Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Good to see
you in the house of the Lord. If you have your
Bibles, go ahead and be turning with me back
to Isaiah, Isaiah 43. And as you're doing that,
I want to welcome today Brother Kenneth and Sister
Bobbie Walker. They are MIP students. They're
in the MIP program, which is the Ministerial
Internship Program. They're doing their internship
at the Ocoee Church of God with Pastor Mike and
Sister Sandy Whitmire. The way the program works,
it's a nine -month program. They'll be assigned
two visits, and we were one of those, and so
I feel very... Fortunate and blessed that Dr.
Lombard would trust us, amen, with their visit.
And so it's good to have you, Brother Ken. This
is Bobby. Good to have you all with us this morning.
Amen. Make them welcome today. Hallelujah. Had
a flashback of about 30 years, and I remembered
our MIP visits. One. happened to be with Sister
Frankie at their church when they was over at
East Soddy, I think, right there at the foot
of the mountain. Sister Kathy and I came, and
I was talking to them that we spent that day
with Brother Lee and Sister Frankie, and he asked
me to preach that night, which was a great honor
for me until I remembered, or actually years
later, Sister Frankie, I figured it out. It was
also Super Bowl Sunday. And Brother Lee just
didn't want to preach that night. And so he had
me do it. Which I was grateful. That was probably
about the sixth or seventh time that I'd actually
even preached. So I was excited. Amen. Super
Bowl Sunday night or not. And we had a great
visit. I always remember that. I'll always remember
that. And we had our first visit. Didn't go as
well as it did with Brother Lee and Sister Frankie.
Pastor didn't have time for us that day. And
that's a wasted day. Look, y 'all know me by
now. Right? But what I was sharing with them
was Sister Kathy and I made a commitment. If
we were ever in that position, Brother Milton,
that if people ever came. The Lord saw fit for
them to sit under that we would always honor
them. Amen? And make it the best day whenever
they leave and they gather with their MIP students
and they do this. They talk about their visits.
Hopefully, Brother Kenneth, y 'all have a good
report at the Hopewell Church. They're getting
barbecued today on us. That'll be worth a trip
anyway. All right, let's take a deep breath together
and get ready to dive in. So, you clock watchers,
it is 11 .23. You can officially start my time
now. Isaiah 43. We'll just read 18 and 19. Isaiah
43, 18, 19. But you'll need to read the entirety
of this chapter. How many of you have read it
since we've been out? Good. Verse 18 reads, Remember
not the former things, neither consider the things
of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it
shall spring forth, shall you not know it. I
will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers
in the desert. I want to refresh our mindset
toward this new year. Today is exactly one month.
since the last time I preached. So prepare yourselves.
If you just get where you can't endure no more,
if you've pre -ordered barbecue, they'll be waiting
and you can get it and go on to the house. But
I am going to take my time this morning and just
preach. I think we need a refresher. Of what
the Lord's emphasis is and what the Spirit wants
to emphasize in our hearts and lives for the
new year. Amen. So we're going back. How many
was here the second Sunday of January? Was that
your shift? Okay. So we're going to be, if the
second Sunday is your Sunday, behold new things.
That's what I have felt in my heart. It's probably
October or November when we were here looking
at getting all this stuff in mind and focusing
and doing some things. And just walking through,
the Lord just laid this on my heart. This is
what I want you to emphasize for 2026. is behold
new things. And it's not what we can bring about
new in our own lives, but what it is that God
desires new for you. I'll pray for you if you
pray for me, and we'll make this as expedient
as possible. Just so you know, I have tried to
get a hold of myself with some of the ramblings
that take place during my preaching. I'm trying
to get a hold of that. And trying to check it
in. It is not my intention to go for an hour
every time. I promise you. So I'm going to try
to stop what I'm doing now. And focus more on
the preaching from here on. Okay? Let's pray.
Father, we love you. We thank you for your goodness
and your mercy. And the abundance of your grace
and love toward us. God, you know I need your
help. If I'm going to cut that stuff out, it's
got to be you. So you help me today. Lord, that
we be expedient with the timing of your people,
Lord. I take it not for granted, but neither
do I take for granted the atmosphere that we're
in now. I have longed for and I have missed it
so desperately. Lord, to stand in the pulpit,
I'm feeling my heart's leaping. My breath is
short because it's been a while and I don't want
to mess up, Lord. So you use me today as we surrender
our ears, our hearts to your word and your spirit.
