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Hey guys and welcome back to the Salt Not Sweetener

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podcast. I'm your host Danielle Townsend. I hope

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y 'all are having a wonderful week and I believe

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that this episode today is going to be very helpful.

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There are going to be some people who are needing

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to hear what we're talking about today, okay?

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And I want to start off with just sharing with

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y 'all a little bit of a story. Because I believe

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this is going to get the gears in your brain

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turning. And I encourage you that as you listen

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to me sharing this experience that happened this

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week, that you start to reflect on your personal

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life. And you start to reflect on maybe some

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ways that you can relate. Or just pay attention

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to some of the ways that what I'm about to speak

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to you, and maybe some of the scripture I'm about

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to read to you, relates to your current life.

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So earlier this week, y 'all, I was praying to

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God and I was like, Lord, speak to me through

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scripture. I feel like you're trying to speak

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to me and it's kind of hard for me to hear you

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right now. Like I'm taking private time, but

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like, it just feels loud. It feels like the enemy

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does not want me to hear from God in all honesty.

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I've been having to very extra take these intrusive

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thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.

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I feel like every time I hear from God, I hear

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from the enemy twice as much. I'm like, God,

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help me. I need to hear from you through scripture.

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And recently, God has also given me a couple

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visions, a couple dreams, a couple things to

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hope for, right? God has shown me a couple things

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that he plans to do for me one day. And I got

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really excited. And I was like, okay, God, let's

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make this work. And I actually started praying

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with God to align my heart with it. You know,

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because some of the things at first you showed

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me, I was like, God, I don't know. Like, I don't

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have the desire to do that thing. But I feel

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like you're showing it to me. And it doesn't

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contradict your word, if anything. It makes a

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lot of sense why you would call me to do that.

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But I don't have the desire in my heart. So I

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started praying to God, like, God, give me the

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desire to do this thing. And he has answered

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that prayer. And now. I'm I got to a point where

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I'm like, OK, God, these are things you've shown

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me. I desire to have these things. So logically,

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like the next step is I need to start making

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a way for these things. Right. Like I need to

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start figuring out provision. I need to start

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like paving a path for this to happen. And. I'm

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going to be so for real, y 'all. It felt God

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led. You know, there's some times where God will

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confirm things for us and he will allow us to

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go into a space, not because that's where we're

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going to find our blessing or because that's

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where we're going to find the breakthrough. But

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because that's where we're going to find the

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lesson that he's needing us to learn or something

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to be reminded of. And I will say that this isn't

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my first time learning this lesson, but I needed

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to be reminded of this lesson, okay? And I think

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a big part of it is so I could speak with y 'all

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about it and share it with y 'all because y 'all

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know I share with you my walk as I'm walking

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through. A lot of things we talk about are things

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that are going on presently or I've just recently

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learned from or moved on from in my life. And

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I'm sharing it in hopes it'll help you and because

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it's Holy Spirit. led. There are things that

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I hold on to until I know the Holy Spirit has

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guided me to share. I really try to be thoughtful

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with that. But just to kind of set the scene,

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there are some visions, there are some hopes,

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and I'm at the point where I'm like believing

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in it. I have the faith for it. And I'm like,

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all right, now it's go time. Now we need to start

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drawing up the provision. And I even feel like

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God has confirmed for me to do it. And I'm putting

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in the effort. I'm doing it, and these things

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do not work out the way I want them to. They're

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kind of like a womp womp. And there's a part

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of me that's getting a little bit frustrated

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because I'm like, God, this path that I chose

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to take to pave the way and find the provision,

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I tried like 10 times before previously, and

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it didn't work out. God, the reason why I stopped

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trying that method. was because it had proven

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itself to not work out for me and the only reason

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why i tried this method now is because i felt

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like you gave me the okay i felt like this was

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spirit led and as i was praying about it i even

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felt like i was hearing to do it again but with

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god this time and now i'm looking at the results

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and these results don't look blessed god And

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y 'all, you know, the interesting thing, as I

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said this right now, what just hit me is I did

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it with God this time. And this time I actually

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got a lesson. Funny thing, I didn't get a lesson

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like this out of the situation I tried the past

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10 times. All I learned was this doesn't work.

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I need to try a different way. But now I actually

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have a revelation and it's actually a testimony

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and a story used to plant seeds. Oh, wow. So

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this is how revelation in the moment works, y

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'all. Like God literally just. Okay, period.

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Word. Amen. I did it with God and he gave me

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a lesson. Okay. Okay, let's get back. Let's get

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back. So anyway, that is what I'm dealing with.

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And I feel a little bit like a Jonah, right?

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Where, you know, Jonah, God called him to go

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to Nineveh and Jonah was like, no, because I'm

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going to go and you're going to spare him. And

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like, I already know how this is going to play

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out. So I'm just not going to do it. And then

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he gets humbled and then he submits to God and

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does it. And then it's the result that he was

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expecting. He was like, see God, this is why

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I didn't want to do it. And y 'all, if that was

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not the way I was talking to God, I was like,

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see God, I tried it and it didn't work out. I

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told you, I don't know why you had me do it.

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Clearly he had me do it so I could learn from

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it. And I started praying to him on like scripture.

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Like, God, I need you to speak to me through

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scripture. I'm trying to hear you. And I believe

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this is where you led me, but it feels really

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loud. Like, am I hearing you wrong? Like, I need

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you to lead me to some scripture. And he led

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me to John chapter 5, which is the healing of

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the paralytic man. Healing at the pool of, some

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people say Bethsaida and some people say Bethesda.

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Y 'all will probably hear me pronounce it both

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ways. I usually say Bethsaida, but recently I've

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been saying Bethesda more. So we'll see what

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happens. But I was reading that, and this is

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where I really want y 'all, if you aren't already

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locked in, kind of lock into this, okay? Because

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I was reading this scripture. And the first thing

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I noticed was, okay, this man has been dealing

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with this for 38 years. This man has been paralyzed

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for 38 years. So he has been desiring healing

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for 38 years. And I was kind of comparing it

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to my life where it's like, this thing I was

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working towards this provision wasn't just for

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these things. I had been wanting provision like

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this for a long time. I, the problems I have

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right now that I'm trying to solve have been

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like a thorn in my side longer than just this.

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And I was like, okay, I relate to this man that

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this man has been in need of this thing for a

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long time. I have been in need of this thing

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for a while now. And then I go on to read further

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that this man had been paralyzed for 38 years

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and he had been at the pool for a long time.

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So this man had a problem. He needed healed.

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The pool of Bethesda was an opportunity for healing.

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And he was trying that opportunity for a long

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time. It wasn't just once or twice. He was there

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for a long time. And I was like, ooh, this method,

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I had a problem I needed solved. And this method

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I went to, I went to a lot in the past. And it

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never worked out. I was like, okay, I relate

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to this man in this way too. I have my own. pool

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that i go to and i just want to pause here y

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'all we can see the pool in this moment as a

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source of healing outside of god a source of

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provision outside of god our own creation our

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own works to give you a little bit of background

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of the pool of bethesda historically people believed

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it was like stories of healing with this pool

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so supposedly randomly at times this pool the

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water would start to bubble up you can almost

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think like a natural spring and it was rumored

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stories were told that an angel from the lord

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would come and stir the waters and the first

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person in the water would receive healing so

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people who needed healing would go wait by that

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water now if y 'all watch the show the chosen

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And we'll talk about this in a few minutes. The

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Chosen actually has an episode on this. And I

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really like the direction that they went in with

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this. If you watch the scenes, they're not afraid

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to show the paganness of that, right? Because

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we know that's not in our God's character to

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pit one another against each other, to trip over

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each other, to kick each other, to be the first

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one in the water. When Jesus came, he tossed

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a new commandment to love one another as yourself.

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to serve one another, to turn the other cheek,

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to give someone who's hungry food, to give someone

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who needs clothes clothes. He's definitely not

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encouraging you to kick and push everyone over

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to be the first one in the water and to put yourself

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first and just get yours and worry about everybody

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else later. The rule of thumb with that pool

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is like the opposite of God's character, right?

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And the chosen, they weren't afraid to address

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that in that episode. If you watch the episode,

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you can see that they kind of have like pagan

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idols in the back, like they have evil eyes dangling.

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Y 'all already know my stance on evil eye, which

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is the biblical stance of that is a false idol.

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Jesus Christ defeated death, Satan. evil, wickedness

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on the cross. You just need to be covered in

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the blood of Jesus. Jesus triumphs over your

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evil eye, symbols, bracelets, wall decorations,

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the things you put in your bio a million times

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over. And you can't be Christian and feel like

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you need an evil eye. And the most loving way

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I'm saying this, that is a false idol. And your

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faith isn't truly in Jesus for protection and

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healing. If you think that you need the idol

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in your bio, Or on your body. Or in your house.

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And we've talked about that in my last episode,

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Traditions. Take it to there. You know, people

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start saying, well, this is my culture. Well,

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this is my heritage. Jesus triumphs that. He

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trumps that. Your culture and your heritage compared

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to the word of God. The word of God matters more.

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And the word of God is truth. I'm going to leave

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it at that, y 'all. And lovingly, I'm going to

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leave it at that. And in the show, the chosen,

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they're not afraid, you know, they have like

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some evil eyes dangling. And there's a character

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in the show, Simon, who is characterized to be

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the zealot. We know that Jesus had his multiple

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disciples and one of them was a zealot. And at

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least in the show, they chose Simon to be like

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he was the zealot and they had him as the brother.

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of the paralyzed man at the pool was the way

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that they chose to tell this story and he says

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even to his brother who's waiting this healing

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it is not in our god's nature to pit people against

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each other like this And funny enough, I tried

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recording this episode like 30 minutes ago and

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I deleted it and we've restarted it. And I felt

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led to Matthew 4 .10 when I was talking about

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this. And I stopped and I like looked at my Bible.

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I was like, I have no idea what Matthew 4 .10

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says. And Matthew 4 .10 is actually where Satan's

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tempting Jesus in the wilderness and says, if

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you bow down and worship me, I'll give you all

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this stuff. And Jesus is like, no, your scripture

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says you worship the Lord, your God only. And

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I was like, word, God, this is perfect for this

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episode today. But anyway, yeah, I was led to

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the story of the healing of the man at the pool

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of Bethesda. And then I was praying to God about

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what show should I watch tonight? And I felt

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led to watch The Chosen. I've seen every episode

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of The Chosen. And when I was like, okay, what

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episode? I felt like I was led to season two

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episode, and it was either four or episode five.

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And I go to turn it on, and it's literally the

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episode that's the healing at the pool. And I

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was like, God, you're hilarious. You're hilarious.

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I watched it, and it really helped me to really...

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it helped me to even deepen my understanding

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even more but just to kind of backtrack sorry

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y 'all i feel like we're getting a little plot

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let me pull back let me pull back um i saw a

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lot of similarities between me and this man at

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the pool he had a desire to be healed i had a

00:13:06.659 --> 00:13:11.259
desire for something and he decided to try making

00:13:11.259 --> 00:13:13.600
a way which was going to the pool for healing

00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:17.620
i decided to try making a way which was investing

00:13:17.620 --> 00:13:19.879
in these things that I thought were, God was

00:13:19.879 --> 00:13:23.559
going to be with me on it this time. He wasted

00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:26.779
a lot of time there and saw no healing. I wasted

00:13:26.779 --> 00:13:29.080
a lot of time on that and saw nothing come out

00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:32.799
of it. And this is where it was very transformational

00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:36.720
for me, was we see in scripture where Jesus approaches

00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:40.659
this man and says, do you want to be healed or

00:13:40.659 --> 00:13:43.659
do you want to be made well? That's the only

00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:46.950
question he asks. this man is do you want it

00:13:46.950 --> 00:13:50.990
is this what you desire and i remember in reading

00:13:50.990 --> 00:13:54.250
that i started thinking i was like what all did

00:13:54.250 --> 00:13:58.149
god when god showed me these things did he ask

00:13:58.149 --> 00:14:02.649
me to start doing all this work no i started

00:14:02.649 --> 00:14:05.190
thinking about i was like he just wanted me to

00:14:05.190 --> 00:14:07.850
believe in these things he was just showing me

00:14:07.850 --> 00:14:10.370
these things for a hope for the future he wasn't

00:14:10.370 --> 00:14:12.889
asking for work yet he was just asking for faith

00:14:12.889 --> 00:14:17.490
do i have the faith That he will make a way for

00:14:17.490 --> 00:14:20.370
these things to happen. That he will guide my

00:14:20.370 --> 00:14:23.750
steps. He actually asked me for something very

00:14:23.750 --> 00:14:27.009
simple. He just asked me for the faith. He just

00:14:27.009 --> 00:14:29.009
showed me these things so I could start believing.

00:14:30.710 --> 00:14:34.090
It's hard for me to expect God to do these big

00:14:34.090 --> 00:14:36.629
things for me or to hope for a miracle if I don't

00:14:36.629 --> 00:14:39.750
even believe in what God is showing me. And I

00:14:39.750 --> 00:14:44.049
felt like Jesus asked him a very simple question.

00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:48.000
And Jesus gave me a very simple command. He only

00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.200
asked this man, do you want to be made well?

