.940 --> 00:26:16.339 out there doing this. How can they do that? In 00:26:16.339 --> 00:26:18.660 my mind, the Spirit just kindly reminds me that 00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:21.359 in the last days, say, God, I'm going to pour 00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:24.670 out my Spirit upon all flesh. And then my mind 00:26:24.670 --> 00:26:27.789 goes over into Luke's gospel, and I see Matthew 00:26:27.789 --> 00:26:30.190 as he begins to pen the words toward the ending 00:26:30.190 --> 00:26:32.690 of time. And you'll see these things begin to 00:26:32.690 --> 00:26:35.809 take place around the world. You're going to 00:26:35.809 --> 00:26:38.029 see rumors of wars, and we see them. You're going 00:26:38.029 --> 00:26:40.410 to see brothers rise against brothers, nations 00:26:40.410 --> 00:26:42.569 against nations. You're going to see pestilence, 00:26:42.690 --> 00:26:44.950 and you're going to see earthquakes in diverse 00:26:44.950 --> 00:26:48.309 places. And this earth is spewing and venting 00:26:48.309 --> 00:26:51.369 just so it can hold on. Volcanoes are erupting 00:26:51.369 --> 00:26:53.799 all around this world. Maintaining the pressure 00:26:53.799 --> 00:26:57.059 level just so it can hold on. The earth is groaning, 00:26:57.099 --> 00:27:00.339 waiting again for its day of redemption. It wasn't 00:27:00.339 --> 00:27:03.440 the earth's fault that man sinned, but because 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:06.359 of the curse of sin, the earth had been affected 00:27:06.359 --> 00:27:10.119 by my God. And we see the effect of sin as it's 00:27:10.119 --> 00:27:13.140 grown rampant from that day, that moment in the 00:27:13.140 --> 00:27:16.140 garden to where it is now. But what is on my 00:27:16.140 --> 00:27:18.700 mind now is not so much what's concerning our 00:27:18.700 --> 00:27:21.259 nation, but what is concerning you. What is it 00:27:21.259 --> 00:27:24.369 that you've brought over? into 26 that you need 00:27:24.369 --> 00:27:26.890 God to help you with? What is it that's causing 00:27:26.890 --> 00:27:29.569 you some anguish? And when I begin to read Paul 00:27:29.569 --> 00:27:32.549 in this little letter, man, it's power packed. 00:27:32.829 --> 00:27:35.069 In that fourth chapter, he gives them revelation 00:27:35.069 --> 00:27:37.890 about the coming of the Lord and the saints that 00:27:37.890 --> 00:27:39.430 are going to rise and we're going to be with 00:27:39.430 --> 00:27:41.490 the Lord forever. He's given them that hope. 00:27:41.609 --> 00:27:43.849 He's given them that insight. And he goes on 00:27:43.849 --> 00:27:45.509 and begins to talk about the day of the Lord 00:27:45.509 --> 00:27:47.650 and how the day of the Lord's going to be. And 00:27:47.650 --> 00:27:49.589 then he begins to tell them that Trump's sounding 00:27:49.589 --> 00:27:51.430 and all these things are going to transition. 00:27:51.470 --> 00:27:53.309 and then we get to be with the Lord. Hallelujah. 00:27:53.710 --> 00:27:56.490 But then before he closes out this small letter, 00:27:56.630 --> 00:27:59.269 he gives them some instruction on holy living, 00:27:59.390 --> 00:28:01.549 how you're going to live holy in the days that 00:28:01.549 --> 00:28:03.490 are in front of you. And I begin to look at that. 00:28:03.589 --> 00:28:06.069 There's some wonderful, powerful insight there. 00:28:06.250 --> 00:28:08.289 So when we begin to think about what's concerning 00:28:08.289 --> 00:28:10.809 us, he offers great insight in Philippians 3 00:28:10.809 --> 00:28:14.009 .13. I count not myself, brethren, to have apprehended, 00:28:14.130 --> 00:28:17.490 but this one thing I do. Amen. This one thing 00:28:17.490 --> 00:28:21.640 I do. Oh, those things which are... I forget 00:28:21.640 --> 00:28:24.380 those, and I'm reaching forth unto those things 00:28:24.380 --> 00:28:26.900 which are before, and I press toward the mark 00:28:26.900 --> 00:28:29.559 for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ 00:28:29.559 --> 00:28:32.960 Jesus. And he begins to tell the Thessalonians 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:35.640 as he encouraged the church at Philippi. He's 00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:37.980 encouraging them, and he says, here's what you've 00:28:37.980 --> 00:28:41.380 got to do. You have to rejoice evermore. We must 00:28:41.380 --> 00:28:44.539 get ourselves and our determination down to break 00:28:44.539 --> 00:28:47.400 the cycles that hinder us, those reoccurring 00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:49.880 events. We find ourselves like a hamster on a 00:28:49.880 --> 00:28:52.039 horse. on a wheel going round and round and round. 00:28:52.220 --> 00:28:54.640 It's time you break some physical and spiritual 00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:57.859 and emotional cycles in your life that cause 00:28:57.859 --> 00:29:01.119 you to be elevated by the glory and the anointing 00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:04.240 and the power of God's love in 2026. It's time 00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:12.440 to go beyond your current mode of being. See, 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:15.220 those hand claps are kind of weak because that 00:29:15.220 --> 00:29:16.960 means the more we clap, we're thinking, oh, he's 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:24.630 talking to me. Oh, I got to change. Yeah. If 00:29:24.630 --> 00:29:27.869 you want something different, you do. You got 00:29:27.869 --> 00:29:33.130 to break those reoccurring events. You could 00:29:33.130 --> 00:29:36.609 probably write down what's coming your way. Look 00:29:36.609 --> 00:29:39.329 here, the devil doesn't have to change his approach 00:29:39.329 --> 00:29:42.589 to you. He's already got the plan to you. And 00:29:42.589 --> 00:29:44.730 as long as you don't change, he don't change 00:29:44.730 --> 00:29:48.140 nothing. It's the same stuff year in, year out, 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:50.079 the same temptation. Why? Because he knows he's 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:58.059 got you. I know it's simple, but to break cycles, 00:29:58.220 --> 00:30:04.059 been a hard year, 25, I broke some cycles. One 00:30:04.059 --> 00:30:09.859 of them was some food cycles. I do good for a 00:30:09.859 --> 00:30:14.519 little while, then not so good for a long while. 