In Jesus' mighty name, tell your neighbor it's
time for something new. Often we quote a phrase,
it's what great things he has done. And truly,
the Lord has done great things in our lives.
Amen. Each of us, if we'll stop and examine,
no matter how young or old, we have a testimony
of the goodness and the greatness of God in our
lives. If you're still here, amen. Just the other
Wednesday, a few Wednesday nights, one of the
last ones we had, the hand of the Lord was on
some of our young 'uns as they were leaving and
had an accident right up here to Red Light. The
hand of God, just those things sometimes we take
for granted, but what great things. God has done,
amen, what the Lord does. He does those things
daily for us and in our life every single day.
A wonderful statement, which in itself causes
us to stir up a ready praise. When you think
of that one thing that comes to your mind, that,
man, that was a great thing the Lord does, doesn't
it cause something to well up inside of you and
just, whoo, hallelujah, amen? The Lord was good.
He's great, and he's wonderful toward us, and
it calls up. and overflowing from our heart out
of the believer that flows through their mouth
and giving him great honor and great glory. So
we find ourselves, if we're not careful, we have
to take great care. in focusing on who God is,
not only what God has done for us, but who God
is and what God has in store and what God desires
to do in our lives. And as we remind ourselves,
and it could serve as a reminder for us, that
God is fully aware of everything that is concerning
us. If we go back to the first Sunday of the
year, remember we preached that message. What's
concerning you? What is it? that God is mindful
of that's going on in your life that he's going
to release his great glory, his great grace into
the faith that you release into him. What is
it that is going on? What is concerning us? Because
if we really stop and focus, there are some things
that they may be in the back of our mind, but
they're there. There's this subconscious gnawing
that goes on, and you just can't quite put a
finger on it sometimes. And then when you're
sitting quietly and in a moment, come to the
forefront of your mind. This is what's concerning
me. This is really at the root. Have you ever
heard that hurt people hurt people? Have you
ever heard that statement when people are lashing
out and they're being obstinate sometimes and
you can't hardly be around them? Sometimes it's
good to stop and say, Lord, what's really going
on within them? What is happening to them? Because
hurt people lash out and hurt because many times
we don't know how to respond in any other way.
So what is it that causes you possibly to lash
out. What is concerning you? But know if there's
something concerning you, it also concerns the
God of glory. Amen. And that he is ever mindful
of what is going on in our lives. As we have
begun this year, now we're six weeks in. This
is the sixth Sunday of the new year. And as we
begin it, we do so with an emphasis of behold
new things. And so as we stop and begin to process
and step forward, the first steps towards those
new things is that we have to break the unbeneficial
cycles of 2025. That thing that causes just to
go around and put you back in the same mode of
operation. We would call it status quo. Amen.
It is what it is. It's just what is, what is
going on. It's the moment and the action of the
moment for this alpha generation, gen alpha,
it would be six, seven. There you go. That's
status quo, eh? Six, seven. For you boomers,
that's six of one, half a dozen of another. Just
so you know I can bridge the chasm. It's what's
transpiring at the very moment. But we have to
know that in order to step forward, the goodness
of God and the new things that God has in store
for us, we have to break unbeneficial cycles.
And if you remember, we talked about prayerlessness.
If you want God to do something new in your life,
you're going to have to start doing something
new in your life. If you're absent prayer, don't
expect God to move where there is no seed being
sown. You've got to pray. If you want God to
break up new things into your life, then you've
got to learn to get into the Word of the living
God and let the Word of God sprout new hope,
new faith, new life inside of you. If you're
not doing those things, you've got to break some
unbeneficial cycles and allow the grace and the
glory of God. You must remember this one thing,
that cycles thrive on memory. Revelation. Cycles.
Oh, Lord, it's memory without revelation. We
can remember, but there's no insight as to how
to move and past and beyond. But know this, God
does not desire that you stay in a state of status
quo. God wants us moving forward continually.