00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:52.659
It was a yes or no question. And for me, I feel

00:14:52.659 --> 00:14:55.000
like Jesus was just asking, do you believe I'm

00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:57.100
going to do these things for you? And it's like,

00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:00.940
it is a very simple question. Yes, I do. That's

00:15:00.940 --> 00:15:02.779
why I went and started doing this work. I believe

00:15:02.779 --> 00:15:06.159
it's possible. And I believe that this man at

00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:09.840
the pool believed healing to be impossible. He

00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:13.299
believed he could be healed. That's why he sought

00:15:13.299 --> 00:15:17.799
healing. That's why he was at the pool. But when

00:15:17.799 --> 00:15:22.159
you are relying on your own solution or relying

00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:25.460
on a way outside of God and it's not working,

00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:30.080
it starts to decrease your morale. It starts

00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:32.639
to chip away at your faith. It starts to chip

00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:34.740
away at your hope. And it starts to make you

00:15:34.740 --> 00:15:38.679
hopeless. And that is what we see this man at

00:15:38.679 --> 00:15:42.340
the pool was starting to experience. right? Because

00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:45.419
when Jesus asks him that question, that man doesn't

00:15:45.419 --> 00:15:48.000
answer him with a yes or no. What that man does

00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:50.820
is that man starts making excuses for all the

00:15:50.820 --> 00:15:54.539
reasons why he is not healed. He starts saying

00:15:54.539 --> 00:15:58.259
to Jesus, I have been here at this pool. I have

00:15:58.259 --> 00:16:00.600
tried to get down that water. I want to read

00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:04.220
the scripture to y 'all. We're in John 5, verse

00:16:04.220 --> 00:16:07.600
7 in my She Reads Truth Study Bible, which is

00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:10.159
the Christian Standard Bible. And the man says

00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:12.940
in response, sir, the disabled man answered,

00:16:13.100 --> 00:16:16.480
I have no one to put me into the pool when the

00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.740
water is stirred up. But while I'm coming, someone

00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:23.179
goes down ahead of me. So he starts by blaming

00:16:23.179 --> 00:16:26.100
everyone else and saying, I don't have anyone

00:16:26.100 --> 00:16:28.879
helping me. I'm trying to do this on my own.

00:16:29.019 --> 00:16:31.360
I don't have anybody offering me assistance.

00:16:31.659 --> 00:16:34.279
I don't have anybody handing anything to me.

00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:37.759
I don't have anybody helping carry me down. Nobody

00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:40.789
wants to help me. And that's the first thing

00:16:40.789 --> 00:16:43.090
is where he starts to blame everyone else for

00:16:43.090 --> 00:16:45.190
why he's not healed yet. He's like, no one else

00:16:45.190 --> 00:16:47.590
will help me. No one else will take time out

00:16:47.590 --> 00:16:52.289
of their day. And then he starts to talk about

00:16:52.289 --> 00:16:54.370
his own efforts where he's like, and I'm trying.

00:16:54.610 --> 00:16:59.909
Then I try to bring myself. But my efforts aren't

00:16:59.909 --> 00:17:02.750
good enough. By the time I'm down there, someone

00:17:02.750 --> 00:17:06.950
else is already in ahead of me. He doesn't give

00:17:06.950 --> 00:17:10.130
Jesus a yes or no, but instead he starts immediately

00:17:10.130 --> 00:17:12.869
hitting with the excuses. And it's very easy

00:17:12.869 --> 00:17:15.549
for us when we are kind of in this space of trying

00:17:15.549 --> 00:17:17.750
and feeling like we're not seeing anything come

00:17:17.750 --> 00:17:20.569
out of it to slip into a victim mentality. And

00:17:20.569 --> 00:17:22.690
I believe that is just a little bit of what this

00:17:22.690 --> 00:17:24.529
man was going through. And that's not to negate

00:17:24.529 --> 00:17:27.589
his suffering. And that's not to say that he's

00:17:27.589 --> 00:17:29.930
not in pain and he hasn't been going through

00:17:29.930 --> 00:17:32.230
hardship and it's not emotionally or mentally

00:17:32.230 --> 00:17:40.079
trying. But those emotions and those things that

00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:43.700
he was dealing with started to take away his

00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:46.900
hope and put him in more of a space where he

00:17:46.900 --> 00:17:49.519
was just starting to blame everybody else for

00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:54.420
his problems. And I don't know about y 'all,

00:17:54.460 --> 00:17:58.660
but I'm guilty of doing that. And I found myself

00:17:58.660 --> 00:18:00.859
even not too long ago crying out to God. I remember,

00:18:00.940 --> 00:18:03.369
and I'm being so vulnerable with y 'all. I had

00:18:03.369 --> 00:18:05.130
a prayer where I was being very vulnerable with

00:18:05.130 --> 00:18:06.970
God and saying, God, I feel like you send me

00:18:06.970 --> 00:18:09.289
to everybody. Like, I feel like you send me to

00:18:09.289 --> 00:18:11.069
speak to people. I feel like you send me to help

00:18:11.069 --> 00:18:12.730
people. You send me to bless people. You send

00:18:12.730 --> 00:18:14.509
me to minister to people. You send me to do all

00:18:14.509 --> 00:18:16.869
these things. But God, when I'm needing someone,

00:18:16.970 --> 00:18:19.630
I don't feel like a lot of people remember me.

00:18:20.650 --> 00:18:23.049
I don't feel like a lot of people are like, let

00:18:23.049 --> 00:18:25.930
me go help Danielle. Let me go minister to her.

00:18:26.069 --> 00:18:29.009
Let me go do this. Let me go do that. And I started

00:18:29.009 --> 00:18:31.789
saying to God, it was like, you send me to all

00:18:31.789 --> 00:18:34.849
these people. But why aren't you sinning? And

00:18:34.849 --> 00:18:38.210
it was like I started to blame God. And I started

00:18:38.210 --> 00:18:40.609
to blame everybody else when what I was dealing

00:18:40.609 --> 00:18:46.950
with was no one's fault. And it was, I had to

00:18:46.950 --> 00:18:50.250
have some reality checks. And the Lord was very

00:18:50.250 --> 00:18:52.670
loving with me and patient with me. But he did

00:18:52.670 --> 00:18:55.210
start to remind me of multiple people that he

00:18:55.210 --> 00:18:57.450
sent to minister to me. When people reach out

00:18:57.450 --> 00:18:59.150
to me and say, I just want you to know I've been

00:18:59.150 --> 00:19:00.690
led to pray for you and you're being covered

00:19:00.690 --> 00:19:03.490
in prayer. right after a time when I was dealing

00:19:03.490 --> 00:19:06.430
with some serious warfare. Or when someone would

00:19:06.430 --> 00:19:08.769
randomly invite me to something, or someone would

00:19:08.769 --> 00:19:10.750
randomly come up to me and give me something.

00:19:11.089 --> 00:19:13.930
And I was very humbled, very quick of like, no,

00:19:13.970 --> 00:19:16.690
God, you have lovingly, you have sent me a lot

00:19:16.690 --> 00:19:21.369
of people too. But it's very easy for us to slide

00:19:21.369 --> 00:19:24.400
into that space, right? And what's interesting,

00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:27.319
if y 'all watch the show The Chosen, Jonathan

00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:30.539
Remy, who plays Jesus, in the show, he asks,

00:19:30.619 --> 00:19:32.579
do you want to be healed? And the man starts

00:19:32.579 --> 00:19:35.299
making excuses for why he's not, just like he

00:19:35.299 --> 00:19:39.400
does in scripture. And the response that Jesus

00:19:39.400 --> 00:19:42.579
has in the show, in the episode, is that is not

00:19:42.579 --> 00:19:47.319
what I asked. And that did play in my mind as

00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:51.690
I was reading the scripture. Because I started

00:19:51.690 --> 00:19:53.769
thinking, I was like, what are the things I'm

00:19:53.769 --> 00:19:57.009
doing and the excuses I'm making that Jesus didn't

00:19:57.009 --> 00:20:00.390
ask me to exert all this effort and all this

00:20:00.390 --> 00:20:03.190
extra mental energy and all this extra anxiety

00:20:03.190 --> 00:20:05.849
and worry and planning. All he asked me to do

00:20:05.849 --> 00:20:08.650
was believe that he was one day going to do these

00:20:08.650 --> 00:20:11.289
things he was showing me. He showed me these

00:20:11.289 --> 00:20:14.769
things, not for me to do it myself, not for me

00:20:14.769 --> 00:20:16.829
to start relying on my own works, but just so

00:20:16.829 --> 00:20:20.710
that way I could start believing. for these things.

00:20:23.910 --> 00:20:29.230
And needless to say, y 'all, God spoke to me

00:20:29.230 --> 00:20:32.970
so heavily through the story of the man at the

00:20:32.970 --> 00:20:35.549
pool of Bethesda, where I started to realize

00:20:35.549 --> 00:20:37.309
that there were some ways that I was already

00:20:37.309 --> 00:20:41.210
starting to idolize this promise, right? And

00:20:41.210 --> 00:20:43.549
you can identify that something is becoming an

00:20:43.549 --> 00:20:48.109
idol when you're elevating it above God. is number

00:20:48.109 --> 00:20:50.329
one. And I'm sure that's one that everybody hears.

00:20:50.470 --> 00:20:51.910
And there are a lot of people who are like, well,

00:20:51.930 --> 00:20:53.910
I don't put money above God, or I don't put a

00:20:53.910 --> 00:20:56.009
job above God, or I don't put my pride above

00:20:56.009 --> 00:20:59.190
God. But here's the second way of how I'm able

00:20:59.190 --> 00:21:02.730
to identify idols in my life. Am I prioritizing

00:21:02.730 --> 00:21:05.430
that thing enough that I'm willing to go ahead

00:21:05.430 --> 00:21:08.930
of God or step out of his will or compromise

00:21:08.930 --> 00:21:12.829
the values that he has instilled in me? And if

00:21:12.829 --> 00:21:16.809
the answer to that is yes, then that thing is

00:21:16.809 --> 00:21:19.809
also. an idol i feel like people only think of

00:21:19.809 --> 00:21:22.390
the first one of like well i worship god i'm

00:21:22.390 --> 00:21:24.410
not praying to this thing i'm not praying to

00:21:24.410 --> 00:21:27.210
my job i'm not praying to my money you know i'm

00:21:27.210 --> 00:21:28.690
not telling everyone that's the best thing in

00:21:28.690 --> 00:21:32.390
existence so like it's not an idol but those

00:21:32.390 --> 00:21:35.789
are the same people who lovingly will lie to

00:21:35.789 --> 00:21:39.970
keep the job will lie to get the job We'll deceive.

00:21:40.049 --> 00:21:42.710
We'll bear false witness. We'll do that to have

00:21:42.710 --> 00:21:45.250
a relationship. We'll do that to have a platform.

00:21:45.390 --> 00:21:47.410
We'll bear false witness against other people.

00:21:47.430 --> 00:21:49.410
We'll gossip against other people to have a platform.

00:21:50.730 --> 00:21:54.230
God says, wait, I don't want you to move. And

00:21:54.230 --> 00:21:56.569
they move anyway. They jump anyway. They take

00:21:56.569 --> 00:22:01.329
the opportunities anyway. They lean into sexual

00:22:01.329 --> 00:22:05.430
immorality. They lean into fornication. They

00:22:05.430 --> 00:22:07.609
lean into the other things to get what they want.

00:22:07.670 --> 00:22:10.990
If you are willing to go ahead of God, against

00:22:10.990 --> 00:22:15.029
God, outside of his will, against the values,

00:22:15.369 --> 00:22:18.670
that thing is an idol. If you elevate it enough

00:22:18.670 --> 00:22:21.910
that you are willing, and someone needs to hear

00:22:21.910 --> 00:22:25.089
this today. If you are elevating that thing enough

00:22:25.089 --> 00:22:28.210
that you are willing to participate in witchcraft,

00:22:28.430 --> 00:22:31.900
that you are willing to go to psychics. that

00:22:31.900 --> 00:22:33.480
you are willing to go to tarot card readers,

00:22:33.579 --> 00:22:35.799
that you are willing to go to oracles, that you

00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:38.019
are willing to do readings yourself, that you

00:22:38.019 --> 00:22:41.059
are willing to try to do New Age practices to

00:22:41.059 --> 00:22:45.660
get it. That thing is an idol. And you are worshiping

00:22:45.660 --> 00:22:51.099
other gods before the Heavenly Father. And I'm

00:22:51.099 --> 00:22:53.400
speaking that to you all as a former New Ager,

00:22:53.480 --> 00:22:56.740
as a former tarot card reader. Those things are

00:22:56.740 --> 00:23:01.750
not from God. And the guidance information you

00:23:01.750 --> 00:23:05.029
get from those things is not God -led, is not

00:23:05.029 --> 00:23:10.349
Holy Spirit -led. And if you desire a thing,

00:23:10.490 --> 00:23:13.150
if it's vengeance, if it's revenge that you desire,

00:23:13.289 --> 00:23:15.650
if it's knowledge that you desire, if it's the

00:23:15.650 --> 00:23:17.490
desire to just get ahead in life, to get one

00:23:17.490 --> 00:23:19.970
up on people, if it's the desire to achieve the

00:23:19.970 --> 00:23:21.769
same first or do the same first that you are

00:23:21.769 --> 00:23:25.359
willing. Lord, I feel like there is someone listening

00:23:25.359 --> 00:23:27.359
to us today specifically that needs to hear this.

