WEBVTT

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Hey guys and welcome back to the salt not sweetener

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podcast. I am your host Danielle Townsend and

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today's episode Today's episode has been a while

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in the making Is the best way I can word that

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is it has been trial tribulation testing learning

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To put me in the space to be able to confidently

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speak on this to you today and y 'all today's

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episode We're going to focus in on dealing with

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opposition dealing with opposition moving forward

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as a follower of Christ with opposition How to

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do it The Christ like way how to do it in the

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way that honors God. And those of you who have

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been listening to this podcast for a while know

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that I have not always handled things the Jesus

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way, the biblical way, the loving your neighbor's

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way. There was a time in my life before I gave

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my life to Jesus that I wanted to hurt people

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back, that I said mean things. That I went out

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of my way that I sought revenge that I did all

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these things. I held people in unforgiveness

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and I saw the bad fruit as a result of that I

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Know what it is like to lean into the flesh the

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Mindset I'm in now and the way I handle things

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now is not I'm gonna be so clear the way that

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I have always handled things I used to have a

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very different perspective I used to be one of

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those people that wanted to show just how far

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I could go so that way someone wouldn't mess

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with me again. I wanted to be that person that

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could deal justice and that was coming from a

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space of hurt, that was coming from a space of

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pain and Jesus Christ showed me another way and

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that that is what we are going to discuss today

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is how to handle opposition in a way that honors

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the Lord and the way that you're going to see

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God's will shine through. You're going to see

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God's promises show up. You are going to see

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the glory of God. I want to start. I just want

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to start today's episode with reading Ephesians

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6. Now we're not going to deep dive on Ephesians

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6 at this moment, but I just want to open up

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today with reading this to you, okay? We're going

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to start Ephesians 6 verse 7. that both their

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master and yours is in heaven there is no favoritism

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with him finally be strengthened by the lord

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and by his vast strength put on the full armor

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of god so that you can stand against the schemes

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of the devil for our struggle is not against

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flesh and blood but against the rulers against

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the authorities against the cosmic powers of

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this darkness against evil spiritual forces and

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the heavens for this reason take up the full

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armor of god so that you may be able to resist

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in the evil day and having prepared everything

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to take your stand. Stand therefore with truth

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like a belt around your waist, righteousness

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like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled

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with the readiness for the gospel of peace. In

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every situation take up the shield of faith with

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which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows

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of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation

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in the sword of the spirit, which is the word

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of God. Pray at all times in the spirit with

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every prayer and request and stay alert with

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all perseverance and intercession for all the

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saints. Pray also for me so that the message

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may be given to me when I open my mouth to make

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known with the boldest the mystery of the gospel.

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For this I am an ambassador in chains. pray that

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I might be bold enough to speak about it as I

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should and I want to highlight here to y 'all

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where it's made very clear that even even today

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we are in a spiritual battle with dark forces

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dark principalities that we can't see it's very

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easy to get in the mindset of like Me versus

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them on a human level right when you look at

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someone who is acting as opposition When there's

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someone who's lying when there's someone who's

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gossiping when there's someone who's slandering

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when there's someone who is doing wicked things

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It's easy to look at that person and just say

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this is my enemy This is the person I'm battling

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against and when you look at it that way. It's

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a very easy to quickly rely on blushly methods

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To rely on our humanistic methods right of wanting

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to gossip back Wanting to expose this and wanting

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to reveal this or show this you start doing things

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to hurt that person But when we read the scripture

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and when we are rooted in this scripture instead

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we're able to see That there is a bigger force

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behind this person When you are a follower of

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Christ When you are doing things that glorify

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the kingdom of heaven when you are doing things

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That further God's will we know that the enemy

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comes to steal kill and destroy the enemy the

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devil his main mission here is to stop God's

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will is trying to get involved trying to intervene

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and we know that the devil can't actually do

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that Okay But he tries to anyway He tries to

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separate us from Christ. He tries to get us to

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lead other people astray. He tries to get us

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to not put our faith in Jesus and to not serve

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God. Right? So understand that every moment of

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every day there is a spiritual battle going on

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that we cannot see. The forces of light, goodness,

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which is God, Jesus Christ, the angels in heaven,

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and the forces of darkness, Satan, the fallen

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angels. The demonic forces that play off of the

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wickedness the wicked desires of our flesh So

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yes the devil operates through vessels through

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people just as we are vessels For God to be used

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to spread the gospel to show people the love

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of Jesus To you know open up doors to do different

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things like that. The devil will use people to

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try to create blockages, to try to plant seeds

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of doubt, of fear, of worry. What was it the

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devil said to Eve in the garden? Did God really

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say that? The devil loves to plant little seeds

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that get you to doubt god that get you to question

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the bible that get you to question the word of

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god that get you to question whether or not jesus

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actually is the way the truth of life because

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if he can get you to start doubting he can get

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you to start going away and going astray the

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devil oftentimes doesn't meet us with outright

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lies he meets us with deception which is truth

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with lies sprinkled in or lies with truth sprinkled

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in. It's easier to believe a lie when there are

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certain aspects of it that look like truth. And

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I think it's really important that we start off

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this episode today of recognizing that we need

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to separate the spiritual from the person. Yes,

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a person can be willingly allowing themselves

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to be used by the devil, and we know how to handle

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people like that. We know to avoid a divisive

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person. to not be in closeness with them that

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we can pray for them but we're not supposed to

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cast our pearls before swine we know if someone

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is a willing vessel for the enemy the devil that's

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not supposed to be our close person that's not

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supposed to be our confidant the most loving

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thing you can do is turn them over to god and

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pray for them but we need to understand the bigger

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thing at work here which is the principalities

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the darkness the wickedness and when we're able

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to see that our real enemy is the wickedness

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the darkness that is moving through these people

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it's a lot easier for us to start handing that

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battle over to god right it's easier for us to

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start saying okay me gossiping back me saying

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this me doing that isn't what is actually going

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to win this battle isn't actually it's just going

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to perpetuate things what's actually going to

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win the battle is Handling it from a spiritual

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sense, which is praying about it, which is giving

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it to God which is submitting to God's Word The

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spiritual battle isn't won by our our fleshly

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Methods by our humanistic methods. It is one

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In the spirit right it's one by giving it to

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God so I just felt it was really important that

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we separate that right here. It's going to help

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you kind of digest and be a bit more open to

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the steps I am about to give you. Now we're going

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to be pulling a lot of scripture today and I'm

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going to be giving you a little bit of a list

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that God really helped me create this morning

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in my private time with him. When I look back

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How God started changing the way I handled opposition

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and I handled Warfare and I started doing things

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the Jesus way instead of my way. These were the

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most important milestones these were the most

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important views and Like beliefs that were developed

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in me that helped me And that's what I'm gonna

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take you all through today. I want to start just

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real quick with identifying different places

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where opposition can and will arise out of your

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life. The devil is going to use your family members,

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the people who are lukewarm, the people who are

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unbelievers, the people who are submitted more

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to their flesh, who follow their heart, who whatever

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it is that they are putting their faith in before

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God. He will use those people. He will use those

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people to get you to doubt what God said You'll

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find those people saying to God really say that

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Yeah, that sounds good, but I think you're much

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better off here. I think you're much better off

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doing this Look at how the devil tried to use

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Peter Peter loved Jesus Peter loved Jesus But

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when Jesus was saying hey, I have to do the will

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of the Father and there's gonna be a day when

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I'm no longer here Like Jesus was saying I am

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about to suffer But it's a good thing and Peter

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out of his love for Jesus was like, no, no, you

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can't do that. No, that's not that's not a thing

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You're not going to die. You're not going that

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that's not gonna happen and Jesus had to say

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get behind me Satan You will not block the will

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of the Father in that moment No, Peter was being

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led not by submitting to God but by his heart

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and his desires. And out of a loving space, it

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was like he was trying to get Jesus to doubt

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what he was supposed to do. And that was the

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moment where Jesus was able to identify that

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this is not coming from God. This is a form of

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opposition. Even people who love the Lord, who

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follow Christ, Who are submitted they can be

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used in moments When they are leaning into their

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flesh When they are overcome by their hearts

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desires when they were leaning more into what

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they want and not submitting to God in that moment

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Sometimes the words that they speak to us Can

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actually cause fear and doubt and misguiding

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and that's not saying that that person is always

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being led by Satan And that that person is like

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an agent of Satan We're humans That have the

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fleshly desire that are tempted When that original

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sin came into the world keep in mind y 'all that

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the devil is always prowling around Demons are

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always prowling around They whisper in your ear

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and make you think that some of these thoughts

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are yours when they're not And in moments of

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weakness there are times when we lean into that

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instead. That doesn't mean that that person is

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a child of Satan. So it's important to test the

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spirit behind messages. It's important to test

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the spirit behind words that someone is speaking.

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It's important to look at it and say, is this

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contradicting God's Word? Is this trying to plant

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seeds of doubt? Is this trying to plant seeds

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of fear? So I want to be so clear that Christians

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at times, people who love the Lord, When they

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are in a moment of being led by their flesh Being

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led by their heart Instead of being led by the

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spirit Can be used to create doubt But the people

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that you're more often going to see being used

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are the people who are lukewarm Are the people

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who their lives are not centered around Christ?

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Are the people who elevate themselves elevate

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idols all of these things that tell you to follow

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your heart and right now we're talking about

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more of the opposition that looks like it's from

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a space of love but you're also going to find

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opposition that straight up appears wicked you'll

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see that in family members you'll see that in

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friends you'll see that in colleagues you'll

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see that in co -workers you'll see that in that

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random person online where it's a little bit

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more clear and evident that they don't like you

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That it's not an opposition of I'm trying to

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stop you from a loving space. Opposition can

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look like that jealous person. That person who

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you don't deserve this. You don't deserve this

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good thing. So I'm gonna lie, gossip, slander,

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do whatever I need to do to block that thing.

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That friend or that family member that's doing

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everything they can to prevent you from stepping

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into that thing that God hasn't wanted you to

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do. That's trying to block. opportunities for

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you to move forward to elevate. That sees God

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opening a door and tries to slam it shut. Emphasis

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on tries. I'm just taking a moment here to identify

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to y 'all that opposition can appear in a lot

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of different ways. It can look like that loving

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person that just cares but coming from that space

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of care it's planning doubt and fear. It can

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look like that jealous person that doesn't want

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to see you win It can look like that person that's

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rooted in unforgiveness it can look like that

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person that is has such a competitive mindset

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That they don't they're okay with seeing other

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people do good, but they cannot be doing what

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they feel is better than that and I want to be

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so clear that it's so important to separate the

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person behind the spirit because at the root

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of this behind each of these forms of opposition.

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The real enemy here is the darkness, is the wickedness,

00:16:49.710 --> 00:16:55.049
is Satan. At the root of it, he's trying to prevent

00:16:55.049 --> 00:16:57.110
you from stepping into what God has called you

00:16:57.110 --> 00:16:58.970
to do. He's trying to prevent you from growing

00:16:58.970 --> 00:17:01.129
further in your faith. He's trying to prevent

00:17:01.129 --> 00:17:03.309
you from bringing other people closer to Christ.

00:17:04.410 --> 00:17:06.650
He's trying to prevent other people from seeing

00:17:06.650 --> 00:17:10.490
that Jesus Christ sealed victory over death on

00:17:10.490 --> 00:17:17.650
the cross. So yes, I'm addressing the forms opposition

00:17:17.650 --> 00:17:20.410
can come in and they come through people often

00:17:20.410 --> 00:17:22.589
times, right? Sometimes they come in as thoughts

00:17:22.589 --> 00:17:24.829
where you just have those intrusive thoughts

00:17:24.829 --> 00:17:27.890
or those random bursts of like These emotions

00:17:27.890 --> 00:17:29.710
and anger that you know aren't from the Lord

00:17:29.710 --> 00:17:32.589
that you know aren't from God Sometimes off the

00:17:32.589 --> 00:17:36.730
spiritual opposite spiritual warfare Comes in

00:17:36.730 --> 00:17:39.210
those really bad mental health hits now. I'm

00:17:39.210 --> 00:17:42.309
not saying that mental health problems as a whole

00:17:42.539 --> 00:17:45.200
Just spiritual warfare. I'm not going to dismiss

00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:47.599
it in that way as someone who I grew up with

00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:52.059
depression anxiety Like I it was really really

00:17:52.059 --> 00:17:55.500
bad in middle school and high school and I was

00:17:55.500 --> 00:17:59.200
diagnosed with things outside of school depression

00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:04.640
panic disorder PTSD I Am NOT dismissing spirit.

00:18:04.660 --> 00:18:07.720
I'm not calling mental health just spiritual

00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:12.380
warfare as a whole But when I was delivered from

00:18:12.380 --> 00:18:15.259
those things and depression no longer overcame

00:18:15.259 --> 00:18:17.339
me, anxiety and panic no longer overcame me.

00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:19.900
I'm not saying that I never dealt with sadness

00:18:19.900 --> 00:18:22.559
or anxiety or things like that again, but it

00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:25.079
was no longer debilitating and it no longer stopped

00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:26.920
me like it did in the past because I got my strength

00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:28.980
from Christ and he delivered me. I'm not saying

00:18:28.980 --> 00:18:31.359
he delivers everybody from it. For some people

00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:33.180
that's the thorn in their side that God uses

00:18:33.180 --> 00:18:36.140
to keep them coming to him. Everybody's situation

00:18:36.140 --> 00:18:39.589
is different, but for me, God delivered me. He

00:18:39.589 --> 00:18:41.470
gave me a peace that surpassed all understanding

00:18:41.470 --> 00:18:43.730
that allowed me to leave behind smoking and drinking

00:18:43.730 --> 00:18:51.849
and things like that But I have seen Spiritual

00:18:51.849 --> 00:18:54.509
warfare in my life now manifest as a random day

00:18:54.509 --> 00:18:56.450
where things should be going good But all of

00:18:56.450 --> 00:18:58.710
a sudden it's like i'm getting hit with every

00:18:58.710 --> 00:19:02.319
single depressive thought Doubt and fear and

00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:04.359
instead of looking at like yeah, God's about

00:19:04.359 --> 00:19:06.220
to move and God's about to do these amazing things

00:19:06.220 --> 00:19:08.859
It's lots of it's never gonna get better. It's

00:19:08.859 --> 00:19:10.460
never gonna work out. It's never gonna happen.

00:19:10.460 --> 00:19:12.859
What about this? What about that? And when I

00:19:12.859 --> 00:19:14.900
take these intrusive thoughts captive and make

00:19:14.900 --> 00:19:17.140
them obedient to Christ when I start saying I

00:19:17.140 --> 00:19:19.160
silence every voice It's not the father not the

00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:21.079
son not the Holy Spirit when I start going into

00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:23.779
a space of praise and prayer and worshiping God

00:19:23.779 --> 00:19:26.259
Even when I don't feel like I have a lot of things

00:19:26.259 --> 00:19:30.650
to praise for I still do it That silence is the

00:19:30.650 --> 00:19:33.769
enemy right we see that that's one of the things

00:19:33.769 --> 00:19:35.730
when we're putting on the armor of God is prayer

00:19:35.730 --> 00:19:39.170
and Being rooted in the truth when you combat

00:19:39.170 --> 00:19:41.490
the enemy's lies. Sometimes spiritual warfare

00:19:41.490 --> 00:19:43.549
looks like those lies that are popping up in

00:19:43.549 --> 00:19:46.269
your brain They're saying you're not good enough.