The only time he wants you in the same position
is when he stops and you stop with him. Don't
you remember we sung about the cloud this morning?
When the cloud moves, you move. Amen. When the
cloud stops, you pitch a tent. That's all I'm
looking for is which way is the cloud moving.
If the cloud's moving, I do not desire to be
left behind because I know this one thing. If
God is leading me forward and I stay in the status
quo, then the cycles of unbeneficial acts in
my life will never be broken. But when the Spirit
of God... begins to move and begins to lead me
forward. Then it tells me that God has something
new for me. What did the psalmist say in 23?
He's going to lead us beside still waters. He's
going to lead us into greener pastures. You've
fed where you are quite long enough, and he's
ready to take you in to some greener pastures.
If you've been in turmoil and torment, he's ready
to take you beside the still water and cause
you to rest. Hallelujah. Always remember Hebrews
11 and 1, now faith is a substance of things.
Now, this behold new things, we have to understand
what are things. What is a thing? By definition,
a thing is an object that one need not, cannot,
or does not wish to give a specific name. I begin
to mull that over in my head. Y 'all know what
mull it over is, right? Okay, I just want to
make sure. I begin to mull that definition over.
It's one thing, and I really didn't dive into
that four weeks ago. So this is fresh for me
as well as I begin to look into the thought behind
the definition itself. Behold new things. Behold
something that I cannot or that I wish not. Put
a specific name or title to. There are some things
I don't want around long enough to name it. Oh,
come on, somebody. There's some things and some
cycles in my life that I don't want to stay around
long enough to name it. That's the reason most
goldfish have one name. And when they float up
the next one, you just call it the same thing
because it don't want to last much longer either.
Amen. There's some things in my life that have
transpired. There's some things that the enemy
brings around to and against me that I don't
want hanging around long enough to give it a
name. Because once you give it a name, it becomes
a pet. I love. what the author of Hebrews says.
Now let us lay aside the weight and every sin
that does set ourself against us. I'm ready to
put some things off, aren't you? I'm ready to
lay aside some stuff. Because when you begin
to name it, it becomes attached to you. And there's
some things that are going on that I definitely
do not wish to be attached to me. But there's
some things that I also cannot label. There's
some things that I cannot name. And that's the
goodness of the Lord. I cannot begin to describe
to you. What it is that he's doing. Such great
grace and the marvel of his trust that is being
released into our lives every day. He never ceases
to amaze. And I don't want to put a name on it.
Simply because I cannot. What's God doing with
you? Well, I just really can't describe it to
you. People say, well, I just don't know how.
I say, well, I can't tell you how either. Oh,
you'd be amazed. People call and text, well,
we're praying for you. Well, thank you, we need
it. I was telling Sister Barbara this morning,
she stopped by the office and sharing some things
and she's getting relieved. I want you to know
that I pray every day for you and Sister Kathy.
And I said, thank you, we need it. And I said,
I used to say this, we need to pray and you need
to practice. Come on, somebody. I need the prayer
and you need the practice. So if you'll practice
praying for me when the time comes for you need
to intercede for yourself, you'll be well orientated
with the manner of prayer. And when you come
boldly to the throne of grace, God won't have
a problem recognizing your need because you've
brought somebody else's need before you. And
he'll have no problem answering you. And he's
going to do some new things in your life that
you cannot, will not, wish not, and no way fathomable
possible. Put a label on it. That's what I'm
talking about. Behold a new thing. I want God
to do some things in your life that you simply
cannot label, that you are at a loss of words
for. Now faith is a substance of things. Hope
for something that I can't label, something that
I cannot mark. It's the evidence of things that
I cannot see. I don't want this junk that I can
see because I definitely don't want this stuff
sticking to me. So I refuse to name it and label
it. You know how it is. How many of you folks
ever had stray dogs or cats come around your
place? Dad's words. Do not feed that animal.
Don't give it any scraps. Run that thing out
of the yard. Why? Because the moment you feed
it, it begins to take up residence. Oh, come
on now. I'm about to preach right here. And the
moment it takes up residence, well, I guess we
got to name it. So when the old devil starts
showing up on your doorstep, don't feed it. When
he starts creeping into your mind with the evil
of the age and the evil of the day, and he begins
to sow seeds of doubt, honey, don't you dare
feed it. Because once you feed it, you've got
to name it, and when you name it, you own it.