00:23:27.500 --> 00:23:29.460
I know not everybody struggles with this, but

00:23:29.460 --> 00:23:30.819
there is someone listening to us specifically

00:23:30.819 --> 00:23:33.779
today who needs to hear this. If you are desiring

00:23:33.779 --> 00:23:38.000
knowledge, wisdom, a one -up, a get -ahead, vengeance,

00:23:38.380 --> 00:23:41.779
the desire to look good, so much that you are

00:23:41.779 --> 00:23:44.799
willing to get your guidance and your instruction

00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:50.390
or monitor other people through divination. Through

00:23:50.390 --> 00:23:53.230
readings, through psychics, through witchcraft,

00:23:53.269 --> 00:23:57.190
through any of that. You have now elevated that

00:23:57.190 --> 00:23:59.670
above God and you are now worshiping false idols.

00:24:00.470 --> 00:24:02.970
Not only that, but you are committing willful

00:24:02.970 --> 00:24:07.490
sins. God does not condone witchcraft or divination,

00:24:07.569 --> 00:24:09.789
point blank, period. There are not special exceptions

00:24:09.789 --> 00:24:14.289
or special excuses. Works of the flesh are works

00:24:14.289 --> 00:24:19.039
of the flesh. Sins are sins. And I encourage

00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:22.039
you to repent and put your faith in Jesus. And

00:24:22.039 --> 00:24:27.140
now I feel we can move forward. Okay. But I hope

00:24:27.140 --> 00:24:29.420
that me sharing that personal experience and

00:24:29.420 --> 00:24:34.160
how I felt led to read the healing of the man

00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:36.599
at the pool, Bethesda, has caused you to kind

00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:39.859
of start reflecting on your life and maybe the

00:24:39.859 --> 00:24:41.640
effort that you're putting in, the things that

00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:45.890
you're elevating. And now I want to step into

00:24:45.890 --> 00:24:48.690
talking to y 'all about the promises of God and

00:24:48.690 --> 00:24:52.950
why God even gives us promises, why he even shows

00:24:52.950 --> 00:24:56.029
us big things. And I want to start with admitting

00:24:56.029 --> 00:24:58.470
to y 'all that I am someone who unfortunately

00:24:58.470 --> 00:25:02.950
in the past, and this happened years ago, and

00:25:02.950 --> 00:25:05.069
it was a very humbling journey that I went on.

00:25:05.150 --> 00:25:07.990
There were things that when I first started getting

00:25:07.990 --> 00:25:11.390
into is before I fully dove into new age, I believe

00:25:11.390 --> 00:25:15.049
I received some promises from God. that he has

00:25:15.049 --> 00:25:19.190
still been faithful to. But when I received those

00:25:19.190 --> 00:25:22.869
promises from God, instead of starting to read

00:25:22.869 --> 00:25:27.450
the Bible and leaning into God and his ways and

00:25:27.450 --> 00:25:31.690
submitting to him, I fell into new age. And I

00:25:31.690 --> 00:25:34.930
started to get my direction and my guidance from

00:25:34.930 --> 00:25:38.390
tarot cards and diviners. And I became a diviner

00:25:38.390 --> 00:25:40.920
myself. And I became a tarot card reader myself.

00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:43.759
And I thought that I was going to get to the

00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:47.460
promises through that, that that was how I was

00:25:47.460 --> 00:25:49.059
going to navigate things. That was how I was

00:25:49.059 --> 00:25:50.920
going to judge things. That was how I was going

00:25:50.920 --> 00:25:53.480
to make calls in my life. And I felt like at

00:25:53.480 --> 00:25:57.440
first it was accurate and it was good and I was

00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:01.519
going to do everything I needed it to do. And

00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:03.619
in God's timing, I was able to see that that

00:26:03.619 --> 00:26:05.940
was just an open door for the devil. And in a

00:26:05.940 --> 00:26:07.500
lot of ways, the devil was just playing with

00:26:07.500 --> 00:26:10.599
my mind. Because the devil, the enemy, is the

00:26:10.599 --> 00:26:13.779
great deceiver. He's the father of lies. And

00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:16.380
deception is mostly, it's most believable when

00:26:16.380 --> 00:26:19.680
there is truth sprinkled in. Okay? It's easier

00:26:19.680 --> 00:26:22.259
for the devil to get you to believe lies if there

00:26:22.259 --> 00:26:24.599
are some things sprinkled in that seem to be

00:26:24.599 --> 00:26:26.839
true. That's why when he was tempting Jesus in

00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:30.309
the wilderness, he was quoting scripture. You

00:26:30.309 --> 00:26:33.329
remember the devil quoted scripture, but things

00:26:33.329 --> 00:26:36.730
were twisted and out of context. The devil will

00:26:36.730 --> 00:26:39.569
use truth with lies sprinkled in or lies with

00:26:39.569 --> 00:26:42.829
truth sprinkled in. And that's exactly what you

00:26:42.829 --> 00:26:45.589
get from tarot cards and psychics. That's why

00:26:45.589 --> 00:26:47.910
they're like, well, 90 % of the information seems

00:26:47.910 --> 00:26:49.849
accurate. And then the other 10 or the other

00:26:49.849 --> 00:26:52.490
20 % is stuff that makes no sense, but maybe

00:26:52.490 --> 00:26:56.910
it'll resonate later. It doesn't all land. But

00:26:56.910 --> 00:26:59.029
we know that God's word will never return to

00:26:59.029 --> 00:27:01.500
avoid. So we know these things aren't from God.

00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:05.680
Okay. And I don't want to shame anybody because

00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:07.799
I'm someone who I fell into it in the past. And

00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:12.579
I want you to see today my story and where God

00:27:12.579 --> 00:27:14.880
has me. And I know this isn't where he stops.

00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:16.839
God didn't lead me this far to lead me where

00:27:16.839 --> 00:27:21.859
I am. Is hope for you that you too can repent

00:27:21.859 --> 00:27:24.619
and leave that behind. My guidance now is fully

00:27:24.619 --> 00:27:26.839
from God. It comes from prayer and it comes from

00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:29.359
scripture reading. It comes through my time of

00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:31.740
worship. And when God needs me to move, he makes

00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:34.099
sure I move. When God needs me to be alert on

00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:37.779
something, he alerts me. God strengthens my discernment.

00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:42.539
You can trust that when God needs you to move,

00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:44.799
you'll move. When God needs you to see something,

00:27:44.900 --> 00:27:47.180
you're going to see something. And you don't

00:27:47.180 --> 00:27:51.119
need the ways of the wicked to get ahead. The

00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:56.769
wage of sin is death. Okay? And I just want to

00:27:56.769 --> 00:28:00.849
encourage you to evaluate the areas in your life

00:28:00.849 --> 00:28:03.369
where right now you may be outside of God's will.

00:28:04.049 --> 00:28:06.990
The methods you're choosing are not the ways

00:28:06.990 --> 00:28:11.750
of the Lord. You know, if it's to find a relationship

00:28:11.750 --> 00:28:16.569
and you're choosing to dress, and I know there

00:28:16.569 --> 00:28:19.609
are so many people who are like, it's about conviction.

00:28:19.950 --> 00:28:22.269
Y 'all, you don't need to dress promiscuously

00:28:22.269 --> 00:28:25.940
to get a husband or get a wife. If you have to

00:28:25.940 --> 00:28:28.619
show your goodies, man or woman, to have someone

00:28:28.619 --> 00:28:31.779
interested in you, that's not your person from

00:28:31.779 --> 00:28:35.720
God. I'm sorry to say it. I'm not sorry to say

00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:39.019
it, actually. You need to hear it. If you have

00:28:39.019 --> 00:28:43.119
to compromise your boundaries that you know are

00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:46.460
God -given boundaries, if you have to compromise

00:28:46.460 --> 00:28:50.920
intimacy before marriage, if God has told you

00:28:50.920 --> 00:28:53.259
you're not living with a person before marriage,

00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:55.670
that's too tempting. But this person doesn't

00:28:55.670 --> 00:28:58.509
want to date you unless you do that. That's not

00:28:58.509 --> 00:29:02.829
your person from God. Like I'm telling you today,

00:29:02.869 --> 00:29:05.029
if the methods you're choosing to get what you

00:29:05.029 --> 00:29:08.349
want go against God, his word and the boundaries

00:29:08.349 --> 00:29:13.910
he has given you. Is it safe to say that thing

00:29:13.910 --> 00:29:17.230
isn't from God? That's not the method God has

00:29:17.230 --> 00:29:21.079
called you to. If you have to like. gossip and

00:29:21.079 --> 00:29:23.700
lie about other people to get people to want

00:29:23.700 --> 00:29:26.339
to talk to you like if these people only want

00:29:26.339 --> 00:29:29.980
to talk to you if you gossip which is zen maybe

00:29:29.980 --> 00:29:31.799
those aren't the people god intends for you to

00:29:31.799 --> 00:29:37.359
be around maybe there's a better way maybe there's

00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:40.740
a different conversation starter If the only

00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:43.180
way you can get that position or get that job

00:29:43.180 --> 00:29:45.859
or be friends with those people or get that relationship

00:29:45.859 --> 00:29:48.579
is by lying, bearing false witness or slandering

00:29:48.579 --> 00:29:51.099
someone else, maybe that's not the position for

00:29:51.099 --> 00:29:55.700
you. Or maybe if you choose to wait, God will

00:29:55.700 --> 00:29:58.019
show you a better way. There have been times

00:29:58.019 --> 00:30:01.099
before when there's a promise that is for me.

00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:04.700
But the first method presented is not the method

00:30:04.700 --> 00:30:08.299
to take. And it's in waiting on God and his guidance,

00:30:08.440 --> 00:30:10.680
amen, that I'm later presented with the correct

00:30:10.680 --> 00:30:15.559
method, the God way, the Jesus way. So I just

00:30:15.559 --> 00:30:17.940
ask y 'all today to look at the methods you've

00:30:17.940 --> 00:30:21.160
been choosing. Look at the ways you've been choosing.

00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:24.740
And ask if this really aligns with God's will.

00:30:25.339 --> 00:30:27.500
But now let's go back to what do promises do

00:30:27.500 --> 00:30:30.619
for you? All right, and if you feel like this

00:30:30.619 --> 00:30:32.460
episode today is for you, I do encourage y 'all

00:30:32.460 --> 00:30:36.259
to listen to, I have a previous episode. A couple

00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:39.000
months back, I believe it's titled Promise Process,

00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:42.519
which is more detailed and helpful for you if

00:30:42.519 --> 00:30:45.319
you've received a promise from God of just like

00:30:45.319 --> 00:30:49.579
the things that usually happen after starting

00:30:49.579 --> 00:30:52.720
to have a promise from God, which is the pruning

00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:54.900
that comes along with it, of making you into

00:30:54.900 --> 00:30:57.140
the person who you're needed to be to steward

00:30:57.140 --> 00:30:59.779
over it, the warfare that comes along with it,

00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:03.539
the, you know, shaky faith. There are a lot of...

00:31:04.439 --> 00:31:07.220
things that come along with a promise from God.

00:31:07.380 --> 00:31:09.259
And I do encourage y 'all, if you feel this episode

00:31:09.259 --> 00:31:11.319
today is really hitting for you and resonating

00:31:11.319 --> 00:31:13.759
for you, I do encourage you to pray about it

00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:16.079
and see if you feel led to go listen to that

00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:18.039
episode because it may be very helpful for you.

00:31:18.059 --> 00:31:21.619
Amen. But what we're going to talk about today

00:31:21.619 --> 00:31:23.579
and just touch in on a little bit today, y 'all,

00:31:23.579 --> 00:31:26.099
is why does God remind you of your promises?

00:31:26.279 --> 00:31:29.519
Because when God promises something to you, it's

00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:33.400
usually not just one time. And then you never

00:31:33.400 --> 00:31:35.720
hear it about again until it happens. Oftentimes,

00:31:35.900 --> 00:31:38.160
and you'll see this in your life, God will remind

00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:40.319
you time and time again about what he has for

00:31:40.319 --> 00:31:42.059
you. And sometimes it can actually feel kind

00:31:42.059 --> 00:31:44.279
of annoying. And sometimes you can kind of lose

00:31:44.279 --> 00:31:48.619
your gratitude for it. And I say this as someone

00:31:48.619 --> 00:31:53.759
who I have had multiple times where God has given

00:31:53.759 --> 00:32:00.730
me a promise. And it's like... He cultivates

00:32:00.730 --> 00:32:03.529
this desire in me for it where it's like I'm

00:32:03.529 --> 00:32:05.990
yearning for it. I'm desiring for it. I feel

00:32:05.990 --> 00:32:09.349
ready for it and that's what I want. But he doesn't

00:32:09.349 --> 00:32:13.029
bless me with it yet. And it feels like it's

00:32:13.029 --> 00:32:14.849
far away. And there have been times when I've

00:32:14.849 --> 00:32:16.710
actually cried out to God in prayer when I've

00:32:16.710 --> 00:32:18.769
just been so overcome with emotion, overwhelmed,

00:32:18.910 --> 00:32:22.650
and begged him to stop reminding me of the promises.

