WEBVTT 00:00:01.870 --> 00:00:04.330 You say, after all that, you still going to preach? 00:00:04.549 --> 00:00:10.189 Yeah. Why you got your Bibles and why some of 00:00:10.189 --> 00:00:12.369 you standing? If you don't, if you can't, just 00:00:12.369 --> 00:00:14.169 go ahead and sit there. Just stand in your heart. 00:00:15.150 --> 00:00:20.989 And open with me to Isaiah 59. Isaiah 59. Notice 00:00:20.989 --> 00:00:24.829 there's just two little notes right here. Just 00:00:24.829 --> 00:00:32.049 two. And there's only two points to this. Just 00:00:32.049 --> 00:00:35.689 two points. And I know we got chicken and stuff 00:00:35.689 --> 00:00:41.710 in the back. Ham and casserole. We're going to 00:00:41.710 --> 00:00:47.070 celebrate them right. Amen. And so, with that, 00:00:47.149 --> 00:00:48.770 you're not having to run down there to beat the 00:00:48.770 --> 00:00:57.810 Baptist to get in the Mexican line. I won't preach 00:00:57.810 --> 00:00:59.770 any longer than I did last week. Fair enough? 00:01:02.579 --> 00:01:09.459 Somebody says, my Lord, I hope not. Be honest 00:01:09.459 --> 00:01:11.659 with me. Does time really drag for you out there 00:01:11.659 --> 00:01:14.799 while I'm preaching? Okay. Because honestly, 00:01:14.980 --> 00:01:17.060 I felt like I preached about 25 minutes last 00:01:17.060 --> 00:01:19.019 week. And then when I looked at my phone, I thought, 00:01:19.099 --> 00:01:24.459 oh, that's an hour. So Isaiah 59 is where we're 00:01:24.459 --> 00:01:28.540 looking. It's good to have with us Bishop Eric 00:01:28.540 --> 00:01:32.980 Lacks and Dr. Emily Lacks with us today from 00:01:32.980 --> 00:01:37.640 Michigan. He is the Youth and Discipleship Director 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:42.299 for the state of Michigan and is doing a great 00:01:42.299 --> 00:01:44.239 job. They actually let him come back and do two 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:48.540 more years. He got reappointed. And so it is 00:01:48.540 --> 00:01:51.900 good to have them with us. We've helped him just 00:01:51.900 --> 00:01:55.510 a little bit. He's about to go to Africa. to 00:01:55.510 --> 00:01:59.069 preach some youth camps. So we blessed him a 00:01:59.069 --> 00:02:00.810 little bit to help him get on there. He's looking 00:02:00.810 --> 00:02:03.769 for some sponsors, so we sponsored up one or 00:02:03.769 --> 00:02:06.810 two for him. So he's going to be going to do 00:02:06.810 --> 00:02:13.870 that. They labored for eight years? Seven, eight? 00:02:15.409 --> 00:02:20.270 Six. Felt longer, he said. I'll never forget 00:02:20.270 --> 00:02:24.210 when we interviewed them. Jeremiah, I think, 00:02:24.270 --> 00:02:25.810 was in the car care, and they stuck him under 00:02:25.810 --> 00:02:32.110 the table and interviewed him. Y 'all can sit 00:02:32.110 --> 00:02:37.810 down. Somebody said, thank you, Pastor. I had 00:02:37.810 --> 00:02:42.370 a 90 -day, not had, I do have a 90 -day hiring 00:02:42.370 --> 00:02:48.310 policy to which I tell them we'll have an interview 00:02:48.310 --> 00:02:52.840 at the end and evaluation. I said, at any point 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:55.319 in this 90 days that you feel like you've missed 00:02:55.319 --> 00:02:58.419 God, you come to me, you sit down, Pastor, I've 00:02:58.419 --> 00:03:00.479 missed God. I give you a month's severance, and 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:02.680 you go right on your way. I said, but now in 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:06.340 same token, if I pull you in here in two weeks 00:03:06.340 --> 00:03:10.860 and say I miss God, I'll give you the same month's 00:03:10.860 --> 00:03:14.939 severance and send you on your way. And so he's 00:03:14.939 --> 00:03:17.650 kind of on the eggshell there for a while. The 00:03:17.650 --> 00:03:20.150 90 days came and went. And so he comes in the 00:03:20.150 --> 00:03:22.710 office one day and says, Pastor, are we going 00:03:22.710 --> 00:03:26.849 to do my evaluation? I said, you're still here, 00:03:26.930 --> 00:03:33.090 aren't you? Consider yourself evaluated. Amen. 00:03:35.610 --> 00:03:39.969 Did a great job. Amen. You don't stick around 00:03:39.969 --> 00:03:44.229 me long if you don't. All right. That's enough. 00:03:44.629 --> 00:03:50.240 There's that rabbit. Sister Becky. Isaiah 59, 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:57.659 verse 16. And he saw that there was no man and 00:03:57.659 --> 00:04:01.639 wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:05.240 his arm brought salvation unto him and his righteousness. 00:04:05.699 --> 00:04:09.599 It sustained him. For he put on righteousness 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.400 as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation upon 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:15.379 his head. And he put on the garments of vengeance 00:04:15.379 --> 00:04:19.509 for clothing and was clad with zeal. As a cloak. 00:04:20.449 --> 00:04:24.230 According to their deeds. Accordingly. He will 00:04:24.230 --> 00:04:28.730 repay. Fury to his adversaries. Recompense to 00:04:28.730 --> 00:04:34.470 his enemies. To the islands he will repay recompense. 00:04:35.629 --> 00:04:39.649 So shall they fear the name of the Lord. From 00:04:39.649 --> 00:04:43.170 the west. And his glory from the rising of the 00:04:43.170 --> 00:04:46.029 sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood. 00:04:48.130 --> 00:04:53.149 The spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard 00:04:53.149 --> 00:04:57.610 against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion. 00:04:58.410 --> 00:05:00.930 And unto them that turn from transgression in 00:05:00.930 --> 00:05:05.329 Jacob, saith the Lord. Speak to you for just 00:05:05.329 --> 00:05:07.670 a little bit on this thought, turning the tide. 00:05:08.209 --> 00:05:10.129 Father, I love you. I thank you. Your word is 00:05:10.129 --> 00:05:11.889 all powerful. And I just pray, Lord, that you 00:05:11.889 --> 00:05:14.569 would enrich our hearts as we endeavor to know 00:05:14.569 --> 00:05:16.680 and to learn. and to hear what the Spirit says 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:18.939 to the church today. Lord, please help me be 00:05:18.939 --> 00:05:24.740 expedient. In Jesus' name, amen. It's not a doubt 00:05:24.740 --> 00:05:26.860 that the world that you and I are living in is 00:05:26.860 --> 00:05:30.879 totally confused. It is in a very confusing state. 