WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.120 It's time for the Champions in Christ broadcast 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:21.629 with Rhonda Harrison on 1017 AFN. Good morning 00:00:21.629 --> 00:00:24.010 and welcome to Champions in Christ. We're so 00:00:24.010 --> 00:00:27.050 glad you joined us today. This is the day the 00:00:27.050 --> 00:00:30.030 Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad 00:00:30.030 --> 00:00:34.130 in it. Hallelujah. He is such a good God and 00:00:34.130 --> 00:00:38.549 he loves you today and we are so blessed that 00:00:38.549 --> 00:00:41.490 we have a Heavenly Father that cares so much 00:00:41.490 --> 00:00:46.210 and values his creation so much that he would 00:00:46.210 --> 00:00:49.549 be your broad provider, your healer, your strength, 00:00:49.630 --> 00:00:53.060 your victory. and pour his love and mercy on 00:00:53.060 --> 00:00:56.759 you each and every day. And that is our portion. 00:00:56.979 --> 00:01:00.759 He is so good. He is so good. We're going to 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:03.399 go in the Bible today. We're going to talk. We're 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:05.560 going to go to a story that may be familiar with 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:09.180 some of you guys. It's in Judges chapter six. 00:01:10.340 --> 00:01:12.980 And in Judges chapter six, we're going to talk 00:01:12.980 --> 00:01:15.790 about a man named Gideon. And we're just going 00:01:15.790 --> 00:01:18.049 to begin in verse one and it says the Israelites 00:01:18.049 --> 00:01:21.349 did evil in the sight of the Lord and the Lord 00:01:21.349 --> 00:01:25.469 handed them over to the Midianites for seven 00:01:25.469 --> 00:01:29.870 years. The Midianites so cruel that Israel, the 00:01:29.870 --> 00:01:32.349 Israelites had hiding places for themselves in 00:01:32.349 --> 00:01:35.049 the mountains and the caves and the strong hills. 00:01:35.629 --> 00:01:39.209 Whenever the Israelites planted crops, people 00:01:39.209 --> 00:01:42.799 from the Midianites would come. and they would 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:45.560 attack Israel and their land and they would destroy 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:48.780 their crops and they left the Israelites with 00:01:48.780 --> 00:01:51.760 nothing to eat. They would take their sheep and 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:54.359 their goats and their cattle and verse five says 00:01:54.359 --> 00:01:58.000 the enemy hordes coming with their livestock 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:00.920 and tents were so thick like locusts. There were 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:04.140 so many of them and they arrived in droves of 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:07.700 camels too numerous to count. So this is a lot 00:02:07.700 --> 00:02:10.120 of people overtaking the children of Israel. 00:02:10.569 --> 00:02:13.969 and they stayed until the land was stripped bare. 00:02:14.590 --> 00:02:19.610 So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Medianites 00:02:19.610 --> 00:02:22.810 and the Israelites cried unto the Lord for help. 00:02:23.689 --> 00:02:25.849 All right, so let's stop for a second and talk 00:02:25.849 --> 00:02:29.069 about this. So in the beginning of this chapter, 00:02:29.289 --> 00:02:33.069 we see that Israel send in the side of the Lord 00:02:33.069 --> 00:02:36.090 and so the Lord handed them over to the enemy, 00:02:36.090 --> 00:02:38.930 you know, a lot of times in our life when we 00:02:38.930 --> 00:02:42.449 send and we keep sending, you know, it opens 00:02:42.449 --> 00:02:45.669 the door to allow the enemy and attack to come 00:02:45.669 --> 00:02:48.009 on our lives. So not every attack is because 00:02:48.009 --> 00:02:52.629 of that, but clearly here. it was because of 00:02:52.629 --> 00:02:54.710 that because they had turned their hearts from 00:02:54.710 --> 00:02:57.330 the Lord and so they were being attacked and 00:02:57.330 --> 00:03:00.110 it was getting to the point was for seven years 00:03:00.110 --> 00:03:03.090 and it was getting to the point they were starving 00:03:03.090 --> 00:03:06.689 but then it says then they cried out you know 00:03:06.689 --> 00:03:08.810 they waited till it was really bad you know I 00:03:08.810 --> 00:03:10.969 don't know why sometimes we do that you know 00:03:10.969 --> 00:03:13.330 we need the Lord each and every day but sometimes 00:03:13.330 --> 00:03:16.689 we wait to cry out for his help and he's always 00:03:16.689 --> 00:03:19.689 available always ready to help in the time of 