00:32:23.109 --> 00:32:28.009
I have multiple times in tears said to God, it

00:32:28.009 --> 00:32:32.059
hurts. hurts to want this thing so badly and

00:32:32.059 --> 00:32:36.900
to know that this is for me one day, but to not

00:32:36.900 --> 00:32:39.440
be able to have it right now. And I have begged

00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:42.299
God before to take the desire out of my heart,

00:32:42.380 --> 00:32:46.839
to stop reminding me and saying, just drop it

00:32:46.839 --> 00:32:49.460
on me when it's time. Stop speaking it to me.

00:32:49.660 --> 00:32:54.059
And glory be to God, he didn't answer that in

00:32:54.059 --> 00:32:57.900
the way I wanted him to. he would lovingly and

00:32:57.900 --> 00:33:01.500
gently help me to calm down help me to get back

00:33:01.500 --> 00:33:05.599
to you know a peace and have me in gratitude

00:33:05.599 --> 00:33:08.279
for the process and for him and seeing everything

00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:11.140
he's done so far and then lovingly in his timing

00:33:11.140 --> 00:33:14.380
say the promise still stands and we're still

00:33:14.380 --> 00:33:17.420
gonna do this thing one day it's just not yet

00:33:17.420 --> 00:33:24.380
and I want to tell you the very first thing a

00:33:24.380 --> 00:33:28.420
promise will do for you. I want to identify two

00:33:28.420 --> 00:33:30.240
things that I've noticed a promise heavily do

00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:32.720
for me in my life that I hope will encourage

00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:36.220
y 'all today. And the first thing is what God's

00:33:36.220 --> 00:33:38.319
promises have done for me is it's helped me to

00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:41.279
get through seasons of suffering and trial and

00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:45.140
tribulation. Y 'all know a man named Joseph in

00:33:45.140 --> 00:33:52.160
the Bible, in Old Testament, was it Exodus? exodus

00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:55.440
oh lord i hope it's not genesis and i misquoted

00:33:55.440 --> 00:34:00.460
we'll see um joseph who has multiple brothers

00:34:00.460 --> 00:34:02.660
and he's already dad's favorite his brothers

00:34:02.660 --> 00:34:06.680
already don't like him very much and god gives

00:34:06.680 --> 00:34:09.579
him a vision that one day his family is going

00:34:09.579 --> 00:34:12.400
to be bowing before him and he sees that he is

00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:14.739
like kind of like in a high position a position

00:34:14.739 --> 00:34:18.800
of power And to be clear, his situation doesn't

00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:22.099
look like that yet. But God gives him this dream

00:34:22.099 --> 00:34:24.679
and he believes it. He believes it so much that

00:34:24.679 --> 00:34:27.400
he tells his brothers and his father about it.

00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:32.119
And in response, they call him a dreamer, say

00:34:32.119 --> 00:34:36.079
some very wicked things, plan to kill him, and

00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:40.840
then settle on selling him into slavery. And

00:34:40.840 --> 00:34:44.219
then he goes through... people bearing false

00:34:44.219 --> 00:34:46.219
witness against him, gets locked up in jail,

00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:50.659
all these things. God gives him a vision, a dream

00:34:50.659 --> 00:34:54.059
that looks really, really good. And then Joseph's

00:34:54.059 --> 00:34:56.900
reality looks nothing like it. If anything, it

00:34:56.900 --> 00:34:59.820
seems to get a lot worse. All of a sudden, the

00:34:59.820 --> 00:35:03.219
suffering picks up. He's betrayed. He's wrongfully

00:35:03.219 --> 00:35:06.480
accused. He's wrongfully sold off his rights.

00:35:06.559 --> 00:35:11.800
Like he goes from a free man to a slave. after

00:35:11.800 --> 00:35:13.900
a betrayal of his own family. And then he's living

00:35:13.900 --> 00:35:16.659
in Potiphar's house and he just submits to God's

00:35:16.659 --> 00:35:19.039
ways and says, no, I'm not going to commit adultery.

00:35:19.139 --> 00:35:20.639
I'm not going to sleep with Potiphar's wife.

00:35:20.760 --> 00:35:22.960
And she bears false witness and gets him locked

00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:25.599
in jail. And then he's still trying to do God's

00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:28.000
will, interpreting dreams, interprets for some

00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:30.900
of Pharaoh's like right -hand men. And then one

00:35:30.900 --> 00:35:33.119
of them gets out and totally forgets about Joseph.

00:35:33.519 --> 00:35:36.059
And although he's going through all these things,

00:35:36.179 --> 00:35:39.239
he doesn't lose the faith. He doesn't curse God.

00:35:39.980 --> 00:35:42.760
He doesn't turn away. He still believes in the

00:35:42.760 --> 00:35:45.760
promise. What God's promise does is it gives

00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:49.139
you hope in seasons of suffering where you're

00:35:49.139 --> 00:35:52.300
like, I know it hurts right now and I know it's

00:35:52.300 --> 00:35:56.380
rough right now, but God has shown me what is

00:35:56.380 --> 00:35:59.139
waiting for me. I know there is light at the

00:35:59.139 --> 00:36:00.760
end of the tunnel. And as someone who y 'all

00:36:00.760 --> 00:36:03.380
know, I've been vulnerable about this. I'm someone

00:36:03.380 --> 00:36:05.400
who in the past struggled heavily with depression

00:36:05.400 --> 00:36:11.300
and just a hopelessness. And there were periods

00:36:11.300 --> 00:36:15.059
where it was really hard. And it can feel very

00:36:15.059 --> 00:36:18.159
overwhelming. And what God has given me through

00:36:18.159 --> 00:36:24.019
promises is a hope. And I believe it was Jeremiah

00:36:24.019 --> 00:36:27.679
who God spoke this to, that I have plans to prosper

00:36:27.679 --> 00:36:31.980
you, not to harm you. Like I have come to give

00:36:31.980 --> 00:36:35.570
you hope for a future. And that's what God does

00:36:35.570 --> 00:36:38.250
with the promises, right? Is he gives us hope

00:36:38.250 --> 00:36:40.690
for the future and shows that even though we're

00:36:40.690 --> 00:36:43.389
going through maybe a trial or tribulation, a

00:36:43.389 --> 00:36:47.409
suffering, that he has plans to use this to prosper

00:36:47.409 --> 00:36:49.809
us. His intent is to prosper us, not to harm

00:36:49.809 --> 00:36:52.570
us. And although it may feel harmful in the moment,

00:36:52.710 --> 00:36:54.909
when you come out on the other side, you'll be

00:36:54.909 --> 00:36:58.010
so glad that you trusted God instead of your

00:36:58.010 --> 00:37:02.619
own ways. So number one, it gives you hope. When

00:37:02.619 --> 00:37:04.820
you're going through suffering, but you know

00:37:04.820 --> 00:37:08.000
what the second one, what the second one is.

00:37:08.179 --> 00:37:10.199
And this was something that I didn't realize

00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:12.079
until I was thinking on it today. Cause before

00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:14.199
I knew the general topic we're going to talk

00:37:14.199 --> 00:37:16.440
about today, y 'all, but I went and took a walk

00:37:16.440 --> 00:37:19.159
for a while, about like a 45 minute, close to

00:37:19.159 --> 00:37:20.780
an hour walk. And I was just praying to the Lord

00:37:20.780 --> 00:37:24.920
to like, please reveal a bit more to me. Like

00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:27.059
help me to dive a little bit deeper on this.

00:37:27.639 --> 00:37:29.880
And the Lord had kind of shown me, not only does

00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:33.070
a promise give me hope, but it has also prevented

00:37:33.070 --> 00:37:36.969
me from settling for less than God's best. Because

00:37:36.969 --> 00:37:40.730
in the kindest way I can say this is when I know

00:37:40.730 --> 00:37:44.309
that God has this top tier thing for me, when

00:37:44.309 --> 00:37:47.909
he has shown me his best for me, when he has

00:37:47.909 --> 00:37:50.829
shown me this amazing thing, when I have the

00:37:50.829 --> 00:37:53.289
opportunity to settle for something that is like

00:37:53.289 --> 00:37:57.349
75 % of that or even 80 or even 90 % of that,

00:37:57.530 --> 00:38:04.260
99 % of that. can't get myself to be content

00:38:04.260 --> 00:38:08.440
with it or fulfilled by it once I know what God

00:38:08.440 --> 00:38:11.380
has in store for me I am not fulfilled with less

00:38:11.380 --> 00:38:15.820
than God's best because believe me y 'all there

00:38:15.820 --> 00:38:18.860
have been multiple opportunities to settle for

00:38:18.860 --> 00:38:23.800
less this doesn't happen every single time god

00:38:23.800 --> 00:38:26.840
delivers on a promise but i have noticed with

00:38:26.840 --> 00:38:29.400
some promises that have come along with a lot

00:38:29.400 --> 00:38:33.000
of warfare in general um meaning a lot of opportunities

00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:36.340
to backslide a lot of pruning that has had to

00:38:36.340 --> 00:38:39.239
go along with it a lot of kind of like sabotaging

00:38:39.239 --> 00:38:43.880
attempts from the enemy a lot of doubt I've experienced

00:38:43.880 --> 00:38:46.119
some promises that came with a lot of opposition

00:38:46.119 --> 00:38:48.840
from the enemy. But that's also how I can identify,

00:38:48.980 --> 00:38:51.280
okay, the enemy knows God wants to use this in

00:38:51.280 --> 00:38:53.179
a big way. The enemy knows that this is going

00:38:53.179 --> 00:38:56.460
to be used by God to further his will. That is

00:38:56.460 --> 00:38:57.820
why the enemy is trying to stop. I want to be

00:38:57.820 --> 00:38:59.960
so clear, y 'all. The enemy isn't attacking your

00:38:59.960 --> 00:39:01.400
marriage because he wants your marriage. He's

00:39:01.400 --> 00:39:02.980
not attacking your relationship because he wants

00:39:02.980 --> 00:39:04.679
your relationship. He's not attacking your friendships

00:39:04.679 --> 00:39:07.300
because he wants your bestie as his bestie. He

00:39:07.300 --> 00:39:08.880
is not attacking your house because he wants

00:39:08.880 --> 00:39:10.420
your house. He's not attacking your job because

00:39:10.420 --> 00:39:12.480
he wants your job. He's not attacking your title

00:39:12.480 --> 00:39:14.900
because he wants your title. What he's doing

00:39:14.900 --> 00:39:19.400
is he is trying to attack what God wants to do

00:39:19.400 --> 00:39:22.960
through it. He's trying to attack your faith

00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:27.840
and your belief in God. There are some people

00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:32.239
that before they came into a relationship and

00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:34.300
got married, they experienced a lot of warfare.

00:39:34.599 --> 00:39:39.030
I know of people. who do ministry as couples

00:39:39.030 --> 00:39:41.070
are being used in great ways through sharing

00:39:41.070 --> 00:39:43.690
their testimony and glorifying the kingdom of

00:39:43.690 --> 00:39:46.769
heaven that went through a lot of warfare individually

00:39:46.769 --> 00:39:49.469
and like I've heard stories of warfare getting

00:39:49.469 --> 00:39:52.030
together right of just like trying to date like

00:39:52.030 --> 00:39:55.530
where the enemy will try to prevent it because

00:39:55.530 --> 00:39:58.469
he knows he has an inkling at least because he's

00:39:58.469 --> 00:40:01.269
not all knowing but he can see a bit of what

00:40:01.269 --> 00:40:06.099
God can do when The promise is fulfilled when

00:40:06.099 --> 00:40:08.679
the couple gets together, when the blessing is

00:40:08.679 --> 00:40:12.719
poured out, when the provision arrives. The devil

00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:14.960
isn't taking or attacking those things because

00:40:14.960 --> 00:40:17.239
he wants those things specifically. He wants

00:40:17.239 --> 00:40:20.159
to block what God can use them for. He wants

00:40:20.159 --> 00:40:24.119
to block what God can do through them. And also,

00:40:24.219 --> 00:40:27.300
he wants to steal your faith and your hope. He

00:40:27.300 --> 00:40:30.440
comes to steal, kill, and destroy. That's like

00:40:30.440 --> 00:40:33.639
literally his job. That's literally his MO. That's

00:40:33.639 --> 00:40:37.699
his main way he operates is stealing, killing,

00:40:37.860 --> 00:40:41.159
and destroying. He's the father of lies. So he

00:40:41.159 --> 00:40:46.159
comes to lie and deceive. And I've said this

00:40:46.159 --> 00:40:49.840
before, deceptions. The devil is so good at taking

00:40:49.840 --> 00:40:53.780
lies and sprinkling truth on it to make it believable.