The very moment you begin to confess things over
your own life, honey, you've named it and you're
starting to own it. Well, I'm depressed, are
you? Well, you've named it. Since you've named
it, you might as well pet it. Because you own
it now. What have you been petting? What have
you been feeding? Let's try some things according
to the word of God. Speak to things that are
not as though they were and the things that are
as though they won't be. That's the water's parallel
at the end. That's like Brother Swaggart's old,
his version of his Bible, his own little. Commentary
on it. That's my commentary on that. I have no
desire to feed some of the things the enemy tries
to bring to my doorstep. Reality is enough. I've
told you before. I'm not an optimist. I'm not
a pessimist. I am a realist. One of the statements
that kindly, it's like that 6 -7 thing. It can
make your skin kindly crawl every time you hear,
well, it is what it is. Well, it is as long as
you let it be what it is. Well, there's some
things I cannot change. Agreed. Agreed. But nothing
is impossible with him. Nothing is impossible
with God, and nothing is impossible with those
who believe. When you begin to declare by faith,
yeah, you may have to walk through some of it,
but I'm here to tell you, a stray dog of the
enemy gets close enough to me, it's going to
get rocked and sent down the road. Now, he may
show back up, but he won't show back up because
I put out a pile of feed. I'm resisting him with
every ounce and fiber of faith and grace that
exists within me. I'm putting him to flight.
Why? Because I draw not. Because when I draw
nigh unto God, he draws nigh unto me. And when
I resist the devil, he must flee from me. Why?
Because I invoke the authority that's in the
name of Jesus Christ. See, this is brand new.
Behold, a new sermon from the old. New things
never come from maintaining the status quo. Status
quo is simply what it is at the moment. That
is not God's desire for my and your life to remain
in status quo. Well, how can you say that? Because
He is not a status quo God. If his mercies, according
to lamentation, are new every morning, that's
not status quo. It's different. I cannot put
a defining statement on his mercy for today.
Already I've encountered, and this very moment,
I am experiencing his marvelous mercy. New, it's
fresh, it's for today. It's like the manna that
falls from heaven. Why do you think the Lord
said, you can't eat that stuff, but one time
it'll only last for one extra day, and that's
when you gather for the Sabbath? Every other
day, it's going to have worms in it when you
get up in the morning. I want you to have new.
I want you to have fresh every day. So we have
faith to faith. We have grace to grace. We have
glory to glory. Glory. Faith on top of faith.
Grace up on top of grace. Glory on behalf of
glory. The infinite waves of his glory. They
are new every day. His faith in us is bound by
his grace to you. My Lord, and as long as you
trust his grace, it's to you. His faith for you
will lift you up and carry you beyond because
your faith truly is in him and his abundance
of grace. New things. Woo! Hey, neighbor, let's
have something new. Well, three of us are going
to have it. The rest of you, got to help get
your mind made up. Now, see, right here is one
of those moments I was talking about earlier.
I mean, we could go down a little road right
there, but I'm not going to do that. We get through
this introduction, we'll preach this message.
Matter of fact, let's go ahead with point number
one. refuse to step in the trap of what used
to be. Refuse to step in the trap of what used
to be. Verse 18, remember not the former things.
Israel's problem wasn't that they forgot God,
it's that they just couldn't forget what God
had done. They couldn't trust him enough to do
new things. And the whole time he's trying to
do something new, they're still hung up at a
Red Sea crossing, which, by the way, That's a
place to get hung up. Man, I can't get over that.