00:03:19.689 --> 00:03:24.039 trouble And so they cried out because of the 00:03:24.039 --> 00:03:27.060 Midianites and the Lord sent a prophet to the 00:03:27.060 --> 00:03:30.319 Israelites. And he said, this is what the Lord's 00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:33.460 God says. I brought you up out of the slavery 00:03:33.460 --> 00:03:36.240 in Egypt. I rescued you from the Egyptians and 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:38.740 from all who oppressed you. I drove out your 00:03:38.740 --> 00:03:41.979 enemies and gave you their land. I told you I 00:03:41.979 --> 00:03:45.199 am the Lord your God. You must not worship other 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:48.889 gods of the Amorites. in whose land you now live 00:03:48.889 --> 00:03:54.490 but you have not listened to me ouch how many 00:03:54.490 --> 00:03:57.750 times has the lord directed us and we didn't 00:03:57.750 --> 00:04:01.069 listen you know it always causes us trouble why 00:04:01.069 --> 00:04:05.780 because anything the lord tells us to do for 00:04:05.780 --> 00:04:08.879 our benefit, for our reward, for our purpose, 00:04:09.259 --> 00:04:12.439 for His glory, but it will always benefit us. 00:04:12.439 --> 00:04:15.659 So when we turn our hearts as the Israel did 00:04:15.659 --> 00:04:20.620 and we began to worship other gods, now their 00:04:20.620 --> 00:04:24.040 other gods were made by hand and they were pagan 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:28.139 gods and were objects and things like that, but 00:04:28.139 --> 00:04:31.139 in our day and time lots of things can be God. 00:04:31.259 --> 00:04:34.939 Food can be a God. Celebrities can be a God. 00:04:36.279 --> 00:04:40.300 Work can be a God. Children can be a God. You 00:04:40.300 --> 00:04:43.279 know, there's lots of things we can build up 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:46.399 to an altar before the Lord and where he comes 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:49.560 second or third or fourth or last in our life 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:53.000 and God isn't happy with that. You know, he wants 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:56.519 that relationship with you. He loves you and 00:04:56.519 --> 00:05:00.279 I so much that he desires to spend that time 00:05:00.279 --> 00:05:04.129 with us every day. every day. He's such a good 00:05:04.129 --> 00:05:07.350 God. And so the angel of the Lord, we're in verse 00:05:07.350 --> 00:05:11.089 11, came and sat beneath the great tree of Ophrah, 00:05:11.310 --> 00:05:14.730 which belonged to Joash, the clan of Abazar. 00:05:15.189 --> 00:05:17.990 And Gideon, the son of Joash, was in threshing 00:05:17.990 --> 00:05:20.589 wheat at the bottom of the winepress to hide 00:05:20.589 --> 00:05:23.670 grain from the Medianites. And the angel of the 00:05:23.670 --> 00:05:26.290 Lord appeared to him and said, mighty hero, the 00:05:26.290 --> 00:05:29.389 Lord is with you. So here's Gideon. He's hidden 00:05:29.389 --> 00:05:33.819 away. He's pressing out wheat. to be hidden so 00:05:33.819 --> 00:05:37.199 that they can eat something and An angel of the 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:39.620 Lord appears to him and calls him a mighty hero 00:05:39.620 --> 00:05:42.399 and says the Lord is with you Well, then Gideon 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:45.699 begins to you know, just share his heart with 00:05:45.699 --> 00:05:48.839 this angel of the Lord and says sir if the Lord 00:05:48.839 --> 00:05:51.540 is with us Why has all this happened to us where 00:05:51.540 --> 00:05:54.199 all the miracles of our ancestor told us about? 00:05:54.600 --> 00:05:57.019 Didn't they say the Lord brought you out of Egypt? 00:05:57.019 --> 00:05:59.459 But now the Lord has abandoned us to the handed 00:05:59.459 --> 00:06:02.560 us over to the media nights you know Gideon didn't 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:06.300 get it he did not understand that it was Israel 00:06:06.300 --> 00:06:09.920 that turned from God not God turning from Israel 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:13.959 and so they opened the door for that for the 00:06:13.959 --> 00:06:17.459 enemy to come in and the Lord turned to him and 00:06:17.459 --> 00:06:19.459 said he didn't you know when the Lord turned 00:06:19.459 --> 00:06:22.500 to him and spoke he didn't go back to where they 00:06:22.500 --> 00:06:25.379 were he's always giving us something to move 00:06:25.379 --> 00:06:31.660 us forward excuse me And the Lord turned to him 00:06:31.660 --> 00:06:34.100 and said, Go with the strength you have and rescue 00:06:34.100 --> 00:06:37.360 Israel from the media nights. I am sending you. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:39.839 That's the word of the Lord. Now, they didn't 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:42.819 have the Bible back then. They didn't have the 00:06:42.819 --> 00:06:45.040 Holy Spirit living in them because, of course, 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:48.879 Jesus had not died and rose again. So they have 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:52.339 to go completely on God's word. And this is the 00:06:52.339 --> 00:06:56.000 angel, the Lord, speaking to him. And so Gideon 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:00.079 replied, Oh, and then the Lord continues. Let's 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:03.160 see, let me back up. No, verse 15, but the Lord 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:06.500 Gideon said, how can I rescue Israel? My clan 00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:08.920 is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:12.060 and I'm the least in the family. You know, he's 00:07:12.060 --> 00:07:15.439 looking. He's looking in the natural as many 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:17.980 times we do when God puts something on our heart. 00:07:18.100 --> 00:07:20.300 Maybe God's put it in your heart to start a business. 00:07:20.740 --> 00:07:23.759 Maybe he's put it in your heart to be a teacher 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:26.639 or a professor at a college and you don't see 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:29.139 how to get there. You're like, oh, I'm not that 00:07:29.139 --> 00:07:32.319 smart or oh, I can't do it. God sees and puts 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:38.720 that dream in you because he sees you. your best 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:42.040 because he knows when he's with you he will enable 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:44.680 you to do that which he's called you out to do 00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:49.620 and so he's called Gideon to rescue Israel out 00:07:49.620 --> 00:07:52.620 of this mess and Gideon's only looking at himself 00:07:52.620 --> 00:07:55.540 he's looking at what he has but you know what 00:07:55.540 --> 00:07:58.540 little we have when we give it to God it becomes 00:07:58.540 --> 00:08:02.439 mighty in his hand and Gideon was looking at 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:06.920 himself and the Lord said, I will be with you 00:08:06.920 --> 00:08:10.220 and you will destroy the Medianites as if you 00:08:10.220 --> 00:08:14.860 were fighting against one man. Wow. Wow. When 00:08:14.860 --> 00:08:18.720 God says that to you, that's amazing. And Gideon 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:21.139 replied, if you are truly going to help me, show 00:08:21.139 --> 00:08:24.019 me a sign to prove that it's really the Lord 00:08:24.019 --> 00:08:26.920 speaking to me. Don't go away until I come back 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:30.420 and bring my offering because immediately He 00:08:30.420 --> 00:08:32.960 wanted to give something to the Lord, you know, 00:08:33.019 --> 00:08:36.419 that's our heart to when. Whenever God moves 00:08:36.419 --> 00:08:39.299 in your life your your heart becomes his heart 00:08:39.299 --> 00:08:42.360 and you begin to want to give back to him in 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:45.779 many ways and so Gideon wanted to give an offering 00:08:45.779 --> 00:08:48.899 so he went home got a goat and a basket and some 00:08:48.899 --> 00:08:52.259 flour and yeast and he put it all together and 00:08:52.259 --> 00:08:55.179 then in verse 20 the angel of the Lord said place 00:08:55.179 --> 00:08:57.019 the meat and the unleavened bread on the rock 00:08:57.019 --> 00:08:59.519 and pour broth over it and Gideon did as he was 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:02.200 told and the angel of the Lord touched the meat 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:04.850 and the bread with the tip of his staff and in 00:09:04.850 --> 00:09:07.429 his hand and fire flamed up from the rock and 00:09:07.429 --> 00:09:10.370 consumed all that he brought and the angel of 00:09:10.370 --> 00:09:14.169 the Lord disappeared. That's when Gideon realized 00:09:14.169 --> 00:09:17.450 and verse 22 says when Gideon realized that it 00:09:17.450 --> 00:09:20.970 was an angel of the Lord. He cried out. Oh sovereign 00:09:20.970 --> 00:09:24.950 God. I am doomed. I've seen the angel the face 00:09:24.950 --> 00:09:29.610 of an angel of the Lord face to face and 23 the 00:09:29.610 --> 00:09:32.049 Lord replied. It's all right. Don't be afraid. 