00:40:54.860 --> 00:40:56.860
Because you can get people to believe a whole

00:40:56.860 --> 00:40:59.320
bunch of lies if you just inject a little bit

00:40:59.320 --> 00:41:01.139
of truth. If they feel like they can validate

00:41:01.139 --> 00:41:03.000
one or two things, they'll run with the rest.

00:41:04.239 --> 00:41:07.019
We see that especially now, like in our generation

00:41:07.019 --> 00:41:09.420
on social media, where people will make a lot

00:41:09.420 --> 00:41:11.960
of wild accusations, and then they'll throw in

00:41:11.960 --> 00:41:15.519
two things that can be proven, and people will

00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:18.980
believe all the rest of the accusations. And

00:41:18.980 --> 00:41:23.940
that's exactly how the devil works. There's multiple

00:41:23.940 --> 00:41:29.179
people right now that are very influential, that

00:41:29.179 --> 00:41:32.480
claim to be Christians, that literally operate

00:41:32.480 --> 00:41:35.019
just off of gossiping and slandering other people

00:41:35.019 --> 00:41:38.699
online. Everyone goes to them for the tea. Everyone

00:41:38.699 --> 00:41:42.139
goes to them for the like, what's the new news?

00:41:42.280 --> 00:41:46.159
What's the new conspiracy theory? And these people

00:41:46.159 --> 00:41:51.250
will pour out like a lot of wild crap. that has

00:41:51.250 --> 00:41:55.349
like no actual like source or no like actual

00:41:55.349 --> 00:41:58.710
valid there's no there's no proof with it there's

00:41:58.710 --> 00:42:00.969
no god isn't god isn't coming through i'm proving

00:42:00.969 --> 00:42:05.070
this um at least to my knowledge at least to

00:42:05.070 --> 00:42:06.969
what i've seen or anybody else has seen but then

00:42:06.969 --> 00:42:11.110
they'll throw out one or two things that um it

00:42:11.110 --> 00:42:15.469
can be believable and people will buy it all

00:42:15.469 --> 00:42:17.030
of it and they'll say well if this one thing

00:42:17.030 --> 00:42:18.909
was true clearly it all has to be true and that's

00:42:18.909 --> 00:42:21.750
like the basic way the devil operates which is

00:42:21.750 --> 00:42:23.869
why i always say you you have to take everything

00:42:23.869 --> 00:42:27.469
back to the lord all right accusations all these

00:42:27.469 --> 00:42:30.110
things before you believe every you've got to

00:42:30.110 --> 00:42:32.849
take it back to god ask him to strengthen your

00:42:32.849 --> 00:42:38.110
discernment okay y 'all i don't know we're gonna

00:42:38.110 --> 00:42:39.909
reel back i don't even know how we got there

00:42:39.909 --> 00:42:41.289
but we're gonna reel back we're gonna pull it

00:42:41.289 --> 00:42:43.590
back and i know that we were talking about the

00:42:43.590 --> 00:42:47.690
two things that God did for me, and God can definitely

00:42:47.690 --> 00:42:49.409
do through you for the promises. And the second

00:42:49.409 --> 00:42:51.289
one is you don't settle for less than God's best.

00:42:53.030 --> 00:42:56.210
There are a lot of counterfeits. You may in your

00:42:56.210 --> 00:42:58.829
life experience counterfeit things. Think it

00:42:58.829 --> 00:43:01.190
not strange. It happens more frequently than

00:43:01.190 --> 00:43:03.829
you would think, especially when it's a promise

00:43:03.829 --> 00:43:05.369
you've been waiting for for a long time that's

00:43:05.369 --> 00:43:07.170
had a lot of opposition. The enemy would love

00:43:07.170 --> 00:43:08.949
for you to settle for something that looks like

00:43:08.949 --> 00:43:13.429
75%. But that's the one thing, y 'all, is each

00:43:13.429 --> 00:43:15.630
time I've been given the opportunity to settle,

00:43:15.710 --> 00:43:19.630
and I'm not saying I haven't been tempted. You'll

00:43:19.630 --> 00:43:23.449
get tempted at times to settle, especially if

00:43:23.449 --> 00:43:25.070
you've been waiting for a long time and this

00:43:25.070 --> 00:43:27.670
thing looks 75%. Your flesh is like eating at

00:43:27.670 --> 00:43:31.409
you to just take it and work with it and just

00:43:31.409 --> 00:43:33.309
make the best out of it when life gives you lemons.

00:43:35.730 --> 00:43:38.469
But when you know that God has more for you,

00:43:38.530 --> 00:43:43.139
it's like you can't. cannot shake it. And when

00:43:43.139 --> 00:43:45.800
you try to settle, there's a part of you that

00:43:45.800 --> 00:43:49.019
it just will not feel right. You will not be

00:43:49.019 --> 00:43:50.760
fulfilled. And that's another thing God's promise

00:43:50.760 --> 00:43:54.199
does for you. So maybe you're someone who's been

00:43:54.199 --> 00:43:56.840
waiting on God's promise for a long time. And

00:43:56.840 --> 00:43:59.900
this is just more of an encouragement to reflect

00:43:59.900 --> 00:44:03.420
on what you've been doing thus far. You know,

00:44:03.420 --> 00:44:05.780
what are some areas where you have been pouring

00:44:05.780 --> 00:44:08.539
yourself into that God hasn't asked you to pour

00:44:08.539 --> 00:44:10.989
into? Now, there were some areas that maybe you've

00:44:10.989 --> 00:44:14.690
been compromising that you don't need to be compromising.

00:44:15.449 --> 00:44:24.230
What are some areas where you have been moving

00:44:24.230 --> 00:44:27.849
ahead of God or moving against God? I heard someone

00:44:27.849 --> 00:44:33.019
the other day. And I believe this was on, and

00:44:33.019 --> 00:44:35.500
I could be wrong, it was on a podcast. It was

00:44:35.500 --> 00:44:37.539
a clip of a podcast episode I saw, and I believe

00:44:37.539 --> 00:44:40.500
it was Madison Pruitt Trout's Stay True podcast.

00:44:40.639 --> 00:44:42.820
And there was a woman that was talking about,

00:44:43.079 --> 00:44:45.980
it was either her or Sadie Robertson. It was

00:44:45.980 --> 00:44:48.820
someone, I'm sorry y 'all, but this stuck with

00:44:48.820 --> 00:44:52.139
me so heavily, where she said that she had realized

00:44:52.139 --> 00:44:54.199
she had been working against God. And when she

00:44:54.199 --> 00:44:57.059
had been praying to God, God showed her a river

00:44:57.059 --> 00:45:01.000
moving with a current. And he spoke to her that

00:45:01.000 --> 00:45:04.920
the current is his way, is his timing, is his

00:45:04.920 --> 00:45:09.119
method. And she's been trying to swim. And if

00:45:09.119 --> 00:45:11.320
you're swimming forward, you're swimming ahead

00:45:11.320 --> 00:45:14.199
of God. And if you're swimming back, it's like

00:45:14.199 --> 00:45:15.880
you're swimming away from him. You're working

00:45:15.880 --> 00:45:18.460
against him. You're kind of running away. And

00:45:18.460 --> 00:45:21.739
all God asked her to do was float, to lay on

00:45:21.739 --> 00:45:24.920
her back, and to trust God is going to guide

00:45:24.920 --> 00:45:27.889
her. in the way she needed to be guided. And

00:45:27.889 --> 00:45:31.230
I feel like that ties perfectly into this piece

00:45:31.230 --> 00:45:33.110
of scripture I was reading this morning, y 'all,

00:45:33.110 --> 00:45:36.429
which is John 14, verses one through three. And

00:45:36.429 --> 00:45:39.230
it says, don't let your heart be troubled. Believe

00:45:39.230 --> 00:45:44.030
in God. Also believe in me, referring to Jesus.

00:45:44.630 --> 00:45:48.110
In my father's house are many rooms. If it were

00:45:48.110 --> 00:45:51.090
not so, would I have told you that I am going

00:45:51.090 --> 00:45:54.809
to prepare a place for you? If I go away and

00:45:54.809 --> 00:45:57.869
prepare a place for you, I will come again and

00:45:57.869 --> 00:46:02.250
take you to myself so that where I am, you may

00:46:02.250 --> 00:46:05.730
be also. And I believe that this was at the last

00:46:05.730 --> 00:46:08.250
supper when Jesus was talking to his disciples.

00:46:09.429 --> 00:46:12.090
But what stuck with me so heavy was that first

00:46:12.090 --> 00:46:14.929
part where it says, don't let your heart be troubled.

00:46:16.170 --> 00:46:18.389
Where he was calling them, don't be anxious.

00:46:19.449 --> 00:46:21.809
Don't be worried. Don't start planning. Don't

00:46:21.809 --> 00:46:25.570
start freaking out. Don't start giving into despair.

00:46:25.710 --> 00:46:29.190
Don't start worrying. Instead, believe in God.

00:46:29.409 --> 00:46:33.289
Believe in his ability. Believe that he is the

00:46:33.289 --> 00:46:37.150
Alpha and the Omega. Believe that he has plans

00:46:37.150 --> 00:46:40.250
to prosper you, not to harm you. Believe that

00:46:40.250 --> 00:46:42.610
he is protecting you. Believe that he has planned

00:46:42.610 --> 00:46:45.349
already for everything that is to happen. God

00:46:45.349 --> 00:46:47.610
is not surprised by the decisions we make or

00:46:47.610 --> 00:46:50.199
anyone else makes. You know those times when

00:46:50.199 --> 00:46:51.739
you look up and you're like, but you didn't expect

00:46:51.739 --> 00:46:53.519
that one, God. Guess what? Actually, he did.

00:46:54.519 --> 00:46:56.739
God knew those people were going to react that

00:46:56.739 --> 00:46:59.420
way and still called you to take that step. God

00:46:59.420 --> 00:47:02.059
knew you were going to go sideways and is still

00:47:02.059 --> 00:47:10.320
saying your promise stands. Believe in God. Believe

00:47:10.320 --> 00:47:13.139
in his word. Believe in his promises. Believe

00:47:13.139 --> 00:47:16.099
in who he is. Believe in what you've already

00:47:16.099 --> 00:47:20.039
seen him do. He's done it before and he'll do

00:47:20.039 --> 00:47:25.599
it again. Believe in God. Or Jesus want to say

00:47:25.599 --> 00:47:28.119
in my father's house are many rooms. If it were

00:47:28.119 --> 00:47:30.860
not so, would I have told you that I am going

00:47:30.860 --> 00:47:34.380
to prepare a place for you? And that was my reminder

00:47:34.380 --> 00:47:39.320
that God goes ahead of us. And don't forget in

00:47:39.320 --> 00:47:42.219
God's ability to make a way when there appears

00:47:42.219 --> 00:47:45.880
to be no way. Don't forget in God's ability to

00:47:45.880 --> 00:47:48.960
go ahead of you. While he's calling you to rest,

00:47:49.239 --> 00:47:52.039
while he's calling you to just float, he is down

00:47:52.039 --> 00:47:55.099
there working in that person's heart. He is down

00:47:55.099 --> 00:47:56.980
there working in that environment, working in

00:47:56.980 --> 00:47:59.719
that place, preparing a room for you, preparing

00:47:59.719 --> 00:48:03.769
a space for you. Amen. I cannot tell y 'all how

00:48:03.769 --> 00:48:07.670
many times when I was waiting on, there's one

00:48:07.670 --> 00:48:10.130
that specifically is coming to mind where I was

00:48:10.130 --> 00:48:13.030
waiting on a promise from God and it was getting

00:48:13.030 --> 00:48:15.610
hard and my environment was getting heavy. And

00:48:15.610 --> 00:48:19.789
I was like, God, I don't know. Like if you don't

00:48:19.789 --> 00:48:22.030
come through, it's about to get really, really

00:48:22.030 --> 00:48:25.380
bad. And you're telling me to wait and you're

00:48:25.380 --> 00:48:27.300
telling me to be still and you're telling me

00:48:27.300 --> 00:48:29.780
that you are bringing the opportunity to me.

00:48:29.840 --> 00:48:31.719
And I'm not saying that's every time. Sometimes

00:48:31.719 --> 00:48:33.940
God is going to call you to go seek that, to

00:48:33.940 --> 00:48:36.760
go apply at that thing. Faith without works is

00:48:36.760 --> 00:48:39.940
dead. There is a work God will guide you to take.

00:48:40.260 --> 00:48:42.679
But for me, what God was calling me to do with

00:48:42.679 --> 00:48:46.179
this specific situation was to wait on him. And

00:48:46.179 --> 00:48:48.800
his prompting to me one day was go to this place,

00:48:48.940 --> 00:48:52.119
go to this church service. And I did. And when

00:48:52.119 --> 00:48:55.190
I was there, I felt him present to me to go talk

00:48:55.190 --> 00:48:57.969
to this person. And I did. And they asked me

00:48:57.969 --> 00:49:00.110
to come meet with them next week. And I did.

00:49:00.309 --> 00:49:02.110
And then just having conversation with them,

00:49:02.150 --> 00:49:05.530
they found out I was in need of something. And

00:49:05.530 --> 00:49:11.300
they opened a door for me. And later on, I found

00:49:11.300 --> 00:49:13.360
out that if I had gotten brought to that place

00:49:13.360 --> 00:49:15.760
any earlier, the timing wouldn't have been right.