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:35.800 When good people are called evil, and evil people 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:38.800 are called good, and evil is celebrated, and 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:46.220 good is harassed. Chaos seems to be the order 00:05:46.220 --> 00:05:48.279 of the day in which you and I live in, and deception 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:56.500 is everywhere. So as believers, so as children 00:05:56.500 --> 00:06:01.040 of God, it ought to be comforting for you to 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:05.899 know that all of your hope is not relegated to 00:06:05.899 --> 00:06:10.660 what's going on around you. In spite of pending 00:06:10.660 --> 00:06:13.560 chaos, the believer, the child of God, must take 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:17.439 true and full confidence in knowing that God 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:24.740 remains in control. He's still on the throne. 00:06:25.980 --> 00:06:29.740 Don't be doubtful of that. God is still on the 00:06:29.740 --> 00:06:34.819 throne. Romans 8, 31 says, What shall we then 00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:37.879 say to these things? If God be for us, who can? 00:06:38.670 --> 00:06:41.149 Be against us. That ought to be comforting for 00:06:41.149 --> 00:06:44.050 you to know and to realize that God is for you. 00:06:44.449 --> 00:06:48.329 And if God is for you, then who or what can be 00:06:48.329 --> 00:06:51.430 against you? You know, that's directly following 00:06:51.430 --> 00:06:55.790 just a few verses from that verse 28 that declares 00:06:55.790 --> 00:06:58.930 that all things work together for good unto them 00:06:58.930 --> 00:07:01.189 who are called according to his purpose. Amen? 00:07:01.410 --> 00:07:05.029 That should let you know that if all things are 00:07:05.029 --> 00:07:07.379 going to work to your good, then this declaration 00:07:07.379 --> 00:07:10.319 follows, what shall we then say to these things? 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:13.079 What things? Whatever those things are that has 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:17.480 to be turned toward good. What shall we then 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:20.459 say? For the believer, victory is our starting 00:07:20.459 --> 00:07:24.079 point. It is your beginning position. Victory. 00:07:24.220 --> 00:07:27.040 And the victory that we have, according to Paul, 00:07:27.139 --> 00:07:29.100 as he's writing to the Corinthians in that first 00:07:29.100 --> 00:07:33.160 letter, in that 15th chapter, the victory is 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:36.100 the faith that we have in Christ. It's Christ 00:07:36.100 --> 00:07:41.740 who causes us to be victorious. So God, through 00:07:41.740 --> 00:07:45.899 the prophet Isaiah, is reassuring Judah, his 00:07:45.899 --> 00:07:50.180 people, that he indeed is able to turn the tide 00:07:50.180 --> 00:07:57.560 as chaos comes in. Now, we picked up nearing 00:07:57.560 --> 00:08:00.699 the end of the 59th chapter, but if you go to 00:08:00.699 --> 00:08:03.779 the beginning, the Lord is taking issue. With 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:06.399 his people because at some point they've said 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:09.699 the Lord's arm is too short to answer, to heal, 00:08:09.819 --> 00:08:11.579 to deliver, to do whatever it is they're needing. 00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:14.959 Because he had addressed them in verse 1 in 59. 00:08:15.300 --> 00:08:19.420 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened. Isaiah 00:08:19.420 --> 00:08:22.279 begins to declare as the spirit of the Lord moves 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:25.160 upon him. Behold, the hand of the Lord is not 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:29.079 shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear 00:08:29.079 --> 00:08:32.669 heavy that it cannot hear. The people, they are 00:08:32.669 --> 00:08:35.549 in post -exile. They've already been released. 00:08:35.750 --> 00:08:38.350 They've already come back home. That ought to 00:08:38.350 --> 00:08:41.169 be evidence enough that God is good for his word. 00:08:41.250 --> 00:08:43.269 Hello. He told them you're only going to be there 00:08:43.269 --> 00:08:45.429 70 years, and then I'm not just going to bring 00:08:45.429 --> 00:08:47.230 you out. They're going to drive you out. Why? 00:08:47.309 --> 00:08:50.169 Because I'm going to cut the forest down. You 00:08:50.169 --> 00:08:52.950 just have to go read it and get the inside of 00:08:52.950 --> 00:08:56.570 it. And so after they've gotten back, God doesn't 00:08:56.570 --> 00:08:59.190 do everything on their timetable like he doesn't 00:08:59.190 --> 00:09:02.559 move every way that we do. desire on our timetable. 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:06.080 Amen. If so, there's some things that I've been 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:09.620 asking for that already be done. Hello? But he 00:09:09.620 --> 00:09:12.120 don't. And so what we have to guard our hearts 00:09:12.120 --> 00:09:14.720 from is exactly what they did. Well, the Lord 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:16.980 can't even hear me. The Lord isn't even listening 00:09:16.980 --> 00:09:19.600 to me. And matter of fact, what's going on in 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:22.700 my life, in this way we do, what's going on in 00:09:22.700 --> 00:09:24.940 my life, the problems that I have, the issues 00:09:24.940 --> 00:09:27.659 that I'm dealing with, his hand is too short. 00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:29.879 He don't have the power to take care of it anyway. 00:09:30.139 --> 00:09:32.919 Let me tell you this this morning. When you begin 00:09:32.919 --> 00:09:35.539 to diminish within your own heart the power of 00:09:35.539 --> 00:09:39.159 God, you're on shaky ground. Because God knows, 00:09:39.220 --> 00:09:41.899 amen, that there is nothing too hard for him. 00:09:41.980 --> 00:09:44.899 He spoke all of this into existence. He took 00:09:44.899 --> 00:09:48.120 a mud ball and put it together and breathed breath 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:51.039 into it and it stands up and walks around. Amen. 00:09:51.179 --> 00:09:54.379 And so don't go telling God what he can and what 00:09:54.379 --> 00:09:56.840 he cannot do. I love that illustration where 00:09:56.840 --> 00:10:00.340 the kings of the enemy said, well, we got defeated 00:10:00.340 --> 00:10:05.299 today because we fought in the mountains. He's 00:10:05.299 --> 00:10:07.039 the God of the hills and he's the God of the 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:09.500 mountains. And that's where they get victory. 