Did you see that? Man, the ground was dry. Boy,
it was, wasn't it? He's trying to get you into
a promised land, and you're still amazed at the
dry ground. He's trying to get you to feast on
milk and honey, and you're looking up, where
are the manna for today? I sure would have looked
out for some quail eggs. Smoke us some quail
wings. Boy, I miss the quail. What about those
grapes? What about the cluster of promise? And
the two that were left were thinking, if y 'all
would come on. Joshua and Caleb, if y 'all would
come on, I'll show you something. We've seen
it. We've seen what God wants to do. Oh, come
on now. We have lived and encountered and experienced
what God has done. Pharaoh dying in the Red Sea
was marvelous. But there's giants over there
that he wants to have to fall at your feet. I
don't know about that. Giants, you say? Them
other ten cowards, oh, we were like grasshoppers
in our own eyes. Well, there you go. Keep speaking
it over yourself. Huh? There it is. They named
it. Fear showed up and they gave it a name. They
labeled it and began to feed it and fed it to
everyone around them. Joshua and Caleb jumps
up and says, no. We are more than able. Why?
Because you missed the concept of getting out
of Egypt. You missed the concept of the Red Sea.
You missed the concept of the manna. You missed
the concept of the quail. You missed the concept
of water flowing out of the rock. God was demonstrating
to you that when he got us over here, he's more
than enough and more than able if we'll allow
him by faith. Remember not the former things.
Why? Because in our personal lives, we're new
creatures. I hope you are. I hope you're a new
creature. If you're not, you need to have a new
encounter. Behold, old things pass away. Behold,
all things become new. We become new creatures.
New creations in Christ. Pastor Brown and I have
been discussing a lot, and I've been discussing
with others the influence of social media on
the church and the effects in the church and
how it affects it. I don't know how it affects
you, but I've allowed it to kind of suck me in.
It's a vortex. It'll suck you in. But at the
same time, I try to... Wanted to try to keep
my thumb on the pulse, or at least that's an
excuse, I guess. I guess you could get down to
the concept, the world's evil, it's always going
to be evil, and the evil's always going to try
to creep itself into the church. But I guess
it helps to kind of know how it's slipping in.
There seems to be a dilution of faith. There
appears to me to be a desire to dilute the purity
of the blood of Jesus Christ and the requirement
of those who claim its application to their life
because of platform. Let me tell you something.
Bitter and sweet water, according to the word
of God, cannot come from the same fountain. We
are in this world, but we've been called out
of darkness into his marvelous light so that
we no longer are of this world. The actions and
behaviors of our life should be in alignment
in accordance to the word of God. And the celebrity
Christendom, the devil would like nothing more
than that to sweep across from border to border
of every nation around this world. Why? Because
there's no separation required. There's no holiness
demanded. Then it gets applauded. Nope, not by
me. Makes my skin crawl, matter of fact. That
the sacrifice of the Son of God is tread upon
that lightly. That's the way I see it. Used to
be the old adage, I don't smoke, I don't drink,
I don't dip, and don't go with girls that do.
That's what I'm talking about. When you live
in a place called Snuff Holler, come on. Now
y 'all are about to pull me in. I'm not going
to do it. You try. Lord, touch somebody. Be with
someone this very moment. If it's an accident
or a sickness, touch and heal. Let your divine
glory be present where they are now. Watch over
those who are in response, those who are going
to the situation. Touch and proclaim peace. I
pray that every time I hear one, no matter where
it's going or what direction it's headed. Prayed
it the other Wednesday night when we heard it
in this sanctuary, not knowing that it was two
of our very own. Prayed the hand of God quickly.
We must retain the purity and the holiness of
God. One thing I will not be charged with when
we stand together and I give an account for your
soul. They'll never read from the record of the
angel that is written. You never warn them against
sin and living a holy life. That's one charge.
That will not be mine. You must live a separated
life. Don't fall into the ploy of celebrity quote
-unquote Christianity. The true heart of conversion,
you will see it removed from the situations.
Well, they're doing good, are they? Well, they're
lifting up Jesus. Are they? Well, y 'all go watch
it. I've seen enough of it. I heard what they
said. Where's the fruit of the life? Are you
and I not going to be judged by our fruit? Not
solely along by our confession or what we say?
Are our fruit not going to be what is judged
by the eyes of God? In accordance to the commandments
of his word, he said, if you don't follow my
commandments, you have no part with me. No matter
what you say. That's the reason James said, look,
I will demonstrate to you my faith by my works.
But my works will prove to you my faith. I pray
for every one of those testimonies that I hear.