00:49:15.820 --> 00:49:17.920
God's timing for that situation was perfect.

00:49:18.119 --> 00:49:20.119
He was literally preparing a space because I

00:49:20.119 --> 00:49:22.460
wasn't qualified for that space. But the environment

00:49:22.460 --> 00:49:24.400
had gotten to a point where it was ready to accept

00:49:24.400 --> 00:49:26.460
someone who didn't have every book qualification.

00:49:28.480 --> 00:49:33.000
God's timing was perfect. Mine was not. My timing

00:49:33.000 --> 00:49:35.199
was based off of my fears and my anxieties and

00:49:35.199 --> 00:49:38.440
my worries. God's timing was based off of what

00:49:38.440 --> 00:49:41.059
was actually going to be the best. Trust in God's

00:49:41.059 --> 00:49:42.840
ability to go ahead of you. If he's calling you

00:49:42.840 --> 00:49:44.679
to wait and rest, trust that he's working on

00:49:44.679 --> 00:49:46.920
people's hearts. Trust that he's shuffling things

00:49:46.920 --> 00:49:49.000
around. He's moving things around. He's revealing

00:49:49.000 --> 00:49:51.000
things. He's exposing things. He's doing things.

00:49:52.659 --> 00:49:56.760
God isn't lazy. He is working. And someone needs

00:49:56.760 --> 00:50:00.000
to hear today, trust in his ability to go ahead

00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:02.559
of you. If God right now is only calling for

00:50:02.559 --> 00:50:05.260
your faith, is only calling for you to believe.

00:50:07.079 --> 00:50:09.420
I'm telling y 'all right now, this is scripture

00:50:09.420 --> 00:50:13.920
that has helped me so deeply is seek first his

00:50:13.920 --> 00:50:17.619
kingdom, God and his kingdom and his righteousness.

00:50:17.619 --> 00:50:19.599
And all these things will be added on to you.

00:50:20.920 --> 00:50:22.980
Where it was like, God is giving me these promises

00:50:22.980 --> 00:50:24.780
and I'm going to trust that if I'm just seeking

00:50:24.780 --> 00:50:27.280
him and I'm just seeking to grow in righteousness

00:50:27.280 --> 00:50:30.260
and to grow in love, I'm just pursuing Jesus.

00:50:32.039 --> 00:50:34.699
That's going to lead me down the path where I'm

00:50:34.699 --> 00:50:36.659
going to pick these things up along the way.

00:50:38.420 --> 00:50:41.119
I'll be close enough to God that I'm going to

00:50:41.119 --> 00:50:44.039
be able to hear him say, turn right, turn left,

00:50:44.139 --> 00:50:46.539
pick up the phone, apply to this, apply to that.

00:50:47.039 --> 00:50:48.960
It's the times when I'm just trying to do my

00:50:48.960 --> 00:50:51.420
own thing and work it out myself that I can't

00:50:51.420 --> 00:50:55.000
hear God. I'm encouraging y 'all today, if you

00:50:55.000 --> 00:50:57.639
are in this space, the best thing you can do

00:50:57.639 --> 00:51:02.179
is get in God's presence. It's to seek him. It's

00:51:02.179 --> 00:51:07.139
to read his word. It's to pray and listen. And

00:51:07.139 --> 00:51:16.400
don't be so quick to move. Sometimes when we

00:51:16.400 --> 00:51:18.559
receive a promise, all we want to do is go, go,

00:51:18.559 --> 00:51:22.800
go. And force, force, force. And then that just

00:51:22.800 --> 00:51:25.880
ends up creating what, at least to us, are delays

00:51:25.880 --> 00:51:32.639
and setbacks and hardships. Upsetting experiences.

00:51:35.760 --> 00:51:39.559
God is never late. Trust in his ability to go

00:51:39.559 --> 00:51:42.800
ahead. And maybe you're looking at the situation

00:51:42.800 --> 00:51:44.619
and you're like, if God did it, it would be a

00:51:44.619 --> 00:51:48.079
miracle. Like, it has to be a miracle. And a

00:51:48.079 --> 00:51:49.880
lot of promises from God are like miraculous

00:51:49.880 --> 00:51:52.420
things. And I think I've discussed this earlier.

00:51:54.619 --> 00:52:00.039
We're promises from God. And they usually require

00:52:00.039 --> 00:52:03.500
God's hand heavily. Because if we relied on our

00:52:03.500 --> 00:52:05.280
own strength, our own wisdom, our own works,

00:52:05.340 --> 00:52:08.139
we would not get there. So when he gives us promises,

00:52:08.239 --> 00:52:10.980
when he gives us hopes for the future, it's something

00:52:10.980 --> 00:52:14.719
only he can do. And if you're in a situation

00:52:14.719 --> 00:52:16.639
where you're like, well, God gave me this vision,

00:52:16.800 --> 00:52:20.980
but there's no way that I see right now, you

00:52:20.980 --> 00:52:24.619
are in the perfect space to receive a miracle.

00:52:25.759 --> 00:52:28.719
Because it's when you can clearly not credit

00:52:28.719 --> 00:52:31.719
yourself or credit anybody else around you that

00:52:31.719 --> 00:52:35.380
God gets all the glory. And that it becomes a

00:52:35.380 --> 00:52:37.559
testimony not to your own strength or your own

00:52:37.559 --> 00:52:39.559
knowledge or your own will or your own creation,

00:52:39.639 --> 00:52:45.659
but God. You know, when I think back to why that

00:52:45.659 --> 00:52:47.139
thing, that thing I told you all about in the

00:52:47.139 --> 00:52:49.480
beginning of this episode, I'm happy it didn't

00:52:49.480 --> 00:52:51.440
work out. Because I remember praying to God when

00:52:51.440 --> 00:52:54.699
I realized, I was like, God, thank you for not

00:52:54.699 --> 00:52:56.219
letting that thing work out because that would

00:52:56.219 --> 00:52:58.539
have directly contradicted a promise you gave

00:52:58.539 --> 00:53:04.820
me. Like getting that would have kind of like

00:53:04.820 --> 00:53:08.300
negated my need for another promise that God

00:53:08.300 --> 00:53:12.800
has for me. But not only that, I started thanking

00:53:12.800 --> 00:53:16.460
God. I was like, if I would, if this thing would

00:53:16.460 --> 00:53:20.739
have worked out, it wouldn't have glorified you.

00:53:21.900 --> 00:53:24.940
It would have glorified the world. It would have

00:53:24.940 --> 00:53:28.059
glorified worldly systems and luck and things

00:53:28.059 --> 00:53:30.500
like that. It wouldn't have been clearly God's

00:53:30.500 --> 00:53:32.440
hand. It would have been a luck of the draw situation.

00:53:34.400 --> 00:53:37.780
And I want my testimony, my promise to glorify

00:53:37.780 --> 00:53:40.739
you and that it will point other people closer

00:53:40.739 --> 00:53:44.639
to you, Lord. And I want to remind y 'all of

00:53:44.639 --> 00:53:47.599
that today, that the testimony that God is building

00:53:47.599 --> 00:53:50.559
up with your promise. It's going to be something

00:53:50.559 --> 00:53:54.340
that glorifies him, not you. And I encourage

00:53:54.340 --> 00:53:56.280
you to also look at the steps you've been taking.

00:53:56.460 --> 00:53:59.780
If those things worked out right now, who would

00:53:59.780 --> 00:54:07.039
get the glory? Would lying get the glory? Would

00:54:07.039 --> 00:54:09.699
bearing false witness get the glory? Would cheating

00:54:09.699 --> 00:54:12.440
and scheming get the glory? Would unforgiveness

00:54:12.440 --> 00:54:14.920
get the glory? Would divination get the glory?

00:54:15.139 --> 00:54:18.099
Would witchcraft get the glory? Would new age

00:54:18.099 --> 00:54:20.360
get the glory? Would false idols get the glory?

00:54:22.579 --> 00:54:29.599
Would money get the glory? Would the methods

00:54:29.599 --> 00:54:33.079
you're using right now glorify yourself? Would

00:54:33.079 --> 00:54:37.260
your testimony be, I did it. I did it. My brain,

00:54:37.420 --> 00:54:40.659
my strength, my knowledge, my cunningness, my

00:54:40.659 --> 00:54:45.400
this, my that. If it's a promise from God, you

00:54:45.400 --> 00:54:48.989
best believe. the miracle, the testimony is also

00:54:48.989 --> 00:54:53.090
going to glorify God. And I say this to y 'all

00:54:53.090 --> 00:54:56.170
as a loving sister in Christ, that if it's not

00:54:56.170 --> 00:54:59.849
from God, you don't want it. If you had to sin

00:54:59.849 --> 00:55:02.190
to get it, if you had to compromise to get it,

00:55:02.230 --> 00:55:04.690
you're going to have to sin to keep it. You're

00:55:04.690 --> 00:55:07.269
going to have to compromise to keep it. And when

00:55:07.269 --> 00:55:09.230
it's time to be delivered from it, when it's

00:55:09.230 --> 00:55:13.469
time to let it go, you might end up in a swine

00:55:13.469 --> 00:55:17.300
situation. And this was an episode. I almost

00:55:17.300 --> 00:55:19.780
recorded last week, but I feel like the Lord's

00:55:19.780 --> 00:55:24.119
leading me, amen, to kind of just dabble in on

00:55:24.119 --> 00:55:26.300
this a little bit. And I believe this was in

00:55:26.300 --> 00:55:29.619
the book of Mark. I want to flip to it real quick,

00:55:29.719 --> 00:55:32.139
y 'all. It's been about a week since I've read

00:55:32.139 --> 00:55:34.000
it, but it's the first couple chapters in the

00:55:34.000 --> 00:55:36.820
book of Mark. Let me find it real quick so I

00:55:36.820 --> 00:55:41.909
know what I'm referring you guys to. It was around

00:55:41.909 --> 00:55:45.889
Mark 7. It was Mark chapter 5. We're in John

00:55:45.889 --> 00:55:51.949
5 and now we're in Mark 5. Okay, now there was

00:55:51.949 --> 00:55:57.130
this man who was possessed by a legion of demons,

00:55:57.269 --> 00:56:01.809
which is like thousands of demons. And everyone

00:56:01.809 --> 00:56:06.250
in town knew he was possessed by demons. Everyone

00:56:06.250 --> 00:56:10.559
in town, they would literally chain him up. But

00:56:10.559 --> 00:56:13.400
he kept breaking free of the chains, and this

00:56:13.400 --> 00:56:17.619
demon convinced him to harm himself, to cut himself,

00:56:17.880 --> 00:56:27.199
to hurt himself in those ways. And it's interesting,

00:56:27.300 --> 00:56:32.219
the interaction. When Jesus started, like, I

00:56:32.219 --> 00:56:33.639
just want to note this real quick, y 'all. It

00:56:33.639 --> 00:56:37.840
says here in Mark 5 and verse 4, because he...

00:56:38.119 --> 00:56:40.739
We're going to go in verse three. He lived in

00:56:40.739 --> 00:56:44.079
the tombs and no one was able to restrain him

00:56:44.079 --> 00:56:47.260
anymore, not even with a chain, because he often

00:56:47.260 --> 00:56:50.099
had been bound with shackles and chains, but

00:56:50.099 --> 00:56:53.920
had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles.

00:56:53.980 --> 00:56:56.739
No one was strong enough to subdue him. And I

00:56:56.739 --> 00:56:59.039
want to pause here. Y 'all, we've talked today

00:56:59.039 --> 00:57:02.280
about. your promises, people believing in promises

00:57:02.280 --> 00:57:05.000
of healing, people believing in promises of like

00:57:05.000 --> 00:57:07.179
relationships or things like that. But maybe

00:57:07.179 --> 00:57:08.800
you're someone today who's been believing in

00:57:08.800 --> 00:57:11.880
the promise of deliverance. If it's an addiction

00:57:11.880 --> 00:57:14.500
that's kept you bound, if it's demonic influence

00:57:14.500 --> 00:57:17.480
that's kept you bound. I've talked before in

00:57:17.480 --> 00:57:19.480
the past, and this doesn't speak to everybody,

00:57:19.739 --> 00:57:22.219
but I will speak to my situation. There was literal

00:57:22.219 --> 00:57:25.340
physical disorders I dealt with. I dealt with

00:57:25.340 --> 00:57:28.780
self -harm as a teen. I dealt with drinking and

00:57:28.780 --> 00:57:31.719
smoking to excess, that becoming an idol. I dealt

00:57:31.719 --> 00:57:34.380
with mental health. problems depression anxiety

00:57:34.380 --> 00:57:37.280
and I do personally believe that I had a lot

00:57:37.280 --> 00:57:39.900
of demonic oppression going on in my life I had

00:57:39.900 --> 00:57:41.820
a lot of open doors to the devil I had a lot

00:57:41.820 --> 00:57:44.760
of unforgiveness in my life I had fornication

00:57:44.760 --> 00:57:49.429
going on I had idol worship going on I was idolizing

00:57:49.429 --> 00:57:51.550
myself I was idolizing my feelings I was idolizing

00:57:51.550 --> 00:57:54.429
my emotions I was vengeful I was entertaining

00:57:54.429 --> 00:57:57.690
divination I was entertaining horoscopes I was

00:57:57.690 --> 00:58:00.329
I was entertaining all these things and I believe

00:58:00.329 --> 00:58:02.590
I opened a lot of doors for the devil to willingly

00:58:02.590 --> 00:58:05.329
use me and I'm not saying that's the case for

00:58:05.329 --> 00:58:08.030
everybody else or that's the source of all of

00:58:08.030 --> 00:58:10.710
these other problems but I do believe for me

00:58:11.420 --> 00:58:13.840
That was a big source of why I was dealing with

00:58:13.840 --> 00:58:15.460
a lot of these things was a lot of things I was

00:58:15.460 --> 00:58:17.480
dealing with were symptoms of my demonic oppression.