00:10:09.580 --> 00:10:11.460 Now, if we get down in the valley down there, 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:14.940 their God is useless. So let's just set the valley 00:10:14.940 --> 00:10:17.580 and make battle down there. But no, no, no, no. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:20.039 That tore God up. You don't tell God that. Amen. 00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:23.019 I'm just going to show you exactly. I'm God of 00:10:23.019 --> 00:10:25.879 the hills. I'm God of the hollers. I'm God of 00:10:25.879 --> 00:10:29.120 the valleys. I'm the God of the low places. I'm 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:32.100 God on the high places. So here they are again 00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:37.870 saying God's hand is short. He can't do it. But 00:10:37.870 --> 00:10:40.490 God says, I'm taking issue with you because I 00:10:40.490 --> 00:10:43.990 can. You're saying all of this about me. But 00:10:43.990 --> 00:10:46.649 then in the rest of this chapter, he begins to 00:10:46.649 --> 00:10:49.169 tell them what their problem really is. You know 00:10:49.169 --> 00:10:51.409 what their problem was? Their transgressions. 00:10:53.250 --> 00:10:55.570 Look here. If there's a shortage of God's power 00:10:55.570 --> 00:10:57.610 going on in your life, it's not on God's end. 00:10:58.800 --> 00:11:01.440 Hello. It's like that battery in this microphone. 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:04.220 It really wasn't the microphone. I would have 00:11:04.220 --> 00:11:06.240 thrown it if it hadn't been for sanctification 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:10.919 being at a high level. I thought, here, the Spirit's 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:13.179 moving, and the devil wanted to do this. No, 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:15.539 it wasn't the devil. It wasn't the microphone. 00:11:15.860 --> 00:11:19.139 It was the battery. The battery went dead. And 00:11:19.139 --> 00:11:20.799 here's God. That's what God said. He said, look, 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:23.360 it's not me, and it's not all about the enemy. 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:25.980 You folks are in your own way. You've raised 00:11:25.980 --> 00:11:29.179 up a barrier before your own. And you've got 00:11:29.179 --> 00:11:31.700 me hindered. I'm not going to work over your 00:11:31.700 --> 00:11:35.039 sin. Hello. And God begins to speak now. The 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:37.600 prophet of God is beginning to testify. He's 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:39.940 beginning to rise up. And he begins to tell himself, 00:11:40.100 --> 00:11:42.480 so shall they fear the name of the Lord. The 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:44.879 enemy's going to fall. The enemy's going to be 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:46.820 taken care of. And here's how you're going to 00:11:46.820 --> 00:11:49.620 know it. The enemy's going to know from the east 00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:52.120 and from the west, the rising of the sun and 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.679 the setting of the same, the power of God is 00:11:54.679 --> 00:11:57.279 going to be revealed. The power of God is going 00:11:57.279 --> 00:11:59.419 to be revealed. be set out and upon his enemies 00:11:59.419 --> 00:12:01.799 and from the causing of it in the rising when 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:06.059 the enemy shall come in like a flood. Point number 00:12:06.059 --> 00:12:14.340 one. The enemy is the flood. The enemy comes 00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:20.240 in as a flood. It's wise for us to remember that 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:24.139 we war not against flesh and blood. In our near 00:12:24.139 --> 00:12:27.220 recent past, just a few weeks and months ago. 00:12:27.950 --> 00:12:30.950 We have witnessed the power of a flash flood. 00:12:31.470 --> 00:12:34.149 You have seen it. What was it now? Is it two 00:12:34.149 --> 00:12:36.629 years? We're past Hurricane Helen that come through 00:12:36.629 --> 00:12:40.870 the mountains of North Carolina. And this week, 00:12:40.950 --> 00:12:43.090 I think I read, it was either this week or the 00:12:43.090 --> 00:12:45.690 end of last week, where they had found a missing 00:12:45.690 --> 00:12:49.610 body from Helen's floodwaters. Amen. Now, that's 00:12:49.610 --> 00:12:52.129 a rising flood. You know what? You don't prepare 00:12:52.129 --> 00:12:54.470 for a flash flood. That's why it's a flash flood. 00:12:54.769 --> 00:12:57.350 Amen. If you see a flood building, you get it. 00:12:57.230 --> 00:12:58.850 You can get to higher ground. You can get out 00:12:58.850 --> 00:13:01.289 of the way. But that's exactly what's being talked 00:13:01.289 --> 00:13:04.269 about right here. The enemy comes in like a flood. 00:13:04.549 --> 00:13:07.289 It's a flash. It comes without warning. And it 00:13:07.289 --> 00:13:10.789 comes with power. The enemy comes in as a force. 00:13:10.929 --> 00:13:13.769 Amen. When that water come rushing down through 00:13:13.769 --> 00:13:16.250 those mountain hollers and ridges and those little 00:13:16.250 --> 00:13:19.590 creeks and streams swelled to over 20 feet and 00:13:19.590 --> 00:13:22.850 a mass of mud and rock, big rock, big stone and 00:13:22.850 --> 00:13:25.850 logs. And when you watch the video, you see houses. 