I think, oh, Lord, truly convert. And then you
see this other thing. You see what they say here,
how they act. I think, Lord, help them. Put somebody
in their path. It's just as bad to watch some
Christian celebrities on TV. I got to get on.
We are to remind ourselves that God is good in
his faithfulness, and that's what he was telling
Israel here in this 43rd chapter. I think it's
20 -some -odd times in 19 verses the personal
pronoun I is used. I, I, I, the Lord declaring
himself. Over and over and over and over and
over. And as you read it, God, I know that I've
done this for you. And you know that I've done
this for you. But that is not all that I wish
to do for you. I have sent into Babylon. And
the princes are coming down. It's already done.
I've already set it into motion. It's already
going to happen. I'm already going to deliver
you. I told you. Did I not tell you 70 years
that I'm coming after you? Time is drawing to
an end. I'm coming for you. Hear this today.
Today he has declared that he will come again.
The Son of Man shall appear in the clouds of
glory. He will return. And he said it and he
will do it. And even so now my heart longs for
his coming. Five minutes. I'll try to wind this
down. God proclaims your future. Behold, I will
do a new thing. God wants to do some things in
your life that you cannot label. He wants to
bless you in ways that you cannot fathom. And
it's not always financially. Sometimes it is.
Hallelujah. But there's more going on in life
than finances. Behold, I'll do a new thing. It's
a declaration. It's a promise. It's not a refurbished
thing, a recycled thing. It's not a sequel. It's
a new one. God says, I will never change my character
and my nature. I am who I am. But my methods
in your life, I wish to renew daily so that you
know that I am ever mindful. I don't want the
same thing every day. Sister Kathy's about to
probably get tired of bacon and eggs for breakfast.
I change it up every now and then I do smoked
sausage and eggs. Surprised her the other day
with some waffles. I could eat the bacon and
eggs every day and it never bothered me. But
I'm not just cooking for me. Now the shoe's on
the other foot and I wondered how for 30 some
odd years she was able to please me. Then I begin
to think, huh. I guess I need to fix something
besides. Something new. God wants to do something
new for you. If there's a willingness in your
life to break these unprofitable cycles of your
life, things that are not bringing, he proclaims
your future. Thirdly, do not. Dismiss the small
things. Because God can manifest through small
things in your life and they become monumental.
Right? Don't miss it. So many times the Lord
says, shall it not spring forth? And you remember
we discussed that little word spring. We think
of a spring, boing, you know, tigger, boing.
That's not the implication. It's to break forth.
It's to push through. It will spring like the
young tender plant. Shall you not know it? It
shall spring forth. Look, you've got to be watching
for the simple things and the small things that
God's doing in your life. so that you don't overlook.
And when you begin to focus on that, how many
of you have ever sat down and tried to write
out the good things of God, the blessings of
God in your life? And when you begin to consider
one, well, you've got to think about another,
and it leads to another, and it leads to another.
And then when it gets down to it, it's some of
the smallest, minute things, but then you begin
to realize that, yes, that's God springing these
things up. It's breaking forth. It's coming through.
He is El Parazim, which actually is the Hebrew
for the God of the breakthrough. Breakthrough.
Breaking through that which is over you, trying
to hold you. That's the reason Jesus said, unless
a corn of wheat fall into the ground, it dieth
alone. But if it falls in the ground and it is
covered, then when it comes forth, it brings
forth much more fruit. If you remember, I posed
that question to you. What is dying in you? What
is that? That uncomfortable thing that God's
trying to root out so that he can cause something
to spring up. Shall you not know it? Number four
was if all seems lost, don't give up. I'll make
a way in the wilderness, the Lord said. I'll
make a way in your wilderness, rivers in your
desert. You go back to the first of the chapter.