00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:25.339 And it came to a head the third Sunday of January 00:30:25.339 --> 00:30:31.519 2025 for you, Pastor. I'll just call me out. 00:30:32.619 --> 00:30:34.859 Many of you inspired me. You've been on weight 00:30:34.859 --> 00:30:37.500 loss journeys, and I'd say our church all total, 00:30:37.539 --> 00:30:39.980 we pull off somewhere around 1 ,000 to 1 ,200 00:30:39.980 --> 00:30:43.740 pounds corporately. Hallelujah for you. Amen? 00:30:44.519 --> 00:30:48.619 Hallelujah. But it was beginning to affect my 00:30:48.619 --> 00:30:51.480 preaching. I mean, it was stretching me to go 00:30:51.480 --> 00:30:55.779 45 minutes and keep my breath. It was affecting 00:30:55.779 --> 00:30:57.819 everything in my life. There was a sudden realization 00:30:57.819 --> 00:31:01.960 I have to get healthy for obvious reasons that 00:31:01.960 --> 00:31:07.119 are ahead of me. I've got to be healthy. And 00:31:07.119 --> 00:31:11.140 so a resolution wasn't going to do that. What 00:31:11.140 --> 00:31:15.559 was concerning me was my overall health. Fat 00:31:15.559 --> 00:31:17.539 preacher, you heard myself refer to that myself 00:31:17.539 --> 00:31:21.299 that many times because it was true. These memory 00:31:21.299 --> 00:31:23.500 things pop up where some of you posted pictures 00:31:23.500 --> 00:31:26.960 and tagged me in. And I'm thinking, oh, my Lord, 00:31:27.059 --> 00:31:32.259 son. And then some of you had the audacity to 00:31:32.259 --> 00:31:37.140 tell me during this process of 2025, Pastor, 00:31:37.319 --> 00:31:38.960 you really didn't look that big. And I looked 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:40.700 at that and I said, liars, they're going to repent 00:31:40.700 --> 00:31:51.759 or go to hell. I did look that big. I was. Thank 00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:57.160 you, Sister Rita. You don't cull it. But it had 00:31:57.160 --> 00:32:00.710 to be more than a resolution. Saying all that 00:32:00.710 --> 00:32:02.690 to say this. There's got to be some changes about 00:32:02.690 --> 00:32:05.609 what's concerning you. If it's going to turn 00:32:05.609 --> 00:32:07.730 out and have a different result at the end of 00:32:07.730 --> 00:32:10.470 26. There's some spiritual things. There's some 00:32:10.470 --> 00:32:12.710 emotional things. There's some physical things. 00:32:12.829 --> 00:32:15.529 Amen. There's some sickness. A lot of that. There's 00:32:15.529 --> 00:32:18.009 some things we have no power over. But we have 00:32:18.009 --> 00:32:21.269 power over ourselves as we go through them. Thus 00:32:21.269 --> 00:32:23.329 what Paul says when he says rejoice evermore. 00:32:23.349 --> 00:32:26.750 Pray without ceasing. And in verse 18 he says 00:32:26.750 --> 00:32:38.930 this. Now stop for just a moment. He didn't say 00:32:38.930 --> 00:32:42.630 for everything. He said in everything. He didn't 00:32:42.630 --> 00:32:45.390 say don't give thanks for everything. What am 00:32:45.390 --> 00:32:47.130 I going to thank the Lord for? I said, fat, I 00:32:47.130 --> 00:32:48.849 couldn't hardly bend over and get back up without 00:32:48.849 --> 00:32:52.670 losing my breath. No, no, no. But it's in everything. 00:32:52.990 --> 00:32:55.329 It's in the trouble. It's in the trial. It's 00:32:55.329 --> 00:32:58.630 in the warfare of life. Amen. That when we're 00:32:58.630 --> 00:33:01.210 going through the gauntlet, we are to give God 00:33:01.210 --> 00:33:04.250 thanks while we're in it. Not for it, but in 00:33:04.250 --> 00:33:06.710 it. Why? Because when we're in it, we don't quench 00:33:06.710 --> 00:33:09.430 the spirit. Hallelujah. And while I'm in it, 00:33:09.450 --> 00:33:12.460 I pray without ceasing. And so there are some 00:33:12.460 --> 00:33:15.039 things that we must recondition and have resolved 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:19.480 over our life. And we must break the unbeneficial 00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:28.700 cycles of our life. We'll start the new year 00:33:28.700 --> 00:33:34.660 with a made -up mind to break some cycles. It 00:33:34.660 --> 00:33:50.349 is not easy. It's discipline. And sadly, the 00:33:50.349 --> 00:33:55.250 world and the church in particular, we don't 00:33:55.250 --> 00:33:59.890 have a lot of that. It's a weak area. It's like 00:33:59.890 --> 00:34:02.829 lifting. You have to be diligent with it, don't 00:34:02.829 --> 00:34:07.049 you? It can't just be half -heartedly. You have 00:34:07.049 --> 00:34:09.829 to be diligent. You have to have your mind made 00:34:09.829 --> 00:34:12.510 up. You have to be disciplined on that morning. 00:34:12.570 --> 00:34:14.329 How many of you work out before you go to work? 00:34:14.929 --> 00:34:18.449 Anybody? Get up early. I know Randy likes to 00:34:18.449 --> 00:34:20.130 go on his lunch break, or used to. Do you still 00:34:20.130 --> 00:34:22.750 do that? Instead of eating lunch, of course, 00:34:22.769 --> 00:34:24.889 you can't really go by him. He don't like food 00:34:24.889 --> 00:34:29.570 to start with. I forgot that. Scratch that illustration. 