00:19:46.450 --> 00:19:48.509
God didn't say that this isn't gonna happen.

00:19:48.509 --> 00:19:52.990
This isn't gonna be good Spiritual warfare it

00:19:52.990 --> 00:19:55.150
can look like people but it can also look like

00:19:55.150 --> 00:19:59.119
those thoughts those intrusive thoughts that's

00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:01.299
so important that you step into your authority

00:20:01.299 --> 00:20:04.279
in Christ Jesus and silence those and Rebuke

00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:06.660
those bind and rebuke those and remind yourself

00:20:06.660 --> 00:20:09.059
of what God's Word says So I always say it's

00:20:09.059 --> 00:20:11.180
so important to be rooted in God's Word and to

00:20:11.180 --> 00:20:13.779
know God's Word It's a lot easier to combat the

00:20:13.779 --> 00:20:16.400
lies of the enemy when you're rooted in God's

00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:18.700
Word And you know what he says and you know that

00:20:18.700 --> 00:20:24.940
his work is true Now let's start let's start

00:20:24.940 --> 00:20:27.180
moving Living through this little checklist y

00:20:27.180 --> 00:20:29.619
'all. I want to give you a little bit of background

00:20:29.619 --> 00:20:34.140
Okay, when I gave my life to Jesus It was a heavy

00:20:34.140 --> 00:20:35.799
period of spiritual warfare. You've all got to

00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:39.960
keep in mind. I at this point had Been a full

00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:42.319
-on new -ager. I had been a tarot card reader

00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:44.960
on social media. It was a very clear my stance

00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:49.339
and my beliefs I Had fallen out with a lot of

00:20:49.339 --> 00:20:51.859
people Had a lot of people who were angry at

00:20:51.859 --> 00:20:53.279
me. I had a lot of people who are holding me

00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:56.799
in unforgiveness I had a lot of people who were

00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:00.420
being used by the enemy That didn't want to see

00:21:00.420 --> 00:21:03.119
me put my faith in Jesus that did not want to

00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:04.539
see me leave that life behind They wanted to

00:21:04.539 --> 00:21:07.519
see me in pain and suffering At this point in

00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:09.720
my life. There had been a lot of lies There had

00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:13.039
been a lot of gossip a lot of half -truths and

00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:16.880
me coming to Jesus Me turning my life around

00:21:18.090 --> 00:21:22.750
Through the help of Jesus Christ Me turning from

00:21:22.750 --> 00:21:27.369
wickedness and turning to goodness That would

00:21:27.369 --> 00:21:29.930
end up exposing a lot of these false narratives

00:21:29.930 --> 00:21:34.910
and there were Again at the root of it the enemy

00:21:34.910 --> 00:21:37.390
behind but when I check the people's motives

00:21:37.390 --> 00:21:40.490
the people who are involved Me doing that things

00:21:40.490 --> 00:21:44.250
would have made them look like a liar Me doing

00:21:44.250 --> 00:21:48.150
those things would have eventually exposed So

00:21:48.150 --> 00:21:50.049
that was a lot of people's personal stake in

00:21:50.049 --> 00:21:52.250
it is a lot of people didn't want me to do better

00:21:52.250 --> 00:21:54.650
with my life because It would reveal a lot of

00:21:54.650 --> 00:21:56.630
things that they had been saying and doing it

00:21:56.630 --> 00:21:58.589
would reveal their hearts. It would reveal their

00:21:58.589 --> 00:22:03.410
intentions But see the enemy was playing off

00:22:03.410 --> 00:22:05.349
of that there's a bigger person behind it There's

00:22:05.349 --> 00:22:07.670
a bigger spiritual behind it and that is the

00:22:07.670 --> 00:22:11.329
devil and that's why I always say is so important

00:22:11.329 --> 00:22:16.299
To like be forgiving To be loving that the devil

00:22:16.299 --> 00:22:20.720
will use unforgiveness to operate through you

00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:23.319
Unforgiveness is a great foothold for him to

00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:25.819
have and you don't want to give that to him There

00:22:25.819 --> 00:22:28.240
are a lot of wicked things that people do because

00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:33.200
they're in a space of unforgiveness So keep in

00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:35.660
mind y 'all I am at a spot in my life where me

00:22:35.660 --> 00:22:39.759
turning to Jesus doing good Handling things the

00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:44.759
Jesus way patience, love, kindness, forgiveness,

00:22:45.240 --> 00:22:47.140
knowing when to hold my tongue, giving it to

00:22:47.140 --> 00:22:51.599
God. If I stepped into all these things, it would

00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:57.640
have blown the enemy's plan to the floor. So

00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:02.559
when I tell you, for like a year, it felt like

00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:06.160
just constant warfare of trying to tempt me to

00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:08.799
handle things not in a loving way. trying to

00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:10.819
get me to step out of character, trying to get

00:23:10.819 --> 00:23:12.660
me to act differently, trying to get me to do

00:23:12.660 --> 00:23:16.099
all these other things. Like the enemy was actively

00:23:16.099 --> 00:23:19.480
bringing up old stressors, trying to get me into

00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:23.460
old habits, trying to get me weary and gaslit

00:23:23.460 --> 00:23:26.940
to move in all these ways that want me anymore.

00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:35.240
And through this, God allowed these things to

00:23:35.240 --> 00:23:38.000
happen. God allowed this opposition to happen.

00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:42.880
God allowed these triggers to happen To produce

00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:47.039
an endurance in me to strengthen my faith Consider

00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:49.660
a great joy when you face trials and tribulations

00:23:49.660 --> 00:23:52.119
of all kinds, but it's an opportunity to produce

00:23:52.119 --> 00:23:58.279
endurance It was an opportunity for me to I had

00:23:58.279 --> 00:24:00.720
the decision do I go backwards or do I stay rooted

00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:04.460
in Christ? Each time you practice staying rooted

00:24:04.460 --> 00:24:06.440
in Christ, it gets a little bit easier I'm not

00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:09.480
saying it was always easy to like hold my tongue

00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:12.420
or forgive or respond in love But it got easier

00:24:12.420 --> 00:24:15.839
the more frequently I had to do it God will allow

00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:18.839
opposition testing trials things like that to

00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:23.319
literally train you up to strengthen you to prepare

00:24:23.319 --> 00:24:28.059
you I'm speaking from experience of all of these

00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:30.019
things were allowed to happen and it would have

00:24:30.019 --> 00:24:32.079
been really easy for me to be like Why is this

00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:35.640
allowed to happen and get angry at God? And rely

00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:37.799
on my own understanding and think I gave my life

00:24:37.799 --> 00:24:40.200
to you Lord. Why are you still allowing this

00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:44.160
and see him as like unjust? Believing the lies

00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:49.819
of the enemy Instead I remembered that he has

00:24:49.819 --> 00:24:53.960
plans to prosper me not to harm me I Remembered

00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:59.849
what he did with Joseph That all of the opposition

00:24:59.849 --> 00:25:01.670
all of those things that were allowed to happen

00:25:01.670 --> 00:25:04.750
to him one day were used to elevate him They

00:25:04.750 --> 00:25:10.170
were used to strengthen him So I'm here today

00:25:10.170 --> 00:25:12.289
to tell y 'all I'm speaking to you from a point

00:25:12.289 --> 00:25:14.730
of there was a lot of opposition There were a

00:25:14.730 --> 00:25:17.289
lot of attacks allowed to happen to me God allowed

00:25:17.289 --> 00:25:19.410
these things to happen because he knew that they

00:25:19.410 --> 00:25:22.329
would produce something He knew that they would

00:25:22.329 --> 00:25:28.089
strengthen Now I want to give y 'all the first

00:25:28.089 --> 00:25:31.470
the very first step that the Lord in my private

00:25:31.470 --> 00:25:33.609
time with him today Really gave me that I wrote

00:25:33.609 --> 00:25:38.750
down is you have to be willing you Where were

00:25:38.750 --> 00:25:42.230
we here we are But you have to know that God

00:25:42.230 --> 00:25:44.390
isn't surprised and that he planned for this

00:25:44.390 --> 00:25:46.769
whatever it is you're dealing with Whatever it

00:25:46.769 --> 00:25:48.170
is that's happening. Sorry y 'all. I started

00:25:48.170 --> 00:25:50.390
to read off in my back page. It's a double -sided

00:25:50.390 --> 00:25:51.869
page if you're with me This is a little bit of

00:25:51.869 --> 00:25:56.680
a list The first thing I needed to understand

00:25:56.680 --> 00:25:58.380
and comprehend when dealing with this warfare

00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:00.779
was that God isn't surprised with what I'm dealing

00:26:00.779 --> 00:26:04.019
with. That he already planned for it. So he already

00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:07.519
planned that that person was going to not tell

00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:12.660
me about that job offer. He already planned that

00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:15.059
that person was going to lie about me. He already

00:26:15.059 --> 00:26:19.019
planned that that person was going to try to

00:26:19.019 --> 00:26:20.940
speak some kind of fear or doubt. He already

00:26:20.940 --> 00:26:27.680
planned Now that's not saying that God orchestrated

00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:31.160
it, but he is all -knowing and he already planned.

00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:34.660
Before I gave my life to Christ and even before

00:26:34.660 --> 00:26:37.440
I stepped in a new age, I had this idea in my

00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:40.099
head that God was caught off guard or surprised.

00:26:40.579 --> 00:26:42.460
Like I can remember a couple times when just

00:26:42.460 --> 00:26:45.480
some messy messy thing would happen and when

00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:47.859
I would look up and be like, but you didn't expect

00:26:47.859 --> 00:26:50.619
that one, huh God? You told me to step into this

00:26:50.619 --> 00:26:55.180
and this happened. And that was because, you

00:26:55.180 --> 00:26:57.220
know, a part of me didn't understand how God

00:26:57.220 --> 00:26:58.960
will use suffering and use these things for a

00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:01.799
good. I believe that anytime you're obeying God,

00:27:01.799 --> 00:27:03.579
He was just calling you into something beautiful

00:27:03.579 --> 00:27:05.559
or something amazing. So whenever something bad

00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:08.380
would happen, I would be like, God must not have

00:27:08.380 --> 00:27:10.579
foresaw this. He must not plan for this. And

00:27:10.579 --> 00:27:12.140
then knowing scripture, I know that's not biblical,

00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:16.650
right? But this is what's gonna help you to start

00:27:16.650 --> 00:27:19.089
with putting your faith in God is Understanding

00:27:19.089 --> 00:27:21.029
that whatever it is you're facing whatever it

00:27:21.029 --> 00:27:23.369
is you're dealing with He already knew you were

00:27:23.369 --> 00:27:26.150
going to face this and he called you to it. Anyway,

00:27:26.569 --> 00:27:29.750
he called you to whatever position you're in

00:27:29.750 --> 00:27:32.109
Whatever the environment is whatever the situation

00:27:32.109 --> 00:27:35.140
is For example, we walk into a new environment,

00:27:35.140 --> 00:27:36.740
we walk into a new space that God has called

00:27:36.740 --> 00:27:38.880
us to step into, but we're met with opposition.

00:27:39.339 --> 00:27:40.740
And sometimes we want to look up and be like,

00:27:40.740 --> 00:27:44.680
God, are you surprised by this? Like, why would

00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:47.200
you leave me here knowing this is going to happen?

00:27:47.220 --> 00:27:50.380
So it's so important for you to understand that

00:27:50.380 --> 00:27:54.900
God has already planned around this. God already

00:27:54.900 --> 00:27:57.000
knew. He's not taken by surprise. And I want

00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:58.579
to give you a little bit of scripture with that.

00:27:58.740 --> 00:28:04.950
1 John chapter 3 verse 20. God is greater. God

00:28:04.950 --> 00:28:09.250
is greater than our heart. He knows everything

00:28:09.250 --> 00:28:15.630
I want to take y 'all With me to Psalms We're

00:28:15.630 --> 00:28:20.170
gonna go to Psalm 139 bear with me as I'm flipping

00:28:20.170 --> 00:28:26.089
in my Bible We are going to go to Psalm 139 and

00:28:26.089 --> 00:28:34.400
we are going to start in verse 1 it says here

00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:38.420
Lord you have searched me and known me you know

00:28:38.420 --> 00:28:42.039
when I sit down and when I stand up you understand

00:28:42.039 --> 00:28:45.640
my thoughts from far away you observe my travels

00:28:45.640 --> 00:28:49.400
and my rest you are aware of all my ways before

00:28:49.400 --> 00:28:52.539
a word is on my tongue you know all about it

00:28:52.539 --> 00:28:56.059
Lord and there's another piece of scripture that

00:28:56.059 --> 00:28:58.339
my mind gets pulled to constantly and that is

00:28:58.339 --> 00:29:02.299
Jeremiah 1 5 Where God says before I formed you

00:29:02.299 --> 00:29:04.920
in the womb I knew you and he speaks this to

00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:07.660
Jeremiah when he's calling Jeremiah to go prophesy

00:29:07.660 --> 00:29:10.759
And be a mouthpiece to a group of people that

00:29:10.759 --> 00:29:13.140
don't want to hear what Jeremiah has to say and

00:29:13.140 --> 00:29:15.259
God is like building some confidence Because

00:29:15.259 --> 00:29:17.039
Jeremiah is like I'm too young. I'm too under

00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:19.619
qualified. I'm not right for this position basically

00:29:19.619 --> 00:29:23.559
and God is like no I already created you like

00:29:23.559 --> 00:29:26.509
when you were Being created, I already had this

00:29:26.509 --> 00:29:28.829
intention for your life. I already wanted to

00:29:28.829 --> 00:29:31.130
use you in a big way. I already planned for you

00:29:31.130 --> 00:29:35.789
to be a mouthpiece. Don't say, don't act like

00:29:35.789 --> 00:29:38.170
this is some new thing. I have had this plan

00:29:38.170 --> 00:29:42.730
for you long before you were conscious. So it's

00:29:42.730 --> 00:29:46.609
so important for us to understand that God is

00:29:46.609 --> 00:29:50.559
all -knowing. He is all -seeing. He knows. The

00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:52.400
opposition you're facing before you take it to

00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:55.039
him in prayer Which also means and I don't know

00:29:55.039 --> 00:29:56.579
who needs to hear this today. God knows when

00:29:56.579 --> 00:30:01.160
you're trying to lie to him God knows when you

00:30:01.160 --> 00:30:03.839
when you go into prayer and you're trying to

00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:07.099
twist what happened If you try to say someone

00:30:07.099 --> 00:30:09.259
said something that they didn't say Someone did

00:30:09.259 --> 00:30:11.119
something that they didn't when you try to claim

00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:12.640
that they have this intention in their heart,

00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:15.900
but they don't God knows your heart. He knows

00:30:15.900 --> 00:30:17.599
your mind. He knows what you're thinking about

00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:19.440
doing what you're considering doing He knows

00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:21.059
all these things and he knows them with everybody

00:30:21.059 --> 00:30:23.599
else So understand that God knows every part

00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:26.240
of the situation that you don't even know that

00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:31.559
you don't even see The next step I have here

00:30:31.559 --> 00:30:35.079
is understand that God already has a plan and

00:30:35.079 --> 00:30:39.660
that he uses things for our good Pulling again

00:30:39.660 --> 00:30:43.970
from Jeremiah 29 11 where God says Or I know

00:30:43.970 --> 00:30:46.690
the plans I have for you says the Lord plans

00:30:46.690 --> 00:30:50.049
to prosper you not to harm you Plans to give

00:30:50.049 --> 00:30:53.029
you hope and a future and we can look at the

00:30:53.029 --> 00:30:56.670
story of Joseph to Joseph who when he was young

00:30:56.670 --> 00:30:59.289
he was all right He was favored by his father

00:30:59.289 --> 00:31:01.549
on earth and his brothers were already jealous

00:31:01.549 --> 00:31:04.970
He already had ops because it was clear the favor

00:31:04.970 --> 00:31:07.089
over his life That's something someone needs

00:31:07.089 --> 00:31:09.769
to hear today when God's favor over your life

00:31:09.769 --> 00:31:12.339
is clear like things just always working out

00:31:12.339 --> 00:31:15.700
for you or God blesses you or it's just clear

00:31:15.700 --> 00:31:18.039
that God's hand is over your life. There's gonna

00:31:18.039 --> 00:31:20.980
be jealousy just from that. I've experienced

00:31:20.980 --> 00:31:22.460
this in my life. I've heard lots of people say

00:31:22.460 --> 00:31:24.400
that there are people who because they suffered

00:31:24.400 --> 00:31:25.920
they feel like everyone else needs to suffer

00:31:25.920 --> 00:31:28.160
in that way. Because they experienced a pain

00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:29.720
or hardship they feel like everyone else needs

00:31:29.720 --> 00:31:31.359
to experience that and when they don't see people

00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:33.559
experience that there's an envy and a jealousy.

