WEBVTT 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:03.850 Hey guys and welcome back to the salt not sweetener 00:00:03.850 --> 00:00:08.589 podcast. I'm your host Danielle Townsend. I hope 00:00:08.589 --> 00:00:12.470 you guys are having a wonderful start to your 00:00:12.470 --> 00:00:19.510 week Now when I woke up today there was a Scripture 00:00:19.510 --> 00:00:22.469 that was put on my heart the honesty like would 00:00:22.469 --> 00:00:25.149 not leave me at all when I got up It was the 00:00:25.149 --> 00:00:27.589 first thing on my brain when I was taking a shower, 00:00:27.629 --> 00:00:29.949 when I was doing my skincare, when I was drinking 00:00:29.949 --> 00:00:33.170 my coffee, and finally I sat down and I started 00:00:33.170 --> 00:00:36.329 reading the scripture. I knew that the Lord put 00:00:36.329 --> 00:00:39.009 it on my heart for a reason. And what I was led 00:00:39.009 --> 00:00:41.409 to, what kept popping in my head was, touch not 00:00:41.409 --> 00:00:48.329 my anointed and do my prophets no harm. And I 00:00:48.329 --> 00:00:54.090 was led to Psalm 105. And in Psalm 105, I'm going 00:00:54.090 --> 00:00:56.780 to flip to it real quick. so I can read this 00:00:56.780 --> 00:01:00.659 to y 'all. This was where the Lord led me to 00:01:00.659 --> 00:01:03.179 read today. Starting in verse 13, it says here, 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:27.739 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was 00:01:27.739 --> 00:01:32.459 sold as a servant. His feet, they hurt with feathers. 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:36.219 He was laid in chains of iron, and his soul entered 00:01:36.219 --> 00:01:41.680 into the iron, until his word came true, until 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:44.909 the word of the Lord tried and tested him. I 00:01:44.909 --> 00:01:46.930 wanna pause here. Y 'all usually I'm reading 00:01:46.930 --> 00:01:51.010 from the CSB or the ESB. Today I am reading from 00:01:51.010 --> 00:01:54.090 the Amplified Classic Edition. Just so you know, 00:01:54.209 --> 00:01:55.650 if the wording sounds a little bit different, 00:01:55.670 --> 00:02:02.629 we are in a different Bible today. But in reading 00:02:02.629 --> 00:02:06.969 that this morning, that reminded me I needed 00:02:06.969 --> 00:02:12.159 that reminder of who God is. Because oftentimes 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:15.599 we can get caught up in the God is love and God 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:18.460 is mercy and God is grace because he shows us 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:21.939 Love and mercy like way more love and mercy and 00:02:21.939 --> 00:02:24.280 grace and we deserve right? I cannot tell y 'all 00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:27.199 how many times I mess up I say something I shouldn't 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:29.020 I treat someone in a way that I shouldn't I do 00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:31.080 something that I'm like I know God calls me to 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:33.979 hire and I know God calls me to better and when 00:02:33.979 --> 00:02:38.860 I repent I I Receive his forgiveness and he gives 00:02:38.860 --> 00:02:42.000 me an opportunity to do better. And when we're 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:46.860 so used to experiencing that, we can start to 00:02:46.860 --> 00:02:51.259 forget just how much God doesn't play when it 00:02:51.259 --> 00:02:56.000 comes to his people. You know, y 'all, I believe 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:59.439 it's first Samuel where God is saying, like, 00:02:59.639 --> 00:03:02.560 go to these people, say what I tell you to say, 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:05.819 and understand that they are not rejecting you, 00:03:05.819 --> 00:03:08.800 they are rejecting me. that when God appoints 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:11.539 someone to speak something when God is using 00:03:11.539 --> 00:03:14.759 someone when someone is carrying that anointing 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:16.939 when they were walking out that anointing and 00:03:16.939 --> 00:03:18.819 walking out their calling and people are moving 00:03:18.819 --> 00:03:21.419 against them or coming up against them when they're 00:03:21.419 --> 00:03:23.900 rejecting the words that God is giving they're 00:03:23.900 --> 00:03:27.020 not rejecting the person the vessel but they 00:03:27.020 --> 00:03:36.129 are rejecting God And when one starts to do harm 00:03:36.129 --> 00:03:41.270 to the vessel, when one starts to slander and 00:03:41.270 --> 00:03:46.370 gossip and whatever this harm looks like, right? 00:03:46.389 --> 00:03:47.949 Because sometimes it can look like physically 00:03:47.949 --> 00:03:50.530 hurting. Sometimes it can look like being deceptive. 00:03:50.569 --> 00:03:52.990 Sometimes it can look like starting rumors. Sometimes 00:03:52.990 --> 00:03:54.569 it can look like going out of their way to try 00:03:54.569 --> 00:03:56.569 to close doors or stop opportunities. Whatever 00:03:56.569 --> 00:04:01.370 it looks like, God doesn't play. about people 00:04:01.370 --> 00:04:12.229 coming up against his anointed. And that's just 00:04:12.229 --> 00:04:18.850 one area I'm feeling led to touch on today. But 00:04:18.850 --> 00:04:24.430 there's a bigger picture here that I feel we're 00:04:24.430 --> 00:04:26.970 being pulled to get to today, right? And that 00:04:26.970 --> 00:04:30.879 is... I feel this tags along on to that past 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:33.720 episode we had of prophets and talking about 00:04:33.720 --> 00:04:36.199 what prophets are and kind of like, you know, 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:40.899 how does the Lord use prophets? And today this 00:04:40.899 --> 00:04:45.360 episode feels more about rejecting God's people, 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:48.500 rejecting God's word, rejecting prophetic words, 00:04:48.699 --> 00:04:58.379 rejecting the chosen. and the way that God moves 00:04:58.379 --> 00:05:04.180 when that happens. And I just want to start with, 00:05:04.300 --> 00:05:07.779 I want to openly pray this on this as we record 00:05:07.779 --> 00:05:11.279 this episode that I pray that the Lord keeps 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:14.120 my heart soft as I discuss this topic and I pray 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:16.819 that, you know, my own words don't come out but 00:05:16.819 --> 00:05:19.800 the words that the Lord wants me to speak come 00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:23.000 out instead because this can be, you know, personally 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:27.459 this is a hard topic for me. I want to make sure 00:05:27.459 --> 00:05:31.040 that my heart is right and discussing this and 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:35.220 talking about this There's a piece of scripture. 00:05:35.220 --> 00:05:44.399 I want to read to y 'all and this is Daniel chapter 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:51.540 4 And this is the warning This is the prophetic 00:05:51.540 --> 00:05:55.000 warning that Daniel gives to King Nebuchadnezzar, 00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:57.779 right? And we're going to start here in verse 00:05:57.779 --> 00:06:01.779 25 of chapter 4, where Daniel is saying to King 00:06:01.779 --> 00:06:20.649 Nebuchadnezzar, and seven times shall pass over 00:06:20.649 --> 00:06:24.790 you until you learn and know and recognize that 00:06:24.790 --> 00:06:27.850 the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind 00:06:27.850 --> 00:06:31.850 and gives it to whomever He will. In that it 00:06:31.850 --> 00:06:34.589 was commanded to leave the stump of the roots 00:06:34.589 --> 00:06:38.250 of the tree. Your kingdom shall be sure to you 00:06:38.250 --> 00:06:44.110 after you have learned and know that God of heaven 00:06:44.110 --> 00:06:48.370 rules. Therefore, O King, Let my counsel be acceptable 00:06:48.370 --> 00:06:51.850 to you. Break off your sins and show the reality 00:06:51.850 --> 00:06:55.670 of your repentance by righteousness. And deliberate 00:06:55.670 --> 00:06:58.310 yourselves from your iniquities by showing mercy 00:06:58.310 --> 00:07:00.970 and loving kindness to the poor and oppressed. 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:04.730 That there may possibly be a continuance and 00:07:04.730 --> 00:07:07.410 lengthening of your peace and tranquility and 00:07:07.410 --> 00:07:10.490 healing of your error. All this was fulfilled 00:07:10.490 --> 00:07:15.269 and came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. I want to 00:07:15.269 --> 00:07:18.069 pause here. I'm gonna pause here for a moment 00:07:18.069 --> 00:07:27.490 y 'all and just identify a couple of the continuing 00:07:27.490 --> 00:07:31.610 problems King Nebuchadnezzar seemed to have that 00:07:31.610 --> 00:07:34.470 weren't changing or shifting because if you've 00:07:34.470 --> 00:07:38.290 read about King Nebuchadnezzar before this has 00:07:38.290 --> 00:07:40.730 happened like King Nebuchadnezzar has seen God 00:07:40.730 --> 00:07:44.839 move through Daniel He's seen, you know, dreams 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:50.100 interpreted. He has seen amazing things happen, 00:07:50.100 --> 00:07:56.180 right? King Nebuchadnezzar has seen God move. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:58.079 He's had moments where he glorifies God, where 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:01.199 he's like glory to the God of Daniel, praising 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:06.079 God. But there were parts of his heart that were 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:09.220 hardened and refused to be shifted or changed. 00:08:10.220 --> 00:08:19.339 And one of the things that we see here, we see 00:08:19.339 --> 00:08:22.560 that this word is being given to Daniel, right? 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:27.120 This hardship that he's about to go through. 