00:34:30.530 --> 00:34:37.340 Let's go to Brother David. Randy gets a smoothie 00:34:37.340 --> 00:34:40.260 and goes lifts weights for 30 minutes, gets decompressed 00:34:40.260 --> 00:34:43.059 in his mind, goes back and does his job. But 00:34:43.059 --> 00:34:46.039 it still takes discipline. Whatever it is, it 00:34:46.039 --> 00:34:50.480 takes discipline, right? I love what the Apostle 00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:55.750 Paul said. I fight against my body. Not as one 00:34:55.750 --> 00:34:57.309 that beateth there either. In other words, he 00:34:57.309 --> 00:34:59.269 gets in a corner and he has it out with himself 00:34:59.269 --> 00:35:02.690 and he gets himself down. If you want some emotional 00:35:02.690 --> 00:35:05.269 things different, you have to change your emotional 00:35:05.269 --> 00:35:08.130 mindset. Well, how do I do that, Pastor? Well, 00:35:08.170 --> 00:35:10.070 let's take the Word of God, for instance. Let 00:35:10.070 --> 00:35:14.710 this mind be in you. That was also in Christ 00:35:14.710 --> 00:35:17.590 Jesus. What did Paul further say? Whatsoever 00:35:17.590 --> 00:35:19.510 things are good. I've been going over this with 00:35:19.510 --> 00:35:21.369 Sister Kathy and I. We've been going over this 00:35:21.369 --> 00:35:23.170 about every day or at least every other day. 00:35:23.349 --> 00:35:26.210 Whatsoever things are of a good report, think 00:35:26.210 --> 00:35:29.710 on these things. Can I tell you, you have control 00:35:29.710 --> 00:35:32.730 of your thought processes in your mind. You think 00:35:32.730 --> 00:35:35.630 on what you want to think on. You stop the thoughts 00:35:35.630 --> 00:35:38.230 that you don't want to mull over and you give 00:35:38.230 --> 00:35:41.309 permission to those that you do. You have simply 00:35:41.309 --> 00:35:43.719 to change. your discipline on what you think 00:35:43.719 --> 00:35:47.460 over. Let a man let him word and meditate on 00:35:47.460 --> 00:35:49.840 the word of God. Let me hide your word in my 00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:52.559 heart first of all God that I didn't sin against 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:55.900 you. I do not want to sin against you and I will 00:35:55.900 --> 00:35:59.119 meditate on your word both day and night. That 00:35:59.119 --> 00:36:02.079 is a choice. It is your choice. Amen. And if 00:36:02.079 --> 00:36:04.000 there's some cycles that are going to break we 00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:06.400 have to start with the spiritual cycles. Amen. 00:36:06.440 --> 00:36:08.019 So if we're going to have something different 00:36:08.019 --> 00:36:11.559 we have to start by breaking the cycle of prayerlessness. 00:36:12.059 --> 00:36:15.260 Jesus said men ought always to pray. He said 00:36:15.260 --> 00:36:17.820 when you pray, get in your closet, shut the door, 00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:21.019 and get down and do some business. Amen. Pray 00:36:21.019 --> 00:36:24.239 without ceasing is what Paul said. Every aspect 00:36:24.239 --> 00:36:26.619 and every day of our life, if you have the free 00:36:26.619 --> 00:36:29.079 moment, let your mind be meditated on the Lord 00:36:29.079 --> 00:36:31.860 and pray. Amen. You don't have to fall down on 00:36:31.860 --> 00:36:34.559 your knees every time. It is a culture. It is 00:36:34.559 --> 00:36:37.400 a lifestyle. It is an attitude of prayer. You 00:36:37.400 --> 00:36:39.559 wouldn't find yourself thinking about some of 00:36:39.559 --> 00:36:42.250 the ungodly the things that you dwell on if your 00:36:42.250 --> 00:36:45.489 mind is stayed on prayer. Amen. If you've got 00:36:45.489 --> 00:36:48.710 your heart set, breaking the cycle of a prayerless 00:36:48.710 --> 00:36:53.889 life. See, that only gets one or two little claps. 00:36:53.989 --> 00:37:04.550 Why? Because it's discipline. Seven minutes. 00:37:09.389 --> 00:37:13.769 And prayerlessness is a cycle. We repeat it day 00:37:13.769 --> 00:37:17.429 in and day out. I looked up the statistics one 00:37:17.429 --> 00:37:22.210 time on how long the average Christian prays, 00:37:22.210 --> 00:37:27.909 and it was very minute. Most of it attributed 00:37:27.909 --> 00:37:35.909 over meals. You want something different spiritually 00:37:35.909 --> 00:37:39.150 in your life, you're going to have to pray. You 00:37:39.150 --> 00:37:42.829 want some of those foregone Jericho walls to 00:37:42.829 --> 00:37:48.010 fall, you've got to pray. You've got to start 00:37:48.010 --> 00:37:51.429 interceding. You've got to start calling out 00:37:51.429 --> 00:38:01.449 on God regularly, consistently, daily. And unless 00:38:01.449 --> 00:38:04.130 that cycle is broken right there, you're not 00:38:04.130 --> 00:38:06.210 going to have anything else spiritual happen 00:38:06.210 --> 00:38:13.489 in your life in 26 than you did in 25. It isn't 00:38:13.489 --> 00:38:17.650 going to happen. Blessed are those who hunger 00:38:17.650 --> 00:38:24.269 and thirst after righteousness, for they shall 00:38:24.269 --> 00:38:27.269 be filled. If you're hungry, you're going to 00:38:27.269 --> 00:38:31.429 try to find something to eat. If you're thirsty, 00:38:31.530 --> 00:38:35.360 you're on a search. for something to quench the 00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:39.000 parched mouth and to get your tongue loose from 00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:41.500 the roof of your mouth. I know some of us that 00:38:41.500 --> 00:38:43.619 think we've been thirsty, but we really don't 00:38:43.619 --> 00:38:46.260 know what thirsty is. But there's a longing down 00:38:46.260 --> 00:38:48.840 in the depths of my soul that's getting me thirsty 00:38:48.840 --> 00:38:52.659 for more of God's grace and glory. And the only 00:38:52.659 --> 00:38:56.980 way some things go with but not by prayer and 00:38:56.980 --> 00:38:58.659 fasting, that's the only way that it happens. 00:39:00.230 --> 00:39:02.289 That's the only way that it happens is that we 00:39:02.289 --> 00:39:11.570 pray and we fast. We have to break the cycle 00:39:11.570 --> 00:39:23.389 in worship. We have to break that cycle. You 00:39:23.389 --> 00:39:30.239 know, worship is a decision. That we make up 00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:37.539 long before our mind enters this building. Worship. 