00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:38.980
And again that's why God calls us not to be envious

00:31:38.980 --> 00:31:42.160
or jealous because When you're rooted in envy

00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:43.759
and jealousy, that's a great way for the devil

00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:45.779
to come in and start getting you to act in ways

00:31:45.779 --> 00:31:48.660
that you're not supposed to be acting. I think

00:31:48.660 --> 00:31:50.259
we can definitely pull this back to previous

00:31:50.259 --> 00:31:52.299
episodes where I say that these things are open

00:31:52.299 --> 00:31:54.259
doors for the devil. So when I tell you all to

00:31:54.259 --> 00:31:56.079
be forgiving, when I tell you all to let go of

00:31:56.079 --> 00:31:58.660
envy and jealousy and all these things, I'm telling

00:31:58.660 --> 00:32:01.960
you because like we see in the scripture just

00:32:01.960 --> 00:32:05.559
how much the devil will use it. Like it is literally

00:32:05.559 --> 00:32:08.819
a danger. Said in the last episode God doesn't

00:32:08.819 --> 00:32:10.859
call us not to do these things or to flee the

00:32:10.859 --> 00:32:12.640
sin because he doesn't want to have fun Or he

00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:16.200
wants to be superior Like he just wants to see

00:32:16.200 --> 00:32:21.460
us submit just for the heck of it He does it

00:32:21.460 --> 00:32:24.920
because he knows just how much leeway it actually

00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:32.420
gives the devil But we see that when Joseph receives

00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:35.500
Like when he receives a dream and God is showing

00:32:35.500 --> 00:32:37.220
him like his brother is bowing down before him

00:32:37.220 --> 00:32:40.400
overall God shows Joseph like I have a big plan

00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:42.900
for your life. You're gonna do some amazing things

00:32:42.900 --> 00:32:46.200
You're gonna be used in an amazing way by me

00:32:46.200 --> 00:32:48.880
Joseph gets excited and he wants he goes and

00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:51.119
tells his brothers. He thinks these people are

00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:54.200
gonna be supportive for him supportive of him

00:32:54.200 --> 00:32:57.019
How many times do we? go and tell our friends

00:32:57.019 --> 00:32:59.039
and our family something that we're planning

00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:00.619
for something that we believe God is going to

00:33:00.619 --> 00:33:02.519
do in our in our lives because we're so excited

00:33:02.519 --> 00:33:03.900
and we assume well since they're our friends

00:33:03.900 --> 00:33:06.000
or since they're our family they'll be supportive

00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:10.160
and instead you're met with envy jealousy doubtful

00:33:10.160 --> 00:33:14.720
words Joseph Joseph was met with more than that

00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:16.559
he goes and tells his brothers and his brothers

00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:20.200
in such envy and jealousy and hardened hearts

00:33:20.200 --> 00:33:24.670
at first plot to kill him Like at first that's

00:33:24.670 --> 00:33:26.049
what they're gonna do they're gonna just kill

00:33:26.049 --> 00:33:29.650
him like have him mauled like just kill him and

00:33:29.650 --> 00:33:31.930
Then they eventually settle on instead selling

00:33:31.930 --> 00:33:37.269
him into slavery And we can see that that is

00:33:37.269 --> 00:33:41.470
in their jealousy In their unforgiveness that

00:33:41.470 --> 00:33:44.289
they feel like their dad favored their earthly

00:33:44.289 --> 00:33:46.230
father favored him and already have jealousy

00:33:46.230 --> 00:33:50.529
towards him Let alone feeling now like God is

00:33:50.529 --> 00:33:54.799
also favoring him, too Instead of being used

00:33:54.799 --> 00:33:57.319
by God to, you know, help encourage him and help

00:33:57.319 --> 00:33:59.519
strengthen him, they're used by the enemy to

00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:03.339
try to delay and block him. At first that looks

00:34:03.339 --> 00:34:08.280
like just trying to end his life period. And

00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:10.820
then it moves on to slavery. Well, he can't be

00:34:10.820 --> 00:34:12.760
elevated or anything like that if he's in a pit,

00:34:13.019 --> 00:34:16.239
if he's a slave. He can't receive good care from

00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:17.659
the father or anything like that if he's not

00:34:17.659 --> 00:34:20.260
around the father. And they're envious in their

00:34:20.260 --> 00:34:23.829
jealousy. They were used by the enemy to try

00:34:23.829 --> 00:34:26.710
to stop God's will, to try to stop someone from

00:34:26.710 --> 00:34:28.989
stepping into their calling. But we see that

00:34:28.989 --> 00:34:32.809
God used that. That's where we're getting back

00:34:32.809 --> 00:34:36.289
to is God uses all things for your good. The

00:34:36.289 --> 00:34:38.329
enemy can do all of these things that looks like

00:34:38.329 --> 00:34:40.349
there's no way God can use it and God will still

00:34:40.349 --> 00:34:44.210
use it. This is what happens. Joseph is in slavery.

00:34:45.050 --> 00:34:47.750
He's in Potiphar's house and Potiphar is blessed

00:34:47.750 --> 00:34:52.519
because he's there. So God is still even though

00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:54.800
he is going through this suffering as a slave

00:34:54.800 --> 00:34:56.860
which looks like an injustice and God is still

00:34:56.860 --> 00:34:59.820
blessing him it's still clear that God is with

00:34:59.820 --> 00:35:05.139
him and loves him and Then we see another form

00:35:05.139 --> 00:35:10.019
of opposition When you try to do things God's

00:35:10.019 --> 00:35:13.000
way when you when you reject the ways of the

00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:15.219
world when you refuse to conform Warfare is gonna

00:35:15.219 --> 00:35:19.519
hit in that way, too. It doesn't get easier when

00:35:19.519 --> 00:35:21.739
you turn from evil and do good, oftentimes the

00:35:21.739 --> 00:35:23.780
spiritual warfare cranks up and we see that with

00:35:23.780 --> 00:35:26.099
Potiphar's wife, right? Potiphar's wife tries

00:35:26.099 --> 00:35:28.900
to seduce Joseph, tries to get him to fall into

00:35:28.900 --> 00:35:32.280
fornication, adultery, sins. And when Joseph

00:35:32.280 --> 00:35:34.780
is like, no, I'm good, I'm good. What does Potiphar's

00:35:34.780 --> 00:35:36.739
wife do? She falsely accuses him and says, well,

00:35:36.739 --> 00:35:41.159
he did it anyway, but he tried to do it. And

00:35:41.159 --> 00:35:45.039
he goes to jail and he's in jail for a minute,

00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:49.389
like years. And he's still in there doing God's

00:35:49.389 --> 00:35:52.670
work. He's still in there interpreting dreams.

00:35:53.190 --> 00:35:55.789
He's even being blessed while he's in the jail.

00:35:56.909 --> 00:36:01.409
You see how the devil will, the opposition will

00:36:01.409 --> 00:36:03.329
put you in these places of suffering and God's

00:36:03.329 --> 00:36:07.570
hand will still shine through. Even when Joseph

00:36:07.570 --> 00:36:09.570
was in jail, it was still clear that God favored

00:36:09.570 --> 00:36:12.389
him. He was still getting blessed in that situation.

00:36:14.489 --> 00:36:18.099
And one day, in God's timing, Someone remembered

00:36:18.099 --> 00:36:21.420
Joseph who can interpret dreams told Pharaoh

00:36:21.420 --> 00:36:30.480
Told the leader And when when Joseph went before

00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:33.320
him and interpreted that dream it was clear that

00:36:33.320 --> 00:36:37.940
God was with him and He received that position

00:36:37.940 --> 00:36:40.239
where his brothers were then bowing down to him

00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:43.219
and everything like that and we see that Joseph

00:36:43.289 --> 00:36:45.289
in that high position had the opportunity to

00:36:45.289 --> 00:36:47.610
act the same way his brothers did but he did

00:36:47.610 --> 00:36:51.070
not he chose love and forgiveness and even later

00:36:51.070 --> 00:36:53.349
on we see that the brothers refused to believe

00:36:53.349 --> 00:36:55.650
that he could be forgiving they were like nah

00:36:55.650 --> 00:37:02.550
nah he has some hidden animosity we see that

00:37:02.550 --> 00:37:05.889
god will use the opposition and the warfare and

00:37:05.889 --> 00:37:08.750
the attempts for the enemy to block you for your

00:37:08.750 --> 00:37:10.730
good and he'll actually be the stepping stone

00:37:10.730 --> 00:37:14.530
think of psalm 90 think of psalm 23 someone needs

00:37:14.530 --> 00:37:16.510
to hear that today because that really got me

00:37:16.510 --> 00:37:19.929
through you anoint my head with oil my cup overflows

00:37:19.929 --> 00:37:21.449
indeed goodness and mercy will pursue me all

00:37:21.449 --> 00:37:22.889
the days of my life i'll dwell in the house of

00:37:22.889 --> 00:37:25.030
the lord for endless days amen right but before

00:37:25.030 --> 00:37:27.289
that it says you prepare a table before me in

00:37:27.289 --> 00:37:31.769
front of my enemies someone needs to hear this

00:37:31.769 --> 00:37:34.510
today that god will literally use the work of

00:37:34.510 --> 00:37:38.250
the enemy as your footstool to elevate you when

00:37:38.250 --> 00:37:43.800
you trust in his will over yours So these two

00:37:43.800 --> 00:37:46.579
first steps are really important because these

00:37:46.579 --> 00:37:49.480
first two steps are going to lead to you surrendering

00:37:49.480 --> 00:37:52.400
and submitting to God, right? Because in order

00:37:52.400 --> 00:37:55.619
to submit your will to God and trust in His ways,

00:37:55.679 --> 00:37:58.260
you have to trust in His ability first, right?

00:37:58.599 --> 00:38:00.599
You have to trust in His ability to plan for

00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:02.440
everything. You have to trust in His ability

00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:04.420
to use everything for your good. And that's what

00:38:04.420 --> 00:38:09.230
I'm giving you right now. The scriptures I'm

00:38:09.230 --> 00:38:11.289
giving you right now the evidence I'm giving

00:38:11.289 --> 00:38:14.190
you right now is that God already knows everything

00:38:14.190 --> 00:38:16.269
that could happen everything that's being thought

00:38:16.269 --> 00:38:18.309
out God already knows what you're gonna do what

00:38:18.309 --> 00:38:20.329
they're gonna do. God has planned for all of

00:38:20.329 --> 00:38:22.630
it God knows what's gonna happen 15 years from

00:38:22.630 --> 00:38:30.550
now And God is also able to use anything warfare

00:38:30.550 --> 00:38:33.349
anything opposition for your good God is able

00:38:33.349 --> 00:38:40.320
to flip it like that And knowing these things

00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:42.619
changes the way that you perceive your situation

00:38:42.619 --> 00:38:44.539
You're able to start operating out of a space

00:38:44.539 --> 00:38:46.559
of victory, right? You're able to start seeing

00:38:46.559 --> 00:38:50.179
that I'm on the winning team When I'm submitted

00:38:50.179 --> 00:38:52.619
to Jesus and I have my faith in Jesus because

00:38:52.619 --> 00:38:55.460
Jesus Christ secured victory when he went to

00:38:55.460 --> 00:38:58.599
the cross, right? So now you're able to step

00:38:58.599 --> 00:39:01.360
a bit more into the authority And that goes on

00:39:01.360 --> 00:39:03.699
to our third point that I have written down is

00:39:03.699 --> 00:39:05.820
surrender your understanding and your desires

00:39:05.820 --> 00:39:08.559
to God Submitting to his plan and his methods

00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:10.460
because y 'all when you're faced with all this

00:39:10.460 --> 00:39:13.679
opposition There's usually a lot of things you

00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:15.840
want to do at verse aren't Christ like usually

00:39:15.840 --> 00:39:18.039
you want to pop off You want to yell you want

00:39:18.039 --> 00:39:19.599
to scream you want to fight you want to defend

00:39:19.599 --> 00:39:21.820
yourself You want to make this person look bad

00:39:21.820 --> 00:39:24.000
You want to expose this you want to go out of

00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:25.739
your way and do this and solve this and you want

00:39:25.739 --> 00:39:30.570
to lean on your own understanding But when you

00:39:30.570 --> 00:39:33.389
trust in God and his ability It's a bit easier

00:39:33.389 --> 00:39:35.570
to start trusting on what he's calling you to

00:39:35.570 --> 00:39:37.929
do, right? And I want to quote to you This is

00:39:37.929 --> 00:39:39.809
one of my favorite Bible verses ever which is

00:39:39.809 --> 00:39:43.269
Proverbs 3 verses 5 to 6 Trust in the Lord with

00:39:43.269 --> 00:39:45.949
all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