00:09:32.070 --> 00:09:36.309 You will not die. You know, again, if we would 00:09:36.309 --> 00:09:38.789 just trust God's word, you know, they didn't 00:09:38.789 --> 00:09:41.409 have the Bible back then, but we have it today. 00:09:41.789 --> 00:09:44.629 If you're looking for a promise to stand on, 00:09:44.769 --> 00:09:48.029 to start that business, to step out into something 00:09:48.029 --> 00:09:52.590 new, to move to a new place, find a verse, hang 00:09:52.590 --> 00:09:55.730 on to that promise and God will see you through. 00:09:56.049 --> 00:09:58.970 If you will do it, if you'll put action to your 00:09:58.970 --> 00:10:02.830 faith. And this is what God's trying to make 00:10:02.830 --> 00:10:06.070 Gideon understand. Trust me, just trust me, just 00:10:06.070 --> 00:10:10.139 trust me. And Gideon built an altar there and 00:10:10.139 --> 00:10:13.080 named it Yahweh Shalom, which means the Lord 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:16.639 is peace. God will always guide you by that peace. 00:10:16.740 --> 00:10:19.960 He will always lead you down the right path through 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:22.899 the peace within your heart, not within your 00:10:22.899 --> 00:10:26.299 head. Just like Gideon, fear can try to come. 00:10:26.659 --> 00:10:29.659 But fear is not our portion as a Christian. And 00:10:29.659 --> 00:10:32.120 when you get born again and the Holy Spirit comes 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:36.039 to live in you, he puts the courage of God down 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:40.320 inside of you. You just have to step out in that 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:44.299 bravery in that courageous act. You have to walk 00:10:44.299 --> 00:10:46.639 forward. He's not going to do it for us, but 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:49.840 he will give us everything we need to do it. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:53.320 Why? Because in our weakness, he is made strong. 00:10:53.580 --> 00:10:56.659 He will get the glory. You know, Second Timothy 00:10:56.659 --> 00:10:59.259 one seven says God has not given us a spirit 00:10:59.259 --> 00:11:03.659 of fear, but power love and sound mind or self 00:11:03.659 --> 00:11:06.970 -control. You know, he says in Psalms. 34 for 00:11:06.970 --> 00:11:09.850 I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered 00:11:09.850 --> 00:11:13.190 me from all my fears. That's exactly what just 00:11:13.190 --> 00:11:17.649 happened to Gideon Gideon sought the Lord and 00:11:17.649 --> 00:11:20.970 and God delivered him from his fears. God is 00:11:20.970 --> 00:11:23.690 trying to tell him get up and move. This is what 00:11:23.690 --> 00:11:27.960 I want you to do. And so Gideon built an altar 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:30.759 of course Yahweh is peace and he got that peace 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:33.940 of God and that night the Lord said to Gideon 00:11:33.940 --> 00:11:36.919 and began to give him instructions and talk about 00:11:36.919 --> 00:11:40.200 telling him to pull down the altar of Baal cut 00:11:40.200 --> 00:11:43.759 down cut it down and build an altar of the Lord 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:47.019 it says in verse 26 then build an altar to your 00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:50.259 God here on this hilltop sanctuary laying the 00:11:50.259 --> 00:11:53.620 stones carefully sacrifice a bull as a burnt 00:11:53.620 --> 00:11:57.399 offering on the altar and use as fuel the wood 00:11:57.399 --> 00:12:00.200 of the acera pole that you cut down because the 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:04.690 acera pole held up that altar of veil. And Gideon 00:12:04.690 --> 00:12:06.730 took ten of his servants and did as the Lord 00:12:06.730 --> 00:12:09.830 commanded but he did it at night because he was 00:12:09.830 --> 00:12:12.870 afraid of other members of his father's house 00:12:12.870 --> 00:12:15.649 He was afraid what these other people who worship 00:12:15.649 --> 00:12:19.929 bail would do He was afraid again that fear comes 00:12:19.929 --> 00:12:24.169 fear will come at you from every side in different 00:12:24.169 --> 00:12:26.769 Circumstances, but we have to make the choice 00:12:26.769 --> 00:12:30.269 We have to say no fear will not have way with 00:12:30.269 --> 00:12:33.330 me and we can say that because there's a scripture 00:12:33.289 --> 00:12:36.549 God is not giving you the