00:39:41.639 --> 00:39:44.219 That is the sole purpose of this day. I know 00:39:44.219 --> 00:39:48.059 we think it's preaching, but no. It's worship. 00:39:51.260 --> 00:39:55.920 And we are to offer sacrifices of praise and 00:39:55.920 --> 00:40:01.480 worship. The two coincide. Jesus told the woman 00:40:01.480 --> 00:40:06.820 said there's a day coming. The father seeketh 00:40:06.820 --> 00:40:09.099 up to worship him for he is spirit and he is 00:40:09.099 --> 00:40:12.400 truth and he's seeking those to worship him in 00:40:12.400 --> 00:40:20.820 spirit and in truth. It's not optional. It's 00:40:20.820 --> 00:40:27.179 the purpose. We worship him and I've seen places 00:40:27.179 --> 00:40:32.130 and been in services where we Reverse the order. 00:40:33.530 --> 00:40:36.949 We want to try to worship before we praise him. 00:40:39.610 --> 00:40:43.849 My opinion, there is a sequence to those events. 00:40:48.389 --> 00:40:51.349 I have always noticed as I begin to praise the 00:40:51.349 --> 00:40:56.769 Lord, his presence begins to draw where I'm at. 00:41:00.969 --> 00:41:06.710 And the closer he becomes to where I am, the 00:41:06.710 --> 00:41:09.690 more the innate spirit that's in me identifies 00:41:09.690 --> 00:41:13.730 with the holiness that's coming around me. And 00:41:13.730 --> 00:41:17.030 the more the holiness that comes around me begins 00:41:17.030 --> 00:41:20.670 to withdraw that praise and adoration to cause 00:41:20.670 --> 00:41:29.500 me to fall in declaration. When I'm praising, 00:41:29.559 --> 00:41:32.739 I'm proclaiming, making a proclamation of the 00:41:32.739 --> 00:41:35.719 goodness and the glory of his name. But when 00:41:35.719 --> 00:41:38.840 he comes to where I am, I can only but prostrate 00:41:38.840 --> 00:41:43.239 and declare his holiness. God, have you ever 00:41:43.239 --> 00:41:45.900 noticed that? The thicker and the richer the 00:41:45.900 --> 00:41:49.739 glory of God gets around you, the lower you become. 00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:53.659 Why? Because we begin to realize who we are and 00:41:53.659 --> 00:42:00.230 presence of whom we are in, down in front of 00:42:00.230 --> 00:42:04.769 him because we are not holy unless he transforms 00:42:04.769 --> 00:42:14.010 our sin into righteousness and the more of his 00:42:14.010 --> 00:42:17.869 presence that gets around me the lower I gotta 00:42:17.869 --> 00:42:22.070 come and all I can do is declare his holiness 00:42:26.030 --> 00:42:28.309 I've seen them try to worship their way in and 00:42:28.309 --> 00:42:30.829 then shout, no, it doesn't work that way. My 00:42:30.829 --> 00:42:39.809 opinion. Developed from my personal experience. 00:42:42.150 --> 00:42:49.530 But we can't leave off praise either. It is such 00:42:49.530 --> 00:42:52.429 a theme throughout the Word of God, why God desires 00:42:52.429 --> 00:42:57.460 it. Matter of fact, you and I were created to 00:42:57.460 --> 00:43:03.579 do so originally. Ephesians 5, 19 declares to 00:43:03.579 --> 00:43:08.500 us, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns, 00:43:08.500 --> 00:43:12.639 spiritual songs, singing, making melody, your 00:43:12.639 --> 00:43:18.480 heart to the Lord. We have to break the cycle 00:43:18.480 --> 00:43:31.780 of songless lives. Got to have a song. I don't 00:43:31.780 --> 00:43:36.960 care what genre it comes from. Got to have a 00:43:36.960 --> 00:43:50.519 song. Sing unto the Lord. Rejoice. And again 00:43:50.519 --> 00:43:56.239 I say, rejoice. How many of you declare that 00:43:56.239 --> 00:44:00.199 God's done some good things for you in 25? Well, 00:44:00.219 --> 00:44:04.440 let's praise him like we realize it in 26. Amen. 00:44:05.480 --> 00:44:08.880 Praise him like you truly. And like I said, worship 00:44:08.880 --> 00:44:12.000 will take care of itself. As you begin to declare 00:44:12.000 --> 00:44:16.480 his glory and lift his name and magnify his name. 00:44:17.039 --> 00:44:19.880 The scripture says he dwells within the praises 00:44:19.880 --> 00:44:22.719 of his people. And that dwelling, you know what 00:44:22.719 --> 00:44:24.980 I've told you before, it's like pitching up a 00:44:24.980 --> 00:44:27.980 tent and staking it down. When you begin to praise 00:44:27.980 --> 00:44:31.019 him, he begins to come to where you are. Why? 00:44:31.340 --> 00:44:35.500 Because he alone is worthy of the praises. He 00:44:35.500 --> 00:44:39.630 alone deserves our praises. He alone. deserves 00:44:39.630 --> 00:44:42.250 him. And when we begin to give them to him, he 00:44:42.250 --> 00:44:46.309 comes to accompany so that you may know who you're 00:44:46.309 --> 00:44:52.469 praising. Breaking the cycle of a songless life. 00:44:54.230 --> 00:45:00.769 Giving. We have to break our cycles in giving. 00:45:04.630 --> 00:45:07.429 You know I don't talk about it much. I'm praying 00:45:07.429 --> 00:45:11.210 blessings over you. Not asking from you, but 00:45:11.210 --> 00:45:19.929 on very rare occasions for special things. But 00:45:19.929 --> 00:45:24.989 a minister of the gospel who doesn't slow down 00:45:24.989 --> 00:45:28.590 long enough to explain the benefits of giving 00:45:28.590 --> 00:45:41.719 to the giver. He's a taker. I'm not a taker. 00:45:44.139 --> 00:45:48.760 The benefit of giving is really made clear in 00:45:48.760 --> 00:45:52.219 Malachi. Now, I know you've got these folks out 00:45:52.219 --> 00:45:54.320 there that are arguing, well, it ain't in the 00:45:54.320 --> 00:45:57.300 New Testament to tithe. You do a dig in. It was 00:45:57.300 --> 00:46:01.659 way before the law of Moses. It is a biblical 00:46:01.659 --> 00:46:06.829 principle. It is a principle of blessing. It's 00:46:06.829 --> 00:46:09.369 a principle of acknowledging. It's a principle 00:46:09.369 --> 00:46:12.949 of obedience. It's a principle of trust. It's 00:46:12.949 --> 00:46:17.250 a principle of faithfulness on our part. And 00:46:17.250 --> 00:46:20.869 then God returns all of those from his part. 00:46:22.829 --> 00:46:27.469 I don't believe in it. Well, then don't. And 00:46:27.469 --> 00:46:29.530 if you get to heaven, you explain it to him. 00:46:31.500 --> 00:46:34.579 Well, why do you say it like that? Because the 00:46:34.579 --> 00:46:37.039 Bible says you're thieves and robbers. And they 00:46:37.039 --> 00:46:39.780 said, well, wherein have we stolen and robbed 00:46:39.780 --> 00:46:47.400 from you, God? In my tithe and offerings. That's 00:46:47.400 --> 00:46:48.559 the end of the book. Well, that's the Old Testament. 