00:39:45.949 --> 00:39:49.190
and all your ways acknowledge him and he will

00:39:49.190 --> 00:39:53.150
make straight your paths So we know that we are

00:39:53.150 --> 00:39:56.610
supposed to put all of our faith in the Lord

00:39:56.610 --> 00:39:59.929
Put all of our trust in him You know when you

00:39:59.929 --> 00:40:02.409
when you are in this situation that's the moment

00:40:02.409 --> 00:40:04.769
to not trust yourself and your thoughts and your

00:40:04.769 --> 00:40:07.190
feelings and your emotions but to instead trust

00:40:07.190 --> 00:40:10.769
in God and what he says and we're told that when

00:40:10.769 --> 00:40:14.349
you do that when you put your trust in him and

00:40:14.349 --> 00:40:16.489
you do not lean on your own understanding you

00:40:16.489 --> 00:40:18.329
don't lean on your own thoughts you don't lean

00:40:18.329 --> 00:40:21.769
on your own methods and You acknowledge him in

00:40:21.769 --> 00:40:24.710
all your ways Meaning like you're the things

00:40:24.710 --> 00:40:26.250
that you're doing the steps that you're taking

00:40:26.250 --> 00:40:29.889
you're trying to do things that glorify him That

00:40:29.889 --> 00:40:32.630
elevate him not elevate you that elevate him

00:40:32.630 --> 00:40:36.469
We can see that through loving one another showing

00:40:36.469 --> 00:40:38.809
people the love of Jesus in circumstances where

00:40:38.809 --> 00:40:41.269
it makes no sense That's something that glorifies

00:40:41.269 --> 00:40:46.530
you. That's the thing that glorifies God You

00:40:46.530 --> 00:40:49.590
know, we're supposed to do these good works and

00:40:49.590 --> 00:40:53.909
hopes that People will see it and be able to

00:40:53.909 --> 00:41:00.150
see God in it Right, you do these works so that

00:41:00.150 --> 00:41:02.170
others may see and glorify your father who is

00:41:02.170 --> 00:41:04.489
in heaven But the good things that you're doing

00:41:04.489 --> 00:41:06.130
that the loving ways that you're responding all

00:41:06.130 --> 00:41:07.670
these things aren't meant to make you look like

00:41:07.670 --> 00:41:09.869
the good guy Or you look like the good person

00:41:09.869 --> 00:41:12.369
that's meant to show Jesus Because the thing

00:41:12.369 --> 00:41:13.889
that is different between you and these other

00:41:13.889 --> 00:41:17.050
people is you know the love of Jesus It's not

00:41:17.050 --> 00:41:18.789
supposed to glorify you or elevate you. It's

00:41:18.789 --> 00:41:26.630
supposed to glorify God So in all your ways acknowledge

00:41:26.630 --> 00:41:29.800
him Meaning acknowledge his word acknowledge

00:41:29.800 --> 00:41:32.599
what he says to do in all your ways try to live

00:41:32.599 --> 00:41:37.420
submitted to him And he will make straight your

00:41:37.420 --> 00:41:41.840
paths I Mean this opposition that you're facing

00:41:41.840 --> 00:41:45.920
will be cleared out in a way The this current

00:41:45.920 --> 00:41:47.440
thing that you're facing where it's like I have

00:41:47.440 --> 00:41:49.320
no idea how I'm gonna navigate this I have no

00:41:49.320 --> 00:41:50.960
idea how I'm gonna get out of this I have no

00:41:50.960 --> 00:41:52.960
idea how I'm gonna move through this when you

00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:55.460
in all your ways acknowledge him and lean not

00:41:55.460 --> 00:41:57.099
on your own understanding, he is going to be

00:41:57.099 --> 00:41:59.400
able to straighten out that path. He is going

00:41:59.400 --> 00:42:02.300
to be able to show you the way. He is going to

00:42:02.300 --> 00:42:09.519
be able to clear out the chaos. So surrender

00:42:09.519 --> 00:42:12.019
your own understanding, your own methods to God.

00:42:12.079 --> 00:42:14.380
In the past, maybe you thought crashing out and

00:42:14.380 --> 00:42:16.360
popping off was the best way, but you know that

00:42:16.360 --> 00:42:19.019
that's not what God's Word says to do. It's not.

00:42:19.960 --> 00:42:22.639
You know that gossiping back and lying back and

00:42:22.639 --> 00:42:24.699
slandering back and trying to secure revenge

00:42:24.699 --> 00:42:26.539
Isn't what you're supposed to do because the

00:42:26.539 --> 00:42:30.019
vengeance is the Lord's We're supposed to forgive

00:42:30.019 --> 00:42:33.019
or go those people to God and trust in his divine

00:42:33.019 --> 00:42:39.400
justice You know when you read the Bible what

00:42:39.400 --> 00:42:43.440
God's Word says to do and It's submitting to

00:42:43.440 --> 00:42:47.070
that over what you your flesh desires to do Okay,

00:42:47.469 --> 00:42:49.550
that is the next step because I know for me when

00:42:49.550 --> 00:42:52.429
It was really hard when I had all these lies

00:42:52.429 --> 00:42:53.949
and all this gossip and all this slander and

00:42:53.949 --> 00:42:55.489
all I wanted to do was like get on social media

00:42:55.489 --> 00:42:57.369
and be like Hey, this is actually what happened.

00:42:57.610 --> 00:42:59.670
Hey, this is actually the truth. Hey, this is

00:42:59.670 --> 00:43:02.150
actually why I'm moving this way This is actually

00:43:02.150 --> 00:43:06.369
what's going on I Cannot tell y 'all how many

00:43:06.369 --> 00:43:09.269
times God told me to wait on him that he would

00:43:09.269 --> 00:43:11.969
expose the truth that the way that I live My

00:43:11.969 --> 00:43:14.329
life would speak for itself that I don't have

00:43:14.329 --> 00:43:18.710
to do these things to trust in Him. And although

00:43:18.710 --> 00:43:20.590
that went against what my flesh wanted to do,

00:43:20.889 --> 00:43:23.789
I trusted in God's Word. I saw how many times

00:43:23.789 --> 00:43:27.789
He had done that. I knew He was more than able,

00:43:27.789 --> 00:43:30.530
and I had to trust that He was going to be willing

00:43:30.530 --> 00:43:33.070
to do that for me too. Now we're moving on to

00:43:33.070 --> 00:43:35.949
the next step here, which is take things to God

00:43:35.949 --> 00:43:40.429
in prayer. Ask Him what to do. Give the situation

00:43:40.429 --> 00:43:47.969
to Him. And that is led into with relying not

00:43:47.969 --> 00:43:50.690
on our own understanding, right? When we are

00:43:50.690 --> 00:43:54.030
faced with a situation, big or small, we are

00:43:54.030 --> 00:43:56.449
supposed to go to God and ask him, what do we

00:43:56.449 --> 00:43:59.610
do here? What do I do here? That traces back

00:43:59.610 --> 00:44:01.730
to leaning not on our own understanding. When

00:44:01.730 --> 00:44:03.630
we're faced with a situation, it's really easy

00:44:03.630 --> 00:44:05.329
for us to say, okay, this is how I want to handle

00:44:05.329 --> 00:44:07.449
it. And this is why think is going on. This is

00:44:07.449 --> 00:44:10.070
why think is the best method. But what we're

00:44:10.070 --> 00:44:11.869
supposed to do is actually take it to God in

00:44:11.869 --> 00:44:15.329
prayer and say God this is the situation And

00:44:15.329 --> 00:44:17.489
we're not explaining the situation him because

00:44:17.489 --> 00:44:20.650
he doesn't know he already knows But he wants

00:44:20.650 --> 00:44:22.750
us to take it to him anyway, right? So we're

00:44:22.750 --> 00:44:25.070
going him and saying God this is what I'm facing

00:44:25.070 --> 00:44:28.570
This is what I'm feeling and like this is what

00:44:28.570 --> 00:44:33.829
I want to do This is my plan But what we're supposed

00:44:33.829 --> 00:44:37.789
to do next is ask God is this your will? Is this

00:44:37.789 --> 00:44:43.519
your plan? I know what I want, but what do you

00:44:43.519 --> 00:44:47.440
want? What are you telling me to do? What are

00:44:47.440 --> 00:44:49.059
you guiding me to do? And now it is so important

00:44:49.059 --> 00:44:51.599
to understand that God will not contradict His

00:44:51.599 --> 00:44:57.400
own word. And we've talked earlier about silencing

00:44:57.400 --> 00:44:58.860
the voices that are not the Father, not the Son,

00:44:58.880 --> 00:45:01.440
not the Holy Spirit. The devil masquerades as

00:45:01.440 --> 00:45:04.590
an angel of light. And he will at times try to

00:45:04.590 --> 00:45:06.590
tell you to do things and give you advice that

00:45:06.590 --> 00:45:08.670
sounds good to the ears But that's why it's so

00:45:08.670 --> 00:45:10.309
important that you know scripture You know the

00:45:10.309 --> 00:45:12.750
Word of God because you're able to hold up what

00:45:12.750 --> 00:45:14.889
the devil is whispering to you and say that goes

00:45:14.889 --> 00:45:17.710
against God's Word That goes against God's character.

00:45:17.889 --> 00:45:19.929
We see that that's what happened with Jesus when

00:45:19.929 --> 00:45:21.849
he was in the wilderness, right? When he was

00:45:21.849 --> 00:45:24.670
fasting and the enemy the devil came to him trying

00:45:24.670 --> 00:45:27.750
to tempt him And the devil was quoting scripture,

00:45:27.750 --> 00:45:30.329
but taking it out of context and twisting it

00:45:31.130 --> 00:45:33.409
Trying to get Jesus to be like, okay. Yeah, that's

00:45:33.409 --> 00:45:36.730
a biblical but because Jesus not only knew the

00:45:36.730 --> 00:45:41.170
Word of God But had a relationship that's why

00:45:41.170 --> 00:45:42.869
I said in the last episode you cannot follow

00:45:42.869 --> 00:45:45.150
Jesus if you don't have a relationship with him

00:45:45.150 --> 00:45:48.530
It's one thing to know the Word of God It's another

00:45:48.530 --> 00:45:53.690
to experience God to experience Jesus and have

00:45:53.690 --> 00:46:01.130
a relationship with him But because Jesus knew

00:46:01.130 --> 00:46:05.329
the Father because Jesus was led by the Spirit

00:46:05.329 --> 00:46:09.889
because He knew God's Word those those go hand

00:46:09.889 --> 00:46:12.349
-in -hand that he knew scripture he was able

00:46:12.349 --> 00:46:15.590
very quickly to rebuke Satan and say You know

00:46:15.590 --> 00:46:17.849
thou shall not put the Lord your God to the test

00:46:17.849 --> 00:46:20.349
Thou shall not like worship anyone other than

00:46:20.349 --> 00:46:22.150
the Father like he was able to very quickly be

00:46:22.150 --> 00:46:26.829
like nah I see right through this Someone needs

00:46:26.829 --> 00:46:29.030
to hear today that prayer isn't just asking God

00:46:29.030 --> 00:46:31.150
for things. It's also sitting and listening prayer

00:46:31.150 --> 00:46:33.550
We a lot of us look at prayer as like asking

00:46:33.550 --> 00:46:35.590
God for things and that's just like our request

00:46:35.590 --> 00:46:37.610
and we move on with our day Prayer is actually

00:46:37.610 --> 00:46:39.289
a communication. That's like your phone call

00:46:39.289 --> 00:46:43.469
And sometimes you don't always hear back like

00:46:43.469 --> 00:46:46.690
within 30 seconds Sometimes you eat it's sitting

00:46:46.690 --> 00:46:50.409
there for 10 minutes for 20 minutes just in God's

00:46:50.409 --> 00:46:52.710
presence Just being open to hearing what he has

00:46:52.710 --> 00:46:55.650
to say God speaks to us in a lot of different

00:46:55.650 --> 00:46:57.670
ways for me. He often speaks to me through my

00:46:57.670 --> 00:47:00.590
scripture time through Bible reading Intentional

00:47:00.590 --> 00:47:02.449
alone time with God building your relationship

00:47:02.449 --> 00:47:06.630
with him It's so important the big and small

00:47:06.630 --> 00:47:08.090
things even when you feel like you know what

00:47:08.090 --> 00:47:10.070
to do Take it to him in prayer. Anyway, because

00:47:10.070 --> 00:47:11.650
sometimes his answer is a lot different than

00:47:11.650 --> 00:47:16.750
what you're expecting Remember he uses our situations

00:47:16.750 --> 00:47:19.550
and opposition in ways that we could never imagine

00:47:19.550 --> 00:47:21.929
He could use it to glorify him and to further

00:47:21.929 --> 00:47:25.989
his kingdom We think very close -minded compared

00:47:25.989 --> 00:47:28.949
to God the most creative person in the world

00:47:28.949 --> 00:47:38.590
Doesn't even come near God's creativity Now I

00:47:38.590 --> 00:47:41.670
want to read a little bit of Matthew to you and

00:47:41.670 --> 00:47:44.929
it's Matthew chapter 7 starting in verse 7 ask

00:47:44.929 --> 00:47:47.519
and it will be given to you seek and you will

00:47:47.519 --> 00:47:50.280
find knock and the door will be open to you for

00:47:50.280 --> 00:47:53.840
everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks

00:47:53.840 --> 00:47:56.619
finds to the one who knocks the door will be

00:47:56.619 --> 00:47:59.739
opened who among you if his son asks him for

00:47:59.739 --> 00:48:03.679
bread would give him a stone or if he asks for

00:48:03.679 --> 00:48:07.139
a fish will give him a snake if you then who

00:48:07.139 --> 00:48:09.599
are evil know how to give good gifts to your

00:48:09.599 --> 00:48:12.119
children how much more will your father in heaven

00:48:12.119 --> 00:48:16.630
give good things to those who ask him Here's

00:48:16.630 --> 00:48:20.309
the next thing you need to trust that when you

00:48:20.309 --> 00:48:23.989
go to God in prayer and ask him like When you

00:48:23.989 --> 00:48:25.849
when you are truly opening your heart and saying

00:48:25.849 --> 00:48:29.590
God I want to know your will What do you want

00:48:29.590 --> 00:48:31.889
me to do? Even if it is different from what I

00:48:31.889 --> 00:48:35.610
want to do show me the way show me the truth

00:48:35.610 --> 00:48:38.909
You have to trust that he's gonna answer that

00:48:38.909 --> 00:48:44.250
prayer Ask and you will receive seek and you

00:48:44.250 --> 00:48:48.820
will find He wants us, God wants us to come to

00:48:48.820 --> 00:48:51.599
Him for guidance and direction. He wants us to

00:48:51.599 --> 00:48:56.360
submit our ways to Him and to obey Him. You have

00:48:56.360 --> 00:48:58.059
to trust that when you come to Him, He's actually

00:48:58.059 --> 00:48:59.679
going to show you. He's actually going to reveal

00:48:59.679 --> 00:49:01.880
things to you. He's actually going to speak to

00:49:01.880 --> 00:49:04.719
you. But if you need to know, He's going to make

00:49:04.719 --> 00:49:13.360
sure you know. You know, you can't go into the

00:49:13.360 --> 00:49:15.119
prayer with him with like a closed off heart

00:49:15.119 --> 00:49:17.340
or saying well I'll go and ask God but I already

00:49:17.340 --> 00:49:19.079
know what I want to do and what I'm gonna do

00:49:19.079 --> 00:49:21.139
and the only way I'll change my mind is if he

00:49:21.139 --> 00:49:24.039
does ABCDEFG. That's not you submitted or surrendered.

00:49:24.659 --> 00:49:28.800
It's not. Going to God in prayer is literally

00:49:28.800 --> 00:49:32.059
forego - you're giving up your will in the sense

00:49:32.059 --> 00:49:34.380
of saying I know what I want to do and I know

00:49:34.380 --> 00:49:37.019
what my mind says. But that might not be the

00:49:37.019 --> 00:49:41.699
way. So God, I'm asking you to show me the way.