This is a re -emphasis of what he told them in
the first few verses. He said, you're going to
walk through the fire and it's not going to burn
you. You're going to go through the flood and
it's not going to rush over you. One of my favorite
stand it in spite of it scriptures is when the
enemy comes in like a flood, he'll raise up a
standard against it. That's always been one of
my, my Lord, I need a standard today. I always
go back to helping pops roll logs on the bed
of an old two -ton truck when we was in the pulp
woods. And I'd have to get out there with an
old can hook and help pop roll them 12, 14, 16,
18 -inch logs. We'd roll them things up, and
it'd always be the hottest day when it comes
loading time. And you'd have to roll them old
logs up one hook at a time. And it hit that trailer
because Pops always parked the truck down a little
bit lower so we could roll it off and it hit
and it'd roll on over. But they wouldn't roll
off on the ground because Pops had a standard
or two on the other side of the old truck bed.
And my mind goes to that. When I feel like I'm
about to roll off, I can't roll off because there's
a standard waiting to catch me. When I feel like
I'm getting washed away by the flood of life,
I'm not getting washed away because I take hold
of a standard. And the standard I take to is
his faithfulness and his holiness. and his love
and his joy and his grace that he bestows upon
my life. I take hold of the standard of the power
and the ever -presence of the Holy Ghost that
resides in me. And I cannot, like a tree that's
planted by the rivers of living water, I shall
not be moved. Been a few times I'm holding on
to that standard and my feet's flopping behind
me. Then that's when I realize I don't have hold
of the standard. The standard has a hold on me.
He's got a hold on me. He has a hold of you,
child of God. When the enemy tries to come in,
he'll raise up a standard. Stand with me. 1201.
Somebody say praise the Lord. Because I got two
other pages I was going to, but we won't. I guess
I'll save that for next week. The Lord's willing.
We're going to talk about how to engage the new
thing. How to engage the new thing. It almost
feels like since we've not been together for
so long and how that... Everything's transpired.
To me, it just feels like this is almost like
the first Sunday of the new year. Because January,
you know how it hits us anyway. It's just like,
oh, I don't know how to deal with that. But here
we are firmly six weeks in. I wonder, has any
of those old cycles tried to kick back up? Those
unprofitable. practices, try to re -engage themselves,
interject back into your life. I've called it
stinking thinking before. Has the enemy ever
tried to get into your mind and cause you to
start labeling things that's going on in you
and around you? Let me tell you, resist that
with everything that's within you. Just because
it shows up don't mean you have to feed it. You
don't have to feed it. Do not feed doubt. Don't
feed unbelief. Don't pet and play with fear.
You don't have to. You can put it on down the
road. Pick your pocket of rocks and send it running.
Huh? Put it on its way. Unbelief, you don't have
to let that stay around. Condemnation. What's
that, Pastor? Well, that's when the devil tells
you how sorry you are. Huh? Anybody hear that
besides me? He still tries that junk on me. Well,
Lord, you're not doing this. You're not doing
that. What are you going to do? You can't do
this. You can't do that. What are you going to
do? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, you know,
you know. Several years ago, I learned the difference
between condemnation and conviction. So when
I start hearing that voice echo in my mind and
trying to drive my emotions, I just put a stop
to that. I don't feed it. I don't feed it. I
don't begin to dwell and think on it. What I
have learned and discovered is the Holy Ghost
works from my heart up, not my head down. He
always begins with something, Brother George,
down in here. And before I can get it up to here,
he brings it up. It stirs in here. It's an offense
thing. I feel like I've offended God. Can't catch
my breath. I thought, whew. So then I have to
go ask, what is this, Lord? And then he tells
me, and I sure don't pet that. Don't let the
enemy condemn you, shame you. Jesus loves you.
God desires new things, things that you cannot
have no clue on how to say what they are. I can't
tell you what God's doing, man. I wish I could.
It's just great. Lord, I love you today. Thank
you for your goodness and your mercy. Shall harm
me. Altered in the arms of God. Just keep your
eyes closed and hear this little chorus. Let
the storm rage high. They don't worry me. For
I'm sheltered within the arms of God. He walks
with me. Listen. And naught of earth shall harm
me. For I'm shattered in the arms. If you need
a touch from the Lord this morning, I want to
give you that opportunity to come. I'm all in
between. I want us all to be down here. But I
think also we need to take a step of recognition.
I need the Lord this morning. And we need to
step out and make our way. God's got you. God
has got you. That standard remains. There's no
wilderness. There's no flooding. There's no high
water. There's no flame of life that can remove
the standard. It is there. He is there for you.