00:58:17.940 --> 00:58:20.460
And I've shared with y 'all too about the deliverance

00:58:20.460 --> 00:58:22.280
I went through where for months I was doing full

00:58:22.280 --> 00:58:24.539
on self -denial. I was eating for four or five

00:58:24.539 --> 00:58:26.239
days at a time. I was going through intermittent

00:58:26.239 --> 00:58:30.159
fasting. I was reading my Bible 12 to 15 hours

00:58:30.159 --> 00:58:34.030
a day. And when God told me to leave it, I left

00:58:34.030 --> 00:58:35.750
it. When God told me to leave tarot cards, I

00:58:35.750 --> 00:58:37.409
left tarot cards. When God told me to forgive

00:58:37.409 --> 00:58:39.409
people who had hurt me for decades, I forgave

00:58:39.409 --> 00:58:42.670
them. Like, I had to just do what God called

00:58:42.670 --> 00:58:45.030
me to do, period. I had to be like a child and

00:58:45.030 --> 00:58:48.869
say, yes, Father. Instead of asking questions

00:58:48.869 --> 00:58:51.309
and saying, I will, but not this or not that

00:58:51.309 --> 00:58:53.070
or give me another way, I said, you know what?

00:58:53.170 --> 00:58:55.989
You know best, God. And I submitted to it. I

00:58:55.989 --> 00:58:58.929
know what it is like to need deliverance. And

00:58:58.929 --> 00:59:03.050
I know what it's like. To lose things in deliverance

00:59:03.050 --> 00:59:04.909
like we're about to talk about now because when

00:59:04.909 --> 00:59:08.469
I gave my life to the lord And he was going to

00:59:08.469 --> 00:59:11.190
deliver me and there were things that I had been

00:59:11.190 --> 00:59:14.409
dealing with for decades mental disorders and

00:59:14.409 --> 00:59:18.190
like physical health stuff That god said I will

00:59:18.190 --> 00:59:20.050
deliver you you will be healed. This will never

00:59:20.050 --> 00:59:21.570
be a problem again I've shared this a couple

00:59:21.570 --> 00:59:23.869
episodes ago where I was like, there is no healing

00:59:23.869 --> 00:59:25.989
for this There is no surgery. There is no medication,

00:59:26.250 --> 00:59:30.159
but god said there is healing in me I will give

00:59:30.159 --> 00:59:33.440
you the healing. It'll be like it never happened.

00:59:35.739 --> 00:59:39.380
You will no longer deal with this. And I believed

00:59:39.380 --> 00:59:42.039
him. And after believing in that promise, there

00:59:42.039 --> 00:59:43.500
were things he started calling me to do, which

00:59:43.500 --> 00:59:46.659
was closing doors to sin. And one of them was

00:59:46.659 --> 00:59:48.559
he called me to leave behind the only way I was

00:59:48.559 --> 00:59:50.619
making money and bringing in provision, which

00:59:50.619 --> 00:59:53.139
was tarot card reading. He called me to leave

00:59:53.139 --> 00:59:55.079
behind the only way I was able to sleep at night

00:59:55.079 --> 00:59:57.800
and have comfort, which was smoking. He called

00:59:57.800 --> 01:00:00.739
me to leave behind a nicotine addiction, which

01:00:00.739 --> 01:00:02.760
was the way I dealt with my stress and anxiety

01:00:02.760 --> 01:00:06.019
for over 10 years. There were things I had to

01:00:06.019 --> 01:00:08.760
lose and let go of in order to be delivered.

01:00:08.920 --> 01:00:10.639
And that's what we're about to learn about here.

01:00:10.719 --> 01:00:12.420
So maybe you're someone who has been waiting

01:00:12.420 --> 01:00:15.860
on deliverance and you've been seeking it in

01:00:15.860 --> 01:00:20.440
all the other ways. Maybe in the methods you've

01:00:20.440 --> 01:00:23.739
been trying to find peace or trying to find fulfillment

01:00:23.739 --> 01:00:26.519
or trying to find deliverance. And there's another

01:00:26.519 --> 01:00:28.679
direction God is pointing you in. I don't know

01:00:28.679 --> 01:00:30.880
what your situation is, but I feel called to

01:00:30.880 --> 01:00:33.340
talk about the loss that sometimes comes with

01:00:33.340 --> 01:00:36.099
deliverance and encourage y 'all today not to

01:00:36.099 --> 01:00:43.019
turn away from the Lord, okay, and not to give

01:00:43.019 --> 01:00:47.199
up. And I feel led real quick. Sorry, y 'all.

01:00:48.079 --> 01:00:50.800
Pause one more time before I go into this to

01:00:50.800 --> 01:00:54.219
share with y 'all real quick a personal release

01:00:54.219 --> 01:00:56.610
I just did. Because I shared with y 'all one

01:00:56.610 --> 01:01:01.489
that I did like two years ago, right? Well, when

01:01:01.489 --> 01:01:04.250
I was a new age and before a new age, it was

01:01:04.250 --> 01:01:06.510
more during COVID time. I built up a platform

01:01:06.510 --> 01:01:08.750
on social. I started building up a platform on

01:01:08.750 --> 01:01:11.909
social media. I got to about like 15 ,000 followers

01:01:11.909 --> 01:01:15.130
on TikTok. And then once I was getting a new

01:01:15.130 --> 01:01:17.909
age and I was a tarot card reader, I built it

01:01:17.909 --> 01:01:22.800
up to like 33 ,000 followers on TikTok. And then

01:01:22.800 --> 01:01:24.840
I, when I gave my life to the Lord, I deleted

01:01:24.840 --> 01:01:26.900
all my social media. But the one thing I felt

01:01:26.900 --> 01:01:30.840
led to not delete entirely was TikTok. Although

01:01:30.840 --> 01:01:34.099
I did feel led to delete all the content to no

01:01:34.099 --> 01:01:38.980
longer connect myself with that. And I felt like

01:01:38.980 --> 01:01:40.860
I was never getting on social media again. And

01:01:40.860 --> 01:01:42.260
I felt like I was never going to do it again.

01:01:42.679 --> 01:01:44.980
And I started feeling the Lord months later,

01:01:45.039 --> 01:01:47.260
put on my heart to start posting videos, just

01:01:47.260 --> 01:01:49.840
sharing my testimony and glorifying God and planting

01:01:49.840 --> 01:01:53.409
seeds for other people. And slowly I got back

01:01:53.409 --> 01:01:55.889
on TikTok and I was using that when I would learn

01:01:55.889 --> 01:01:57.929
something in scripture or when the Lord would

01:01:57.929 --> 01:02:00.530
give me, you know, like an aha moment, I would

01:02:00.530 --> 01:02:01.889
get on and share it with other people. I would

01:02:01.889 --> 01:02:04.110
share testimony and I didn't see it then, but

01:02:04.110 --> 01:02:06.429
the Lord was using that to encourage me to the

01:02:06.429 --> 01:02:11.489
point of creating this podcast. And I thought

01:02:11.489 --> 01:02:13.170
I was going to be doing that for a long time.

01:02:13.530 --> 01:02:18.719
And it was last week. where in really seeking

01:02:18.719 --> 01:02:21.179
the Lord's will, I felt led to delete that account.

01:02:23.139 --> 01:02:26.059
And there's a big part of me that I started feeling

01:02:26.059 --> 01:02:28.340
a conviction of I built that when I was in the

01:02:28.340 --> 01:02:32.559
world. And if God calls me to do that, if God

01:02:32.559 --> 01:02:34.599
wants me to have a platform like that again one

01:02:34.599 --> 01:02:37.300
day, he'll help me build it and I'll build it

01:02:37.300 --> 01:02:40.619
with him. And if he doesn't, that is fine too.

01:02:40.900 --> 01:02:43.119
And I surrendered that platform to him. For those

01:02:43.119 --> 01:02:44.619
of y 'all who didn't know, I deleted my TikTok

01:02:44.619 --> 01:02:49.269
account. as a surrenderance. And I actually felt

01:02:49.269 --> 01:02:51.289
delivered from multiple things I had been struggling

01:02:51.289 --> 01:02:55.829
with. My deliverance from comparison. And I was

01:02:55.829 --> 01:02:59.130
focusing too much on if people were even hearing

01:02:59.130 --> 01:03:02.329
the message. And I felt like I wasn't being used

01:03:02.329 --> 01:03:04.230
by God. And I felt like I was comparing myself

01:03:04.230 --> 01:03:06.210
to other people and how they were being used

01:03:06.210 --> 01:03:08.909
and how I felt like I wasn't being used. And

01:03:08.909 --> 01:03:10.789
then deleting that, there was so much freedom

01:03:10.789 --> 01:03:12.550
and so much deliverance. And I've been able to

01:03:12.550 --> 01:03:14.409
focus on other things. And I feel like God has

01:03:14.409 --> 01:03:16.289
already been starting to give me new promises

01:03:16.289 --> 01:03:18.889
and new dreams. I'm starting to realize that,

01:03:18.929 --> 01:03:20.769
like, there were some things I was holding on

01:03:20.769 --> 01:03:23.829
to that were more my goals than God's goals.

01:03:25.130 --> 01:03:28.190
And I pray that this moment of vulnerability,

01:03:28.570 --> 01:03:31.250
that y 'all continue to listen to what I'm about

01:03:31.250 --> 01:03:35.449
to say. Because maybe there's something God is

01:03:35.449 --> 01:03:36.989
calling you to release and give up, and it's

01:03:36.989 --> 01:03:40.670
really hard. If it's a vendetta, if it's vengeance,

01:03:40.969 --> 01:03:43.230
if it's a method of how you've been dealing with

01:03:43.230 --> 01:03:46.269
things, how you've been coping, if it's a dream

01:03:46.269 --> 01:03:48.110
or a goal you've had for yourself, but it's not

01:03:48.110 --> 01:03:53.010
a God goal. I pray that testimony encourages

01:03:53.010 --> 01:03:57.210
you. Now let's read on here. So this man is dealing

01:03:57.210 --> 01:03:58.989
with these demons and it's something that people,

01:03:59.070 --> 01:04:02.090
humans don't have a cure for. So for a little

01:04:02.090 --> 01:04:04.530
bit of a modern day translation, therapy isn't

01:04:04.530 --> 01:04:08.829
fixing it. Medication isn't fixing it. The lifestyle

01:04:08.829 --> 01:04:13.309
changes aren't fixing it. Relationships aren't

01:04:13.309 --> 01:04:18.329
fixing it. This man, the symptoms that he is

01:04:18.329 --> 01:04:20.309
getting from this demonic oppression, this demonic

01:04:20.309 --> 01:04:23.909
oppression in general, cannot be contained, controlled,

01:04:24.269 --> 01:04:26.739
or helped by man. And there are people right

01:04:26.739 --> 01:04:29.079
now who are dealing with those things. I'm someone

01:04:29.079 --> 01:04:30.659
with personal testimony to that where I've shared

01:04:30.659 --> 01:04:32.619
with y 'all before. The problems that God has

01:04:32.619 --> 01:04:35.119
helped me move through and has delivered me from

01:04:35.119 --> 01:04:36.739
in big ways were things that therapists told

01:04:36.739 --> 01:04:38.900
me I would just have to live with. Or health

01:04:38.900 --> 01:04:40.440
disorders that I was told I was just going to

01:04:40.440 --> 01:04:46.679
have to live with. But God, this man, this man

01:04:46.679 --> 01:04:48.780
possessed by a legion of demons is dealing with

01:04:48.780 --> 01:04:50.480
something that people can no longer help him

01:04:50.480 --> 01:04:52.539
with. They just started locking him in the tomb

01:04:52.539 --> 01:05:00.199
and avoiding him. It says night and day among

01:05:00.199 --> 01:05:01.940
the tombs and on the mountains, he was always

01:05:01.940 --> 01:05:07.639
crying out and cutting himself with stones. And

01:05:07.639 --> 01:05:10.559
when he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and

01:05:10.559 --> 01:05:12.840
knelt down before him and he cried out in a loud

01:05:12.840 --> 01:05:15.239
voice. What do you have to do with me, Jesus,

01:05:15.400 --> 01:05:17.719
the son of the most high God? I beg you before

01:05:17.719 --> 01:05:20.940
God, don't torment me. For he had told him, come

01:05:20.940 --> 01:05:22.860
out of the man, you unclean spirit. I want to

01:05:22.860 --> 01:05:26.420
pause right here. Demons obey and submit to Jesus.