00:46:48.659 --> 00:46:53.079 Okay, you roll the dice on that one. I'll leave 00:46:53.079 --> 00:46:58.420 that to you. Tithing, what does that mean? Tithe, 00:46:58.420 --> 00:47:04.000 definition, tenth. Ten percent. Right off the 00:47:04.000 --> 00:47:07.780 top. People say, well, do I tithe on gross? Or 00:47:07.780 --> 00:47:11.380 do I tithe on, what's that other call? It's gross. 00:47:11.559 --> 00:47:15.460 Net. Net. Which one do I tithe on? I say, well, 00:47:15.500 --> 00:47:22.019 which one did you earn? Gross. Duh. It's not 00:47:22.019 --> 00:47:24.340 God's fault that we're living in an overtaxed 00:47:24.340 --> 00:47:29.539 nation. It's not God's fault that you hold 25 00:47:29.539 --> 00:47:34.639 out into the Christmas fund, the dental plan, 00:47:34.780 --> 00:47:37.400 your insurance. But I always tell folks this, 00:47:37.480 --> 00:47:39.219 it depends on how you want to be blessed. Well, 00:47:39.219 --> 00:47:41.039 what does that mean, Pastor? That means if you 00:47:41.039 --> 00:47:43.519 want a gross blessing, tithe on the gross. If 00:47:43.519 --> 00:47:46.780 you want a net blessing, by all means, help yourself. 00:47:48.059 --> 00:47:49.880 I'm a gross kind of guy. Matter of fact, I'm 00:47:49.880 --> 00:47:56.599 an over -gross kind of guy. Amen. If you were 00:47:56.599 --> 00:47:58.539 to look at my tithe thing, you say, we pay him 00:47:58.539 --> 00:48:01.440 that much? I'd say, no, you don't. If that's 00:48:01.440 --> 00:48:04.420 10 % of what we're paying him, I say, no, you 00:48:04.420 --> 00:48:12.599 don't. So it just depends on how you want to 00:48:12.599 --> 00:48:14.579 be blessed or if you want to be blessed at all. 00:48:15.739 --> 00:48:19.760 But if you do... The word of God says, just very 00:48:19.760 --> 00:48:22.119 rare occasion, God says, go ahead and prove me 00:48:22.119 --> 00:48:26.480 and see if I won't do what I'm telling you I'll 00:48:26.480 --> 00:48:30.539 do. And here's what I'll do. I'll open up the 00:48:30.539 --> 00:48:34.739 windows of heaven. And I will pour into your 00:48:34.739 --> 00:48:38.900 life blessings that you cannot contain. It's 00:48:38.900 --> 00:48:43.420 not all green, folks. God's blessings and favor 00:48:43.420 --> 00:48:50.699 is more than monetary. Amen. I'll tell you another 00:48:50.699 --> 00:48:53.559 one if you really want to try something. If you 00:48:53.559 --> 00:48:56.480 really want to see God's blessings. Years and 00:48:56.480 --> 00:48:58.219 years and years and years ago, I give what I 00:48:58.219 --> 00:49:02.360 call a first fruit offering. The first week, 00:49:02.519 --> 00:49:09.840 I give my whole salary back. First one. Give 00:49:09.840 --> 00:49:12.300 the whole thing back. I cut it up in departmental 00:49:12.300 --> 00:49:14.920 deals. I pay my tithe first because that's not 00:49:14.920 --> 00:49:20.550 mine to cut up. That's over here. I take the 00:49:20.550 --> 00:49:24.570 rest of that. And I just, kids ministry, seniors 00:49:24.570 --> 00:49:28.710 ministry, youth ministry, missions. Everybody 00:49:28.710 --> 00:49:34.030 gets some. The whole first week. For years I've 00:49:34.030 --> 00:49:35.570 been wanting to get to the place where I can 00:49:35.570 --> 00:49:38.769 do the whole first month. Because of what I've 00:49:38.769 --> 00:49:44.610 seen God do with that first week. About 20 some 00:49:44.610 --> 00:49:50.619 odd years ago. 20, too many. First time I understood 00:49:50.619 --> 00:49:52.579 that principle, the first fruit, I don't preach 00:49:52.579 --> 00:49:54.900 it because I don't want people to think, well, 00:49:54.940 --> 00:49:58.039 I share it. No. I'm giving this information to 00:49:58.039 --> 00:50:01.639 you. Do with it what you want to. I'm not requesting 00:50:01.639 --> 00:50:04.920 it. I'm just sharing with you another way to 00:50:04.920 --> 00:50:07.559 be blessed because we have to break the cycles 00:50:07.559 --> 00:50:11.360 in the absence of having a free heart to give. 00:50:18.619 --> 00:50:22.980 First time I did that, I sat down with a church 00:50:22.980 --> 00:50:26.599 clerk and done that. She looked at me. She says, 00:50:26.739 --> 00:50:29.480 Pastor, are you sure? I said, well, I think so. 00:50:29.960 --> 00:50:32.719 Because it was the first time, remember? Three 00:50:32.719 --> 00:50:39.039 kids at home. Week to week was. But we did it 00:50:39.039 --> 00:50:45.559 by faith. And the second year. I did it again. 00:50:45.679 --> 00:50:47.179 She said, are you going to do that again? I said, 00:50:47.219 --> 00:50:49.519 yeah. I said, let me tell you something. I said, 00:50:49.539 --> 00:50:51.559 I can't explain to you how all this came back 00:50:51.559 --> 00:50:55.519 multiple times over unexpectedly. Everything 00:50:55.519 --> 00:50:57.760 that I gave, you know, you've heard that some 00:50:57.760 --> 00:51:01.119 30, some 60, some 100 -fold increase. That first 00:51:01.119 --> 00:51:05.119 year was about a 60 increase over what I'd given 00:51:05.119 --> 00:51:10.820 from out of nowhere, unexpected places. And I 00:51:10.820 --> 00:51:15.070 said, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. Every 00:51:15.070 --> 00:51:18.730 time an unexpected monetary blessing comes into 00:51:18.730 --> 00:51:20.889 my hand, I'm going to let you know. She said, 00:51:20.949 --> 00:51:25.809 okay, okay. The end of service, everybody was 00:51:25.809 --> 00:51:27.630 gone. She was in her office. I walked by and 00:51:27.630 --> 00:51:30.349 waved a $50 bill at her. I said, here's one. 00:51:32.050 --> 00:51:35.769 There's gas for this week. Her eyes got about 00:51:35.769 --> 00:51:41.050 this big around. Here's one. God's not going 00:51:41.050 --> 00:51:43.469 to forsake you, folks, for your faithfulness. 