spirit of fear, but 00:12:36.549 --> 00:12:39.850 he's given you power and love and a sound mind. 00:12:40.190 --> 00:12:45.629 He will stand strong in you as you step out, 00:12:45.629 --> 00:12:49.250 but we have to step out. So again, early the 00:12:49.250 --> 00:12:51.830 next morning as the people began to come around, 00:12:52.190 --> 00:12:54.649 they discovered the altar of bail had been broken 00:12:54.649 --> 00:12:57.659 down. and in their place a new altar had been 00:12:57.659 --> 00:13:00.220 built and the remains of a bull was on there 00:13:00.220 --> 00:13:03.960 and they're like who did this you know. So verse 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:06.940 30 says bring out your son the men of the town 00:13:06.940 --> 00:13:10.720 demanded to Joe Ash he must die for destroying 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:14.639 the altar of Baal and cutting down the Asherah 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:18.980 pole. You know, this is wild because here's getting 00:13:18.980 --> 00:13:22.059 he gets told to do something from the Lord. He's 00:13:22.059 --> 00:13:25.000 obedient and what happens he gets persecuted. 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:28.799 They want to kill him. But guess what? That fear 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.639 came to his mind again. So what does he have 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:34.799 to do? What we have to do today when fear hits 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:38.019 us, we have to stand strong in the midst of trouble. 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:41.259 Stand strong when we're getting persecuted. Stand 00:13:41.259 --> 00:13:43.600 strong when the pressure's on and the tension 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:48.179 is big. Stand strong and just obey what God tells 00:13:48.179 --> 00:13:52.559 us to do. They wanted to kill him. But God had 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:54.379 already told him he was going to deliver the 00:13:54.379 --> 00:13:57.639 Israelites. So he had to get through this part 00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:01.019 of the process. This part will make him stronger 00:14:01.019 --> 00:14:04.980 to deal with the Mennonites. And so Joe has shouted 00:14:04.980 --> 00:14:07.860 at the mob, and he confronted him. His dad stepped 00:14:07.860 --> 00:14:11.460 up, thank God, and began to say, will you argue 00:14:11.460 --> 00:14:15.159 his case? And they began to go back and forth. 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:17.360 And he says, if Baal is truly a god, let him 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:19.740 defend himself and destroy the one who broke 00:14:19.740 --> 00:14:23.539 down his altar. His dad stood up for God and 00:14:23.539 --> 00:14:25.840 for his son, knowing that they could turn on 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:31.179 him too. And he said, let Baal destroy this altar 00:14:31.179 --> 00:14:35.899 if he's more powerful. God and so soon after 00:14:35.899 --> 00:14:39.039 the army of Midianites and the people from the 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:42.059 East formed an alliance against Israel and crossed 00:14:42.059 --> 00:14:45.139 the Jordan camping in the Valley of Jezreel and 00:14:45.139 --> 00:14:47.379 then the spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with 00:14:47.379 --> 00:14:50.360 power and he blew a ram's horn called the arms 00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:53.860 of the men and they all came to him and he also 00:14:53.860 --> 00:14:58.090 sent messengers throughout Manasseh. Asher, Zebulon, 00:14:58.210 --> 00:15:01.409 and Naphtali, summoning them warriors and all 00:15:01.409 --> 00:15:06.970 of them responded. So again, Gideon is gathering 00:15:06.970 --> 00:15:09.259 the truth because There's getting ready to be 00:15:09.259 --> 00:15:12.440 a war, but Gideon gets nervous again. And again, 00:15:12.440 --> 00:15:16.080 he asks God for a sign. And he says, if you're 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:18.899 truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you 00:15:18.899 --> 00:15:21.779 promised, prove it to me in this way. And he 00:15:21.779 --> 00:15:24.419 puts out a fleece and he says, I will put out 00:15:24.419 --> 00:15:26.899 a wool fleece on the threshing floor at night. 00:15:26.899 --> 00:15:29.700 And if the fleece is wet with dew in the morning, 00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:32.480 but the ground is dry, I will know you're going 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:35.559 to help me and rescue Israel as you promised. 