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:29.120 rooftops come floating down what was a creek 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:32.059 or a stream not not many of them were deep enough 00:13:32.059 --> 00:13:33.899 that you'd actually have to swim all the way 00:13:33.899 --> 00:13:36.419 across you could walk most of the way but when 00:13:36.419 --> 00:13:38.940 the flood came they couldn't get out of the way 00:13:38.940 --> 00:13:41.299 quick enough and not just what was it last week 00:13:41.299 --> 00:13:44.259 when we see when that that glacier broke off 00:13:44.259 --> 00:13:47.240 in Nepal up in those mountains and that and my 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:50.659 heart broke I'm telling you when I saw that flood 00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:53.620 of mud and water come rushing down and those 00:13:53.620 --> 00:13:56.580 people trying to run away from a 50, 100 foot 00:13:56.580 --> 00:13:59.799 tall tidal wave of rubbish coming out. And I 00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:01.980 thought, God, there's no way that those people 00:14:01.980 --> 00:14:04.480 escaped that. There's no way they were going 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:07.620 to live through logs and boulders and everything 00:14:07.620 --> 00:14:09.659 that come rushing down on them. They're not going 00:14:09.659 --> 00:14:11.460 to make it. And that's the way we feel. That's 00:14:11.460 --> 00:14:13.460 what I'm talking about. That's what the scripture's 00:14:13.460 --> 00:14:16.179 referring to here. When the enemy comes in like 00:14:16.179 --> 00:14:18.460 a flood, when you feel like you've got ran over 00:14:18.460 --> 00:14:21.600 by a train because of the diagnosis being handed 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:24.519 down to you, because of whatever the work situation. 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:26.960 And whatever the cause, whatever the relationship 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:29.240 that's falling down around you, and you feel 00:14:29.240 --> 00:14:31.919 like you cannot get out of the way and you can't 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:34.620 escape it, oh, you've got to know that understanding 00:14:34.620 --> 00:14:37.700 that we war not against flesh and blood, but 00:14:37.700 --> 00:14:40.460 the war that we have. You're in a battle against 00:14:40.460 --> 00:14:44.759 a flood of wickedness and high places and principalities 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:47.279 and powers that rule the darkness and sit high 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:49.639 over the air. You've got to know that the enemy 00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:52.100 comes in, and when he comes in, it's like a flood. 00:14:52.220 --> 00:14:54.710 But what you have to be is rooted. in the flood 00:14:54.710 --> 00:14:57.450 waters. Hallelujah. How many of us have also 00:14:57.450 --> 00:14:59.870 seen the flash floods and we've seen somebody 00:14:59.870 --> 00:15:02.870 hanging on top of the chimney and the boat gets 00:15:02.870 --> 00:15:05.029 them out. That's the reason you see that turn 00:15:05.029 --> 00:15:07.769 around, don't drown. Amen. Don't venture in. 00:15:07.950 --> 00:15:10.429 But the enemy comes in like this flood. And even 00:15:10.429 --> 00:15:13.929 more wise for us to recall and to remember is 00:15:13.929 --> 00:15:16.710 that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 00:15:16.769 --> 00:15:20.629 but they are mighty. Hallelujah. To the pulling 00:15:20.629 --> 00:15:23.529 down of strongholds. Here's one. Here's a flood 00:15:23.529 --> 00:15:27.129 and casting down every imagination that exalts 00:15:27.129 --> 00:15:29.590 itself against the knowledge of God. When the 00:15:29.590 --> 00:15:32.529 flood comes in against your mind, when the torrent 00:15:32.529 --> 00:15:35.169 of the enemy comes through and tries to wash 00:15:35.169 --> 00:15:40.889 you away, I'm going to hurry. I'm going to hurry 00:15:40.889 --> 00:15:44.230 along. I'm going to hurry along. Something we've 00:15:44.230 --> 00:15:46.250 got to understand is when the enemy, not if the 00:15:46.250 --> 00:15:49.590 enemy. If you haven't been in the flood yet, 00:15:49.649 --> 00:15:53.090 hold on. You need to listen for the siren if 00:15:53.090 --> 00:15:56.629 it's got time to go off. There will be floods 00:15:56.629 --> 00:16:02.570 in your life. Amen? I know there's a gospel out 00:16:02.570 --> 00:16:04.730 there that preaches once you get saved, everything's 00:16:04.730 --> 00:16:09.009 all right. No, it's not. It's just the opposite. 00:16:09.429 --> 00:16:13.649 When you turn your back on the devil. and you 00:16:13.649 --> 00:16:16.529 accept the love and the grace and the cleansing 00:16:16.529 --> 00:16:19.750 blood of Jesus Christ to wash your sins away, 00:16:19.929 --> 00:16:22.909 honey, you go on the post office wall under the 00:16:22.909 --> 00:16:25.730 most wanted list because the last thing the devil 00:16:25.730 --> 00:16:30.929 wants is to go to hell by himself. It's his mission 00:16:30.929 --> 00:16:33.990 to take you with him. So he's not going to leave 00:16:33.990 --> 00:16:36.929 you alone. I've always used this adage. If the 00:16:36.929 --> 00:16:39.309 devil's not messing with you, if you've not just 00:16:39.309 --> 00:16:41.370 come out of a knock -down drag out with him, 00:16:41.389 --> 00:16:43.889 and if you don't hear him shouting, then you're 00:16:43.889 --> 00:16:50.750 running with him. You know how they sung that 00:16:50.750 --> 00:16:52.409 song, there's never been a moment, never been 00:16:52.409 --> 00:16:55.190 a minute that you're not in it? Well, since I've... 00:16:55.779 --> 00:16:57.519 Accepted the Lord. There's never been a moment, 00:16:57.559 --> 00:16:59.360 there's never been a minute that he's not been 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:04.480 right behind him. Breathing down my neck every 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.240 time I turn around. Every time I turn around, 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:10.099 the enemy's in my face. Why? Trying to get me 00:17:10.099 --> 00:17:12.359 to turn around. Trying to get me to surrender 00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:14.700 to the flood that he's bringing in my life. Trying 00:17:14.700 --> 00:17:18.460 to get me to escape in the flood of trouble, 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:20.900 trial, and tribulation. Well, I've got news for 00:17:20.900 --> 00:17:23.019 him. I've been washed and rumbled and tumbled 00:17:23.019 --> 00:17:25.759 down the creek way too many times. Hallelujah. 