00:51:44.199 --> 00:51:46.760 Don't be stingy with God is what I'm trying to 00:51:46.760 --> 00:51:50.940 say. Do what you can. God doesn't expect you 00:51:50.940 --> 00:51:56.360 to do any other than that. Be obedient. That's 00:51:56.360 --> 00:52:00.300 the key. And do what you can. The widow woman 00:52:00.300 --> 00:52:04.099 that gave her last mite, this half cent. In the 00:52:04.099 --> 00:52:06.300 offering. Jesus sat and watched Pharisees and 00:52:06.300 --> 00:52:08.199 scribes and everybody come through and just pour 00:52:08.199 --> 00:52:10.300 money in the offering. And when that little widow 00:52:10.300 --> 00:52:12.659 woman came in and gave that, he stopped and drew 00:52:12.659 --> 00:52:15.300 their attention and said, do you see that? They 00:52:15.300 --> 00:52:17.420 gave out of their plenty. She gave out of her 00:52:17.420 --> 00:52:26.920 all. God sees it. It's not the amount. So break 00:52:26.920 --> 00:52:35.260 the cycle in stinginess. There's my sermonette 00:52:35.260 --> 00:52:39.679 for the year on giving. If you want blessed, 00:52:39.900 --> 00:52:49.920 you be a tither. You be a tither. Give. Throw 00:52:49.920 --> 00:52:52.179 in a five or a ten in the offering plate, that's 00:52:52.179 --> 00:52:54.519 not tithing. I've heard it said one time, you 00:52:54.519 --> 00:52:56.960 cannot give an offering until you've surrendered 00:52:56.960 --> 00:53:01.650 the tithe. The tithe is the Lord's. All right, 00:53:01.650 --> 00:53:03.650 so everybody say amen. Thank you, Lord. Thank 00:53:03.650 --> 00:53:09.469 you for the help. Moving on, Pastor. I'm going 00:53:09.469 --> 00:53:11.610 to stand you up for this one because I'm going 00:53:11.610 --> 00:53:15.789 to close with this one. It's the last one. I 00:53:15.789 --> 00:53:17.949 did all the kind of shouty preaching at first, 00:53:18.130 --> 00:53:20.250 and I saved the correctional stuff to the end. 00:53:22.429 --> 00:53:24.909 I didn't want you shut down at the beginning 00:53:24.909 --> 00:53:27.110 because I knew you were going to shut down toward 00:53:27.110 --> 00:53:38.739 the end. You have to break the cycle of unfaithful 00:53:38.739 --> 00:53:52.239 attendance. I was halfway joking at the beginning 00:53:52.239 --> 00:53:55.599 of the service about our six to eight week rotation. 00:53:57.780 --> 00:54:06.630 But it is the truth. Now, the author of Hebrews 00:54:06.630 --> 00:54:11.269 wouldn't have pinned under the anointing of the 00:54:11.269 --> 00:54:14.909 Holy Spirit and the direction. The verse that 00:54:14.909 --> 00:54:17.289 declares, forsake not the assembling of yourselves. 00:54:17.809 --> 00:54:19.250 Well, matter of fact, it doesn't say yourselves. 00:54:19.429 --> 00:54:24.150 It says ourselves. He included. We quote that 00:54:24.150 --> 00:54:28.269 wrong a lot of times. It's ourselves. Forsake 00:54:28.269 --> 00:54:31.900 not the assembling of ourselves together. In 00:54:31.900 --> 00:54:37.599 the manner of some that already is. But exhorting 00:54:37.599 --> 00:54:43.599 one another. Exhorting one another. So much more. 00:54:44.500 --> 00:54:54.000 As you see the day approaching. Folks, there's 00:54:54.000 --> 00:55:00.369 life in the sanctuary of God. Don't get me wrong. 00:55:00.449 --> 00:55:10.929 I'm not talking about circumstances that may 00:55:10.929 --> 00:55:12.789 keep us from the house of the Lord. I'm talking 00:55:12.789 --> 00:55:28.730 about willful laziness. There it is. So many 00:55:28.730 --> 00:55:34.989 Sundays I'd love to lay in there too. I would. 00:55:35.809 --> 00:55:39.769 Don't feel like it. Do not feel good. You know 00:55:39.769 --> 00:55:45.610 what I'm saying? But God has never failed that 00:55:45.610 --> 00:55:48.769 when I come in that I leave better than when 00:55:48.769 --> 00:55:51.550 I came. Now if you're snotting and feverish, 00:55:51.550 --> 00:55:54.889 stay at the house. Come on now. You know where 00:55:54.889 --> 00:56:03.550 I'm at, right? We have to become more consistent 00:56:03.550 --> 00:56:09.730 in the assembling of ourselves together so that 00:56:09.730 --> 00:56:13.869 we can exhort. Exhort means to encourage, to 00:56:13.869 --> 00:56:17.909 lift up. We can exhort one another in our faith. 00:56:18.050 --> 00:56:21.869 That's why I come. My mandate from the Word of 00:56:21.869 --> 00:56:25.210 God is that I reprove and rebuke with all longsuffering. 00:56:25.929 --> 00:56:28.690 In other words, I give the alignment of the Scripture. 00:56:30.049 --> 00:56:32.550 And encourage you to follow what the word of 00:56:32.550 --> 00:56:35.110 God says. Is that not kind of what our principle 00:56:35.110 --> 00:56:38.150 is here? Is that not what I try to do? I try 00:56:38.150 --> 00:56:40.909 to keep myself detached. Just like earlier. I 00:56:40.909 --> 00:56:44.469 could have just went really on a. But I'm trying 00:56:44.469 --> 00:56:49.269 to encourage. 2026. If you want a spiritual difference 00:56:49.269 --> 00:56:52.730 in your life. You have to do things different 00:56:52.730 --> 00:56:55.550 than you did 25. Now I know some of you here 00:56:55.550 --> 00:56:58.190 every week. And then just shovel it on back. 00:56:59.369 --> 00:57:06.110 You're here, right? But how are you here? How 00:57:06.110 --> 00:57:12.630 are we here? Are we just here? Or are we present 00:57:12.630 --> 00:57:17.909 while we're here? Are we engaged in praising 00:57:17.909 --> 00:57:23.309 God? Are we engaged in worship? Is our attention 00:57:23.309 --> 00:57:26.690 fully focused on what is the Spirit saying to 00:57:26.690 --> 00:57:30.820 me today? That's what this is all about. Somewhere 00:57:30.820 --> 00:57:36.000 between, on any given Sunday, 225 down to 155 00:57:36.000 --> 00:57:41.400 of us. We sway that much. We sway 70, 75 people 00:57:41.400 --> 00:57:51.280 every week. So what causes my mind, I thought, 00:57:51.280 --> 00:57:53.300 well, Lord, is our spiritual life swaying that 00:57:53.300 --> 00:58:00.500 way? If that is an indication of where we are 00:58:00.500 --> 00:58:08.099 in God, how are we? There's more to this than 00:58:08.099 --> 00:58:13.760 going through and fulfilling the routine. What 00:58:13.760 --> 00:58:24.860 is concerning you? What hinders you? The scripture 00:58:24.860 --> 00:58:28.150 says, lay aside the weight. That does so easily 00:58:28.150 --> 00:58:35.150 beset you. Then it says. Keep in your eyes. Focus 00:58:35.150 --> 00:58:39.710 your eyes. On Jesus. Who is both the author. 