00:49:42.840 --> 00:49:46.340
I remember there was a time when I was leaving

00:49:46.340 --> 00:49:48.980
New Age and I was going through a weird transition

00:49:48.980 --> 00:49:50.780
where I was still a tarot card reader for money,

00:49:50.800 --> 00:49:53.380
but I had started reading scripture and I'd started

00:49:53.380 --> 00:49:55.960
feeling convicted. And it was right coming up

00:49:55.960 --> 00:49:57.980
on the end when I stopped doing it completely.

00:49:58.380 --> 00:50:00.840
And I went through a time where it was like every

00:50:00.840 --> 00:50:03.039
time I got online, I did a live stream every

00:50:03.039 --> 00:50:04.460
day and there were people on there that I could

00:50:04.460 --> 00:50:07.670
tell were making fun of me. that like they would

00:50:07.670 --> 00:50:09.829
be nice surface level but they were saying like

00:50:09.829 --> 00:50:12.329
a lot of gaslighting things to me and they were

00:50:12.329 --> 00:50:14.030
saying a lot of provoking things to me and they're

00:50:14.030 --> 00:50:16.250
asking me questions to purposely provoke me and

00:50:16.250 --> 00:50:19.449
to like entrap me like it was a weird dynamic

00:50:19.449 --> 00:50:21.869
and it was a weird situation and I remember when

00:50:21.869 --> 00:50:25.489
I was first submitting to God of like how do

00:50:25.489 --> 00:50:27.730
I handle these people because I know what they're

00:50:27.730 --> 00:50:29.670
doing and I don't think they realized I know

00:50:29.670 --> 00:50:32.530
and there was a real thing for me for a long

00:50:32.530 --> 00:50:34.469
time y 'all where I did not like people thinking

00:50:34.469 --> 00:50:37.380
I was stupid Wanted people to know I knew what

00:50:37.380 --> 00:50:39.579
was up. I wanted people to know I knew what was

00:50:39.579 --> 00:50:41.579
going on I wanted people know they weren't pulling

00:50:41.579 --> 00:50:46.219
a fast one on me And I wanted to like myself

00:50:46.219 --> 00:50:48.119
twist things on them. I didn't want to wait on

00:50:48.119 --> 00:50:50.780
God to use it for my good I wanted to just be

00:50:50.780 --> 00:50:54.260
able to twist it and I at first before I gave

00:50:54.260 --> 00:50:57.420
my life to Jesus that was how I Would handle

00:50:57.420 --> 00:51:00.119
things then when I started submitting my will

00:51:00.119 --> 00:51:03.279
to God. I was like God. How do you want? Like

00:51:03.279 --> 00:51:05.559
I know what I want to do and what I want to do

00:51:05.559 --> 00:51:10.739
is pretty quick and direct into the point But

00:51:10.739 --> 00:51:13.719
I felt God tell me that's not what I want you

00:51:13.719 --> 00:51:16.579
to do Actually, what I want you to do is I want

00:51:16.579 --> 00:51:18.500
you to treat them with love and I want you to

00:51:18.500 --> 00:51:22.079
warn them I Want you to warn them of what they're

00:51:22.079 --> 00:51:24.440
doing. I want you to warn them that what they're

00:51:24.440 --> 00:51:26.739
doing is wicked I want you to warn them that

00:51:26.739 --> 00:51:29.539
they are listening to deception Want you to warn

00:51:29.539 --> 00:51:31.519
them that they are going down a path that they

00:51:31.519 --> 00:51:33.820
are not supposed to be going down and for a little

00:51:33.820 --> 00:51:35.940
while that was what I was doing consistently

00:51:35.940 --> 00:51:40.300
in a loving space and In the way that I felt

00:51:40.300 --> 00:51:42.480
God was leading me to I was warning them of like

00:51:42.480 --> 00:51:44.860
you're listening to lies if you're listening

00:51:44.860 --> 00:51:48.820
to deceit But I there was a preaching of repentance

00:51:48.820 --> 00:51:51.199
that God was calling me to have but you can still

00:51:51.199 --> 00:51:53.960
turn it around You can still choose not to believe

00:51:53.960 --> 00:51:55.659
in this you can still choose not to put your

00:51:55.659 --> 00:51:59.280
faith in this you today Can humble yourself?

00:52:00.300 --> 00:52:02.699
Like you today can pray that God gives you humility

00:52:02.699 --> 00:52:05.920
you today can separate from that group Just because

00:52:05.920 --> 00:52:07.760
you've gone down this path for so long doesn't

00:52:07.760 --> 00:52:09.940
mean you need to continue to go down this path

00:52:09.940 --> 00:52:17.079
God called me to Speak about wickedness but also

00:52:17.079 --> 00:52:20.559
encourage repentance and Went through a period

00:52:20.559 --> 00:52:22.179
like that and I wasn't seeing any shifts and

00:52:22.179 --> 00:52:24.519
I wasn't seeing any changes you know if anything

00:52:24.519 --> 00:52:26.199
it looked like it was actually elevating i was

00:52:26.199 --> 00:52:29.739
getting made fun of more um i've talked about

00:52:29.739 --> 00:52:32.480
before suffering on the behalf of price i was

00:52:32.480 --> 00:52:34.340
actually getting made fun of more like ha ha

00:52:34.340 --> 00:52:35.980
she's telling us to like rip and she's telling

00:52:35.980 --> 00:52:39.639
that and actually in ways it was being twisted

00:52:39.639 --> 00:52:42.199
and i was like god now i'm being mocked even

00:52:42.199 --> 00:52:46.019
more now i look even weaker now i look even like

00:52:46.019 --> 00:52:50.289
now the lies are spreading like god like I don't

00:52:50.289 --> 00:52:52.429
see how this is going to be used for my good.

00:52:52.449 --> 00:52:55.989
I feel like I'm just suffering more. And then

00:52:55.989 --> 00:52:58.030
there was one day where I had a breakdown. I

00:52:58.030 --> 00:53:00.690
was like, God, I can't continue to do this. Like,

00:53:00.809 --> 00:53:02.469
you keep telling me to do this, but they're not

00:53:02.469 --> 00:53:05.489
repenting. Like, their hearts are hardened. It's

00:53:05.489 --> 00:53:07.530
continuing. And I felt like I was casting my

00:53:07.530 --> 00:53:10.170
pearls before a swine. And, you know, he showed

00:53:10.170 --> 00:53:12.650
me that you warn a divisive person once, twice,

00:53:12.650 --> 00:53:14.630
three times, and then like, you got to go your

00:53:14.630 --> 00:53:17.369
separate way. And I felt the Lord call me to

00:53:17.659 --> 00:53:21.840
remove those people like block them like and

00:53:21.840 --> 00:53:24.860
um when i did i actually received y 'all like

00:53:24.860 --> 00:53:27.780
a lot of private messages that were like very

00:53:27.780 --> 00:53:30.440
gaslighting where it was like i don't know what

00:53:30.440 --> 00:53:33.820
i did wrong like why would you blah like trying

00:53:33.820 --> 00:53:35.780
to you know it was like kind of like a final

00:53:35.780 --> 00:53:38.519
attempt when i look back at it to get me to explain

00:53:38.519 --> 00:53:42.789
myself And another opportunity to twist my words.

00:53:43.190 --> 00:53:46.110
And I wanted to respond so badly. And I remember

00:53:46.110 --> 00:53:48.110
praying to God where I'm like, wouldn't the loving

00:53:48.110 --> 00:53:50.750
thing to do be to respond? Wouldn't the loving

00:53:50.750 --> 00:53:53.530
thing to do to be like, explain myself again?

00:53:53.909 --> 00:53:55.969
And the Lord revealed to me, you have warned

00:53:55.969 --> 00:53:58.869
so many times. You have explained so many times.

00:53:59.329 --> 00:54:01.809
And I'm giving you a warning right now that like,

00:54:01.929 --> 00:54:04.210
if you entertain these conversations, it's going

00:54:04.210 --> 00:54:08.699
to be twisted. and He would be disobeying me

00:54:08.699 --> 00:54:14.179
by responding. And it went against every inch

00:54:14.179 --> 00:54:19.480
of my flesh and I just had to ignore those messages

00:54:19.480 --> 00:54:21.539
and let them sit and be used however they were

00:54:21.539 --> 00:54:24.940
going to be used and trust in God's timing. He

00:54:24.940 --> 00:54:29.099
would move in that situation and He has. He has.

00:54:30.119 --> 00:54:35.340
But sometimes God is going to call you Like a

00:54:35.340 --> 00:54:37.119
lot of things he's gonna call you to do and the

00:54:37.119 --> 00:54:39.400
ways he's gonna call you to respond are way above

00:54:39.400 --> 00:54:41.739
your pay grade of like Understanding because

00:54:41.739 --> 00:54:43.820
I could not understand why God was having me

00:54:43.820 --> 00:54:46.239
worn why God was having me encourage repentance

00:54:46.239 --> 00:54:49.019
Why God wasn't letting me just block and move

00:54:49.019 --> 00:54:51.519
on with my life I had to like for a period minister

00:54:51.519 --> 00:54:54.000
to those people and then it was like a flip where

00:54:54.000 --> 00:54:55.780
he was like, it's clear They're not repenting

00:54:55.780 --> 00:54:57.800
and it's clear that the hearts are hardened and

00:54:57.800 --> 00:55:00.059
it's time for you Your mental health is like

00:55:00.059 --> 00:55:02.559
taking a big hit at this point and you're also

00:55:02.559 --> 00:55:05.909
my child and I also love you Tune this out. We're

00:55:05.909 --> 00:55:07.650
not dealing with this anymore. And then it was

00:55:07.650 --> 00:55:11.730
like almost immediately after I I fully gave

00:55:11.730 --> 00:55:14.110
my life to Jesus gave up new age and gave up

00:55:14.110 --> 00:55:21.070
tarot card reading as a whole God moved in that

00:55:21.070 --> 00:55:23.690
situation, but I had to trust his ways were above

00:55:23.690 --> 00:55:28.349
my ways I had to trust and the things that he

00:55:28.349 --> 00:55:30.489
was warning of me about that I could not yet

00:55:30.489 --> 00:55:33.170
see and that's a little bit further down on our

00:55:33.170 --> 00:55:37.699
list, but actually feel like that is what I'm

00:55:37.699 --> 00:55:41.820
being guided to talk about next and We see this

00:55:41.820 --> 00:55:44.179
actually and I believe it's the book of Matthew

00:55:44.179 --> 00:55:46.760
and the first couple chapters chapter 2 where

00:55:46.760 --> 00:55:51.000
Jesus is being born and You have to walk by faith

00:55:51.000 --> 00:55:53.059
and not by sight and the thing about taking things

00:55:53.059 --> 00:55:56.219
to God in prayer is You also have to be willing

00:55:56.219 --> 00:55:59.059
to take his word as truth and submit to what

00:55:59.059 --> 00:56:01.400
he says even if it doesn't look like your surroundings

00:56:01.400 --> 00:56:05.989
And we see that with when Jesus was born, right?

00:56:06.949 --> 00:56:10.429
We see that with the wise men. And the wise men

00:56:10.429 --> 00:56:12.849
are going to pay homage to Jesus, to glorify

00:56:12.849 --> 00:56:16.929
him. And we see the king, that's a wolf in sheep's

00:56:16.929 --> 00:56:19.869
clothing. He's smiling and he's acting like he

00:56:19.869 --> 00:56:22.329
has good intent, but he doesn't have good intent.

00:56:22.650 --> 00:56:24.630
And what I've actually learned is if you historically

00:56:24.630 --> 00:56:27.170
look at him, he doesn't have a history of being

00:56:27.170 --> 00:56:31.150
a good dude. From my understanding, the king...

00:56:31.449 --> 00:56:33.590
in the situation he actually had a history of

00:56:33.590 --> 00:56:36.829
like attacking people and offing people like

00:56:36.829 --> 00:56:40.690
if you look at his track record he doesn't come

00:56:40.690 --> 00:56:43.789
from a loving or empathetic space he has a history

00:56:43.789 --> 00:56:46.789
of executing his will like me over other people

00:56:46.789 --> 00:56:49.469
like if you look at his life history it's pretty

00:56:49.469 --> 00:56:51.989
clear that he's not like submitted to God or

00:56:51.989 --> 00:56:54.110
handling things in a loving or empathetic way

00:56:54.110 --> 00:56:56.570
like there is an alternate agenda and a lot of

00:56:56.570 --> 00:57:00.349
the things he does he has a pattern of that But

00:57:00.349 --> 00:57:03.730
he still tries to present himself as a good intent

00:57:03.730 --> 00:57:06.010
in telling these wise men like hey when you find

00:57:06.010 --> 00:57:09.210
The child come let me know where he's at giving

00:57:09.210 --> 00:57:12.489
me this information So that way I too can go

00:57:12.489 --> 00:57:14.630
and worship him. He's like when y 'all figure

00:57:14.630 --> 00:57:17.289
it out I want you to come and report back That

00:57:17.289 --> 00:57:19.150
was him like kind of been listening you hear

00:57:19.150 --> 00:57:23.010
people say like monitoring flying monkeys You

00:57:23.010 --> 00:57:25.949
know that that was the king trying to create

00:57:25.949 --> 00:57:28.690
some flying monkeys that that was him trying

00:57:28.690 --> 00:57:31.619
to Get these guys to go out and do the dirty

00:57:31.619 --> 00:57:33.619
work to collect the information to do all that

00:57:33.619 --> 00:57:36.239
and come report it back to him and we know it

00:57:36.239 --> 00:57:38.940
wasn't With the intent of actually going and

00:57:38.940 --> 00:57:41.760
worshipping Jesus and like helping him and doing

00:57:41.760 --> 00:57:45.699
all these things It was actually to harm him

00:57:45.699 --> 00:57:49.159
But he knew that if he was very clear with that

00:57:49.159 --> 00:57:51.059
intent the wise men probably weren't gonna come

00:57:51.059 --> 00:57:53.980
back and report back So he just said yeah, I

00:57:53.980 --> 00:57:58.760
want this information to do good And this ladies

00:57:58.760 --> 00:58:02.039
and gentlemen Is why discernment is so important

00:58:02.039 --> 00:58:07.000
is why taking things to god is so important is

00:58:07.000 --> 00:58:11.800
why trusting There's a reason why In the bible

00:58:11.800 --> 00:58:13.900
we're told you shall know them by their fruit.

00:58:13.920 --> 00:58:16.659
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a bad

00:58:16.659 --> 00:58:20.860
tree cannot produce good fruit People can repent

00:58:20.860 --> 00:58:22.639
and give their lives to christ and turn turn

00:58:22.639 --> 00:58:27.039
their lives around I did I did look at saul in

00:58:27.039 --> 00:58:32.440
the bible who became paul That is possible. But

00:58:32.440 --> 00:58:36.599
you shall know them by their fruit, okay? And

00:58:36.599 --> 00:58:39.760
people who know me long enough now, they know

00:58:39.760 --> 00:58:41.940
me by my fruit. They can see God moving in my

00:58:41.940 --> 00:58:45.280
life. They can see the Holy Spirit working through

00:58:45.280 --> 00:58:49.460
me. But people, if they would have known me three,

00:58:49.460 --> 00:58:51.860
four, five years ago, they would have also known

00:58:51.860 --> 00:58:54.929
me by my fruit, which was the opposite. The things

00:58:54.929 --> 00:58:57.730
I was producing, the lack of patience, the lack

00:58:57.730 --> 00:58:59.449
of love, the unforgiveness, those things, it

00:58:59.449 --> 00:59:01.690
was very clear that I wasn't being led by Jesus.