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:28.579 All it is is getting wet one more time. Because, 00:17:28.619 --> 00:17:31.539 you see, I understand what thus saith the Lord. 00:17:31.640 --> 00:17:34.500 The Word of God says, we may be the waters who 00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:36.529 may rush over you. but they're not going to drown 00:17:36.529 --> 00:17:39.170 you. Amen. You may walk through the flame but 00:17:39.170 --> 00:17:41.470 you're not going to be burned. My God, somebody 00:17:41.470 --> 00:17:47.309 needs to hear it. You may be tumbling down the 00:17:47.309 --> 00:17:50.009 creek in the flood waters but hold your breath. 00:17:50.150 --> 00:18:00.470 You're going to come to the top. John 16, 33. 00:18:00.650 --> 00:18:04.210 In the world you shall have tribulation. So would 00:18:04.210 --> 00:18:13.099 you please quick. Would you please just quit 00:18:13.099 --> 00:18:15.240 whining about your situation and your flood? 00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:19.559 I told that group of chem students down there 00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:23.079 yesterday, there's no whining in ministry. You 00:18:23.079 --> 00:18:31.319 can't cry in ministry. I said, look, the ones 00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:33.500 that you... spend the most time with and pour 00:18:33.500 --> 00:18:35.940 yourself into, that's the first knothead that's 00:18:35.940 --> 00:18:40.119 going to walk off and leave you. Don't take it 00:18:40.119 --> 00:18:46.240 personal. You can't whine. Only to God. Don't 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:53.500 let anybody else hear you. I tell you, don't 00:18:53.500 --> 00:18:56.039 let them see you sweat. You may be coming apart 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:58.039 at the seams, but my God, when you stand in front 00:18:58.039 --> 00:19:04.660 of people, never let them see you sweat. I'm 00:19:04.660 --> 00:19:12.539 afraid, but you can't tell it. Resist the flood. 00:19:14.180 --> 00:19:17.799 There is a particular flood that the enemy wants 00:19:17.799 --> 00:19:20.819 to unleash on God's people. There are many, but 00:19:20.819 --> 00:19:22.619 one I want to draw your attention to this morning 00:19:22.619 --> 00:19:26.720 for just a little bit is the flood of apathy. 00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:30.240 I don't know who I'm talking to this morning. 00:19:32.299 --> 00:19:37.259 Maybe all of us. The flood of apathy. Apathy 00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:40.640 is the lack of interest. The lack of enthusiasm. 00:19:41.819 --> 00:19:48.680 Or concern. Indifferent. Signs of apathy are 00:19:48.680 --> 00:19:53.940 familiarity. What's that mean? If you can come 00:19:53.940 --> 00:19:58.200 into this house and sit through what has been 00:19:58.200 --> 00:20:02.579 moving in the atmosphere in this building and 00:20:02.579 --> 00:20:06.880 not be touched. Not be stirred. Not be quickened. 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:09.960 Not have to halfway catch a little short breath 00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:12.079 because something moved over you. Honey, you're 00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:14.920 too familiar. You're too familiar. You've gotten 00:20:14.920 --> 00:20:17.299 too relaxed. You've gotten too at ease in Zion. 00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:20.279 My God, you need to humble yourself again. You 00:20:20.279 --> 00:20:22.339 need to get back on your face until what moved 00:20:22.339 --> 00:20:25.319 in this house brings a tear to your eye and melts 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:28.579 your heart to its core because you've become 00:20:28.579 --> 00:20:38.079 too familiar. Boredom. Now there's a lot of things 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:41.839 that may be described in a worship service at 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:48.299 the Hope Well Church of my God. But boredom surely 00:20:48.299 --> 00:20:52.900 can't be one of them. You've got problems if 00:20:52.900 --> 00:20:56.880 you can come in here on any given Sunday and 00:20:56.880 --> 00:21:01.980 say, well, I'm bored. There's no way. You're 00:21:01.980 --> 00:21:08.269 too familiar if you are. That's good preaching, 00:21:08.410 --> 00:21:15.549 Pastor. Thank you. Mediocrity. Just mediocre. 00:21:16.410 --> 00:21:22.349 My Lord, what John Revelator here, the Lord said 00:21:22.349 --> 00:21:25.609 to him, said, I would rather, write this down, 00:21:25.730 --> 00:21:28.430 John, write this down. You tell them. I'd rather 00:21:28.430 --> 00:21:31.549 you be hot or cold, as Luke warned, because I 00:21:31.549 --> 00:21:36.130 just, it gags me. Luke Warren gags me. That's 00:21:36.130 --> 00:21:41.650 what mediocrity is. You're not this and you're 00:21:41.650 --> 00:21:49.609 not that. You're just... That's a flood. That 00:21:49.609 --> 00:21:51.730 flood will take you away. It'll take you straight 00:21:51.730 --> 00:21:54.369 to a devil's hell. That's where this flood will 00:21:54.369 --> 00:21:56.769 take you. That's where apathy will take you. 00:21:58.170 --> 00:22:00.289 Disconnection. Well, I just don't feel connected. 00:22:00.410 --> 00:22:04.619 Well, connect yourself. Well, they're just not 00:22:04.619 --> 00:22:07.460 that friendly. If you can find a friendlier church 00:22:07.460 --> 00:22:09.900 than this bunch of people around here, tell me 00:22:09.900 --> 00:22:15.099 I want to be a member. I want to go there. You 00:22:15.099 --> 00:22:17.920 do realize the first criteria to friendliness, 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:21.200 right? If a man wants a friend, according to 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:23.180 the Bible, does the Bible matter? Yes, it does. 00:22:23.259 --> 00:22:27.220 So let's go by the book. If a man wants a friend, 00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:30.220 he must first show himself friendly. If you come 00:22:30.220 --> 00:22:32.599 in and just plop down and get that soured look 00:22:32.599 --> 00:22:34.519 on your face, folks are saying, I don't know 00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:39.440 if I want to disturb them. But see, I'm just 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:41.640 the opposite. If I can see that sourpuss face 00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:52.099 on you, I'm coming to you on purpose. Hey! Look 00:22:52.099 --> 00:22:58.440 like you've been... Suck it on alum. All drawed 00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:01.460 up. My Lord, if you can't find a friend in this 00:23:01.460 --> 00:23:04.859 place, you've got more troubles than we can help 00:23:04.859 --> 00:23:08.000 you with. I mean, even in the balcony, there's 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:17.740 some nuts that's up there. I will admit, I forget 00:23:17.740 --> 00:23:19.819 they up there a lot of the times. I forget they 00:23:19.819 --> 00:23:23.160 up there. Then every once in a while, I'll turn 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:25.299 and wave like I fell down down here waving one. 00:23:28.599 --> 00:23:33.700 I know your works, neither hot nor cold. I'll 00:23:33.700 --> 00:23:38.059 spew you out. Revelation 3, 15, 17, in case you 00:23:38.059 --> 00:23:43.160 was wondering what the address was. Disconnection. 