00:08:27.899 --> 00:08:33.320 God has a reason for this, right? And it is so 00:08:33.320 --> 00:08:37.850 that way. He may repent so that way he may see 00:08:37.850 --> 00:08:40.629 transformation. God recognized that Nebuchadnezzar 00:08:40.629 --> 00:08:43.769 wasn't going to give up his old ways. There wasn't 00:08:43.769 --> 00:08:45.190 going to be this shift. There wasn't going to 00:08:45.190 --> 00:08:48.710 be this transformation until he had to learn 00:08:48.710 --> 00:08:53.350 the hard way. And that hard way was kind of losing 00:08:53.350 --> 00:08:59.269 his mind. Living as an animal with the animals, 00:08:59.269 --> 00:09:04.269 losing his kingdom, losing these things. That 00:09:04.269 --> 00:09:06.649 kept him in the state of pride that kept him 00:09:06.649 --> 00:09:09.950 in that judgmental seat Because I believe that 00:09:09.950 --> 00:09:13.330 is what we are being shown here with King Nebuchadnezzar 00:09:13.330 --> 00:09:18.730 is that he Appointed himself in some ways above 00:09:18.730 --> 00:09:24.090 God in the judgment seat But it says here until 00:09:24.090 --> 00:09:27.610 you learn and know and recognize That the most 00:09:27.610 --> 00:09:30.350 high God rules the kingdom of mankind and gives 00:09:30.350 --> 00:09:34.929 it to whomever he will So it seems like Nebuchadnezzar 00:09:34.929 --> 00:09:38.990 had a problem with who God was choosing to use 00:09:38.990 --> 00:09:45.269 Who God was choosing to bless who God Was giving 00:09:45.269 --> 00:09:51.629 the kingdom of heaven to And how many times do 00:09:51.629 --> 00:09:58.190 we see Christians today struggling with that 00:09:58.190 --> 00:10:00.830 I can tell y 'all I have met many Christians 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:03.000 there are some who've called themselves Christians 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:09.620 their whole lives who say they they they love 00:10:09.620 --> 00:10:12.860 God and you know they they say well God chooses 00:10:12.860 --> 00:10:17.039 and God's the judge until it's someone that they 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:23.960 don't think is worthy or deserving now once it's 00:10:23.960 --> 00:10:26.059 someone that they don't think is worthy or deserving 00:10:26.059 --> 00:10:29.080 it's almost like they put like an x Over this 00:10:29.080 --> 00:10:31.759 person if there's no way God can use them anything 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:33.799 good that's happening. It's a lie. It's deception 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:37.259 It's not God. It's not they paint it up to be 00:10:37.259 --> 00:10:41.700 demonic and evil Because they refuse in their 00:10:41.700 --> 00:10:49.200 mind to accept God chooses people and uses people 00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:54.809 Solely because he wills solely because he wants 00:10:54.809 --> 00:10:57.850 to. God doesn't have to explain to us why he 00:10:57.850 --> 00:11:01.049 chooses people, why he chooses to use them in 00:11:01.049 --> 00:11:03.230 that way, but it seems like Nebuchadnezzar had 00:11:03.230 --> 00:11:06.490 a problem with God's authority in that area. 00:11:07.809 --> 00:11:10.370 It seemed like in reading this that Nebuchadnezzar 00:11:10.370 --> 00:11:17.070 did not believe in his heart that God had the 00:11:17.070 --> 00:11:23.399 authority to give it to whoever he wills. I cannot 00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:27.379 tell y 'all how many times I have seen people 00:11:27.379 --> 00:11:30.580 who have a really rough past, you know, who were 00:11:30.580 --> 00:11:32.600 being used by the Kingdom of Darkness for a long 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:35.559 time, that had a radical transformation in Christ 00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:41.139 Jesus. And of course, they're not perfect. You 00:11:41.139 --> 00:11:42.679 know, they're going through the sanctification 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:44.740 process, but they're being used by God in mighty 00:11:44.740 --> 00:11:47.799 ways. And I've seen people who call themselves 00:11:47.799 --> 00:11:54.019 Christians that refuse to accept. That Jesus 00:11:54.019 --> 00:11:56.940 could clean them up that refused to accept that 00:11:56.940 --> 00:11:59.720 they could be repentant that refused to accept 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:02.340 and instead of calling them children of God They 00:12:02.340 --> 00:12:05.000 call them sons of Satan. They call them children 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:07.039 of the devil They say well this much this must 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:09.279 be witchcraft or this must be wickedness or this 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:13.940 must be lies. This must be deception It's like 00:12:13.940 --> 00:12:16.320 in their mind they don't believe that God can 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:19.289 truly use anyone They don't believe that God 00:12:19.289 --> 00:12:22.990 can truly soften any heart. They don't believe 00:12:22.990 --> 00:12:26.309 that God can use all things for their good. They 00:12:26.309 --> 00:12:30.289 don't believe that the kingdom of heaven is more 00:12:30.289 --> 00:12:33.850 powerful than the kingdom of darkness. It's like 00:12:33.850 --> 00:12:36.590 they believe that the devil, that the wickedness, 00:12:36.629 --> 00:12:41.129 that the evil is more powerful than God. Because 00:12:41.129 --> 00:12:44.860 if they truly believe that God Could soften a 00:12:44.860 --> 00:12:46.940 heart that God could have radical transformation 00:12:46.940 --> 00:12:48.759 that God could use someone with the messiest 00:12:48.759 --> 00:12:53.399 past if they truly believe that Then where is 00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:56.440 this coming from? Let's take a moment to look 00:12:56.440 --> 00:13:02.980 at Saul Who was killing Christians who was persecuting 00:13:02.980 --> 00:13:07.340 Christians who was breaking going directly against 00:13:07.340 --> 00:13:11.139 Who we would today in modern day see as the most 00:13:11.139 --> 00:13:17.210 evil and wicked person. And when he was happily 00:13:17.210 --> 00:13:20.129 walking along his way to go persecute more people, 00:13:21.309 --> 00:13:24.110 he encountered the truth of Jesus Christ. He 00:13:24.110 --> 00:13:26.529 experienced miraculous healing from his blindness. 00:13:27.570 --> 00:13:34.110 And God started sending him to testify. And he 00:13:34.110 --> 00:13:35.889 ended up being used in really big ways. Look 00:13:35.889 --> 00:13:39.049 how many books are in the Bible. You can't say 00:13:39.049 --> 00:13:44.799 that that wasn't God's blessing. But how many 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:47.240 people, if they saw that happen today, would 00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:50.980 claim that's the devil? That's the wickedness. 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:54.179 That's no way God could use him, no way God could 00:13:54.179 --> 00:13:56.759 bless. Anything that appears to be miraculous 00:13:56.759 --> 00:14:01.399 or anything that's evil, that's wicked. You know, 00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:03.820 there are a good amount of what's coming to mind 00:14:03.820 --> 00:14:06.139 right now of people that unfortunately, like, 00:14:06.139 --> 00:14:08.710 I have seen... People that were very famous for 00:14:08.710 --> 00:14:10.769 living lifestyles that didn't glorify God, who 00:14:10.769 --> 00:14:12.549 experienced radical shifts, transformations, 00:14:12.710 --> 00:14:14.789 and gave their lives to Christ. And they're being 00:14:14.789 --> 00:14:17.549 used miraculously. Every time I see their comment 00:14:17.549 --> 00:14:22.490 section online, every time I see people interacting 00:14:22.490 --> 00:14:24.669 with them online, there's always a handful of 00:14:24.669 --> 00:14:28.789 people that are like, this is fake. There's no 00:14:28.789 --> 00:14:31.940 rebirth. Once you did this you always did this 00:14:31.940 --> 00:14:34.279 that refused to let go and you know I look in 00:14:34.279 --> 00:14:36.000 their bio and I see Christian I think do these 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:37.799 people really think that they're being used by 00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:45.320 God right now? Because saying those things and 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:48.539 causing that hurt and causing that harm that's 00:14:48.539 --> 00:14:55.080 not of God Vengeance exposure all those things 00:14:55.080 --> 00:15:00.659 are God's not ours There are some people who 00:15:00.659 --> 00:15:05.399 are so blinded by their own pride, who are blinded 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:08.220 by their own version of God in their head, who 00:15:08.220 --> 00:15:12.700 are blinded by anger and hostility and confusion 00:15:12.700 --> 00:15:15.139 and lies of the enemy that they refuse to see 00:15:15.139 --> 00:15:23.159 the fruit, that they refuse to see God. We see 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:25.500 here with King Nebuchadnezzar another one of 00:15:25.500 --> 00:15:27.700 his problems. It looks like he wasn't showing 00:15:27.700 --> 00:15:32.159 loving kindness to be oppressed Says here we 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:36.220 are in verse 27 and liberate yourself from your 00:15:36.220 --> 00:15:38.559 iniquities by showing mercy and loving kindness 00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:43.360 to the poor and oppressed Now this was this was 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:45.960 a revelation moment the Lord gave me this morning 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:49.600 and reading this amen is when I saw oppressed 00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:51.700 My first thought comes to people who are like 00:15:51.700 --> 00:15:53.559 oppressed by the government or people who are 00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:55.259 bullied by others or people who are you know 00:15:55.259 --> 00:15:56.759 When you think oppressed like showing kindness 00:15:56.759 --> 00:15:58.940 to other people who are down bad and other people 00:15:58.940 --> 00:16:01.620 who are hurt by people But the lord actually 00:16:01.620 --> 00:16:04.960 highlighted to me What about the demonically 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:14.399 oppressed? It's crazy how I the lord has changed 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:18.100 the way that I handle people that I can tell 00:16:18.460 --> 00:16:21.179 are not submitted to Christ, right? When I first 00:16:21.179 --> 00:16:23.919 gave my life to Jesus and when I was moving through 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.240 spiritual warfare, anyone that didn't have their 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:28.399 life surrendered to Christ, I had immediate red 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:30.679 flags up. I want nothing to do with you. I want 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:33.580 to push you away because bad company corrupts 00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:37.519 good morals, right? And I was in a really, I 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:42.059 was in a delicate place where the Lord really 00:16:42.059 --> 00:16:43.580 showed me, hey, you got to be careful who you 00:16:43.580 --> 00:16:46.429 hang around because the wrong influences. you'll 00:16:46.429 --> 00:16:50.690 find yourself going in a bad direction. But as 00:16:50.690 --> 00:16:56.669 I matured more in my faith and as I was able 00:16:56.669 --> 00:17:00.169 to identify God's voice more, you know, as I 00:17:00.169 --> 00:17:03.850 was spending more time in the Word and rooted 00:17:03.850 --> 00:17:06.589 more in the Word, and as I started to trust more 00:17:06.589 --> 00:17:08.829 the discernment that the Lord was building up 00:17:08.829 --> 00:17:11.910 in me, the more the Lord was able to use me to 00:17:11.910 --> 00:17:16.119 actually help people who were oppressed. people 00:17:16.119 --> 00:17:19.359 who needed delivered You know because there was 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:21.359 there was a stage especially when I was like 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:25.559 a very new Christian where I Was just trying 00:17:25.559 --> 00:17:28.359 to stay rooted in my faith I was in the space 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:30.400 to go and start leading all these other people 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:33.200 to Christ and away from these things I I was 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:40.019 just holding on by a thread And as the Lord started, 00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:44.130 you know working in me and as I was being brought 00:17:44.130 --> 00:17:48.170 around people who were oppressed, demonically 00:17:48.170 --> 00:17:52.210 oppressed, meaning their thoughts, their actions, 00:17:52.369 --> 00:17:54.329 their words, their decisions were being influenced 00:17:54.329 --> 00:18:00.230 by a spirit that wasn't, wasn't God. They were 00:18:00.230 --> 00:18:03.269 being influenced, you know, when those whispers 00:18:03.269 --> 00:18:06.910 in the ears of hateful thoughts, hateful words, 00:18:07.490 --> 00:18:09.829 lies, slander, they were believing the lies of 00:18:09.829 --> 00:18:14.029 the enemy and moving through those lies. They 00:18:14.029 --> 00:18:18.170 had the temptation to act on You know those fleshly 00:18:18.170 --> 00:18:21.410 things of anger and unforgiveness and greed and 00:18:21.410 --> 00:18:24.029 lust and they were acting on them The people 00:18:24.029 --> 00:18:27.410 who were oppressed You know my first reactions 00:18:27.410 --> 00:18:29.930 were to be really hateful and say and try to 00:18:29.930 --> 00:18:33.210 try to expose the demon and I was really trying 00:18:33.210 --> 00:18:36.329 to fight fire with fire and over time the Lord 00:18:36.329 --> 00:18:39.670 showed me how to Actually fight it with love 00:18:39.670 --> 00:18:42.789 because I'm not supposed to repay evil for evil 00:18:44.650 --> 00:18:48.390 And the Lord showed me how to show love and kindness 00:18:48.390 --> 00:18:51.450 how to show the love of Christ how to be forgiving 00:18:51.450 --> 00:18:56.470 to those people and that was actually What pointed 00:18:56.470 --> 00:19:00.710 people to the cross? That was actually what allowed 00:19:00.710 --> 00:19:04.329 me to trample on the scorpions, right? That was 00:19:04.329 --> 00:19:07.930 actually what allowed me to see victory in situations 00:19:07.930 --> 00:19:10.789 was matching it matching the evil with love with 00:19:10.789 --> 00:19:17.730 Christ like love With a kindness and that's not 00:19:17.730 --> 00:19:20.089 saying let down my boundaries and that's not 00:19:20.089 --> 00:19:25.609 saying be like a people pleaser You can love 00:19:25.609 --> 00:19:29.049 people in a Christ like way and still hold your 00:19:29.049 --> 00:19:33.609 boundaries But we see that that must have been 00:19:33.609 --> 00:19:36.789 a problem for King Nebuchadnezzar Right that 00:19:36.789 --> 00:19:39.390 he had a problem with showing love and kindness 00:19:39.390 --> 00:19:42.069 to the people who were poor and the people who 00:19:42.069 --> 00:19:45.089 were oppressed But we see with a lot of Christians 00:19:45.089 --> 00:19:49.609 today that have struggles with showing love to 00:19:49.609 --> 00:19:53.009 the people who are poor in spirit and the people 00:19:53.009 --> 00:19:56.289 who are oppressed. And when I say showing love, 00:19:56.410 --> 00:19:59.250 y 'all, I'm not saying telling people, well, 00:19:59.329 --> 00:20:01.210 your truth is your truth, or you believe what 00:20:01.210 --> 00:20:04.410 you believe. Love doesn't mean enabling. Love 00:20:04.410 --> 00:20:07.589 doesn't mean agreeing. If you've been here with 00:20:07.589 --> 00:20:09.809 me for a while, you know that is not what I'm 00:20:09.809 --> 00:20:20.500 saying. But it is to show a Christ -like love. 00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:24.359 It is to be forgiving. Our lives, our ministry, 00:20:24.740 --> 00:20:27.059 the way that we respond, the way that we react, 00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:29.519 people should glorify our Father who is in heaven. 00:20:30.099 --> 00:20:32.339 So showing love to these people is moving in 00:20:32.339 --> 00:20:37.180 a way that glorifies God and stays true to His 00:20:37.180 --> 00:20:41.240 Word. So when I was reading this today, I was 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:43.680 like, these are the problems that King Nebuchadnezzar 00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:46.259 dealt with. I feel like these are the problems 00:20:46.259 --> 00:20:48.819 that a lot of people who call themselves Christians 00:20:48.819 --> 00:20:53.220 deal with, right? Because there is a new wave 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:56.460 of people coming in who are having radical transformation 00:20:56.460 --> 00:20:59.680 and God is using them in miraculous ways. I feel 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:01.220 like I'm one of those people that falls into 00:21:01.220 --> 00:21:02.920 that group, which is why I said, y 'all, that 00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:04.759 this is a little bit of a sticky subject for 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:07.569 me. Because I fall into that grip of someone 00:21:07.569 --> 00:21:10.690 who I was a new -ager. I was a tarot reader I 00:21:10.690 --> 00:21:13.650 was all of these things and the Lord gave me 00:21:13.650 --> 00:21:16.670 revelation and transformed my heart and I was 00:21:16.670 --> 00:21:18.970 repentant and I gave my life to the Lord and 00:21:18.970 --> 00:21:21.329 he is now using me and moving through me and 00:21:21.329 --> 00:21:23.309 I have had to go through seasons where there 00:21:23.309 --> 00:21:25.529 were people who refused to believe that I gave 00:21:25.529 --> 00:21:29.269 my life to Jesus Where there are people who refuse 00:21:29.269 --> 00:21:32.049 no matter how much fruit they see no matter how 00:21:32.049 --> 00:21:35.250 guilty they feel they they still refuse in their 00:21:35.250 --> 00:21:40.730 heart to believe that God could be using me that 00:21:40.730 --> 00:21:44.569 God could be moving through me that my blessings 00:21:44.569 --> 00:21:47.150 could truly be because God is well pleased with 00:21:47.150 --> 00:21:52.869 the work I was doing that refused to believe 00:21:52.869 --> 00:21:56.750 that God gives his kingdom to those he desires 00:21:56.750 --> 00:22:00.119 and that's the only reason he needs You know, 00:22:00.119 --> 00:22:02.500 I've been so clear with y 'all before that when 00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:04.680 the Lord gave me promises of restoration He made 00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:06.319 it very clear to me. It's not because I prayed 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:09.119 a specific prayer. It's not because I did a specific 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:12.059 work It's not because I'm extra special or I'm 00:22:12.059 --> 00:22:15.460 a better person or anything like that God said 00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:26.410 I can use you I've made it so clear So you know 00:22:26.410 --> 00:22:28.369 that that's why y 'all I had to pray in the beginning 00:22:28.369 --> 00:22:31.430 this episode that my heart is clean and clear 00:22:31.430 --> 00:22:34.950 in this Because I want to make sure that this 00:22:34.950 --> 00:22:38.450 is the Lord's wisdom and not my own wisdom not 00:22:38.450 --> 00:22:41.769 my own desires not my own experience speaking 00:22:41.769 --> 00:22:52.650 And the Lord is I want to say this and I want 00:22:52.650 --> 00:22:55.769 to be so clear with this that the Lord is merciful 00:22:55.769 --> 00:23:00.809 and the Lord is forgiving and the Lord is gracious 00:23:00.809 --> 00:23:05.250 but sometimes His mercy and His grace looks like 00:23:05.250 --> 00:23:08.789 turning us over so that way our soul may be saved. 00:23:11.250 --> 00:23:16.650 And I have from personal experience seen people 00:23:16.650 --> 00:23:22.359 experience God the way that King Nebuchadnezzar 00:23:22.359 --> 00:23:27.400 had to experience God. I'm someone who had to 00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:29.819 experience God in the way that the people in 00:23:29.819 --> 00:23:31.779 the book of Jeremiah experienced God. I've shared 00:23:31.779 --> 00:23:34.400 this testimony with you all before. When God 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:36.799 turned me over for the destruction of my flesh, 00:23:36.819 --> 00:23:39.240 I refused to repent. I refused to turn from New 00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:41.519 Age or anything like that. You know, I didn't 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:45.359 have the clarity, but I was rejecting the people 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:47.599 that God was sending to me to kind of like point 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:51.049 me lovingly to the cross. So I was turned over, 00:23:51.130 --> 00:23:53.130 I went through suffering and hardship and it 00:23:53.130 --> 00:23:55.789 was in that suffering and hardship that my heart 00:23:55.789 --> 00:23:58.589 was softened enough for God to truly penetrate, 00:23:58.809 --> 00:24:00.609 right? For the word of God to truly penetrate 00:24:00.609 --> 00:24:02.789 my heart and for things to truly start taking 00:24:02.789 --> 00:24:04.910 root and for me to have revelation and for me 00:24:04.910 --> 00:24:08.650 to be repentant. That I wasn't able, I wasn't 00:24:08.650 --> 00:24:12.029 ready to receive until I was in a space where 00:24:12.029 --> 00:24:18.559 I was humble enough. And I have seen people Holy 00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:23.940 Spirit give me the words and I am actively seeing 00:24:23.940 --> 00:24:30.380 people I have to learn that lesson through situations 00:24:30.380 --> 00:24:34.339 like the book of Jeremiah or situations like 00:24:34.339 --> 00:24:38.160 this with King Nebuchadnezzar Where they're put 00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:43.059 in a space They're allowed to go through hardships 00:24:43.059 --> 00:24:45.799 God is allowing them to go through things after 00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:55.279 rejecting warnings after rejecting the word of 00:24:55.279 --> 00:25:00.599 God. Having to go through situations that are 00:25:00.599 --> 00:25:03.259 going to soften their heart and humble them to 00:25:03.259 --> 00:25:06.519 a space where they are obedient and submit to 00:25:06.519 --> 00:25:09.259 God's will. There's a scripture that the Lord 00:25:09.559 --> 00:25:11.480 Showed to me yesterday that I feel called to 00:25:11.480 --> 00:25:12.859 share with you all in this moment And that is 00:25:12.859 --> 00:25:16.220 job 22 verse 11 where it says submit to god and 00:25:16.220 --> 00:25:19.680 be at peace with him In this way prosperity will 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:26.140 come to you You know these people that i'm referring 00:25:26.140 --> 00:25:28.559 to that i've seen this happen are people that 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:32.099 Will submit in some areas to god's word, but 00:25:32.099 --> 00:25:36.000 there are other areas where their pride Is so 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:41.579 strong and they're leaning on their own understanding 00:25:41.579 --> 00:25:44.559 and the Word of God cannot penetrate and take 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:47.559 root in their heart. And because He loves them 00:25:47.559 --> 00:25:50.500 so much and because He wants to see them repentant 00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:53.940 and because He wants to see them give their lives 00:25:53.940 --> 00:25:58.130 to Him. Fully because he wants to be able to 00:25:58.130 --> 00:26:01.329 use them to because he wants to give them promises 00:26:01.329 --> 00:26:04.690 Because he wants to see them also walk out their 00:26:04.690 --> 00:26:07.609 kingdom of segments. He will allow them to go 00:26:07.609 --> 00:26:10.710 through this You know, that was a big thing that 00:26:10.710 --> 00:26:13.450 the Lord had revealed