00:58:40.250 --> 00:58:45.730 And the finisher. Of our faith. Where's your 00:58:45.730 --> 00:58:50.869 focus? Where's your gaze? Is it work tomorrow? 00:58:51.150 --> 00:58:53.190 Is it the next hundred dollars? Is it the next 00:58:53.190 --> 00:58:56.269 fifteen hundred dollars? All of that is useless. 00:58:56.909 --> 00:59:01.070 Without a vibrant relationship with God. And 00:59:01.070 --> 00:59:03.190 don't think for a moment the devil didn't know 00:59:03.190 --> 00:59:13.030 how to pull your dollar string trigger. Breaking 00:59:13.030 --> 00:59:17.309 the cycles that hinder our growth in faith and 00:59:17.309 --> 00:59:25.610 spirituality. What's concerning you? If you know 00:59:25.610 --> 00:59:28.940 what's... and you want to change it, just meet 00:59:28.940 --> 00:59:31.000 me down here. Sister Sue, come on, we're going 00:59:31.000 --> 00:59:33.880 to get those prayer cloths that you need as well. 00:59:36.440 --> 00:59:42.139 Wow, man. Y 'all in good shape. I missed a phone 00:59:42.139 --> 00:59:44.920 call to where I was to be today to preach this 00:59:44.920 --> 00:59:47.920 message. But I thought for sure it was Hopewell. 00:59:50.960 --> 00:59:54.329 I thought for certain the other day when... We 00:59:54.329 --> 00:59:58.530 were discussing what's concerning you. The Lord 00:59:58.530 --> 01:00:01.150 burned this in my heart like a branding iron. 01:00:01.429 --> 01:00:04.429 Tell my people I know what's concerning them. 01:00:08.269 --> 01:00:16.130 Oh, God. It's going to take discipline, folks. 01:00:18.210 --> 01:00:20.769 It's going to take changing your will, not just 01:00:20.769 --> 01:00:30.039 your mind. You've got to change your will. The 01:00:30.039 --> 01:00:32.780 only way to make concentrated efforts is to fulfill 01:00:32.780 --> 01:00:45.099 them. Amen? I don't want 26 to end like 25. I'm 01:00:45.099 --> 01:00:48.099 going to break some cycles. Prayerlessness. Oh, 01:00:48.199 --> 01:00:50.019 we didn't have time to get into wordlessness. 01:00:51.780 --> 01:00:58.599 Time in your word every day. Read some. Father, 01:00:58.639 --> 01:01:03.900 we stand before you today. Lord, I know that 01:01:03.900 --> 01:01:08.420 you're faithful and you're just. Father, we're 01:01:08.420 --> 01:01:10.519 just asking for the richness of your blessings 01:01:10.519 --> 01:01:14.559 on the household of faith. Lord, you know what's 01:01:14.559 --> 01:01:18.219 concerning us. You know what's concerning your 01:01:18.219 --> 01:01:21.519 people. You know what the cause of their anxiousness 01:01:21.519 --> 01:01:23.699 is. You know why they're anxious. You know why 01:01:23.699 --> 01:01:26.380 they're worried. You know why they're in fear. 01:01:29.480 --> 01:01:32.699 Lord, we pray you break those cycles, the cycles 01:01:32.699 --> 01:01:37.019 of sickness, cycles of disease. Take authority 01:01:37.019 --> 01:01:40.440 over it because we know by your stripes we are 01:01:40.440 --> 01:01:44.340 healed. Lord, help us break some of those pet 01:01:44.340 --> 01:01:47.000 sins that we just drag around day in and day 01:01:47.000 --> 01:01:50.409 out. Your Word says lay aside the weight. That's 01:01:50.409 --> 01:01:53.110 the sin. That's the thing that's setting us off 01:01:53.110 --> 01:01:55.530 track. That's the thing that keeps us from being 01:01:55.530 --> 01:01:58.409 all we can be in you, all we can be in your grace, 01:01:58.409 --> 01:02:00.730 and all we can be in your glory, all that we 01:02:00.730 --> 01:02:03.550 can be for you and concerning you. Help us, O 01:02:03.550 --> 01:02:06.710 God. Help us change our attitude. Help us change 01:02:06.710 --> 01:02:09.590 it, Lord. Help us change it. Help us see differently, 01:02:09.809 --> 01:02:12.670 O God. Lord, you know what's concerning us. You 01:02:12.670 --> 01:02:15.119 know the weight. You know the heaviness. Lord, 01:02:15.179 --> 01:02:17.079 you know what life's throwing at us. You know 01:02:17.079 --> 01:02:19.530 what the devil's trying to do. And, Lord, we 01:02:19.530 --> 01:02:21.809 make that declaration. We're going to stand anyway. 01:02:21.909 --> 01:02:25.869 I'm going into 26 with that declaration. I will 01:02:25.869 --> 01:02:30.769 stand. I am going to stand. I will stand. I'm 01:02:30.769 --> 01:02:33.110 not going to fail. I'm not going to fall because 01:02:33.110 --> 01:02:35.670 your promise and your word declares it over my 01:02:35.670 --> 01:02:38.630 life. Hallelujah. Greater are you that's in me 01:02:38.630 --> 01:02:41.329 than he that break the cycle of sickness, my 01:02:41.329 --> 01:02:44.329 Lord, over this household, Lord. We're going 01:02:44.329 --> 01:02:46.650 in with the anointing to break the bondages. 01:02:46.650 --> 01:02:50.300 And, Lord, the sickness of all. Lord, in the 01:02:50.300 --> 01:02:52.420 name of Jesus, strengthen my brother this morning. 01:02:53.059 --> 01:02:55.920 Strengthen him today, almighty God. Lord, we're 01:02:55.920 --> 01:02:58.860 going to break the cycle over and over and over 01:02:58.860 --> 01:03:00.780 and over and over. I want to break the cycle. 01:03:00.840 --> 01:03:03.159 Touch Brother Doug today, Father God. Do healing 01:03:03.159 --> 01:03:06.219 in his body this morning, Lord. Lord, all our 01:03:06.219 --> 01:03:08.519 brothers and sisters that are home and sick and 01:03:08.519 --> 01:03:11.059 those that are in the hospitals today, Lord, 01:03:11.159 --> 01:03:13.039 we just ask that you do a work in their heart, 01:03:13.139 --> 01:03:15.400 do a work in their body, do a work in their lives, 01:03:15.519 --> 01:03:18.039 Father God. Lord, I'm going to do some things 01:03:18.039 --> 01:03:20.659 different. I'm going to change the way I perceive. 