00:23:43.460 --> 00:23:53.339 Connect. Passiveness. Eh. Some of you are going 00:23:53.339 --> 00:23:55.039 to leave here in a little while because you didn't 00:23:55.039 --> 00:24:00.119 bring something to eat. Well, I didn't bring 00:24:00.119 --> 00:24:04.079 anything. We probably got five dozen deviled 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:05.460 eggs back there. You can have a deviled egg. 00:24:08.779 --> 00:24:12.059 I hope because we had to address the deviled 00:24:12.059 --> 00:24:18.940 egg situation. I'm preaching now. When you come 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:23.420 to a Church of God fellowship, And there is a 00:24:23.420 --> 00:24:26.400 dozen deviled eggs on one of them little things 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:28.480 that holds them. That's a problem because that's 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:30.380 only six eggs. And I know they're expensive. 00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:33.980 But that's only six. Say, I brought a dozen. 00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:44.440 No, you did not. That's a half dozen. Look, when 00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:47.960 I say from here, you're welcome to eat with us, 00:24:48.019 --> 00:24:50.569 you're welcome. Well, here's the bottom line 00:24:50.569 --> 00:24:51.890 of it. Most of you are saying, well, I don't 00:24:51.890 --> 00:25:07.730 know who cooked it. Eat it. Eat it. That's a 00:25:07.730 --> 00:25:13.160 flood. What is it, Pastor? Well, it's an attempt 00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:15.359 of the enemy to get you disconnected and remain 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:18.019 disconnected. Just say, I don't want to eat with 00:25:18.019 --> 00:25:22.440 y 'all. I can take that. Bless you. Hopefully 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:28.660 you'll come back next Sunday. Point number two. 00:25:31.700 --> 00:25:36.599 Enemy comes in like a flood. Secondly, the Spirit 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:45.289 of the Lord. We'll raise up a standard against 00:25:45.289 --> 00:25:53.349 him. There you go. Write this down. Write this 00:25:53.349 --> 00:25:57.369 down. You are not alone in the chaos. Well, that's 00:25:57.369 --> 00:26:00.130 not earth -shaking, Pastor. You'd be surprised 00:26:00.130 --> 00:26:02.490 because there's some of you in here thinking 00:26:02.490 --> 00:26:04.930 you're all by yourself in your flood this morning. 00:26:07.450 --> 00:26:10.630 That you're saying like these people here, well. 00:26:11.069 --> 00:26:14.390 God can't help me. I'm beyond help. That is a 00:26:14.390 --> 00:26:19.309 lie from the pit. Are you hearing me? And that's 00:26:19.309 --> 00:26:20.890 exactly what the enemy wants you to believe. 00:26:21.829 --> 00:26:27.029 But I've got some better news for you. Isaiah 00:26:27.029 --> 00:26:33.529 said, call his name Emmanuel. That means God 00:26:33.529 --> 00:26:40.569 with us. In the ninth chapter, he says, Go ahead 00:26:40.569 --> 00:26:45.009 and just call him Wonderful Counselor. You better 00:26:45.009 --> 00:26:47.369 be glad the Holy Ghost is in the counseling business. 00:26:48.190 --> 00:26:51.089 Some of us can't afford the doctorate to straighten 00:26:51.089 --> 00:27:00.690 us out. He is your counselor. Isaiah said, just 00:27:00.690 --> 00:27:06.549 call his name Mighty God. Well, just go ahead 00:27:06.549 --> 00:27:09.279 and call him the Prince of Peace. If you're in 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:12.440 torment, the flood of torment, mental anguish 00:27:12.440 --> 00:27:15.200 this morning, I'm declaring to you the Spirit 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:17.799 of the Lord, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit, that's 00:27:17.799 --> 00:27:20.720 a capital S, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, 00:27:20.779 --> 00:27:23.119 whatever you want to call it, the third person 00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:25.519 of the Godhead, whatever you want to label him, 00:27:25.619 --> 00:27:29.579 the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard. 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:40.950 What is a standard, pastor? It can be considered 00:27:40.950 --> 00:27:54.710 a rule of measurement for quality. My mind just 00:27:54.710 --> 00:27:57.130 went to Brother Dustin who's in quality control 00:27:57.130 --> 00:28:00.829 over M &M Mars. I'm thinking, what do they let 00:28:00.829 --> 00:28:04.789 out there in them candy bars? What's the standard? 00:28:05.910 --> 00:28:08.960 How close does the right... Twix bar or the left 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:11.059 Twix bar get to being below the standard before 00:28:11.059 --> 00:28:15.359 it's accepted. That went through your mind? It 00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:23.900 did, like that. The standard. But that's not 00:28:23.900 --> 00:28:28.759 what is in reference here in Isaiah. See, there's 00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:32.779 a Hebraic, there's this Old Testament description 00:28:32.779 --> 00:28:41.140 of a standard. It's a flag. It's a banner. What's 00:28:41.140 --> 00:28:43.579 that mean? When the banner comes on the field 00:28:43.579 --> 00:28:49.160 in battle, there may be a blast of a trumpet 00:28:49.160 --> 00:28:52.180 to get everyone's attention on the battlefield, 00:28:52.180 --> 00:28:54.160 and they begin to look. What are they looking 00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:57.569 for? They're looking for the bear. They're looking 00:28:57.569 --> 00:29:00.430 for the standard. Why? That means the captain's 00:29:00.430 --> 00:29:02.970 on the field. That means this is our point of 00:29:02.970 --> 00:29:06.150 rally. That's