to me with these people 00:26:13.450 --> 00:26:15.710 He was that it's not like they're going through 00:26:15.710 --> 00:26:18.029 suffering or hardship because just because God's 00:26:18.029 --> 00:26:21.450 angry or because God's wrathful He still has 00:26:21.450 --> 00:26:23.430 a hope at the end of this just like he did for 00:26:23.430 --> 00:26:25.430 the people in Jeremiah Just how he has for King 00:26:25.430 --> 00:26:27.650 Nebuchadnezzar that the hope of what they're 00:26:27.650 --> 00:26:32.210 going through is that they may repent That God's 00:26:32.210 --> 00:26:34.750 Word may be able to pierce their heart and take 00:26:34.750 --> 00:26:39.789 root We see here with King Nebuchadnezzar right 00:26:39.789 --> 00:26:43.789 says here in verse 27 break off your sins and 00:26:43.789 --> 00:26:48.049 Show the reality of your repentance by righteousness 00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:52.259 And it says here I'm gonna repeat it again and 00:26:52.259 --> 00:26:55.079 liberate yourself from your iniquities by showing 00:26:55.079 --> 00:26:58.039 mercy and loving kindness to the poor and oppressed 00:26:58.039 --> 00:27:01.420 Shown here these were the commands he was given 00:27:01.420 --> 00:27:05.180 is to stop Sending to truly break off the sin 00:27:05.180 --> 00:27:07.700 not just a thing of like, okay. I'm gonna like 00:27:07.700 --> 00:27:10.700 abstain for right now It's break it off of your 00:27:10.700 --> 00:27:16.849 life. Stop entertaining the sin Stop entertaining 00:27:16.849 --> 00:27:21.329 it stop making allowances for it ring it out 00:27:21.329 --> 00:27:27.529 and cut it off and Then show fruits as signs 00:27:27.529 --> 00:27:30.450 of your repentance being repentant and I've said 00:27:30.450 --> 00:27:33.410 this many times y 'all Feeling guilty and saying 00:27:33.410 --> 00:27:37.549 sorry and taking ownership that is a part, right? 00:27:38.329 --> 00:27:42.190 Like recognizing you've done wrong Taking accountability, 00:27:42.509 --> 00:27:45.349 but the other part of it is having a change of 00:27:45.349 --> 00:27:47.490 heart. Repentance isn't just feeling bad or sorry. 00:27:47.529 --> 00:27:50.069 It is a change of your heart placement where 00:27:50.069 --> 00:27:53.269 you truly recognize it's wrong and you cannot 00:27:53.269 --> 00:27:55.609 continue to do it because you know it goes against 00:27:55.609 --> 00:27:58.029 God. So you will take the active steps to stop 00:27:58.029 --> 00:28:00.589 doing it. For example, if it's gossiping or slander, 00:28:00.849 --> 00:28:02.329 you'll stop hanging out with people that you 00:28:02.329 --> 00:28:05.049 find you gossip and slander all the time. You'll 00:28:05.049 --> 00:28:07.210 stop entertaining those conversations. If you're 00:28:07.210 --> 00:28:09.789 repentant for it, you'll do what you can to flee 00:28:09.789 --> 00:28:13.089 it. If you're repentant for sexual immorality, 00:28:13.390 --> 00:28:14.970 you'll stop hanging around with the people that 00:28:14.970 --> 00:28:17.769 you get sexually immoral with. You'll stop looking 00:28:17.769 --> 00:28:22.589 up the online stuff. If you're repenting for 00:28:22.589 --> 00:28:24.490 listening to voices that aren't the Lord's, you'll 00:28:24.490 --> 00:28:27.109 stop scrolling all day listening to the psychic 00:28:27.109 --> 00:28:30.319 mediums. On social media. You'll stop listening 00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:31.920 to his words that claim they're from God But 00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:33.859 if you hold it up to the if you hold up to the 00:28:33.859 --> 00:28:36.500 word, it's clearly not from God If you are repentant 00:28:36.500 --> 00:28:39.299 from things you will stop doing it If you are 00:28:39.299 --> 00:28:42.180 repentant for demonizing someone or lying or 00:28:42.180 --> 00:28:46.480 slandering you'll stop doing it to them If you're 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:48.900 repentant for whole if you're repentant for holding 00:28:48.900 --> 00:28:52.140 someone unforgiveness You'll start taking the 00:28:52.140 --> 00:28:56.039 active steps to forgive them God knows when you're 00:28:56.039 --> 00:28:59.359 just saying sorry to say sorry. God knows when 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:01.799 you feel bad, but you're gonna do it again. God 00:29:01.799 --> 00:29:04.420 knows your heart and your mind. You can't play 00:29:04.420 --> 00:29:11.460 God. And this was something that the Lord was 00:29:11.460 --> 00:29:14.279 trying to establish in King Nebuchadnezzar. It's 00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:17.160 not just that you're gonna stop keeping sin as 00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:21.579 a pet. You're gonna stop entertaining it. You're 00:29:21.579 --> 00:29:24.539 gonna you're gonna stop dismissing it and saying 00:29:24.539 --> 00:29:30.619 like it's okay You're gonna stop making allowances 00:29:30.619 --> 00:29:37.880 for it and you're going to produce fruits They're 00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:43.039 gonna be signs of your repentance Y 'all repentance 00:29:43.039 --> 00:29:45.180 isn't just saying I'm sorry repentance is shown 00:29:45.180 --> 00:29:47.779 in the way you live your life and the choices 00:29:47.779 --> 00:29:53.539 you make If you say sorry, but there's no fruit, 00:29:57.880 --> 00:30:11.259 where your heart lies is evident. And we see, 00:30:11.380 --> 00:30:14.339 I want to read a little bit further, right? I 00:30:14.339 --> 00:30:17.700 want to read here in Daniel 4 .35. It says, and 00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:19.640 all the inhabitants of the earth are counted 00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:24.569 as nothing. he does according to his will and 00:30:24.569 --> 00:30:26.670 the host of heaven and among the inhabitants 00:30:26.670 --> 00:30:31.109 of the earth and none can stay his hand or say 00:30:31.109 --> 00:30:37.390 to him what are you doing and I felt I felt led 00:30:37.390 --> 00:30:42.809 to I felt led to read this and ask y 'all are 00:30:42.809 --> 00:30:46.369 you questioning God not now we should we should 00:30:46.369 --> 00:30:51.259 be asking God wants us to ask questions God wants 00:30:51.259 --> 00:30:55.500 us to ask questions I think a better way to word 00:30:55.500 --> 00:30:59.099 this is are you in Disagreement with God's will 00:30:59.099 --> 00:31:01.680 to where your heart is hardened and you are refusing 00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:08.160 to accept his will It's his will that he speaks 00:31:08.160 --> 00:31:11.779 through this person if it's his will that he 00:31:11.779 --> 00:31:16.480 uses this ministry if it's his will That this 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:18.180 blessing is delivered and you're sitting there 00:31:18.180 --> 00:31:20.019 like now. I don't agree with that. I don't like 00:31:20.019 --> 00:31:23.019 that I don't think that's right. I Don't think 00:31:23.019 --> 00:31:26.900 they deserve that. I don't think Okay, that's 00:31:26.900 --> 00:31:39.599 you But you aren't God It's fine to ask God questions 00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:41.759 he wants us to ask him questions he wants us 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:45.990 to communicate with him Are you asking questions 00:31:45.990 --> 00:31:52.410 to understand? Or are you from a lack of faith 00:31:52.410 --> 00:31:57.109 and a lack of trust trying to take away that 00:31:57.109 --> 00:32:05.069 authority from him? And in you assuming that 00:32:05.069 --> 00:32:07.990 authority are you rejecting the will of God? 00:32:08.670 --> 00:32:14.680 Are you rejecting the Word of God? Want to read 00:32:14.680 --> 00:32:22.259 further it says now at the same time My reason 00:32:22.259 --> 00:32:25.660 and understanding returned to me and For the 00:32:25.660 --> 00:32:28.640 glory of my kingdom my majesty and splendor returned 00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:30.960 to me and my counselors and my Lord sought me 00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:34.039 out I was reestablished in my kingdom and still 00:32:34.039 --> 00:32:36.380 more greatness than before was added to me and 00:32:36.380 --> 00:32:40.880 that's King Nebuchadnezzar right after He went 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:44.119 through the suffering and He submitted to God. 00:32:45.160 --> 00:32:48.559 His heart was changed. He was repentant. And 00:32:48.559 --> 00:32:52.980 how God restored Him. And that is God's love 00:32:52.980 --> 00:32:55.200 and that's mercy. God is a loving and merciful 00:32:55.200 --> 00:33:01.240 God. But He is so loving and so merciful that 00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:06.299 because He wants to see that change in you, because 00:33:06.299 --> 00:33:10.059 He wants to use you. because he wants to deliver 00:33:10.059 --> 00:33:12.519 on the promises he's made for you. If he knows 00:33:12.519 --> 00:33:15.180 that you're gonna have to go through whatever 00:33:15.180 --> 00:33:17.319 period this is to soften your heart to get there, 00:33:17.319 --> 00:33:18.900 he loves you so much, he'll take you through 00:33:18.900 --> 00:33:21.579 it. And he loves you so much that he'll restore 00:33:21.579 --> 00:33:24.660 you on the other side. It's so important, someone 00:33:24.660 --> 00:33:27.700 needs to hear this today, that when you go through 00:33:27.700 --> 00:33:30.299 these sufferings and these hardships because 00:33:30.299 --> 00:33:36.759 of a hardened heart, because of an opposition 00:33:36.759 --> 00:33:42.900 to God, He still has the loving intent to restore 00:33:42.900 --> 00:33:48.259 you. But we see here that the restoration required 00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:51.339 repentance. There's something I'd highlighted 00:33:51.339 --> 00:33:54.779 here in Daniel 4 verse 30 where it says, and 00:33:54.779 --> 00:33:57.640 the king said, is not this the great Babylon 00:33:57.640 --> 00:34:01.000 that I have built as the royal residence and 00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:04.000 seat of government by the might of my power? 00:34:04.380 --> 00:34:07.759 for the honor and glory of my majesty we see 00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:12.079 the lack of humility that King Nebuchadnezzar 00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:16.219 had by glorifying himself right he was so busy 00:34:16.219 --> 00:34:20.000 on himself of his good intent of what he built 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:27.059 of what he has done and y 'all I'm not preaching 00:34:27.059 --> 00:34:29.820 at you from some mountaintop I'm able to speak 00:34:29.820 --> 00:34:32.039 these things because yes I have been on the side 00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:35.579 of someone who you know, people didn't believe 00:34:35.579 --> 00:34:37.940 that God would use me. I've been on that side, 00:34:38.239 --> 00:34:40.559 but I have also before been on the other side 00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:43.960 of feeling so consumed in myself and what is 00:34:43.960 --> 00:34:46.699 going on in my own life and my own intention 00:34:46.699 --> 00:34:51.059 that I was refusing, that I refused to see how 00:34:51.059 --> 00:34:54.139 God used other people. Before God softened my 00:34:54.139 --> 00:34:56.599 heart when I was a new -ager, when I look back 00:34:56.599 --> 00:34:59.500 I can see that there were people who were being 00:34:59.500 --> 00:35:01.300 kind to me and trying to show me the love of 00:35:01.300 --> 00:35:05.409 Jesus. And because I was entertaining the lies 00:35:05.409 --> 00:35:08.690 of the enemy, I was twisting the motives of all 00:35:08.690 --> 00:35:11.989 of those people. What's crazy is the people that 00:35:11.989 --> 00:35:14.889 God sent me, oftentimes I was actually viewing 00:35:14.889 --> 00:35:17.670 those people as evil or wicked or ulterior motives 00:35:17.670 --> 00:35:21.989 because they were trying to deliver me. I remember 00:35:21.989 --> 00:35:24.050 that there was, when I was a tarot card reader 00:35:24.050 --> 00:35:27.230 and I would do the reading online, there was 00:35:27.230 --> 00:35:33.909 this couple that they loved Jesus. Every time 00:35:33.909 --> 00:35:36.750 they they came around me like they would be around 00:35:36.750 --> 00:35:40.369 me and I would be online I would make no money. 