00:59:02.070 --> 00:59:03.650
It was very clear that I was being led by the

00:59:03.650 --> 00:59:06.530
flesh. So you would have known me by my fruit

00:59:06.530 --> 00:59:08.750
at that time too. And you would have been able

00:59:08.750 --> 00:59:10.889
to see, yeah, she doesn't know Jesus like that.

00:59:11.610 --> 00:59:14.489
She's not submitted to the word of God. She's

00:59:14.489 --> 00:59:19.610
lukewarm. You shall know them by their fruit.

00:59:22.429 --> 00:59:27.690
and see when these wise men went off they received

00:59:27.690 --> 00:59:32.989
a word God spoke to them and warned them and

00:59:32.989 --> 00:59:36.489
said do not return angel warned them do not return

00:59:36.489 --> 00:59:38.949
to the king do not tell him jack squat about

00:59:38.949 --> 00:59:44.409
Jesus don't do it now they didn't have all of

00:59:44.409 --> 00:59:46.750
these receipts all these information it wasn't

00:59:46.750 --> 00:59:49.050
like they overheard all these conversations between

00:59:49.050 --> 00:59:51.880
the king and that they had all these things exposed.

00:59:52.619 --> 00:59:56.820
They had to trust in what God was saying. And

00:59:56.820 --> 00:59:59.659
again, like I said from reading history, there

00:59:59.659 --> 01:00:01.599
are probably some rumors about the king at that

01:00:01.599 --> 01:00:04.940
time of him not being a good dude, of him, you

01:00:04.940 --> 01:00:07.539
know, taking a lot of wicked actions. So it may

01:00:07.539 --> 01:00:10.199
not have been very far -fetched, okay, for the

01:00:10.199 --> 01:00:12.119
wise men to see, okay, yeah, maybe this guy's

01:00:12.119 --> 01:00:15.679
being a bit deceptive. But it's crazy how many

01:00:15.679 --> 01:00:17.519
people you should know them by the fruit that

01:00:17.519 --> 01:00:20.099
they're deceptive There's a there's a negative

01:00:20.099 --> 01:00:22.699
intent here that people totally disregard that

01:00:22.699 --> 01:00:25.460
and just say no I'm sure I'm just gonna take

01:00:25.460 --> 01:00:28.500
them out as a word this time But these these

01:00:28.500 --> 01:00:32.880
wise men Walked by faith not by sight they trusted

01:00:32.880 --> 01:00:38.449
in God's order to not report back. Knowing that

01:00:38.449 --> 01:00:40.449
the king has armies, the king could have sought

01:00:40.449 --> 01:00:42.789
them out and like, off them. I'm sure they probably

01:00:42.789 --> 01:00:44.510
had some kind of theories too of like, we're

01:00:44.510 --> 01:00:46.210
about to disobey the king, we're about to go

01:00:46.210 --> 01:00:49.489
against what he told us to do. And that was also

01:00:49.489 --> 01:00:51.869
them having to trust in God will protect them

01:00:51.869 --> 01:00:56.889
in obeying whatever that protection looks like.

01:00:57.050 --> 01:00:59.150
And then we see right after that, God do the

01:00:59.150 --> 01:01:11.639
same thing with Joseph. We see God do that same

01:01:11.639 --> 01:01:19.460
thing with Joseph Where in the he has a dream

01:01:19.460 --> 01:01:25.059
and he is told y 'all gotta leave You need to

01:01:25.059 --> 01:01:27.599
take the child and you need to go like God is

01:01:27.599 --> 01:01:29.360
telling him like y 'all gotta leave the country

01:01:29.360 --> 01:01:31.860
and you can Can you imagine just for a moment

01:01:31.860 --> 01:01:35.119
how stressful that might be? Mary and Joseph

01:01:35.119 --> 01:01:39.340
haven't had this child But they're just trying

01:01:39.340 --> 01:01:43.260
to stability and raise and they're told Hey,

01:01:43.260 --> 01:01:45.679
I know you haven't planned to move like I know

01:01:45.679 --> 01:01:48.300
this isn't like your game plan I know you might

01:01:48.300 --> 01:01:50.219
not feel like you have all the resources or all

01:01:50.219 --> 01:01:54.059
this but there's danger coming The king is about

01:01:54.059 --> 01:01:57.320
to like start killing infants So you need to

01:01:57.320 --> 01:02:04.070
move and trust that I'll provide Like Joseph

01:02:04.070 --> 01:02:06.789
believing in that dream was a real walk by faith

01:02:06.789 --> 01:02:08.630
not by sight because he listened to what God

01:02:08.630 --> 01:02:10.590
said he listened to the warning Although looking

01:02:10.590 --> 01:02:12.989
around the King hadn't drafted up a law yet.

01:02:13.070 --> 01:02:15.130
He wasn't killing infants yet. None of that was

01:02:15.130 --> 01:02:19.170
going on He trusted when God said but it will

01:02:19.170 --> 01:02:22.050
happen So you need to move now and because he

01:02:22.050 --> 01:02:24.289
listened to God he was moved to a safe space

01:02:24.289 --> 01:02:27.150
Jesus was moved to a safe space taking things

01:02:27.150 --> 01:02:30.230
to God in prayer and listening and heeding his

01:02:30.230 --> 01:02:33.380
warnings will allow you to move away from the

01:02:33.380 --> 01:02:36.320
Lord there are times like God is speaking to

01:02:36.320 --> 01:02:39.000
you if you obey him he's going to put you up

01:02:39.000 --> 01:02:43.500
on a like on a high a safe space so that way

01:02:43.500 --> 01:02:45.739
when the storms come in when the war is going

01:02:45.739 --> 01:02:51.760
on you are out of that and I can't tell you all

01:02:51.760 --> 01:02:53.460
how many times that the Lord revealed to me that

01:02:53.460 --> 01:02:57.940
my refusal to reply back to somebody like my

01:02:57.940 --> 01:03:00.300
refusal in those situations to like entertain

01:03:00.300 --> 01:03:02.619
to go back and forth was actually God moving

01:03:02.619 --> 01:03:05.139
me in a safe space because later on when things

01:03:05.139 --> 01:03:09.099
went down I didn't have a dog in the fight in

01:03:09.099 --> 01:03:11.380
all honesty like there wasn't Daniel said this

01:03:11.380 --> 01:03:13.539
there wasn't Daniel did that there was these

01:03:13.539 --> 01:03:15.559
people were doing these things and I minded my

01:03:15.559 --> 01:03:18.159
own business I cannot tell y 'all how many times

01:03:18.159 --> 01:03:20.880
that obeying God and at first looked like me

01:03:20.880 --> 01:03:26.739
doing nothing turned into like Me being the one

01:03:26.739 --> 01:03:29.960
person that refused to participate and like really

01:03:29.960 --> 01:03:32.059
Prevented me from having to deal with a lot of

01:03:32.059 --> 01:03:35.880
mess So that's our next step y 'all is taking

01:03:35.880 --> 01:03:37.960
it to God but trusting and what he reveals to

01:03:37.960 --> 01:03:43.579
you walking by faith not by sight and Being willing

01:03:43.579 --> 01:03:46.440
this is the next step being willing to rest while

01:03:46.440 --> 01:03:50.699
God works if that is what he commanded Cannot

01:03:50.699 --> 01:03:53.400
tell y 'all how many times the opposition pressure

01:03:53.400 --> 01:03:56.320
was being put on me and i was like god how do

01:03:56.320 --> 01:03:57.980
i handle this like god like what do you want

01:03:57.980 --> 01:04:00.980
me to do and he was literally telling me i want

01:04:00.980 --> 01:04:03.519
you to rest and trust that i'm working this out

01:04:03.519 --> 01:04:05.800
there's not a move you need to make right now

01:04:05.800 --> 01:04:09.239
what you need to do is rest and i want to be

01:04:09.239 --> 01:04:13.340
so clear that resting in christ isn't that thing

01:04:13.340 --> 01:04:15.119
of like okay now you're sleeping all day and

01:04:15.119 --> 01:04:16.900
just doing whatever makes your heart happy and

01:04:16.900 --> 01:04:19.239
like binge watching all these shows what resting

01:04:19.239 --> 01:04:23.789
looked like was no longer fixating on that problem

01:04:23.789 --> 01:04:25.949
no longer putting my hands in and trying to work

01:04:25.949 --> 01:04:27.789
it around trying to redirect it trying to make

01:04:27.789 --> 01:04:30.909
things happen but instead releasing it giving

01:04:30.909 --> 01:04:34.070
it to God and Delighting in the Lord and for

01:04:34.070 --> 01:04:35.949
me that looked like scripture reading I worked

01:04:35.949 --> 01:04:40.090
on reading my Bible Bible studies Reflecting,

01:04:40.150 --> 01:04:42.230
you know looking at areas in my life that needed

01:04:42.230 --> 01:04:45.730
worked on that looked like serving Like how can

01:04:45.730 --> 01:04:49.750
I volunteer? That looked like listening to worship

01:04:49.750 --> 01:04:54.670
music resting is giving that situation to God

01:04:54.670 --> 01:04:57.650
and there's a story I want to share with y 'all

01:04:57.650 --> 01:05:00.230
I want to highlight and it's in 1st Samuel it's

01:05:00.230 --> 01:05:02.150
the opening of 1st Samuel and it's Hannah and

01:05:02.150 --> 01:05:04.170
Panina and this is one of my favorite stories

01:05:04.170 --> 01:05:06.909
in the Bible one of my absolute favorite stories

01:05:06.909 --> 01:05:10.730
because we see Hannah who is not able to have

01:05:10.730 --> 01:05:13.610
children God has prevented her from conceiving

01:05:15.599 --> 01:05:18.059
That's how it's described in that Bible story

01:05:18.059 --> 01:05:20.659
of God intentionally has not let her yet have

01:05:20.659 --> 01:05:26.039
a child. And her husband has a second wife named

01:05:26.039 --> 01:05:29.460
Penina that has had kids. And Penina is not nice

01:05:29.460 --> 01:05:32.800
about it. Penina actually gloats about it. Goes

01:05:32.800 --> 01:05:35.159
out of her way to make Hannah feel like crap

01:05:35.159 --> 01:05:41.059
about herself. Penina is like described as like

01:05:41.059 --> 01:05:46.469
an enemy to her. She taunts her. Ha ha I have

01:05:46.469 --> 01:05:48.869
kids you don't ha ha I can have kids you can't

01:05:48.869 --> 01:05:52.869
ha ha look at how I win and you can't Penina

01:05:52.869 --> 01:05:55.309
constantly trying to get Hannah to compare herself

01:05:55.309 --> 01:05:59.909
and feel less than That is Hannah's life She

01:05:59.909 --> 01:06:02.789
lives in that situation her day -to -day life

01:06:02.789 --> 01:06:07.969
is people Making fun of her and her shortcomings

01:06:07.969 --> 01:06:12.130
And saying I have this and you don't I'm blessed

01:06:12.130 --> 01:06:18.659
you aren't And she dealt with that for years.

01:06:19.400 --> 01:06:23.619
Years. It wasn't just like a day. It wasn't just

01:06:23.619 --> 01:06:25.440
a week. It wasn't just a month. For years, that

01:06:25.440 --> 01:06:29.460
was her life. And it shows in reading that story

01:06:29.460 --> 01:06:32.539
that she was growing more and more weary. And

01:06:32.539 --> 01:06:34.440
her husband wasn't exactly the best comfort.

01:06:34.480 --> 01:06:36.480
He would say some silly stuff like, am I not

01:06:36.480 --> 01:06:39.159
better than all these sons? Like, aren't I good

01:06:39.159 --> 01:06:42.079
enough for you? He wasn't exactly the most sensitive

01:06:42.079 --> 01:06:46.440
or the most comforting. And we see that one day

01:06:46.440 --> 01:06:50.539
like Hannah just it's overwhelming for her And

01:06:50.539 --> 01:06:53.239
she runs into the temple and she starts just

01:06:53.239 --> 01:06:55.900
laying it all out before God with a lot of emotions

01:06:55.900 --> 01:06:58.300
There is sadness. There's weariness, but there's

01:06:58.300 --> 01:07:02.579
also resentment Frustration and she's pouring

01:07:02.579 --> 01:07:08.400
out to God and saying like like I And she starts

01:07:08.400 --> 01:07:11.900
saying them like if you give me a son I will

01:07:11.900 --> 01:07:14.480
give him back to you. Like she hits a point where

01:07:14.480 --> 01:07:16.480
she's like, I don't even want it for me anymore.

01:07:16.480 --> 01:07:19.500
I want it just to glorify you. If you give me

01:07:19.500 --> 01:07:21.960
a son, I will give him back to you. She makes,

01:07:22.099 --> 01:07:24.079
she makes an agreement of he will not cut his

01:07:24.079 --> 01:07:28.019
hair. A covenant, like saying like he will be

01:07:28.019 --> 01:07:30.960
dedicated to you in this way. And she is laying

01:07:30.960 --> 01:07:34.280
it out so fervently. This is a problem that she

01:07:34.280 --> 01:07:36.980
has been facing day after day, year after year.

01:07:36.980 --> 01:07:41.420
And she's saying, I cannot fix this. cannot do

01:07:41.420 --> 01:07:45.219
this like I cannot handle this on my own and

01:07:45.219 --> 01:07:47.940
I'm giving it to you because I don't know what

01:07:47.940 --> 01:07:51.980
to do I don't have any other answer I'm giving

01:07:51.980 --> 01:07:54.500
it to you you are the answer I know that you

01:07:54.500 --> 01:07:57.519
are capable of intervening and fixing this and

01:07:57.519 --> 01:08:00.460
I need you to do it and if you do it like I will

01:08:00.460 --> 01:08:02.699
give it back to you I will use it to glorify

01:08:02.699 --> 01:08:06.420
you it's not gonna be for me and she meant that

01:08:06.420 --> 01:08:09.769
she wasn't just saying it she meant that Because

01:08:09.769 --> 01:08:11.690
God knows our hearts. He knows when you're saying

01:08:11.690 --> 01:08:14.010
I'll do this and I'll do this and that's not

01:08:14.010 --> 01:08:17.550
where your heart is at He knows when you're being

01:08:17.550 --> 01:08:23.670
deceptive. He knows That's also why oftentimes

01:08:23.670 --> 01:08:25.630
before God blesses you with something he'll put

01:08:25.630 --> 01:08:28.869
you through the crushing He'll allow you to go

01:08:28.869 --> 01:08:30.970
through suffering and trials and things that

01:08:30.970 --> 01:08:33.430
produce the fruit that's necessary to be a good

01:08:33.430 --> 01:08:38.350
steward over that thing Or he blesses you with

01:08:38.350 --> 01:08:40.170
that big financial blessing. He'll make sure

01:08:40.170 --> 01:08:41.630
you're in a giving space where you're gonna use

01:08:41.630 --> 01:08:43.789
it to glorify God He'll make sure you know, you're

01:08:43.789 --> 01:08:45.750
not you're not about to get greedy and gluttonous

01:08:45.750 --> 01:08:47.550
and fall off the path God would much rather have

01:08:47.550 --> 01:08:49.729
you submitted and surrendered to him than you

01:08:49.729 --> 01:08:51.390
having all the comforts and comfortability in

01:08:51.390 --> 01:08:55.789
the world Because he loves you that much But

01:08:55.789 --> 01:08:59.770
she Hannah lays it out before the board and there's

01:08:59.770 --> 01:09:06.539
a priest in the temple Eli who's like Look He

01:09:06.539 --> 01:09:10.520
thinks she's drunk and he's like Basically saying

01:09:10.520 --> 01:09:13.479
girl like how long are you gonna be drunk? Quit

01:09:13.479 --> 01:09:16.399
drinking. Why are you in here drunk? And she

01:09:16.399 --> 01:09:18.039
looked at him and she's like, I'm not drunk.