where we head to. That's the place 00:29:06.150 --> 00:29:08.849 we get to. Are you hearing me? The Holy Ghost 00:29:08.849 --> 00:29:12.349 comes in the middle of your flood, down in the 00:29:12.349 --> 00:29:14.349 middle of your battle, and he begins to wave 00:29:14.349 --> 00:29:17.869 the standard. He begins to wave the flag. He 00:29:17.869 --> 00:29:21.589 raises it up above your situation so that you 00:29:21.589 --> 00:29:30.579 can see him. Believe it or not, I'm about to 00:29:30.579 --> 00:29:35.799 quit. Remember, it's not if you get in a flood, 00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:40.420 if you get in a battle, it's when. James said, 00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:44.619 my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into 00:29:44.619 --> 00:29:47.079 divers temptations. Not if trouble comes, not 00:29:47.079 --> 00:29:50.059 if temptation comes, not if the devil bothers 00:29:50.059 --> 00:30:00.650 you, but when he does. The Spirit. will step 00:30:00.650 --> 00:30:05.750 in and waive the standard. The word that stood 00:30:05.750 --> 00:30:09.809 out in my mind in this, I love the part about 00:30:09.809 --> 00:30:14.170 the standard. I'm so grateful that the Holy Spirit's 00:30:14.170 --> 00:30:17.210 moving in my situation. But you really want to 00:30:17.210 --> 00:30:20.430 know what quickened my heart? It was the word 00:30:20.430 --> 00:30:26.970 against. Well, that's odd, Pastor. Well, I'm 00:30:26.970 --> 00:30:30.359 sort of an odd duck anyway. But that word against, 00:30:30.759 --> 00:30:35.299 he'll raise up a standard against. You notice 00:30:35.299 --> 00:30:41.500 how personal it got. Not them, not him. God knows 00:30:41.500 --> 00:30:46.559 where all the opposition comes from. He knows 00:30:46.559 --> 00:30:48.440 where all the opposition in your life is coming 00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:52.980 from. I hate to tell you this, folks, but we're 00:30:52.980 --> 00:30:55.940 all going to die or something. If the rapture 00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:58.559 doesn't take place, if the Lord doesn't come, 00:30:59.039 --> 00:31:06.059 Look, you got an appointment. We've all got it. 00:31:06.839 --> 00:31:08.799 According to the book, it's appointed unto man 00:31:08.799 --> 00:31:12.960 wants to die. But it's the second part of that 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:16.720 that really matters the most. And then to face 00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:23.380 the judgment. So you're going to die. Might as 00:31:23.380 --> 00:31:25.420 well accept that fact. I'm like you. I'm not 00:31:25.420 --> 00:31:32.329 wanting to go today. We're going to die. But 00:31:32.329 --> 00:31:36.890 it's the spirit that moves in and breathes life 00:31:36.890 --> 00:31:47.470 in the meantime. That ruach, the breath of God. 00:31:49.349 --> 00:31:51.390 Pastor, I really don't understand that. Well, 00:31:51.490 --> 00:31:53.549 you have to go all the way back to Genesis to 00:31:53.549 --> 00:31:59.200 get it. That's the word when he breathed. Into 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:01.980 Adam's nostrils. And the scripture says he became 00:32:01.980 --> 00:32:13.579 a living soul. Not body. A living soul. What 00:32:13.579 --> 00:32:15.319 you and I need to realize, and you need to get 00:32:15.319 --> 00:32:17.640 a good hold on this, he's going to give you life 00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:21.000 in the midst of every situation. Well, you just 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:23.759 told me I'm going to die. Well, there is life 00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:28.839 after life. People say, I thought that was life 00:32:28.839 --> 00:32:30.579 after death. No, I'm going to go from living 00:32:30.579 --> 00:32:36.240 to living. I'm going from living to really living. 00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:42.019 Why? How can you say that? You're going to die 00:32:42.019 --> 00:32:44.140 first, but it's just going to be that quick, 00:32:44.200 --> 00:32:47.380 that transition. I'm just simply moving from 00:32:47.380 --> 00:32:50.019 life to life because to be absent from this body, 00:32:50.220 --> 00:32:57.000 that soul that got breathed in me. We sing that 00:32:57.000 --> 00:33:01.359 old hymn, where the soul of man never dies. Dear 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:05.079 friend, there'll be no sad farewell. There'll 00:33:05.079 --> 00:33:09.240 be no tear -dimmed eyes. Where all is peace and 00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:13.720 joy and love. And the soul of man never dies. 00:33:14.259 --> 00:33:16.500 I'm going from life to life. You can have the 00:33:16.500 --> 00:33:21.299 death part if you want. It's simply the transitional 00:33:21.299 --> 00:33:26.480 step. And the Spirit of the Lord. Raises up the 00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:30.619 standard against him. Stand with me. I'm going 00:33:30.619 --> 00:33:36.779 to run right down here. Remember what Solomon 00:33:36.779 --> 00:33:40.099 said in that beautiful song in 2nd chapter, 4th 00:33:40.099 --> 00:33:42.460 verse. He brought me into the banqueting house. 00:33:44.220 --> 00:33:49.140 And his banner, his standard over me was love. 00:33:52.490 --> 00:33:54.990 1 John 4 and 4, greater is he that's in you than 00:33:54.990 --> 00:33:58.049 he that is in this world. What is that? A standard. 00:33:59.690 --> 00:34:04.230 A standard against him. Psalm 68 and 1, let God 00:34:04.230 --> 00:34:10.349 arise and let his enemies be scattered. Against 00:34:10.349 --> 00:34:17.929 him. Matthew 16 and 18. That powerful question. 00:34:20.759 --> 00:34:24.980 Pose to the disciples. Who do men say that I, 00:34:25.019 --> 00:34:30.079 the Son of Man, am? Well, there's talk, Lord. 00:34:30.260 --> 00:34:34.000 Well, what are they saying, boys? Some say you're 00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:38.300 Isaiah reincarnated. Some say maybe even Jeremiah 00:34:38.300 --> 00:34:42.440 or one of the other prophets. They really don't 00:34:42.440 --> 00:34:48.440 know what to think about you, Lord. Who do you 00:34:48.440 --> 00:34:54.119 say that I am? Huh. Got real quick, didn't it? 00:34:56.599 --> 00:35:02.340 Well, who do you say that I am? Well, Lord, thou 00:35:02.340 --> 00:35:05.000 art the Christ. You have to remember that's an 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:11.119 identifier, not his last name. It's the identifier. 