00:35:40.409 --> 00:35:45.750 I would get like no purchases that day And I 00:35:45.750 --> 00:35:48.170 started attributing it in my head this sounds 00:35:48.170 --> 00:35:51.010 so crazy y 'all, but I was actually saying to 00:35:51.010 --> 00:35:53.610 myself I was like They're they're cursing my 00:35:53.610 --> 00:35:55.969 finances every time they come around somehow. 00:35:55.969 --> 00:35:57.750 I don't make money. They don't want me doing 00:35:57.750 --> 00:35:59.449 these readings They don't want me doing these 00:35:59.449 --> 00:36:01.730 things and because at the time I didn't see what 00:36:01.730 --> 00:36:04.530 I was doing as evil or demonic I viewed them 00:36:04.530 --> 00:36:06.469 as the evil ones, right? I was like how dare 00:36:06.469 --> 00:36:09.349 they stop my money. I'm trying to eat I'm trying 00:36:09.349 --> 00:36:13.329 to do these things and I recognized that later 00:36:13.329 --> 00:36:16.349 on that these people were praying for my deliverance 00:36:16.349 --> 00:36:19.730 That these people were praying that I would leave 00:36:20.349 --> 00:36:22.650 The tarot card reading they were praying that 00:36:22.650 --> 00:36:25.329 I would leave these demonic things behind right 00:36:25.329 --> 00:36:28.989 and Me not making money that they are not an 00:36:28.989 --> 00:36:31.710 income was frustrating that work and was actually 00:36:31.710 --> 00:36:34.070 kind of encouraging me What's interesting enough 00:36:34.070 --> 00:36:36.909 is I went through so many random days or periods 00:36:36.909 --> 00:36:38.809 of that I actually start praying I want a new 00:36:38.809 --> 00:36:41.369 job This isn't stable enough. This isn't steady 00:36:41.369 --> 00:36:43.369 enough and it actually opened the door for me 00:36:43.369 --> 00:36:46.590 to be delivered later on But so crazy that at 00:36:46.590 --> 00:36:48.829 the time, now I can look back and see that that 00:36:48.829 --> 00:36:51.190 was clearly God sending those people to pray 00:36:51.190 --> 00:36:53.650 for me. God sending those people to plant seeds. 00:36:54.010 --> 00:36:55.369 You know, they would every so often say, why 00:36:55.369 --> 00:36:57.989 don't you apply for a different job? Why don't 00:36:57.989 --> 00:36:59.969 you do this? And, you know, I would shake them 00:36:59.969 --> 00:37:02.170 off and I would get frustrated. I would get offended. 00:37:03.230 --> 00:37:04.889 I went through a time period where I felt like, 00:37:05.030 --> 00:37:06.630 well, I'm just trying to provide for myself and 00:37:06.630 --> 00:37:08.210 I'm just trying to take care of myself and I'm 00:37:08.210 --> 00:37:10.469 helping people and I'm doing this is what I was 00:37:10.469 --> 00:37:13.010 telling myself at the time that I viewed them. 00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:16.460 as more wicked in that scenario. I was viewing 00:37:16.460 --> 00:37:18.380 them as the ones who were throwing a wrench in 00:37:18.380 --> 00:37:21.000 my plans and attacking me and hurting me and 00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:23.039 harming me. And now on the other side of it, 00:37:23.039 --> 00:37:24.699 I'm like, nah, they were servants of the Most 00:37:24.699 --> 00:37:29.139 High. They were doing, they were literally, if 00:37:29.139 --> 00:37:32.579 I held what they were doing to Scripture, I was 00:37:32.579 --> 00:37:35.630 the one in the wrong. And they were the ones 00:37:35.630 --> 00:37:37.949 pointing me in the right direction. But because 00:37:37.949 --> 00:37:40.869 I was rooted in my pride, because I was in an 00:37:40.869 --> 00:37:43.210 ego space, because I was so focused on my intent 00:37:43.210 --> 00:37:46.090 and what I think I'm doing and how I feel and, 00:37:46.090 --> 00:37:50.110 you know, how I think God should view me, I was 00:37:50.110 --> 00:37:52.329 ready to write like everything off as opposition 00:37:52.329 --> 00:37:55.409 and wickedness when I didn't realize that I was 00:37:55.409 --> 00:38:05.409 the one opposing God's will. I've never shared 00:38:05.409 --> 00:38:09.250 that testimony on here before. And I hope that 00:38:09.250 --> 00:38:11.030 that helps someone. And I just wanna say, I pray 00:38:11.030 --> 00:38:13.809 God blesses that couple for the seeds that they 00:38:13.809 --> 00:38:15.710 planted and the work that they did in my life. 00:38:16.650 --> 00:38:20.730 And you know, it really is... At that time, I 00:38:20.730 --> 00:38:23.949 was very oppressed, y 'all. I needed heavy deliverance. 00:38:24.050 --> 00:38:25.590 I went through heavy deliverance. I wouldn't 00:38:25.590 --> 00:38:28.250 have ever said I needed deliverance. It was once 00:38:28.250 --> 00:38:30.789 I gave my life to the Lord and I started, the 00:38:30.789 --> 00:38:32.849 Lord took me through a period of intermittent 00:38:32.849 --> 00:38:35.889 fasting and I was reading the scripture for like 00:38:35.889 --> 00:38:39.230 12 hours a day that there were things being purged 00:38:39.230 --> 00:38:42.469 from me. There were mindsets and thought processes. 00:38:42.769 --> 00:38:45.710 It wasn't until I was going through that fasting 00:38:45.710 --> 00:38:49.550 and I was really going through a self -denial. 00:38:50.639 --> 00:38:53.039 That the word was able to penetrate me I want 00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:55.119 to be so clear with this y 'all that when I went 00:38:55.119 --> 00:38:57.219 through that transformation It wasn't when I 00:38:57.219 --> 00:39:00.400 was keeping sin as a pet anymore I'm not I'm 00:39:00.400 --> 00:39:02.920 not saying I was perfect but when the word was 00:39:02.920 --> 00:39:06.179 actually able to penetrate my heart and Like 00:39:06.179 --> 00:39:08.619 old coping mechanisms and old thought processes 00:39:08.619 --> 00:39:10.780 were being broken off and I was truly repenting 00:39:10.780 --> 00:39:13.900 at that point I was denying self. I was going 00:39:13.900 --> 00:39:16.599 through fasting. So I was denying my flesh like 00:39:16.599 --> 00:39:19.480 food wise I was no longer smoking or drinking. 00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:21.400 I was denying my flesh in that area. I was no 00:39:21.400 --> 00:39:23.139 longer scrolling on social media. I was denying 00:39:23.139 --> 00:39:27.579 my flesh in that area. I was no longer doing 00:39:27.579 --> 00:39:30.280 tarot card reading. I had yet to throw away the 00:39:30.280 --> 00:39:32.340 cards but I refused to touch them at that point. 00:39:33.199 --> 00:39:36.519 I was denying myself of all the things that I 00:39:36.519 --> 00:39:40.659 once was able to defend and in doing that and 00:39:40.659 --> 00:39:45.039 seeking God and prayer and keeping the faith 00:39:45.150 --> 00:39:46.929 Because there were times when I was tempted to 00:39:46.929 --> 00:39:48.670 go back to those things because I didn't feel 00:39:48.670 --> 00:39:51.510 like I saw God move yet Or I felt like my enemies 00:39:51.510 --> 00:39:54.329 were winning or I felt like these things I continued 00:39:54.329 --> 00:39:59.769 to trust in God And the word was able to penetrate 00:39:59.769 --> 00:40:07.050 and break things off of me You know, I'm speaking 00:40:07.050 --> 00:40:09.550 to y 'all today as someone who I have been on 00:40:09.550 --> 00:40:16.719 both sides I've been on both sides. I've been 00:40:16.719 --> 00:40:20.860 on the side of feeling judged and feeling turned 00:40:20.860 --> 00:40:22.719 away and having to understand that, you know, 00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:24.579 they're not rejecting me. They're rejecting God 00:40:24.579 --> 00:40:27.000 and allow God to handle it. And I've seen God 00:40:27.000 --> 00:40:30.420 do that. I have seen God take care of me, babes. 00:40:30.780 --> 00:40:33.139 I have seen God correct people. I've seen God 00:40:33.139 --> 00:40:35.860 do His thing. And I want to say right now, it 00:40:35.860 --> 00:40:38.199 is so important that God won't do that until, 00:40:38.360 --> 00:40:42.940 in my experience, I've never had where God does 00:40:42.940 --> 00:40:45.500 that when I'm in a space of I would gloat and 00:40:45.500 --> 00:40:49.760 rejoice Each time I've seen God deliver justice 00:40:49.760 --> 00:40:51.960 in that way. I'm at a point where I'm actually 00:40:51.960 --> 00:40:55.960 more like empathizing with the person I'm not 00:40:55.960 --> 00:40:58.880 gonna rub it in their face or get excited or 00:40:58.880 --> 00:41:01.199 all of those things about it Oftentimes when 00:41:01.199 --> 00:41:03.519 God delivers a justice or a thing like that I'm 00:41:03.519 --> 00:41:05.219 in a space where I don't really care if justice 00:41:05.219 --> 00:41:08.429 is delivered or not Like meaning like I've already 00:41:08.429 --> 00:41:11.710 made peace with if it never happens I trust God 00:41:11.710 --> 00:41:14.849 would do it but I made peace with where I was 00:41:14.849 --> 00:41:18.510 at and focused on him and I understood because 00:41:18.510 --> 00:41:20.650 and I think that's because I had already forgiven 00:41:20.650 --> 00:41:22.889 those people I think that's such a better way 00:41:22.889 --> 00:41:25.269 to word this y 'all is I haven't seen God like 00:41:25.269 --> 00:41:27.409 really deliver justice in that way or move in 00:41:27.409 --> 00:41:31.170 that way until I have truly forgiven those people 00:41:31.170 --> 00:41:33.630 Or I'm in a space where I wouldn't gloat or rejoice 00:41:33.630 --> 00:41:40.639 or throw it back in their face But I have also 00:41:40.639 --> 00:41:45.880 been the person where There were people God chose 00:41:45.880 --> 00:41:49.059 and a point and I and it was really hard for 00:41:49.059 --> 00:41:50.960 me to accept some of the people He sent because 00:41:50.960 --> 00:41:54.280 they had pasts You know when I was thinking that 00:41:54.280 --> 00:41:56.539 God sending me a Christian God send me someone 00:41:56.539 --> 00:41:58.159 to speak his word I was thinking it was gonna 00:41:58.159 --> 00:42:01.139 be someone who's clean and proper and like You 00:42:01.139 --> 00:42:03.480 know, they were just the perfect little minister 00:42:03.480 --> 00:42:05.780 or whatever. And a lot of the people God was 00:42:05.780 --> 00:42:08.119 sending me were people with pasts. People who 00:42:08.119 --> 00:42:10.900 their lives weren't perfect. People where I wanted 00:42:10.900 --> 00:42:12.579 to look at them and be like, you're one to talk. 00:42:15.159 --> 00:42:17.920 And that was honestly because I didn't have an 00:42:17.920 --> 00:42:21.400 understanding of who God was or who he can use. 00:42:22.260 --> 00:42:24.400 So I was passing judgment because I was relying 00:42:24.400 --> 00:42:27.500 on my own understanding of who God can use and 00:42:27.500 --> 00:42:28.980 what they would look like and what they would 00:42:28.980 --> 00:42:32.900 sound like. It was a mixture of that, of not 00:42:32.900 --> 00:42:37.159 truly knowing God's Word, of not truly believing 00:42:37.159 --> 00:42:40.500 God's Word, right? And then it was also a mixture 00:42:40.500 --> 00:42:43.380 of I was blinded by the lies of the enemy and 00:42:43.380 --> 00:42:45.760 the deception and the sin I was entertaining 00:42:45.760 --> 00:42:48.380 in my life. We've talked about open doors for 00:42:48.380 --> 00:42:53.760 the devil and how... It's hard to compartmentalize 00:42:53.760 --> 00:42:57.139 how giving into gossip or giving into lust, giving 00:42:57.139 --> 00:42:59.239 into gluttony, giving into these things in one 00:42:59.239 --> 00:43:01.500 area of our life can give license for the enemy 00:43:01.500 --> 00:43:04.239 to blind us or block things in a lot of areas. 