01:09:18.039 --> 01:09:21.399
I'm just praying so fevrenly I'm just so emotional

01:09:21.399 --> 01:09:24.199
at this time. She's like, I am pouring out my

01:09:24.199 --> 01:09:27.539
heart to the Lord And you know, he says in response

01:09:27.539 --> 01:09:29.119
to her. He's like, well, may the Lord may the

01:09:29.119 --> 01:09:33.039
Lord grant your request and when Hannah leaves

01:09:33.600 --> 01:09:35.699
Keep in mind, when she leaves the temple, she

01:09:35.699 --> 01:09:39.300
hasn't miraculously conceived. She's not pregnant.

01:09:40.800 --> 01:09:42.939
Panina didn't die. It's not like her enemy was

01:09:42.939 --> 01:09:46.380
removed from the situation or taken out. Nothing

01:09:46.380 --> 01:09:50.180
physically had yet changed. The only thing that

01:09:50.180 --> 01:09:54.140
changed was she gave it over to God. And when

01:09:54.140 --> 01:09:57.939
she left, her mood was different. There was a

01:09:57.939 --> 01:10:01.000
peace she had. She ended her fasting too. She

01:10:01.000 --> 01:10:04.760
ate And like her facial expression had softened

01:10:04.760 --> 01:10:08.420
and she went home to her husband Went on with

01:10:08.420 --> 01:10:12.279
her life You know have an intimate time with

01:10:12.279 --> 01:10:15.720
him and in God's timing God remembered her and

01:10:15.720 --> 01:10:20.199
she conceived So when she took it to God in prayer

01:10:20.199 --> 01:10:22.619
Although she hadn't already started seeing him

01:10:22.619 --> 01:10:24.939
working immediately. Although she hadn't already

01:10:24.939 --> 01:10:28.020
seen all this Factual in her face evidence that

01:10:28.020 --> 01:10:31.390
God was doing this thing. She just trusted that

01:10:31.390 --> 01:10:33.289
his will was going to be done, and that was what

01:10:33.289 --> 01:10:36.989
was best for her. She trusted that her request

01:10:36.989 --> 01:10:39.609
was going to be granted of having a kid. And

01:10:39.609 --> 01:10:41.810
I want to be very clear with sometimes the things

01:10:41.810 --> 01:10:44.369
that we're praying to God for. So feverently,

01:10:44.409 --> 01:10:46.050
he knows that that thing would actually break

01:10:46.050 --> 01:10:48.409
us. He knows that he has something better in

01:10:48.409 --> 01:10:52.710
store. So some things, yes, in that feverent

01:10:52.710 --> 01:10:54.789
way, like praying for a child, praying for a

01:10:54.789 --> 01:10:56.569
healing or something like that, and God hears.

01:10:57.510 --> 01:10:59.390
There are other times that there's something

01:10:59.390 --> 01:11:01.890
bigger that he's doing with it. So our prayer

01:11:01.890 --> 01:11:04.109
is still being answered But it might not be in

01:11:04.109 --> 01:11:06.810
the way that we expect it and I want to be so

01:11:06.810 --> 01:11:09.710
clear with that, too Okay, but sometimes God's

01:11:09.710 --> 01:11:11.770
answered prayer isn't that specific thing we're

01:11:11.770 --> 01:11:16.550
asking for but it's better in his timing But

01:11:16.550 --> 01:11:18.750
that that's the story that always hit so hard

01:11:18.750 --> 01:11:22.680
for me All Hannah did was give it to God and

01:11:22.680 --> 01:11:25.659
she had a peace with knowing that he was working

01:11:25.659 --> 01:11:28.840
and his ways were above her ways And she was

01:11:28.840 --> 01:11:32.439
able to go back to her life and see blessing

01:11:32.439 --> 01:11:36.939
in God's timing As another walking by faith not

01:11:36.939 --> 01:11:39.300
by sight she walked away with peace not because

01:11:39.300 --> 01:11:41.239
everything looked different But because she trusted

01:11:41.239 --> 01:11:45.000
in God's timing it would be different There were

01:11:45.000 --> 01:11:46.779
lots of promises when I was going through this

01:11:46.779 --> 01:11:48.779
opposition all that God was making me of like

01:11:48.779 --> 01:11:52.119
one day This isn't gonna be a thing Like what

01:11:52.119 --> 01:11:53.460
you're dealing with right now. You're not gonna

01:11:53.460 --> 01:11:56.199
be with forever truth will be revealed things

01:11:56.199 --> 01:12:00.779
will come to light in God's timing and I trusted

01:12:00.779 --> 01:12:04.939
in that word Over what I saw and felt and that

01:12:04.939 --> 01:12:07.439
was what allowed me to continue to move by faith

01:12:08.209 --> 01:12:10.810
And that's our next step here is be rooted in

01:12:10.810 --> 01:12:13.609
faith and trust in God's Word over what your

01:12:13.609 --> 01:12:16.609
environment looks like 2nd Corinthians verses

01:12:16.609 --> 01:12:19.590
chapter 5 verse 7 walk by faith not by sight

01:12:19.590 --> 01:12:22.890
And I want to give y 'all one more example of

01:12:22.890 --> 01:12:26.710
someone who is moving by faith I'm gonna give

01:12:26.710 --> 01:12:29.130
you two examples of people who are trusting in

01:12:29.130 --> 01:12:30.989
God's Word and moving by faith over what they

01:12:30.989 --> 01:12:35.930
see look at Noah with the ark it had He Noah

01:12:35.930 --> 01:12:40.550
had to trust God when God said there's a flood

01:12:40.550 --> 01:12:42.529
coming and you got to build like a really big

01:12:42.529 --> 01:12:45.529
boat you got to build an ark and I will save

01:12:45.529 --> 01:12:48.729
you like all these other people are gonna perish,

01:12:48.729 --> 01:12:53.529
but you will be saved and You got to save all

01:12:53.529 --> 01:12:56.569
these animals Can you imagine at that time how

01:12:56.569 --> 01:12:58.850
many people were probably who were calling Noah

01:12:58.850 --> 01:13:06.189
like stupid and making fun of him? Can you imagine

01:13:06.189 --> 01:13:09.390
how stupid he may have felt at times? How much

01:13:09.390 --> 01:13:12.310
doubt was probably being spoken at him? How much

01:13:12.310 --> 01:13:14.130
did God really say that? Did you really hear

01:13:14.130 --> 01:13:17.229
from God? Ha ha ha. The enemy is laughing. The

01:13:17.229 --> 01:13:18.970
enemy is usually trying to embarrass you and

01:13:18.970 --> 01:13:21.529
laugh at you and rejoice over you until God does

01:13:21.529 --> 01:13:26.609
his thing and then everyone's silent. Then the

01:13:26.609 --> 01:13:29.050
enemy's silent. How many times are they saying,

01:13:29.270 --> 01:13:31.470
ha ha, that's not gonna happen. God isn't gonna

01:13:31.470 --> 01:13:33.949
move in your life. Doubt, fear, doubt. This is

01:13:33.949 --> 01:13:36.939
A, B, C, D, E, F, G. And everyone has a lot to

01:13:36.939 --> 01:13:39.619
say until God comes through and then everyone's

01:13:39.619 --> 01:13:46.239
quiet. And I imagine that with Noah. At the time

01:13:46.239 --> 01:13:49.119
there was, where's that flood gonna come from?

01:13:49.279 --> 01:13:53.399
Oh, it's gonna rain, okay. Noah trusted anyway,

01:13:53.619 --> 01:13:55.979
built that ark and what happened? The rains came,

01:13:56.420 --> 01:13:59.840
the flood came. Everybody and their mama was

01:13:59.840 --> 01:14:03.960
gone. Except for Noah. and the select people

01:14:03.960 --> 01:14:08.579
that God let him bring. Look at Moses, okay?

01:14:08.840 --> 01:14:13.880
Moses, there's a lot Moses went through. And

01:14:13.880 --> 01:14:16.000
he didn't feel capable of being used by God.

01:14:16.420 --> 01:14:18.880
And it took honestly a lot of, he was pushing

01:14:18.880 --> 01:14:21.060
back with God of like, I can't speak, I can't

01:14:21.060 --> 01:14:23.399
do all these things. God still used him despite

01:14:23.399 --> 01:14:28.279
his lack of faith. But we see that when Moses

01:14:28.279 --> 01:14:30.500
finally stepped into what God was calling him

01:14:30.500 --> 01:14:33.159
to do, it wasn't like everything happened overnight.

01:14:33.920 --> 01:14:36.600
How many times did Pharaoh harden his heart and

01:14:36.600 --> 01:14:39.319
reject Moses when Moses was saying, let my people

01:14:39.319 --> 01:14:44.180
go? And how many times he had the opportunity

01:14:44.180 --> 01:14:47.500
to see God's hand in God move and eventually

01:14:47.500 --> 01:14:51.640
God was hardening Pharaoh's heart? Opposition

01:14:51.640 --> 01:14:54.439
doesn't mean that it's not God ordained or that

01:14:54.439 --> 01:14:56.600
God hasn't called you to do it. I know someone

01:14:56.600 --> 01:14:58.659
needs to hear that clearly today. When you're

01:14:58.659 --> 01:15:00.500
doing what God has called you to do, there's

01:15:00.500 --> 01:15:02.380
going to be opposition. It's not always an easy

01:15:02.380 --> 01:15:04.420
cakewalk. But when you're relying on God and

01:15:04.420 --> 01:15:07.140
trusting in him, trust that he will straighten

01:15:07.140 --> 01:15:09.880
out your path, that the weapons will fall to

01:15:09.880 --> 01:15:11.699
the floor. Look at how many times the weapons

01:15:11.699 --> 01:15:15.180
were forming against Moses with Pharaoh refusing

01:15:15.180 --> 01:15:17.699
to let the people go. Every time God said, now

01:15:17.699 --> 01:15:20.420
do this, Moses would do it. And then it would

01:15:20.420 --> 01:15:25.460
look like nothing happened. Moses was obeying.

01:15:25.630 --> 01:15:27.569
and Pharaoh was still hardening his heart. Pharaoh

01:15:27.569 --> 01:15:31.609
was still saying no. Miracle, like the legit

01:15:31.609 --> 01:15:34.670
moves of God were happening that were being rejected.

01:15:36.329 --> 01:15:38.949
And however many times this kept happening, Moses

01:15:38.949 --> 01:15:41.149
still didn't doubt what God was telling him to

01:15:41.149 --> 01:15:43.970
do and continued to press forward in spite of

01:15:43.970 --> 01:15:48.170
the opposition. And we see that eventually, Pharaoh

01:15:48.170 --> 01:15:51.800
let the people go. And then what happens later

01:15:51.800 --> 01:15:55.119
on, Pharaoh starts chasing Moses down with his

01:15:55.119 --> 01:15:58.800
army and everything. And God allows that to happen.

01:15:59.079 --> 01:16:06.319
God allows the enemy to pursue Moses because

01:16:06.319 --> 01:16:12.300
God had a plan. And in his timing, the waters

01:16:12.300 --> 01:16:17.460
that were once separated closed up and totaled

01:16:17.460 --> 01:16:20.800
Pharaoh and his army. God allowed Pharaoh and

01:16:20.800 --> 01:16:24.199
his army out of their hardened heart, being used

01:16:24.199 --> 01:16:27.279
by the enemy, to put themselves in that position.

01:16:31.380 --> 01:16:34.000
They put themselves in the ocean. God didn't

01:16:34.000 --> 01:16:37.840
put them in there. They, in their hardened hearts,

01:16:38.319 --> 01:16:41.399
in their pride, in their ego, chose to pursue

01:16:41.399 --> 01:16:45.779
the Israelites and Moses. And in doing that,

01:16:46.239 --> 01:16:54.909
God planned accordingly. swallow them up we see

01:16:54.909 --> 01:16:59.050
Moses moving by faith and trusting in God's Word

01:16:59.050 --> 01:17:01.390
over what he sees even if he's getting hit with

01:17:01.390 --> 01:17:03.350
opposition after opposition he's still moving

01:17:03.350 --> 01:17:06.989
forward anyway and he sees the breakthrough and

01:17:06.989 --> 01:17:13.250
Moses then also sees the weapons forming not

01:17:13.250 --> 01:17:17.010
prospering he sees firsthand the Israelites see

01:17:17.010 --> 01:17:20.659
firsthand how God is willing to protect his own

01:17:20.659 --> 01:17:24.340
against the hardened hearts and the works of

01:17:24.340 --> 01:17:28.859
the enemy. Let this again be another testimony

01:17:28.859 --> 01:17:31.180
that God will use things for your good. I'm sure

01:17:31.180 --> 01:17:34.460
they were scared, freaked out Israelites when

01:17:34.460 --> 01:17:38.220
they saw Pharaoh and the army chasing after them.

01:17:39.140 --> 01:17:42.399
But God used that for the good of it became a

01:17:42.399 --> 01:17:45.699
testimony of just how hard God will go for his

01:17:45.699 --> 01:17:49.340
people. Also a testimony of what hardness of

01:17:49.340 --> 01:17:52.880
heart will cause you to put yourself into There

01:17:52.880 --> 01:17:54.340
are a lot of people and I'm saying this from

01:17:54.340 --> 01:17:57.260
a place of love who are in spaces of suffering

01:17:57.260 --> 01:18:00.779
and hardship not because They're a victim but

01:18:00.779 --> 01:18:04.460
because they've been following their heart They've

01:18:04.460 --> 01:18:06.420
been following the flesh They've hardened their

01:18:06.420 --> 01:18:08.619
heart to God's Word because they put faith in

01:18:08.619 --> 01:18:10.720
themselves and their works over God They have

01:18:10.720 --> 01:18:13.239
put themselves in positions to be made examples

01:18:13.239 --> 01:18:17.090
out of by God Chasing down and pursuing God's

01:18:17.090 --> 01:18:23.109
people and trying to harm God's people Here's

01:18:23.109 --> 01:18:25.250
another one that I have written down knowing

01:18:25.250 --> 01:18:28.689
God's word Believing it as truth to do it the

01:18:28.689 --> 01:18:31.609
biblical way It says in John 14 12 the one who

01:18:31.609 --> 01:18:37.109
believes in me will do the works that I do And

01:18:37.109 --> 01:18:39.449
I've shared we're gonna read from Isaiah in just

01:18:39.449 --> 01:18:43.350
a minute, but as I'm finding the page Have shared

01:18:43.350 --> 01:18:45.789
with y 'all in previous podcast episodes that

01:18:45.789 --> 01:18:51.270
one of my biggest Hmm one of the biggest ways

01:18:51.270 --> 01:18:55.390
I fell short and Prevented me from putting all

01:18:55.390 --> 01:18:57.649
my faith in God was it was really hard for me

01:18:57.649 --> 01:19:00.970
to take God's Word as absolute truth I wanted

01:19:00.970 --> 01:19:03.409
to rely on my own feelings my own understanding

01:19:03.409 --> 01:19:06.170
and I was constantly trying to poke holes and

01:19:06.170 --> 01:19:10.010
I let my heart My thoughts and my emotion my

01:19:10.010 --> 01:19:12.550
understanding be my moral compass instead of

01:19:12.550 --> 01:19:14.630
God's Word and when you start looking at God's

01:19:14.630 --> 01:19:17.430
Word as absolute truth And you close out all

01:19:17.430 --> 01:19:19.489
the doubt and all the fears and all that I was

01:19:19.489 --> 01:19:20.890
one of those people that was like well What if

01:19:20.890 --> 01:19:22.770
someone edited something from the Bible? What

01:19:22.770 --> 01:19:24.670
if something did this? What if someone did that?