00:35:11.400 --> 00:35:16.079 Thou art the Christ, the liberator, the one that 00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:19.099 we've been looking for, the emancipator of God's 00:35:19.099 --> 00:35:23.099 people. That's who you are. Blessed art thou, 00:35:23.179 --> 00:35:30.360 Simon Bar -Jonah. Bar just means son. That's 00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:35.480 pretty smart on your part, Simon. Isn't your 00:35:35.480 --> 00:35:40.400 daddy named Jonah? Yeah, that's me. But you didn't 00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:44.639 figure that out by yourself. Old King James puts 00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:46.260 it this way. Flesh and blood have not revealed 00:35:46.260 --> 00:35:49.199 that unto you, but my Father, which is in heaven. 00:35:50.449 --> 00:35:56.530 and up on this rock. Oh, you got folks want to 00:35:56.530 --> 00:35:58.750 hang it on Peter. My Lord, that's the last place 00:35:58.750 --> 00:36:02.769 I'd want to build a church is on Peter. He reminds 00:36:02.769 --> 00:36:07.230 me too much of myself. You talk about a shifty 00:36:07.230 --> 00:36:11.809 foundation, Pete's one of them. My Father in 00:36:11.809 --> 00:36:15.769 heaven has revealed this unto you. And let me 00:36:15.769 --> 00:36:25.349 state this fact. I will build my church. And 00:36:25.349 --> 00:36:34.130 the gates of hell will not stand against him. 00:36:38.409 --> 00:36:45.750 Here's your standard, and I close. Moses, as 00:36:45.750 --> 00:36:48.309 the serpents fell from heaven and people died 00:36:48.309 --> 00:36:53.460 because of their sin. instructed to build, to 00:36:53.460 --> 00:36:56.500 form, to shape a brazen serpent, put it on a 00:36:56.500 --> 00:36:58.400 stick and hold it up, and then all who would 00:36:58.400 --> 00:37:06.340 look upon it would be healed. Jesus said, if 00:37:06.340 --> 00:37:13.719 I be lifted up. The brazen serpent became the 00:37:13.719 --> 00:37:18.760 standard of healing. But Jesus said, if I be 00:37:18.760 --> 00:37:23.889 lifted up. I'll draw all men. There is a prophetic 00:37:23.889 --> 00:37:32.389 utterance pointing to Christ in Isaiah 59. He 00:37:32.389 --> 00:37:36.650 is the standard. Father, I love you today. Thank 00:37:36.650 --> 00:37:37.949 you for your goodness and mercy. I thank you 00:37:37.949 --> 00:37:40.130 for your help this morning. Thank you for the 00:37:40.130 --> 00:37:44.010 nearness of your presence and your spirit. If 00:37:44.010 --> 00:37:45.769 it's a work you want to do this morning, do it 00:37:45.769 --> 00:37:50.369 so now, Lord. I ask you to have your way. Quick 00:37:50.369 --> 00:37:59.070 question. Do you need him to raise up and turn 00:37:59.070 --> 00:38:04.090 the tide? Do you need the Lord to rise and the 00:38:04.090 --> 00:38:06.050 Spirit to move in your life because you feel 00:38:06.050 --> 00:38:08.130 like you're being tumbled by the floodwaters 00:38:08.130 --> 00:38:12.469 of life, the chaos, the turmoil, that unexpected 00:38:12.469 --> 00:38:16.070 flashed flood? Look, if you can see the enemy 00:38:16.070 --> 00:38:20.869 coming, you can prepare for him. You can get 00:38:20.869 --> 00:38:25.750 out of the way. But it's these flash flood moments 00:38:25.750 --> 00:38:31.750 that catch us off guard. But it doesn't catch 00:38:31.750 --> 00:38:36.829 God off guard. His enemies know from the east 00:38:36.829 --> 00:38:41.389 to the west, he's on the scene. He's going to 00:38:41.389 --> 00:38:43.650 raise up a standard. What standard do you need? 00:38:43.690 --> 00:38:46.469 Peace, joy, love, healing, deliverance, provision. 00:38:46.710 --> 00:38:48.550 What standard, what flag do you need to rally 00:38:48.550 --> 00:38:54.900 around? Father, I love you today. Right now, 00:38:54.940 --> 00:38:56.480 if you need prayer, just start making your way 00:38:56.480 --> 00:38:57.960 forward. We're going to pray for you before we 00:38:57.960 --> 00:39:00.260 leave. We're going to bless the food, and we're 00:39:00.260 --> 00:39:02.119 going to have a great day and time in the Lord. 00:39:02.639 --> 00:39:04.579 Father, I love you today. I thank you so much 00:39:04.579 --> 00:39:06.099 for your goodness and your mercy and the abundance 00:39:06.099 --> 00:39:09.239 of your love. Lord, I know there's floodwaters 00:39:09.239 --> 00:39:11.440 raging in this house. I know it, or you wouldn't 00:39:11.440 --> 00:39:14.420 have gave me this word to preach. You wouldn't 00:39:14.420 --> 00:39:17.079 have stirred me so deep to let them know that 00:39:17.079 --> 00:39:23.650 you are the standard. To tell them that you have 00:39:23.650 --> 00:39:28.349 been lifted up. You've been lifted up. And they 00:39:28.349 --> 00:39:31.630 just simply need to turn their eyes towards you. 00:39:32.829 --> 00:39:36.610 Because the flood waters are rolling. The waters 00:39:36.610 --> 00:39:39.730 are getting deep. But the standard of your word 00:39:39.730 --> 00:39:44.630 declares, let it roll. Because the waters are 00:39:44.630 --> 00:39:46.789 not overtaken over flood. Father, in the name 00:39:46.789 --> 00:39:51.670 of Jesus. Lord, we need a strength and a resolve 00:39:51.670 --> 00:39:56.389 like we have never encountered before. And Lord, 00:39:56.469 --> 00:39:59.010 you've moved in mighty ways in the past. I know 00:39:59.010 --> 00:40:03.329 you have. You don't serve you as long as they 00:40:03.329 --> 00:40:08.090 have and not encountered the miraculous. I know 00:40:08.090 --> 00:40:13.670 they've seen your healing hand. But Lord, this 00:40:13.670 --> 00:40:17.090 is a different flood. We haven't faced these 00:40:17.090 --> 00:40:21.590 kind of waters. This is coming in unexpected 00:40:21.590 --> 00:40:26.849 like we didn't think the rain was going to come 00:40:26.849 --> 00:40:29.690 and the water get this deep. My God in heaven. 00:40:31.090 --> 00:40:37.130 The flood wasn't supposed to get this high. Our 00:40:37.130 --> 00:40:39.570 foundation was deeper than the 50 -year flood, 00:40:39.730 --> 00:40:41.630 but this is more than that. This is that century 00:40:41.630 --> 00:40:44.750 flood, Lord. My God, we weren't expecting anything 00:40:44.750 --> 00:40:52.820 like this. However, Sweet Holy Spirit, raise 00:40:52.820 --> 00:41:00.239 up a standard. Hallelujah. Strengthen today, 00:41:00.380 --> 00:41:04.199 mighty God, in the name of Jesus. We'll glorify 00:41:04.199 --> 00:41:08.019 you and praise you, Lord. We'll glorify you and 00:41:08.019 --> 00:41:20.059 praise you, Lord. Father,