00:43:05.739 --> 00:43:07.639 Kind of almost like give him legal access. We're 00:43:07.639 --> 00:43:09.880 opening up the door and allowing him to come 00:43:09.880 --> 00:43:12.619 in, right? Which is why it's so important to 00:43:12.619 --> 00:43:15.659 flee the temptation and to not keep sin, to cut 00:43:15.659 --> 00:43:19.889 it off. Sin feels good. We don't sin. I want 00:43:19.889 --> 00:43:21.550 to say this, Holy Spirit, give me the words. 00:43:21.829 --> 00:43:23.969 We don't sin because we immediately see it as 00:43:23.969 --> 00:43:25.710 this is horrible, this is bad, and this is going 00:43:25.710 --> 00:43:28.090 to separate us from Christ. Oftentimes the reason 00:43:28.090 --> 00:43:30.489 why we say yes to the temptation and give in 00:43:30.489 --> 00:43:32.630 to the sin is because it looks like it's going 00:43:32.630 --> 00:43:34.750 to feel good. It looks like it's going to improve 00:43:34.750 --> 00:43:36.949 our situation. It looks like it's the solution. 00:43:37.329 --> 00:43:39.730 And then later on when we try to leave, we find 00:43:39.730 --> 00:43:46.400 out just how much it's a bondage. Sin feels good 00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:49.699 and looks good at first the devil masquerades 00:43:49.699 --> 00:43:53.960 as an angel of light You know what God God calls 00:43:53.960 --> 00:43:56.619 us to be forgiving and that's not very appealing 00:43:56.619 --> 00:43:59.059 having to forgive someone who's doing you wrong 00:43:59.059 --> 00:44:01.679 or continuing to do you wrong and Saying like 00:44:01.679 --> 00:44:06.019 I'm gonna trust God to take care of it It doesn't 00:44:06.019 --> 00:44:08.960 feel good that doesn't feel like a win that doesn't 00:44:08.960 --> 00:44:15.619 even look like a win Until God does it But what 00:44:15.619 --> 00:44:20.420 does that forgiving do? When you choose to forgive 00:44:20.420 --> 00:44:22.840 instead of living in unforgiveness that closes 00:44:22.840 --> 00:44:28.079 off the enemy is no longer allowed to use you 00:44:28.079 --> 00:44:31.260 The enemy is not able to work on your unforgiveness 00:44:31.260 --> 00:44:34.400 and use you to attack God's children And use 00:44:34.400 --> 00:44:38.239 you to plant seeds of doubt fear hate anger all 00:44:38.239 --> 00:44:47.590 these things And that's just an example So my 00:44:47.590 --> 00:44:50.469 biggest problem y 'all was I there were certain 00:44:50.469 --> 00:44:54.469 sins that I refused to see as simple or even 00:44:54.469 --> 00:44:57.389 though I knew like God yeah God doesn't exactly 00:44:57.389 --> 00:44:59.409 approve this I felt like I had a reason to be 00:44:59.409 --> 00:45:02.329 rooted in it or I would twist scripture to explain 00:45:02.329 --> 00:45:06.829 away what I was doing and I know that there's 00:45:06.829 --> 00:45:09.750 multiple groups of people that this may resonate 00:45:09.750 --> 00:45:12.010 with in different ways y 'all this this episode 00:45:13.849 --> 00:45:16.710 This isn't for just like one specific group of 00:45:16.710 --> 00:45:18.710 people. I feel like there are a lot of people 00:45:18.710 --> 00:45:24.650 who can take something from this today And there 00:45:24.650 --> 00:45:28.289 may be people who like this is and I want to 00:45:28.289 --> 00:45:32.889 say this in the most loving way And if you've 00:45:32.889 --> 00:45:35.969 been asking the Lord for clarity you've been 00:45:35.969 --> 00:45:39.489 asking the Lord for truth I Feel like there's 00:45:39.489 --> 00:45:42.860 someone today There is a truth and there is a 00:45:42.860 --> 00:45:45.480 clarity in this for you. You're struggling of 00:45:45.480 --> 00:45:47.619 understanding the suffering you're going through. 00:45:48.059 --> 00:45:49.920 You're struggling of understanding the hardship 00:45:49.920 --> 00:45:51.639 or maybe you're struggling of seeing the hope 00:45:51.639 --> 00:45:53.579 on the other side. Maybe you're someone who's 00:45:53.579 --> 00:45:55.820 watching people go through suffering and hardship 00:45:55.820 --> 00:45:58.119 and you're trying to understand. I believe that 00:45:58.119 --> 00:46:00.500 there is a truth to be revealed to you in listening 00:46:00.500 --> 00:46:06.079 to this today and I pray that you see it. And 00:46:06.079 --> 00:46:08.400 I pray that every single one of you who is listening 00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:14.780 to this episode today Delivered from that bondage 00:46:14.780 --> 00:46:19.980 whatever bondage in your life Delivered from 00:46:19.980 --> 00:46:22.760 the lies delivered from the deceit that you're 00:46:22.760 --> 00:46:26.440 able to operate and move in truth And that you 00:46:26.440 --> 00:46:30.840 remember who God is You know, there was something 00:46:30.840 --> 00:46:33.460 there was a situation that happened not long 00:46:33.460 --> 00:46:35.460 ago that was so impactful for me and I needed 00:46:35.460 --> 00:46:39.619 this reminder Where God reminded me that I'm 00:46:39.619 --> 00:46:43.679 not his only child The other people who I believe 00:46:43.679 --> 00:46:47.039 are good Christians are not his only children 00:46:47.039 --> 00:46:54.300 Like are not his only creations that he loves 00:46:54.300 --> 00:46:57.039 everybody that Jesus died for everybody when 00:46:57.039 --> 00:46:59.639 there is a situation a scenario There is a conversation 00:46:59.639 --> 00:47:02.980 as in with a person where I used a tone and some 00:47:02.980 --> 00:47:05.639 words that When I looked back I was like no those 00:47:05.639 --> 00:47:08.880 were hurtful and I and it's not very often that 00:47:08.880 --> 00:47:13.289 I do get that way I thought I had moved past 00:47:13.289 --> 00:47:16.030 that the situation had gotten so heated where 00:47:16.030 --> 00:47:18.849 I responded in that way And when I had time to 00:47:18.849 --> 00:47:20.690 reflect on it I went and I apologized to that 00:47:20.690 --> 00:47:23.710 person because I remember as soon as I had a 00:47:23.710 --> 00:47:26.309 moment to breathe on it I started taking to God 00:47:26.309 --> 00:47:29.730 and I just started crying and Asking God for 00:47:29.730 --> 00:47:31.469 forgiveness of God. I'm so sorry. I talked to 00:47:31.469 --> 00:47:35.030 your child that way I'm so sorry that I talked 00:47:35.030 --> 00:47:37.510 to that this person you love this person and 00:47:37.510 --> 00:47:39.329 I talked to them in a way that you wouldn't talk 00:47:39.329 --> 00:47:41.909 to them in that way You wouldn't correct them 00:47:41.909 --> 00:47:44.389 in that way. You wouldn't say it in that way 00:47:44.389 --> 00:47:47.769 And I you know had to be very open with that 00:47:47.769 --> 00:47:52.710 person and apologize to them For my wording and 00:47:52.710 --> 00:47:55.250 my tone and saying I shouldn't have spoken it 00:47:55.250 --> 00:47:57.730 to you or communicated it to you in that way 00:47:57.730 --> 00:48:04.269 And that was wrong with me to do And maybe someone 00:48:04.269 --> 00:48:06.630 needs to hear this today of like maybe you just 00:48:06.630 --> 00:48:08.309 need a little bit of this reminder today that 00:48:08.309 --> 00:48:13.139 like Jesus died for all of us, for all of us, 00:48:13.239 --> 00:48:14.920 in hopes that each of us would give our life. 00:48:14.940 --> 00:48:17.420 He knows that not everybody is going to give 00:48:17.420 --> 00:48:20.280 their lives and submit to him. The path is narrow, 00:48:21.159 --> 00:48:24.519 but that door is open for every single one of 00:48:24.519 --> 00:48:31.480 us. We should be cheering on when hell lost another 00:48:31.480 --> 00:48:37.239 one, but just remember that God loves that person 00:48:37.239 --> 00:48:43.699 too. God wants to see that person repent too. 00:48:47.059 --> 00:48:50.480 And maybe ask God, how can you be showing His 00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:56.420 love to those people? How can you be ministering? 00:48:56.659 --> 00:49:00.079 How can you help point people to the cross? How 00:49:00.079 --> 00:49:03.280 can you help deliver? And most of the time, and 00:49:03.280 --> 00:49:06.989 this is from my personal experience, When you're 00:49:06.989 --> 00:49:09.789 just focusing on your relationship with God and 00:49:09.789 --> 00:49:13.429 what he has called you to do The things around 00:49:13.429 --> 00:49:15.769 you will fall into place. He will give you steps 00:49:15.769 --> 00:49:21.190 to take Every time I have seen a promise every 00:49:21.190 --> 00:49:22.969 time I've seen a breakthrough every time I've 00:49:22.969 --> 00:49:25.190 seen a deliverance Every time I've seen something 00:49:25.190 --> 00:49:27.170 like that. It wasn't while I was saying they're 00:49:27.170 --> 00:49:29.070 like God. How do I operate? How do I do this? 00:49:29.090 --> 00:49:31.250 How do I let's make a plan together? It was never 00:49:31.250 --> 00:49:33.590 those times. It was always the times when I was 00:49:33.590 --> 00:49:35.739 just Focusing on God. What do you want me to 00:49:35.739 --> 00:49:39.780 do? What do you want me to learn today? What 00:49:39.780 --> 00:49:41.659 can we talk about today? It was when I was just 00:49:41.659 --> 00:49:44.460 seeking him and asking him you tell me what what's 00:49:44.460 --> 00:49:47.739 the small steps to take today and sometimes I 00:49:47.739 --> 00:49:49.860 wouldn't see how those small steps would add 00:49:49.860 --> 00:49:53.820 up into something big and if you're if you're 00:49:53.820 --> 00:49:56.099 wondering like well, where do I start start with 00:49:56.099 --> 00:49:59.059 God start with your relationship with God and 00:49:59.059 --> 00:50:01.699 Trust that these things will be added on to you 00:50:01.699 --> 00:50:05.250 when you're seeking first God and his kingdom 00:50:05.250 --> 00:50:10.429 his righteousness He will take care of you. He 00:50:10.429 --> 00:50:18.869 will guide you he will leave you You know, it's 00:50:18.869 --> 00:50:22.750 crazy how I'm Reflecting on this as I'm speaking 00:50:22.750 --> 00:50:26.590 to y 'all It's crazy how many people when I was 00:50:26.590 --> 00:50:30.230 in a space of oppression when I was believing 00:50:30.230 --> 00:50:33.780 lies of the enemy before the Lord had delivered 00:50:33.780 --> 00:50:37.300 me and I truly submitted with all my heart to 00:50:37.300 --> 00:50:42.079 God's word. There were a lot of people that I 00:50:42.079 --> 00:50:44.820 viewed as my enemy. There were a lot of people 00:50:44.820 --> 00:50:48.000 that were children of God. But I wasn't able 00:50:48.000 --> 00:50:50.019 to see that they were children of the Most High. 00:50:50.280 --> 00:50:54.059 I was blinded in a way. I wasn't able to see 00:50:54.059 --> 00:50:56.659 their good intention. But there were a lot of 00:50:56.659 --> 00:51:01.780 people who I believed to be my enemy. upon deliverance 00:51:01.780 --> 00:51:04.739 and upon it wasn't always immediately of like 00:51:04.739 --> 00:51:07.019 once I once I was delivered I saw everything 00:51:07.019 --> 00:51:09.199 clearly it wasn't I can see clearly now the rain 00:51:09.199 --> 00:51:13.920 is gone it was as I progressed as I was submitting 00:51:13.920 --> 00:51:15.880 to God's Word and as he was working in my heart 00:51:15.880 --> 00:51:18.659 and as he was transforming me and as I was just 00:51:18.659 --> 00:51:22.099 focused on obeying his Word as he was bringing 00:51:22.099 --> 00:51:24.440 out forgiveness and love and kindness and the 00:51:24.440 --> 00:51:28.280 fruits of the Spirit in me that the way that 00:51:28.280 --> 00:51:30.260 I viewed a lot of these people, the people who 00:51:30.260 --> 00:51:32.699 I once viewed as my enemies, I was actually able 00:51:32.699 --> 00:51:35.900 to see as servants of the Most High. I was actually 00:51:35.900 --> 00:51:39.119 able to later on look back and be like, no, they 00:51:39.119 --> 00:51:41.599 were trying to help me. They were trying to plant 00:51:41.599 --> 00:51:46.920 a seed. God was trying to use them. They were 00:51:46.920 --> 00:51:54.500 actually a blessing. When you stop believing 00:51:54.500 --> 00:51:56.900 the lies of the enemy, the way that you view 00:51:56.900 --> 00:51:59.460 some people is actually going to shift and change. 