00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:39.879 Now did God really need to do? this. No, he did 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:42.179 not need to show himself faithful because God 00:15:42.179 --> 00:15:45.519 everything God says he does and God will not. 00:15:45.929 --> 00:15:48.909 be left wanting and he will never lie he cannot 00:15:48.909 --> 00:15:52.129 lie the word of God says that but again fear 00:15:52.129 --> 00:15:54.950 hit him and the Lord says over and over in the 00:15:54.950 --> 00:15:58.169 word be strong and courageous he said it in Deuteronomy 00:15:58.169 --> 00:16:00.970 he said it to Daniel he said it to Joshua he's 00:16:00.970 --> 00:16:03.490 saying it to Gideon and he's saying it to you 00:16:03.490 --> 00:16:09.029 and I today be strong do mighty exploits don't 00:16:09.029 --> 00:16:13.129 fear fear has no way with you God's given you 00:16:13.129 --> 00:16:19.419 what again power, love, and a sound mind. Hallelujah. 00:16:20.220 --> 00:16:25.129 Hallelujah. And then Gideon once again. says 00:16:25.129 --> 00:16:28.710 in verse 39, please don't be angry with me, but 00:16:28.710 --> 00:16:31.850 let me make one more request. Let me use a fleece 00:16:31.850 --> 00:16:34.750 for one more test. He's wanting to test God again. 00:16:34.830 --> 00:16:38.129 Oh my goodness. Thank God. We don't have to test 00:16:38.129 --> 00:16:40.970 God on his word now because we have the Holy 00:16:40.970 --> 00:16:44.289 Spirit living in us. Therefore, that same power 00:16:44.289 --> 00:16:47.309 that raised Christ from the dead, that same voice 00:16:47.309 --> 00:16:50.110 that spoke to Gideon that came in the form of 00:16:50.110 --> 00:16:53.399 a a man to be an angel of the Lord and then disappeared, 00:16:54.139 --> 00:16:57.360 that same God speaks to you today. The Bible 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.220 says if you have an ear to hear, how do we get 00:17:00.220 --> 00:17:03.159 an ear to hear? Get alone with him, get in his 00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:06.099 word, get to know him so you know what he would 00:17:06.099 --> 00:17:08.940 say and wouldn't say. Everything he says to you 00:17:08.940 --> 00:17:11.940 to do will line up with the word of God. If it 00:17:11.940 --> 00:17:15.619 doesn't, throw it out because it's not him. So 00:17:15.619 --> 00:17:19.519 we can continue on. The story goes on and on 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:23.980 he starts out with 32 ,000 men and then he begins 00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:30.500 to Lower that number Okay, so he begins to the 00:17:30.500 --> 00:17:33.240 Lord says you have too many warriors with you 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:35.900 If I let you fight the Midianites that Israel 00:17:35.900 --> 00:17:39.660 will boast and not in me and but in themselves 00:17:39.660 --> 00:17:44.930 and their own strength God does not want us doing 00:17:44.930 --> 00:17:48.309 things in our own strength. If you've got a mission 00:17:48.309 --> 00:17:51.289 that's not bigger than you, then it's not big 00:17:51.289 --> 00:17:53.650 enough. If you've got a dream that you can do 00:17:53.650 --> 00:17:56.180 in your own strength. It's not a big enough dream. 00:17:56.519 --> 00:17:59.579 You've got a dream big you've got to allow you 00:17:59.579 --> 00:18:03.539 and I both have to allow God to use us in that 00:18:03.539 --> 00:18:06.200 way and you will it'll be the greatest adventure 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:08.779 you've ever had in your life. The adventures 00:18:08.779 --> 00:18:12.779 of God never end unless you stop believing he 00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:16.890 said believe him. and his process and his prophets 00:18:16.890 --> 00:18:19.849 and so shall you prosper and we're reading about 00:18:19.849 --> 00:18:22.049 a prophet right here right here in the word of 00:18:22.049 --> 00:18:25.190 God and we believe the word. So basically and 00:18:25.190 --> 00:18:27.450 I'm running out of time to narrow this story 00:18:27.450 --> 00:18:31.690 down. the Lord in verse chapter seven, verse 00:18:31.690 --> 00:18:34.349 seven, the Lord told Gideon with these 300 men, 00:18:34.369 --> 00:18:38.170 he had reduced the number from 32 ,000 to 10 00:18:38.170 --> 00:18:43.329 ,000 to 300 men. Imagine fighting an army of 00:18:43.329 --> 00:18:48.549 medianites with 300 men. But God did not want 00:18:48.549 --> 00:18:51.960 Israel to be. proud and think they did it in 00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:55.680 themselves. God