01:19:25.989 --> 01:19:28.869
I'm trusting in God's ability to reveal that

01:19:28.869 --> 01:19:33.229
to expose that I'm taking God's Word as truth.

01:19:33.989 --> 01:19:37.989
It was a gamble for me to put my faith and God's

01:19:37.989 --> 01:19:40.010
Word, in all honesty, y 'all, I had hit a point

01:19:40.010 --> 01:19:42.470
in my life where I had no other choice, where

01:19:42.470 --> 01:19:44.710
it was clear that my works, I had been turned

01:19:44.710 --> 01:19:47.630
over for the destruction of my flesh, and I was

01:19:47.630 --> 01:19:50.010
at a point where I just understood that my ways

01:19:50.010 --> 01:19:52.329
and my understanding were not enough, and that

01:19:52.329 --> 01:19:54.489
if I continued down that path, things were just

01:19:54.489 --> 01:19:58.550
going to progress and get worse. And it was because

01:19:58.550 --> 01:20:00.789
I had no other option. I was like, you know what,

01:20:00.850 --> 01:20:03.609
why don't I, for the first time in my life, stop

01:20:03.609 --> 01:20:07.819
questioning the Bible? stop questioning God and

01:20:07.819 --> 01:20:10.579
just read this book as if everything in it is

01:20:10.579 --> 01:20:13.319
true and Anything that contradicts my understanding

01:20:13.319 --> 01:20:15.500
my understanding is wrong. It's not the Bible

01:20:15.500 --> 01:20:17.479
is wrong. It's not my understanding is wrong

01:20:17.479 --> 01:20:19.699
It's not my methods are wrong. When I started

01:20:19.699 --> 01:20:24.439
reading it that way God moved mountains And I

01:20:24.439 --> 01:20:26.579
want to read the scripture to y 'all Isaiah 55

01:20:26.579 --> 01:20:30.220
verses 8 and 9 for my thoughts are not your thoughts

01:20:30.220 --> 01:20:33.020
and my ways are not your way and your ways are

01:20:33.020 --> 01:20:36.560
not my ways This is the Lord's declaration for

01:20:36.560 --> 01:20:39.359
as heaven is higher than earth So my ways are

01:20:39.359 --> 01:20:42.239
higher than your ways and my thoughts than your

01:20:42.239 --> 01:20:46.079
thoughts Knowing God's word and believing it

01:20:46.079 --> 01:20:49.399
as true and starting to accept that if something

01:20:49.399 --> 01:20:51.619
you're reading Contradicts the way that you have

01:20:51.619 --> 01:20:54.100
been living your life. It's not the Bible. That's

01:20:54.100 --> 01:20:57.819
wrong. It's you And there's gonna be some people

01:20:57.819 --> 01:21:00.539
who are like that's so ignorant that's so offensive

01:21:00.539 --> 01:21:06.510
that's so whatever it's true God's word is truth

01:21:06.510 --> 01:21:09.970
and There are so many people so many who call

01:21:09.970 --> 01:21:12.090
themselves people who call themselves Christians

01:21:12.090 --> 01:21:15.630
that are trying to twist the Bible to match their

01:21:15.630 --> 01:21:18.710
lifestyle and Just ignore and leave out parts

01:21:18.710 --> 01:21:21.189
that don't match their life that don't match

01:21:21.189 --> 01:21:25.529
their beliefs They're trying to twist the Bible

01:21:25.529 --> 01:21:27.670
to fit their lives instead of changing their

01:21:27.670 --> 01:21:33.340
lives to fit the Bible And you don't have to

01:21:33.340 --> 01:21:39.819
believe me. You don't have to believe me. Believe

01:21:39.819 --> 01:21:44.579
God. And I have evidence to speak for it that

01:21:44.579 --> 01:21:48.000
no one is going to be able, I don't care what

01:21:48.000 --> 01:21:50.680
you say, that people can't tell me that I didn't

01:21:50.680 --> 01:21:52.699
see changes in my life when I started submitting

01:21:52.699 --> 01:21:59.539
the God's Word as truth. Started seeing fruits.

01:21:59.539 --> 01:22:01.739
I've never seen before I started God using things

01:22:01.739 --> 01:22:03.699
for my good. I've never seen it happen like that

01:22:03.699 --> 01:22:09.060
before When I stopped relying on my own ways

01:22:09.060 --> 01:22:10.880
my own thoughts my own feelings my own emotions

01:22:10.880 --> 01:22:14.880
to gauge My reactions and my morals and just

01:22:14.880 --> 01:22:17.239
submitted to what God says to do the fruit I

01:22:17.239 --> 01:22:20.640
saw was incomprehensible The ways that he was

01:22:20.640 --> 01:22:22.380
able to twist things and use them for my good

01:22:22.380 --> 01:22:24.399
the ways I saw the weapons falling to the floor

01:22:24.399 --> 01:22:27.899
the ways truth started coming out the ways things

01:22:27.899 --> 01:22:30.619
started being revealed, I could never do that

01:22:30.619 --> 01:22:34.319
for myself. I could never comprehend things that

01:22:34.319 --> 01:22:38.100
money can't buy, things that PIs couldn't expose,

01:22:38.300 --> 01:22:47.899
like being so for real right now. Knowing that

01:22:47.899 --> 01:22:50.479
God's ways are higher and his understanding is

01:22:50.479 --> 01:22:53.119
higher and just trusting, like, if God is all

01:22:53.119 --> 01:22:58.140
knowing and all seeing, Of course, whatever he

01:22:58.140 --> 01:23:00.439
tells me to do is gonna be a lot more effective

01:23:00.439 --> 01:23:02.100
than why I can create for myself. There's a reason

01:23:02.100 --> 01:23:05.199
why people say that God's Word is living. There's

01:23:05.199 --> 01:23:07.960
a reason why we're told in Scripture this is

01:23:07.960 --> 01:23:11.500
living. Every time you open the Bible and read

01:23:11.500 --> 01:23:14.859
Scripture, when you are in a place to just receive

01:23:14.859 --> 01:23:18.699
every problem that you're going through in your

01:23:18.699 --> 01:23:20.140
life, there is an answer for it in the Bible.

01:23:20.180 --> 01:23:24.069
It might not be word for word. Like this is exactly

01:23:24.069 --> 01:23:25.489
what you're going through and this is step -by

01:23:25.489 --> 01:23:32.449
-step how to handle it But you Can find the answers

01:23:32.449 --> 01:23:35.069
in Scripture and start praying to God that he

01:23:35.069 --> 01:23:37.189
guides you in your scripture reading that he

01:23:37.189 --> 01:23:39.109
reveals things to you It's crazy. You can read

01:23:39.109 --> 01:23:41.369
the same verse a hundred times on a hundred different

01:23:41.369 --> 01:23:43.409
days and get a hundred different revelations

01:23:43.409 --> 01:23:49.130
and clarity from it I cannot tell you how many

01:23:49.130 --> 01:23:51.869
times that Proverbs 3, 5, and 6 has popped up,

01:23:52.029 --> 01:23:54.510
but I've been able to use that to navigate like

01:23:54.510 --> 01:23:56.609
50 different situations that seem completely

01:23:56.609 --> 01:24:00.050
unrelated to one another. And each time I've

01:24:00.050 --> 01:24:04.789
seen God's hand move. Now y 'all, this is a very

01:24:04.789 --> 01:24:08.090
long episode, so I am drawing to a close. I am

01:24:08.090 --> 01:24:09.489
feeling like, okay, it's time to kind of wrap

01:24:09.489 --> 01:24:14.289
this up. And I pray that this episode blesses

01:24:14.289 --> 01:24:17.520
you. Helps you to navigate opposition and again.

01:24:17.520 --> 01:24:20.479
I want to be so clear and reiterate to y 'all

01:24:20.479 --> 01:24:27.760
that this is a spiritual battle But yes, there

01:24:27.760 --> 01:24:32.460
are people That are making moves, but you have

01:24:32.460 --> 01:24:37.420
to remember the bigger spirit behind the people

01:24:37.420 --> 01:24:41.420
And the root of what wickedness is actually trying

01:24:41.420 --> 01:24:43.260
to do and that's trying to separate you from

01:24:43.260 --> 01:24:48.770
God That's trying to stop God's will from being

01:24:48.770 --> 01:24:52.130
furthered and when you start looking at the opposition

01:24:52.130 --> 01:24:54.189
and these actions instead of just looking at

01:24:54.189 --> 01:24:56.850
the people and Seeing the spirit behind it and

01:24:56.850 --> 01:24:59.329
the rooted motive behind it. You're able to start

01:24:59.329 --> 01:25:02.390
responding differently you're able to start moving

01:25:02.390 --> 01:25:06.289
differently and In doing that you are going to

01:25:06.289 --> 01:25:08.750
start seeing fruit and it's so important someone

01:25:08.750 --> 01:25:10.449
needs to hear this so you can't fake it with

01:25:10.449 --> 01:25:14.279
God We see how Jesus called out the Pharisees

01:25:14.279 --> 01:25:16.640
where he was like externally y 'all are polished

01:25:16.640 --> 01:25:19.140
and clean but inside you're full of dried bones

01:25:19.140 --> 01:25:23.520
Where he was saying you're saying the right things

01:25:23.520 --> 01:25:25.880
you're making yourselves look holy you look like

01:25:25.880 --> 01:25:29.159
good people you look righteous but inside There's

01:25:29.159 --> 01:25:31.720
all of these things that need worked. There's

01:25:31.720 --> 01:25:35.760
this malintent. There's this greed There's envy,

01:25:36.079 --> 01:25:38.020
there's jealousy, there's self -righteousness,

01:25:38.020 --> 01:25:40.439
there's all these things. You can present yourself

01:25:40.439 --> 01:25:43.140
as holy, but God knows what's really going on

01:25:43.140 --> 01:25:48.199
internally. Someone needs to hear that today.

01:25:48.239 --> 01:25:51.000
God knows what's going on internally. You can't

01:25:51.000 --> 01:25:53.140
fake it with Him. You can, you might be able

01:25:53.140 --> 01:25:55.300
to fake it with other people, but you can't fake

01:25:55.300 --> 01:25:57.920
it with God. And in God's timing, He will reveal.

01:26:02.400 --> 01:26:04.920
And I wanna share with y 'all a prayer I prayed

01:26:04.920 --> 01:26:08.020
that I really encourage you to start praying

01:26:08.020 --> 01:26:10.500
this prayer. I started praying when I was going

01:26:10.500 --> 01:26:12.600
through a period of starting to put my faith

01:26:12.600 --> 01:26:15.859
in God and leaving my old life behind. And I

01:26:15.859 --> 01:26:17.720
started praying, God, I pray that you help my

01:26:17.720 --> 01:26:19.920
unbelief. I acknowledged that I didn't believe

01:26:19.920 --> 01:26:22.819
and said, help me to walk by faith, not by sight.

01:26:22.979 --> 01:26:26.260
Help me to view things how you want me to view

01:26:26.260 --> 01:26:29.159
it. Help me. See people the way you want me to

01:26:29.159 --> 01:26:31.340
see them. Help me to move accordingly. Help me

01:26:31.340 --> 01:26:35.579
to submit and surrender to your will Help me

01:26:35.579 --> 01:26:39.579
to do it I Submit to you and I started praying

01:26:39.579 --> 01:26:41.960
remove the desires from my heart that are not

01:26:41.960 --> 01:26:44.159
from you and replace them with desires that are

01:26:44.159 --> 01:26:46.920
for me I trust that your will is good and the

01:26:46.920 --> 01:26:48.340
things that you have planned for me are good

01:26:48.340 --> 01:26:50.859
And I know that your ways are higher than my

01:26:50.859 --> 01:26:53.920
ways So whatever I have created for myself if

01:26:53.920 --> 01:26:56.079
that is not aligned with your will If that is

01:26:56.079 --> 01:26:57.960
not what you desire from me, remove it because

01:26:57.960 --> 01:26:59.680
I trust that whatever you replace it with is

01:26:59.680 --> 01:27:02.380
much better. And I encourage you to start praying

01:27:02.380 --> 01:27:05.979
that prayer and to actively seek Him with all

01:27:05.979 --> 01:27:08.600
you have. Start praying, God, if I'm handling

01:27:08.600 --> 01:27:10.779
this wrong, reveal to me what needs to be changed.

01:27:11.300 --> 01:27:13.260
If God has you in a waiting season, if you're

01:27:13.260 --> 01:27:14.619
going through this suffering, you're going through

01:27:14.619 --> 01:27:16.180
this warfare, there's something He's trying to

01:27:16.180 --> 01:27:19.760
produce in you. Ask that He reveals to you what

01:27:19.760 --> 01:27:22.779
He's trying to produce. Ask that you lean into

01:27:22.779 --> 01:27:26.399
it. Pray, God, help me to lean in. Help me to

01:27:26.399 --> 01:27:28.600
move in this. Like, whatever you're trying to

01:27:28.600 --> 01:27:31.000
do, I pray that it's done. Help me to submit

01:27:31.000 --> 01:27:34.319
to you in this. Reveal things, scabs fall off

01:27:34.319 --> 01:27:36.920
my eyes. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear

01:27:36.920 --> 01:27:40.939
and an understanding heart. And watch what he

01:27:40.939 --> 01:27:44.140
does with that prayer. Now, I wanna thank y 'all

01:27:44.140 --> 01:27:46.140
so much for listening to this podcast episode.

01:27:46.720 --> 01:27:48.680
And I do ask that you hit subscribe. Wherever

01:27:48.680 --> 01:27:50.619
it is you're listening to this podcast, subscribe.

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Share this share this with somebody. It's really

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helpful when you share the podcast and leave

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a review If you're on Spotify, you can leave

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a review you can leave comments Reviews are really

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helpful for me right now engaging and understanding

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and also pushing the content out there more So

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I do encourage you leave reviews if you're listening

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on YouTube leave comments If you're listening

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on Apple or wherever it is you're listening,

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I do encourage you to do that, to interact a

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bit. And I want to thank you so much for listening

01:28:26.489 --> 01:28:28.710
to this episode and I'll see you guys next time.

01:28:28.750 --> 01:28:30.710
This was Salt Knot Sweetener. I'm your host Danielle

01:28:30.710 --> 01:28:33.689
Townsend. Have a wonderful, wonderful day.