00:52:00.519 --> 00:52:02.539 When you start being rooted in God's Word and 00:52:02.539 --> 00:52:04.739 submitting to His will and submitting to Him 00:52:04.739 --> 00:52:09.099 as the authority, it's crazy how your perspective 00:52:09.099 --> 00:52:11.719 and the way that you perceive the things going 00:52:11.719 --> 00:52:14.360 on around you and the people around you starts 00:52:14.360 --> 00:52:21.880 to shift. And it's also crazy how we're able 00:52:21.880 --> 00:52:26.539 to see how easy it is for the enemy to twist 00:52:26.539 --> 00:52:30.159 and manipulate when we're not rooted in God's 00:52:30.159 --> 00:52:35.099 Word and don't have a submission to God's Word. 00:52:36.500 --> 00:52:42.659 When we're not truly taking His Word and moving 00:52:42.659 --> 00:52:51.130 by faith with His Word. You know y 'all, I'm 00:52:51.130 --> 00:52:56.309 thinking about flipping to, I believe it was 00:52:56.309 --> 00:53:01.369 Hebrews that I was reading this morning. I think 00:53:01.369 --> 00:53:03.190 this is going to be a really helpful read for 00:53:03.190 --> 00:53:06.429 somebody. Again, we're in the new Amplified Version, 00:53:07.050 --> 00:53:10.710 chapter 11. It says here, now faith is the assurance 00:53:10.710 --> 00:53:14.349 of the things we hope for, being the proof of 00:53:14.349 --> 00:53:17.610 things we do not see and the conviction of their 00:53:17.610 --> 00:53:23.340 reality. For by faith The men of old had divine 00:53:23.340 --> 00:53:26.460 testimony born to them and obtained by a good 00:53:26.460 --> 00:53:31.920 report by faith we understand That the worlds 00:53:31.920 --> 00:53:37.179 were framed by the Word of God So that what we 00:53:37.179 --> 00:53:40.920 see was not made out of things which are visible 00:53:40.920 --> 00:53:45.639 Prompted by faith Abel brought God a better and 00:53:45.639 --> 00:53:49.380 more acceptable sacrifice than came because of 00:53:49.380 --> 00:53:53.579 which it was testified of him that he was righteous 00:53:53.579 --> 00:53:57.679 and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging 00:53:57.679 --> 00:54:02.340 his gifts and though he died yet he is still 00:54:02.340 --> 00:54:05.739 speaking because of faith Enoch was caught up 00:54:05.739 --> 00:54:08.280 and transferred to heaven so that he did not 00:54:08.280 --> 00:54:10.619 have a glimpse of death and he was not found 00:54:10.619 --> 00:54:14.909 because God had translated him For even before 00:54:14.909 --> 00:54:17.929 he was taken to heaven, he received testimony 00:54:17.929 --> 00:54:21.030 that he had pleased and been satisfactory to 00:54:21.030 --> 00:54:26.230 God. But without faith it is impossible to please 00:54:26.230 --> 00:54:30.110 and be satisfactory to him. For whoever would 00:54:30.110 --> 00:54:34.130 come near to God must believe that God exists 00:54:34.130 --> 00:54:37.510 and that he is the rewarder of those who earnestly 00:54:37.510 --> 00:54:41.800 and diligently seek him out. prompted by faith 00:54:41.800 --> 00:54:45.059 Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events 00:54:45.059 --> 00:54:49.380 of which as yet there was no visible sign, took 00:54:49.380 --> 00:54:53.000 heed and diligently and reverently constructed 00:54:53.000 --> 00:54:56.480 and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his 00:54:56.480 --> 00:55:01.239 own family. By this faith he passed judgment 00:55:01.239 --> 00:55:05.539 and sentence on the world's unbelief and became 00:55:05.539 --> 00:55:09.989 an heir and possessor of righteousness. By faith 00:55:09.989 --> 00:55:13.250 Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went 00:55:13.250 --> 00:55:16.150 out to a place which he was destined to receive 00:55:16.150 --> 00:55:19.969 as an inheritance. And he went, although he did 00:55:19.969 --> 00:55:22.789 not know or trouble his mind about where he was 00:55:22.789 --> 00:55:27.329 to go. By faith he dwelt as a temporary resident 00:55:27.329 --> 00:55:30.650 in the land which was designated in the promise. 00:55:31.989 --> 00:55:34.789 In a strange country living in tents with Isaac 00:55:34.789 --> 00:55:39.170 and Jacob fellow heirs with him of the same promise 00:55:39.170 --> 00:55:43.429 for he was looking forward to the city which 00:55:43.429 --> 00:55:47.269 had fixed and firm foundations whose architect 00:55:47.269 --> 00:55:51.550 and builder is God because of faith also Sarah 00:55:51.550 --> 00:55:55.230 herself received physical power to conceive a 00:55:55.230 --> 00:55:59.309 child even when she was long past the age for 00:55:59.309 --> 00:56:02.329 it because she considered God who had given her 00:56:02.329 --> 00:56:04.769 the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and 00:56:04.769 --> 00:56:08.019 true to his word So from one man, though he was 00:56:08.019 --> 00:56:10.579 physically as good as dead, there have sprung 00:56:10.579 --> 00:56:13.280 descendants whose number is as the stars of heaven 00:56:13.280 --> 00:56:15.739 and as countless as the innumerable sands on 00:56:15.739 --> 00:56:19.199 the seashore. These people all died controlled 00:56:19.199 --> 00:56:22.019 and sustained by their faith, but not having 00:56:22.019 --> 00:56:24.559 received the tangible fulfillment of God's promises, 00:56:25.119 --> 00:56:28.159 only having seen it and greeted it from a great 00:56:28.159 --> 00:56:31.599 distance by faith. and all the while acknowledging 00:56:31.599 --> 00:56:34.300 and confessing that they were strangers and temporary 00:56:34.300 --> 00:56:37.679 residents in exiles upon the earth." I just wanted 00:56:37.679 --> 00:56:40.760 to read that. I felt led to read that to you 00:56:40.760 --> 00:56:44.579 all, to show you the importance of faith in God 00:56:44.579 --> 00:56:49.440 and His promises and His ability, His authority, 00:56:49.440 --> 00:56:53.039 and who He is. These are all examples of people 00:56:53.039 --> 00:56:56.639 who put their faith in God's Word they hadn't 00:56:56.639 --> 00:57:00.440 yet seen. evidence. Faith isn't seeing. Faith 00:57:00.440 --> 00:57:04.659 is believing. Believing in God's ability. Believing 00:57:04.659 --> 00:57:07.840 in God's character. Believing in what God speaks. 00:57:09.199 --> 00:57:12.539 And when you believe, you take leaps of faith. 00:57:12.679 --> 00:57:15.900 You move by faith. When you believe what God 00:57:15.900 --> 00:57:19.639 has spoken, and you know there is a move he's 00:57:19.639 --> 00:57:24.710 calling you to make, you make it. That is faith 00:57:24.710 --> 00:57:34.710 is moving and trusting in God's Word I remember 00:57:34.710 --> 00:57:40.429 y 'all just how much Faith it took for me to 00:57:40.429 --> 00:57:44.769 leave behind Those sins that I was defending 00:57:44.769 --> 00:57:47.940 and give my life to Jesus. It wasn't easy I was 00:57:47.940 --> 00:57:52.940 in my car. I was hungry. I was tired. I was weary. 00:57:53.260 --> 00:57:54.880 And I felt like the Lord was telling me, keep 00:57:54.880 --> 00:57:57.179 fasting. Because I kept praying to God every 00:57:57.179 --> 00:58:00.059 day. God, do I need to go get a job? God, do 00:58:00.059 --> 00:58:02.019 I need to do something for finances? Like this 00:58:02.019 --> 00:58:04.440 feels so irresponsible. This feels exactly the 00:58:04.440 --> 00:58:06.159 opposite of what I should be doing. And I felt 00:58:06.159 --> 00:58:08.199 like the Lord was speaking to me. No, this is 00:58:08.199 --> 00:58:10.659 my opportunity to show you that I am a provider. 00:58:11.079 --> 00:58:15.280 This is my opportunity to show you how I can 00:58:15.280 --> 00:58:17.679 show up when you obey. Because that was the first 00:58:17.679 --> 00:58:20.539 time in my life I was trusting in God to do it 00:58:20.539 --> 00:58:24.119 and not doing it myself. And I felt like God 00:58:24.119 --> 00:58:28.239 was telling me it would be a sin for me to disobey 00:58:28.239 --> 00:58:30.320 in that way. He has given me a commandment. And 00:58:30.320 --> 00:58:32.500 I want to be very clear. That wasn't always a 00:58:32.500 --> 00:58:34.920 commandment I lived by. I work a job now, y 'all. 00:58:35.079 --> 00:58:37.599 That was a season in my life where God was telling 00:58:37.599 --> 00:58:42.039 me to leave a sinful job behind. Trust in his 00:58:42.039 --> 00:58:44.940 provision and in his timing he would point to 00:58:44.940 --> 00:58:46.800 me what I needed to do and where I need to go 00:58:46.800 --> 00:58:49.940 next In the next season. I did have a job. I 00:58:49.940 --> 00:58:52.960 was working. I Want to be so clear with that. 00:58:52.960 --> 00:58:54.820 It wasn't like God just said I'm gonna provide 00:58:54.820 --> 00:58:58.039 free forever for it He has called me to do work 00:58:58.039 --> 00:59:02.460 and do things. Okay? But that was a season and 00:59:02.460 --> 00:59:05.659 so I was already keep my job. I was hungry and 00:59:05.659 --> 00:59:08.480 I was tired and I had just gotten out of a time 00:59:08.480 --> 00:59:10.900 where every time I was on social media online 00:59:10.900 --> 00:59:13.440 people were making fun of me and I could tell 00:59:13.440 --> 00:59:15.400 people were being friendly to my face with ulterior 00:59:15.400 --> 00:59:17.000 motives behind my back and I felt like everyone 00:59:17.000 --> 00:59:18.599 thought I was stupid and I felt like I was being 00:59:18.599 --> 00:59:21.900 attacked like so you I wasn't talking to anybody 00:59:21.900 --> 00:59:24.000 I didn't have friends I was talking to I didn't 00:59:24.000 --> 00:59:25.800 have family I was talking to I was cynical towards 00:59:25.800 --> 00:59:29.820 people I didn't trust anybody so I was already 00:59:29.820 --> 00:59:33.000 going through that to add on to that I was hungry 00:59:33.000 --> 00:59:38.960 and I was tired I didn't have any of the conveniences. 00:59:39.019 --> 00:59:41.960 I was in my car in the desert. So think about 00:59:41.960 --> 00:59:43.619 the frustration that comes with that too. I don't 00:59:43.619 --> 00:59:45.840 have easy access to all the stuff you normally 00:59:45.840 --> 00:59:48.820 do. I was inconvenienced in almost every way 00:59:48.820 --> 00:59:52.300 you could think. I was also, in that time, I 00:59:52.300 --> 00:59:54.199 was called, the Lord was calling me to be sober. 