01:03:20.860 --> 01:03:23.219 I'm changing the way I look. Lord, take your 01:03:23.219 --> 01:03:27.239 authority in our life. Oh, Lord, I'm going to 01:03:27.239 --> 01:03:30.019 change it. I'm going to move beyond, Lord, breaking 01:03:30.019 --> 01:03:32.840 the cycle, Lord, of inconsistency. Lord, we're 01:03:32.840 --> 01:03:34.940 going to change it. Lord, we're going to do better. 01:03:35.019 --> 01:03:37.320 Lord, you know the weight that's on us. You know 01:03:37.320 --> 01:03:39.480 the heaviness. You know the heaviness of life. 01:03:39.739 --> 01:03:42.079 Give us strength and grace today, Father God. 01:03:43.079 --> 01:03:45.179 Strengthen us today, Father God. Lord, with your 01:03:45.179 --> 01:03:47.239 grace and your glory and the power of your might. 01:03:47.920 --> 01:03:50.800 Lord, over the household of faith this morning. 01:03:52.280 --> 01:04:30.500 Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Come on. Father 01:04:30.500 --> 01:04:32.820 God, in the name of Jesus, you bore in your back 01:04:32.820 --> 01:04:39.159 the healing. Every stripe was... Lord, take authority 01:04:39.159 --> 01:04:42.719 over these nerves today. Lord, from the base 01:04:42.719 --> 01:04:45.219 of the neck to the sole of the feet, Lord, let 01:04:45.219 --> 01:04:48.219 healing, let your healing virtue flow, mighty 01:04:48.219 --> 01:04:53.059 God. You are healer in the name of Jesus. Heal 01:04:53.059 --> 01:04:57.320 today, Lord. Heal today, Lord. Heal this very 01:04:57.320 --> 01:05:01.059 day. Lord, touch Brother Gary in the hospital. 01:05:01.179 --> 01:05:03.340 Touch Sister Dean in the hospital this morning. 01:05:03.980 --> 01:05:06.099 Meet them where they are today. Do a healing 01:05:06.099 --> 01:05:08.940 work in their bodies, oh God. Do healing works 01:05:08.940 --> 01:05:11.099 in their body, Lord, for everyone sick with the 01:05:11.099 --> 01:05:13.760 flu, sick with COVID, and sick with everything 01:05:13.760 --> 01:05:17.000 else, just sick and tired of life the way it 01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:20.099 comes and goes. Do a healing in their life, oh 01:05:20.099 --> 01:05:27.539 Lord. Deliverance in their life. Lift up those. 01:05:37.440 --> 01:05:41.460 All right, here's how we're going to continue 01:05:41.460 --> 01:05:45.780 in this week. To help us get this one, all those 01:05:45.780 --> 01:05:49.940 that can, we're going to do our six to six fast 01:05:49.940 --> 01:05:54.639 again this first week. From 6 a .m. to 6 p .m. 01:05:54.699 --> 01:05:59.739 Try your best. Try your best. To maintain that, 01:05:59.860 --> 01:06:01.800 if you can, if you have to take medicine during 01:06:01.800 --> 01:06:05.119 the day, eat what you need to eat and try to 01:06:05.119 --> 01:06:10.360 hold out. Now, I know it's tough. Amen? I know 01:06:10.360 --> 01:06:14.820 it is hard. And if you mess up meat bologna sandwich 01:06:14.820 --> 01:06:19.880 tomorrow, about one, don't stop. Just don't eat 01:06:19.880 --> 01:06:29.619 the chips until after six. Amen? It will help 01:06:29.619 --> 01:06:32.239 begin a discipline in our life. Like I said, 01:06:32.260 --> 01:06:34.980 if you have to take medication and you need, 01:06:35.119 --> 01:06:39.960 please do what you need to do. Amen. But do what 01:06:39.960 --> 01:06:44.099 we can. Because the Lord honors every sacrifice 01:06:44.099 --> 01:06:49.360 that we do, every meal. You know? And so let's 01:06:49.360 --> 01:06:51.820 try that, six to six. A lot of folks are doing 01:06:51.820 --> 01:06:54.679 these 21 -day Daniel things. I just got tired 01:06:54.679 --> 01:06:58.679 of being a rule breaker. And I refused to carry 01:06:58.679 --> 01:07:03.579 the rule sheet with me. It's just easy if I just 01:07:03.579 --> 01:07:07.179 don't eat anything. I got that took care of. 01:07:07.460 --> 01:07:12.159 Six to six. And during the day, start cultivating 01:07:12.159 --> 01:07:15.900 this culture of prayer in your life. Pray without 01:07:15.900 --> 01:07:18.059 ceasing. Every opportunity you can while you're 01:07:18.059 --> 01:07:20.260 doing your stuff, pray. Keep your mind on God. 01:07:20.400 --> 01:07:24.239 Talk to the Lord. Out loud if necessary. Inside 01:07:24.239 --> 01:07:29.429 if not. Just talk to the Lord, and we'll start 01:07:29.429 --> 01:07:31.809 to create a habit. You'll start to create a discipline. 01:07:32.170 --> 01:07:35.570 Read at least one verse. Come on, somebody. I 01:07:35.570 --> 01:07:37.289 was going to try to get us on this read your 01:07:37.289 --> 01:07:41.090 entire Bible together, Genesis to Revelation 01:07:41.090 --> 01:07:43.869 from the general offices, but I thought, Lord, 01:07:43.969 --> 01:07:46.050 if I can just get them to get one good verse 01:07:46.050 --> 01:07:47.949 a day, it's going to be victory for Hopewell. 01:07:49.469 --> 01:07:52.809 So I'm going to take that victory. Give me at 01:07:52.809 --> 01:07:57.980 least one. Start your day with it or end your 01:07:57.980 --> 01:08:00.199 day with it. And before you know it, one won't 01:08:00.199 --> 01:08:05.360 be enough. One verse just won't satisfy you. 01:08:06.840 --> 01:08:08.360 You're going to read another one and another 01:08:08.360 --> 01:08:11.440 one. And so you begin a discipline of Bible reading. 01:08:13.019 --> 01:08:17.500 Are you following me? Next Sunday, we're going 01:08:17.500 --> 01:08:25.119 to launch our new focus for 26. But I just kind 01:08:25.119 --> 01:08:28.800 of had to. Shut down 25 first, if you know what 01:08:28.800 --> 01:08:37.060 I mean. That's just, that's me. I'm sorry. God 01:08:37.060 --> 01:08:42.399 is good. Stretch your hand this way. Heavenly 01:08:42.399 --> 01:08:45.880 Father, in the name of Jesus, we come to you 01:08:45.880 --> 01:08:46.180 today.