wanted them to know it was God's 00:18:55.680 --> 00:19:00.440 working that did it and so and then he even allowed 00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:03.420 Gideon one more time. This is the mercy of God 00:19:03.420 --> 00:19:05.920 and the grace of God. He allowed him he said 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:10.910 if you're still nervous he take Pura and go down 00:19:10.910 --> 00:19:14.269 to the edge of the camp and when he did he heard 00:19:14.269 --> 00:19:18.589 them talking about a dream and the dream talking 00:19:18.589 --> 00:19:22.769 about how this barley bread and this is in chapter 00:19:22.769 --> 00:19:28.210 7 verse 13. I had a dream and in my dream a loaf 00:19:28.210 --> 00:19:30.589 of barley bread came tumbling down in the median 00:19:30.589 --> 00:19:32.849 night camp and it hit the tent and turned it 00:19:32.849 --> 00:19:35.819 over and knocked it flat. And this other medianite 00:19:35.819 --> 00:19:38.539 said, which was his companion, your dream can 00:19:38.539 --> 00:19:40.839 only mean one thing. God has given Gideon, the 00:19:40.839 --> 00:19:43.839 son of Joash, the Israelite victory over the 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:48.579 median and all his allies. Wow. So the enemy's 00:19:48.579 --> 00:19:51.440 having a dream, interpreting the dream. Gideon 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:54.259 overhears this with his servant. They take, they 00:19:54.259 --> 00:19:57.299 go. and they bowed right there before the Lord 00:19:57.299 --> 00:20:01.180 Gideon and Purah and he returned to the Israel 00:20:01.180 --> 00:20:05.039 camp shouting get up for the Lord has given you 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:08.440 the victory and I say that to you and I today 00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:13.059 get up the Lord has given you the victory shake 00:20:13.059 --> 00:20:17.420 shake it off stand up in the power of his might 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:21.640 move forward you know a friend of mine actually 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:26.900 he's like a son to me. He just made a huge step 00:20:26.900 --> 00:20:29.980 out of a one direction of a career with a family 00:20:29.980 --> 00:20:33.880 of five and step completely in another direction. 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:37.740 Took a cut and pay because he knew in his heart 00:20:37.740 --> 00:20:41.440 that's what he needed to do. And now he's thriving 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:44.940 in that. And that was a huge step. with a family 00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:47.960 of five. The same way if God's speaking to you 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:50.339 and you're just nervous about making that step, 00:20:50.539 --> 00:20:55.039 step out and do it. Go for it. Go for it. Ask 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:58.200 God for that strength and you will see the glory 00:20:58.200 --> 00:21:00.400 of God in the land of the living and you will 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:04.319 give him glory for it. He is a good good God. 00:21:04.619 --> 00:21:09.079 So let's continue and see what happens. So it 00:21:09.079 --> 00:21:12.079 was just after midnight. This is in verse seven. 00:21:13.049 --> 00:21:15.670 I mean chapter 7 verse 19, it was just after 00:21:15.670 --> 00:21:17.569 midnight after the changing of the guard when 00:21:17.569 --> 00:21:19.829 Gideon and a hundred men with them reached the 00:21:19.829 --> 00:21:22.769 edge of the median night camp. Suddenly they 00:21:22.769 --> 00:21:25.789 blew the ram's horn and broke the clay jars and 00:21:25.789 --> 00:21:28.329 all three groups blew their horns and broke their 00:21:28.329 --> 00:21:31.109 jars. They held blazing torches in their left 00:21:31.109 --> 00:21:33.309 hand and their horns in their right hand and 00:21:33.309 --> 00:21:36.690 they shouted a sword for the Lord and for Gideon. 