00:59:54.380 --> 00:59:56.400 He was calling me to leave behind smoking completely, 00:59:56.619 --> 00:59:59.199 throw it all out. He was calling me, leave behind 00:59:59.199 --> 01:00:03.360 the tarot cards, throw it all out. was dealing 01:00:03.360 --> 01:00:05.679 with all these things all of my once securities 01:00:05.679 --> 01:00:08.579 were like stripped away and I felt like I was 01:00:08.579 --> 01:00:10.380 put in a place where it was like all you can 01:00:10.380 --> 01:00:13.679 do is sit wait and pray and Seek God with all 01:00:13.679 --> 01:00:15.840 your heart and trust in his timing. He'll move 01:00:15.840 --> 01:00:20.320 and he'll do his thing And while I was in that 01:00:20.320 --> 01:00:23.519 space of waiting that took faith alone y 'all 01:00:23.519 --> 01:00:27.139 as someone who I was used to my entire life Trying 01:00:27.139 --> 01:00:28.519 to save things when it looked like they were 01:00:28.519 --> 01:00:30.239 falling through trying to make up ways trying 01:00:30.239 --> 01:00:31.880 to find all these ways and for the first time 01:00:31.880 --> 01:00:34.139 my life I was submitting and God was calling 01:00:34.139 --> 01:00:38.699 me to do nothing except to seek him and pray 01:00:38.699 --> 01:00:42.260 to him and spend my time with him and That felt 01:00:42.260 --> 01:00:46.739 like the opposite of productive That felt like 01:00:46.739 --> 01:00:50.179 Lord if I do that Then my enemies will surely 01:00:50.179 --> 01:00:52.480 win then I'll probably die here then I'll probably 01:00:52.480 --> 01:00:56.420 all these things. I felt like surrender was calling 01:00:56.420 --> 01:01:04.420 it quits. But I had faith in what God spoke He 01:01:04.420 --> 01:01:08.480 would do. He spoke that He would deliver me, 01:01:08.699 --> 01:01:10.880 that He would restore me. There were promises 01:01:10.880 --> 01:01:14.260 and I held on to those. And because I had faith 01:01:14.260 --> 01:01:19.420 in those, because I went through that humbling 01:01:19.420 --> 01:01:21.380 period where God's Word was able to pierce my 01:01:21.380 --> 01:01:24.440 heart and I was able to see I needed Him, And 01:01:24.440 --> 01:01:28.400 I've talked in the last episode about the mental 01:01:28.400 --> 01:01:30.199 process I went through. If I've tried everything 01:01:30.199 --> 01:01:33.699 else, it's time to try God. When I try giving 01:01:33.699 --> 01:01:39.639 it to God 100%, try submitting 100 % in the Rooted 01:01:39.639 --> 01:01:44.019 in Faith episode. And giving all of this to Him 01:01:44.019 --> 01:01:52.780 by faith, I don't think I can push it hard enough. 01:01:53.779 --> 01:01:59.000 And it wasn't easy, right? It wasn't easy to 01:01:59.000 --> 01:02:01.380 conjure up that faith. I was actually praying 01:02:01.380 --> 01:02:02.920 to God where I was like, God, how do some other 01:02:02.920 --> 01:02:04.460 people just have faith that you're gonna do it? 01:02:04.460 --> 01:02:07.059 How do some other people read the word and just 01:02:07.059 --> 01:02:09.480 submit to the word and trust in the word? I don't 01:02:09.480 --> 01:02:11.559 feel like I've seen that in my life. How do you 01:02:11.559 --> 01:02:13.139 expect me to trust it now? I was like, Lord, 01:02:13.159 --> 01:02:15.039 this is the hardest position I've ever been in 01:02:15.039 --> 01:02:19.360 in life. This is the time where I need, I need 01:02:19.360 --> 01:02:22.099 help. And you're calling me to not try to do 01:02:22.099 --> 01:02:24.440 it at all and to just submit to you It was mind 01:02:24.440 --> 01:02:25.900 -blowing for me because I felt like this is the 01:02:25.900 --> 01:02:31.420 worst timing to do this God But that was also 01:02:31.420 --> 01:02:33.019 the time where God could show up and show up 01:02:33.019 --> 01:02:34.599 the most and I remember every day I was praying 01:02:34.599 --> 01:02:37.480 to God God increase my faith God, please give 01:02:37.480 --> 01:02:41.599 me the faith help my unbelief Like help my unbelief 01:02:41.599 --> 01:02:43.860 help me to have the faith and I was holding on 01:02:43.860 --> 01:02:46.460 to the like I hope it really only takes like 01:02:46.460 --> 01:02:49.440 a mustard seed because God I'm trying And the 01:02:49.440 --> 01:02:51.579 Lord sent me testimonies that actually strengthened 01:02:51.579 --> 01:02:53.500 my faith and increased my faith. I listened to 01:02:53.500 --> 01:02:55.659 a couple different people's testimonies. In the 01:02:55.659 --> 01:02:57.940 rare times I got online, I listened to testimonies 01:02:57.940 --> 01:03:01.079 like Jonathan Rumi's. And it gave me the encouragement 01:03:01.079 --> 01:03:02.940 of God did it for them, he can do it for me. 01:03:02.940 --> 01:03:05.039 I'm going to trust in his word that he is the 01:03:05.039 --> 01:03:11.420 same now, always and forever. And it was by faith 01:03:11.420 --> 01:03:15.460 in his promises and who he is that I fled those 01:03:15.460 --> 01:03:19.079 sins, that I cut those things off. Trusted like 01:03:19.079 --> 01:03:21.579 God it said he has these things for me, but he 01:03:21.579 --> 01:03:23.280 says I need to cut these things off first I'm 01:03:23.280 --> 01:03:25.300 gonna cut these things off and have faith that 01:03:25.300 --> 01:03:27.940 he will keep his word. I'll have faith that vengeance 01:03:27.940 --> 01:03:30.920 is his I'll have faith and in his timing all 01:03:30.920 --> 01:03:32.840 those things I was stressed and worried about 01:03:32.840 --> 01:03:36.579 my name was restored Relationships were redeemed 01:03:36.579 --> 01:03:42.420 the air was cleared My provision came things 01:03:42.420 --> 01:03:45.380 happen. God kept his promises, but the most important 01:03:45.380 --> 01:03:47.460 thing was there was transformation in my heart. 01:03:47.960 --> 01:03:50.139 I've said this in previous episodes, y 'all, 01:03:50.159 --> 01:03:53.480 that it is so important that before God delivers 01:03:53.480 --> 01:03:57.519 on his promises, before he blesses you with things, 01:03:58.119 --> 01:04:01.219 that he prunes you and he makes you into the 01:04:01.219 --> 01:04:04.960 person who can be a good steward over those things. 01:04:07.030 --> 01:04:10.309 I wasn't ready to steward over the things when 01:04:10.309 --> 01:04:13.010 God promised them to me in the moment. When God 01:04:13.010 --> 01:04:15.349 gave me the promises and visions and words, they 01:04:15.349 --> 01:04:18.789 were something to put, it was something to move 01:04:18.789 --> 01:04:21.730 towards. It was a goal to work towards and something 01:04:21.730 --> 01:04:24.349 to have my faith in God. And God is going to 01:04:24.349 --> 01:04:26.190 restore this. God is going to heal this. God 01:04:26.190 --> 01:04:29.869 is going to do this. I was able to move by faith 01:04:29.869 --> 01:04:34.099 towards the vision that he had given me. Which 01:04:34.099 --> 01:04:37.199 required cutting off and printing just an example 01:04:37.199 --> 01:04:40.300 y 'all There were things there were things that 01:04:40.300 --> 01:04:44.159 God couldn't do in my life until the unforgiveness 01:04:44.159 --> 01:04:48.300 was broken off of me or until the sobriety convictions 01:04:48.300 --> 01:04:50.539 really took root God wasn't about to bless me 01:04:50.539 --> 01:04:53.719 with like regular Finances until he knew I wasn't 01:04:53.719 --> 01:04:55.940 going to be spending it on like alcohol or smoking 01:04:58.799 --> 01:05:00.699 I can't imagine like if God would have given 01:05:00.699 --> 01:05:03.500 me like a big financial blessing It probably 01:05:03.500 --> 01:05:05.099 would have been blown in a year on things that 01:05:05.099 --> 01:05:07.860 God didn't intend me to spend it on or use it 01:05:07.860 --> 01:05:10.000 for There were a lot of things where I'm like, 01:05:10.059 --> 01:05:11.840 yeah if God would have given it to me in that 01:05:11.840 --> 01:05:14.000 time It wouldn't have been stewarded over well 01:05:14.000 --> 01:05:17.039 It would have been used. It wouldn't have been 01:05:17.039 --> 01:05:20.690 built up and multiplied, right? So it's why it's 01:05:20.690 --> 01:05:23.409 so important to have faith for God's promises 01:05:23.409 --> 01:05:25.329 but understand that the promises don't always 01:05:25.329 --> 01:05:28.309 happen the moment He promises them to you a lot 01:05:28.309 --> 01:05:30.150 of these people we read about that moved by faith 01:05:30.150 --> 01:05:33.849 It wasn't the next day that God did those things. 01:05:33.849 --> 01:05:37.849 It wasn't the next day that the floods came Noah 01:05:37.849 --> 01:05:40.590 had that time to build that ark. It wasn't the 01:05:40.590 --> 01:05:42.670 next day that Abraham and Sarah had that kid. 01:05:42.670 --> 01:05:47.599 It was decades when he looked She was completely 01:05:47.599 --> 01:05:49.780 seen to be unbarren and he looked like there 01:05:49.780 --> 01:05:51.199 was no possibility he could have kids. They were 01:05:51.199 --> 01:05:56.739 like a hundred years old. That's why it took 01:05:56.739 --> 01:05:59.179 faith, right? Because their physical reality 01:05:59.179 --> 01:06:04.440 said like, this is impossible. And the longer 01:06:04.440 --> 01:06:06.260 they waited, the more their physical reality 01:06:06.260 --> 01:06:08.360 said no, there's no way this is possible. But 01:06:08.360 --> 01:06:10.619 God is bigger than what they see around them. 01:06:10.739 --> 01:06:12.239 That's why it's so important that we establish 01:06:12.239 --> 01:06:15.280 that faith isn't seeing. Faith is believing in 01:06:15.280 --> 01:06:21.559 what God says. And faith also requires action. 01:06:22.920 --> 01:06:27.179 God, Holy Spirit -led action. Take those actions 01:06:27.179 --> 01:06:29.199 and hold them up to the Word. Do they align with 01:06:29.199 --> 01:06:31.519 the Word of God? Because God will not contradict 01:06:31.519 --> 01:06:34.940 Himself. God gives you a promise for marriage. 01:06:35.539 --> 01:06:38.179 I'm telling you right now, He's not calling you 01:06:38.179 --> 01:06:41.960 to go out and be lustful. He's not calling you 01:06:41.960 --> 01:06:45.570 to go out and start... Making friendly with people 01:06:45.570 --> 01:06:49.610 like getting with people who are unequally yoked 01:06:49.610 --> 01:06:52.070 God gives you a marriage promise God. What can 01:06:52.070 --> 01:06:53.630 I do to work towards that? What do you need to 01:06:53.630 --> 01:06:56.929 break off in me? Who do you need me to be? It's 01:06:56.929 --> 01:06:58.909 not about going once you have a promise and trying 01:06:58.909 --> 01:07:01.130 to force it God doesn't give you the vision or 01:07:01.130 --> 01:07:03.809 the promise for you to force it it's something 01:07:03.809 --> 01:07:07.190 for you to work towards with your faith in and 01:07:07.190 --> 01:07:13.210 By his guidance stepping out in faith I pray 01:07:13.210 --> 01:07:16.909 that this episode has blessed you and helps you 01:07:16.909 --> 01:07:20.630 and I pray that there is a truth and there is 01:07:20.630 --> 01:07:23.829 a clarity that you have received through this. 01:07:25.409 --> 01:07:28.010 I know that the Lord is more than able to use 01:07:28.010 --> 01:07:30.789 this episode to impact lives in ways that I could 01:07:30.789 --> 01:07:32.909 never imagine and I could never see and I pray 01:07:32.909 --> 01:07:35.719 that he uses it. in that way. I pray that he 01:07:35.719 --> 01:07:37.880 moves on your heart. I pray that he moves on 01:07:37.880 --> 01:07:40.699 everyone who listens to this episode today. It 01:07:40.699 --> 01:07:43.679 moves in their lives. I want to thank y 'all 01:07:43.679 --> 01:07:45.800 so much for listening to this episode, and I 01:07:45.800 --> 01:07:47.940 do ask that you subscribe wherever it is you're 01:07:47.940 --> 01:07:50.139 listening to this podcast, that you share it, 01:07:50.199 --> 01:07:51.760 share it with friends, share it with family, 01:07:52.420 --> 01:07:57.840 and I'll see you guys on the next episode. God 01:07:57.840 --> 01:07:58.320 bless.