00:21:37.109 --> 00:21:40.049 And each man stood at his position around the 00:21:40.049 --> 00:21:42.829 camp and watched as all the median nights rushed 00:21:42.829 --> 00:21:47.109 in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. When 00:21:47.109 --> 00:21:49.789 the three hundred Israelites blew their ramps 00:21:49.789 --> 00:21:52.170 horn, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp 00:21:52.170 --> 00:21:57.069 to fight against each other. Wow. So his Holy 00:21:57.069 --> 00:21:59.109 Spirit moved in there and they began to fight 00:21:59.109 --> 00:22:01.730 with one another and those who were not killed 00:22:01.730 --> 00:22:07.559 fled to places as far away. as Beshitha and Zerar 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:12.019 and to the border of Abiyo -Maloha, oh boy get 00:22:12.019 --> 00:22:14.680 a load of these names near Tabath and I'm sorry 00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:17.460 I'm probably butchering them. Then Gideon set 00:22:17.460 --> 00:22:20.960 forth the warriors of Naftali, Asher, Manasseh 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:24.339 who joined in chasing the armies of Midian. Gideon 00:22:24.339 --> 00:22:26.900 also sent the messengers throughout the hill 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:30.359 country of Ifram and said come down and attack 00:22:30.359 --> 00:22:33.559 the Midianites and cut off the road the shallow 00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:36.319 cross crossing between the Jordan River and Beth 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:41.099 Barah. So needless to say all of this happened 00:22:41.099 --> 00:22:44.779 and guess what Gideon won the battle the children 00:22:44.779 --> 00:22:48.700 of Israel won the battle the same way God wants 00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:53.519 you to win the battle in your situation if you're 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:56.819 believing God for something don't give up Don't 00:22:56.819 --> 00:23:00.039 let down your guard keep pressing on keep believing 00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:03.559 keep standing keep speaking keep walking in the 00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:08.000 ways of God and he read he He got the victory 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:10.500 because even when the fear was attacking his 00:23:10.500 --> 00:23:13.980 mind, he kept moving, he kept doing, he kept 00:23:13.980 --> 00:23:16.779 turning back to God. When that fear hits you, 00:23:16.839 --> 00:23:19.740 go to his scriptures, look up the word of God, 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:22.759 find where it says in Philippians 4, 6, and 7, 00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:25.799 don't be anxious, don't fear anything but in 00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:28.299 everything with prayer and supplication. Let 00:23:28.299 --> 00:23:30.380 your requests be made known unto God and that 00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:33.200 same piece that hit Gideon will take you to... 00:23:33.369 --> 00:23:35.549 It will take you farther than you could ever 00:23:35.549 --> 00:23:40.390 go yourself. God says in Isaiah 41 13 for I the 00:23:40.390 --> 00:23:42.990 Lord your God hold your right hand. It is not 00:23:42.990 --> 00:23:46.630 I who says to you, but it is the Lord fear not. 00:23:46.789 --> 00:23:50.369 I am with you who helps you Psalm 118 6. The 00:23:50.369 --> 00:23:53.329 Lord is on my side. I will not fear what man 00:23:53.329 --> 00:23:55.930 can do unto me. We're going to take a break and 00:23:55.930 --> 00:23:57.549 I'll catch you on the other side. We're going 00:23:57.549 --> 00:24:22.500 to listen to a song about fearing not. You might 00:24:22.500 --> 00:24:25.779 think that I'd be afraid Running scared with 00:24:25.779 --> 00:24:29.299 a shaken faith But the God I know says it ain't 00:24:29.299 --> 00:27:27.450 over Hallelujah, hallelujah, fear not. We have 00:27:27.450 --> 00:27:30.309 nothing to fear because the Lord is on our side. 00:27:30.730 --> 00:27:33.829 So excites me. Listen, if you don't know this 00:27:33.829 --> 00:27:36.509 God we're talking about and you want to, or maybe 00:27:36.509 --> 00:27:38.730 you've walked away from him, pray this prayer 00:27:38.730 --> 00:27:43.130 with me. Dear Jesus, thank you for coming on 00:27:43.130 --> 00:27:46.609 this earth, dying on a cross and being raised 00:27:46.609 --> 00:27:52.710 from the dead to be my sacrifice, cleanse me 00:27:52.710 --> 00:27:56.200 of my sin. I thank you, Lord, that you fill me 00:27:56.200 --> 00:27:59.160 with your Holy Spirit. I declare you Lord and 00:27:59.160 --> 00:28:02.140 Savior of my life, and I ask you to help me. 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:05.319 Give me the courage, the strength, and no fear 00:28:05.319 --> 00:28:08.819 to move forward. In Jesus' name, amen. If you 00:28:08.819 --> 00:28:11.539 prayed that prayer with me, you have been born 00:28:11.539 --> 00:28:14.519 again. Go out and make it a great day. We want 00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:17.940 you to know that God loves you, we love you, 00:28:17.940 --> 00:28:20.700 and you are a champion in Christ.