01:05:26.619 --> 01:05:28.639
And that's why earlier in the episode I said,

01:05:28.679 --> 01:05:33.159
y 'all, your evil eyes do nothing compared to

01:05:33.159 --> 01:05:35.460
Jesus. They do nothing, point blank, period.

01:05:36.179 --> 01:05:39.500
It's Jesus. Demons don't flee at an evil eye.

01:05:40.599 --> 01:05:44.239
Demons don't flee at crystals. Demons don't flee

01:05:44.239 --> 01:05:48.219
at witchcraft, at mantras, at incantations. Demons

01:05:48.219 --> 01:05:51.239
flee at the only thing that has conquered them,

01:05:51.340 --> 01:05:54.639
which is Jesus. Jesus Christ spilt his blood

01:05:54.639 --> 01:05:58.559
on the cross. When Jesus went to the cross, died,

01:05:58.719 --> 01:06:00.840
and resurrected, he defeated death. We already

01:06:00.840 --> 01:06:03.420
have victory. Don't forget that, my brothers

01:06:03.420 --> 01:06:05.840
and sisters. When you are with Christ, you're

01:06:05.840 --> 01:06:08.519
on the winning side. If you have not yet read...

01:06:09.309 --> 01:06:12.429
The Bible read Revelation. We know how this ends.

01:06:13.010 --> 01:06:16.670
The devil does not win. Wickedness does not win.

01:06:16.989 --> 01:06:20.809
They have already been defeated. They're just

01:06:20.809 --> 01:06:22.929
really sore losers, and they're still trying

01:06:22.929 --> 01:06:25.630
until the day, and they're kicking and screaming

01:06:25.630 --> 01:06:29.010
until the day Jesus decides to come back for

01:06:29.010 --> 01:06:31.929
his church, until the Father sends him back for

01:06:31.929 --> 01:06:35.849
the church. We already know how it ends. If you

01:06:35.849 --> 01:06:38.510
choose the side of wickedness, you have chosen

01:06:38.510 --> 01:06:42.469
the losing side. If you have chosen witchcraft,

01:06:42.590 --> 01:06:45.369
you've chosen the losing side. If you have chosen

01:06:45.369 --> 01:06:49.710
lying and deception and gossiping and evilness,

01:06:49.789 --> 01:06:52.130
you've chosen the losing side. But if you choose

01:06:52.130 --> 01:06:56.329
Jesus and you submit to Jesus, that is where

01:06:56.329 --> 01:07:01.000
you see victory. We see right here the true authority

01:07:01.000 --> 01:07:07.960
that Jesus has over demons, over demonic oppression,

01:07:08.199 --> 01:07:12.420
over the evil energy, over the negativity, over

01:07:12.420 --> 01:07:14.519
the gossip and the slander and the bad vibes.

01:07:14.840 --> 01:07:18.400
It's not the evil eyes. It's not the sigils.

01:07:18.400 --> 01:07:20.820
It's not the little pentagram that y 'all witches

01:07:20.820 --> 01:07:25.719
do. It's the name of Jesus. And when you are

01:07:25.719 --> 01:07:28.920
covered in the blood of Jesus, There is an authority.

01:07:30.099 --> 01:07:33.559
When you are baptized with the Spirit, when you're

01:07:33.559 --> 01:07:36.860
operating with the Holy Spirit, you are walking

01:07:36.860 --> 01:07:40.559
in authority. We as followers of Christ, we have

01:07:40.559 --> 01:07:42.980
the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. We have the

01:07:42.980 --> 01:07:47.760
authority to bind and rebuke. We have the authority

01:07:47.760 --> 01:07:51.699
to trample on the heads of serpents and scorpions.

01:07:52.980 --> 01:07:55.179
This isn't just something that happened back

01:07:55.179 --> 01:08:00.400
then. This can happen now. This is where you

01:08:00.400 --> 01:08:02.880
find authority, not any of that other stuff.

01:08:05.119 --> 01:08:08.420
And it says here, Jesus said to the unclean spirit,

01:08:08.539 --> 01:08:10.579
what is your name? He said, my name is Legion.

01:08:10.679 --> 01:08:13.599
He answered him because we are many. And he begged

01:08:13.599 --> 01:08:15.840
him earnestly not to send him out of the region.

01:08:15.900 --> 01:08:18.420
See how the demons have to ask permission from

01:08:18.420 --> 01:08:22.590
God. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The demons

01:08:22.590 --> 01:08:25.449
have to get permission from Jesus. And you need

01:08:25.449 --> 01:08:28.149
to hear this today. Whatever the devil takes

01:08:28.149 --> 01:08:32.510
from you, God has permitted. He has to get permission.

01:08:33.149 --> 01:08:35.909
The devil has to get permission to take that

01:08:35.909 --> 01:08:38.390
relationship. The devil has to get permission

01:08:38.390 --> 01:08:41.029
to take that job. The devil has to get permission,

01:08:41.090 --> 01:08:43.949
which means that God, who uses everything for

01:08:43.949 --> 01:08:47.170
your good, already has a plan, already has a

01:08:47.170 --> 01:08:52.109
way out for you when you face that. So if God

01:08:52.109 --> 01:08:56.369
knows, God knows in your deliverance that that

01:08:56.369 --> 01:08:58.170
thing will be taken and you'll have to let it

01:08:58.170 --> 01:09:02.829
go. He also already has a plan to keep you from

01:09:02.829 --> 01:09:08.390
lack. Philippians 4 .19, For my God will provide

01:09:08.390 --> 01:09:10.329
your needs according to his riches and glory

01:09:10.329 --> 01:09:13.210
in Christ Jesus. Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd,

01:09:13.289 --> 01:09:15.649
there is nothing I lack. God has already planned

01:09:15.649 --> 01:09:18.210
accordingly. If you are walking with him and

01:09:18.210 --> 01:09:20.310
trusting in his guidance, you will lack for nothing.

01:09:23.329 --> 01:09:26.430
I just want to remind you of that. Whatever the

01:09:26.430 --> 01:09:30.210
devil takes, he has to get permission from God.

01:09:30.369 --> 01:09:33.470
And if God is allowing it, God has a plan for

01:09:33.470 --> 01:09:36.989
it. And God can use it to teach you something,

01:09:37.109 --> 01:09:40.090
to do something in your life. Moving on here,

01:09:40.149 --> 01:09:43.250
it says a herd of pigs was there feeding on the

01:09:43.250 --> 01:09:45.329
hillside. The demons begged him, send us into

01:09:45.329 --> 01:09:47.890
the pigs so that we may enter them. So he gave

01:09:47.890 --> 01:09:49.930
them permission and the unclean spirits came

01:09:49.930 --> 01:09:52.350
out and entered the pigs. And a herd of about

01:09:52.350 --> 01:09:54.850
2000 rushed down the steep bank into the sea

01:09:54.850 --> 01:09:57.569
and drowned there. The man who tended them ran

01:09:57.569 --> 01:10:00.090
off and reported it in the town, in the countryside.

01:10:00.750 --> 01:10:03.800
And the people went to see what happened. They

01:10:03.800 --> 01:10:06.140
came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon

01:10:06.140 --> 01:10:08.979
-possessed sitting there, dressed and in his

01:10:08.979 --> 01:10:13.319
right mind, and they were afraid. This was something

01:10:13.319 --> 01:10:16.319
that they didn't believe to be possible. It scared

01:10:16.319 --> 01:10:21.220
them that when they walked away, this man was

01:10:21.220 --> 01:10:22.899
demon -possessed and he was dealing with all

01:10:22.899 --> 01:10:25.920
this messy stuff. And they see him now and he's

01:10:25.920 --> 01:10:27.779
sitting upright, fully dressed, in his right

01:10:27.779 --> 01:10:33.380
mind, good to go. That's terrifying. Who, what

01:10:33.380 --> 01:10:38.279
man has this authority? What man is able to make

01:10:38.279 --> 01:10:42.680
demons flee Jesus? But that kind of power was

01:10:42.680 --> 01:10:44.779
terrifying. But I want to let y 'all in on something.

01:10:45.039 --> 01:10:49.079
If you know the historical context of this, this

01:10:49.079 --> 01:10:51.180
place where this man is at, the reason why there

01:10:51.180 --> 01:10:54.539
are 2 ,000 pigs there is because the people who

01:10:54.539 --> 01:10:57.640
lived in this area, most were herders. They were

01:10:57.640 --> 01:11:01.520
swine herders. They were like livestock owners.

01:11:01.640 --> 01:11:05.640
So this was their money. This was their provision.

01:11:05.859 --> 01:11:12.779
This was their way. And then this man being delivered,

01:11:12.920 --> 01:11:18.640
the devil took their financial provision source.

01:11:19.140 --> 01:11:22.560
The devil took, I don't know if y 'all know this,

01:11:22.619 --> 01:11:26.340
but 2 ,000 swine was worth a lot of money. And

01:11:26.340 --> 01:11:29.890
it was just all gone. This man's deliverance

01:11:29.890 --> 01:11:35.189
cost a price. And that price was all of those

01:11:35.189 --> 01:11:40.189
swine. And when the people saw this, I want you

01:11:40.189 --> 01:11:47.270
to see what their reaction was. Those who, I'm

01:11:47.270 --> 01:11:48.550
going to, we're going to keep reading. We're

01:11:48.550 --> 01:11:51.680
in chapter 5, verse 16 of the book of Mark. Those

01:11:51.680 --> 01:11:54.520
who had seen it described to them what happened

01:11:54.520 --> 01:11:56.699
to the demon -possessed man and told them about

01:11:56.699 --> 01:12:01.880
the pigs. Then they began to beg him to leave

01:12:01.880 --> 01:12:07.039
their region. They saw the miracle of God. They

01:12:07.039 --> 01:12:11.380
saw. the deliverance they saw that jesus did

01:12:11.380 --> 01:12:14.220
something that no man could do something that

01:12:14.220 --> 01:12:18.659
was miraculous they saw a miracle they saw healing

01:12:18.659 --> 01:12:21.460
they saw hope they saw this was a good thing

01:12:21.460 --> 01:12:24.399
that happened to that man But instead of seeing

01:12:24.399 --> 01:12:27.779
the good, they just saw the bad. They just saw

01:12:27.779 --> 01:12:30.060
the loss. They just saw the suffering, and they

01:12:30.060 --> 01:12:32.819
were afraid that walking with Jesus would come

01:12:32.819 --> 01:12:36.000
with more loss, that walking with Jesus would

01:12:36.000 --> 01:12:40.699
come with more suffering. So instead of leaning

01:12:40.699 --> 01:12:44.180
in, instead of welcoming him, instead of worshiping

01:12:44.180 --> 01:12:46.840
him, instead of asking him, what's next, Jesus?

01:12:47.079 --> 01:12:49.500
They asked him to leave. They said, we don't

01:12:49.500 --> 01:12:52.310
want any more of this. We don't want any part

01:12:52.310 --> 01:12:58.390
of this. Please go. There are people out there

01:12:58.390 --> 01:13:02.109
that trust in God and have their faith in God.

01:13:02.210 --> 01:13:05.529
And when it gets hard, when God closes a door,

01:13:05.670 --> 01:13:09.569
when God tells them no, when God says, in order

01:13:09.569 --> 01:13:12.550
to be free, you have to stop doing this thing.

01:13:12.789 --> 01:13:16.350
You have to kick this habit. You have to do this.

01:13:17.869 --> 01:13:22.850
It's too hard and they walk away. I didn't plan

01:13:22.850 --> 01:13:24.970
to give this example, but I feel this example

01:13:24.970 --> 01:13:26.670
being put on me. There are some of y 'all out

01:13:26.670 --> 01:13:30.029
there that want a husband or a wife that wants

01:13:30.029 --> 01:13:32.989
you for more than your body. There's some of

01:13:32.989 --> 01:13:36.829
you out there that are sick of lustful partners,

01:13:36.970 --> 01:13:44.789
but you refuse to cover up your body. You say,

01:13:44.789 --> 01:13:47.289
he should just see me for my heart, but you have

01:13:47.289 --> 01:13:52.630
your goodies out on social media. But you're

01:13:52.630 --> 01:13:56.689
flaunting it all out there on dates and in public.

01:14:03.710 --> 01:14:07.229
And when God is convicting you to dress modestly,

01:14:07.289 --> 01:14:09.930
you want a man that sees your heart? Stop putting

01:14:09.930 --> 01:14:12.149
every piece of your body out there for him to

01:14:12.149 --> 01:14:15.890
ogle and lust over. Stop opening up the door

01:14:15.890 --> 01:14:17.569
for those men. Yeah, you'll have less people

01:14:17.569 --> 01:14:20.090
calling you, and you'll have less people complimenting

01:14:20.090 --> 01:14:22.699
you. but you're more likely to have quality people

01:14:22.699 --> 01:14:24.880
complimenting you because they can no longer

01:14:24.880 --> 01:14:27.380
ogle that stuff. Now they have to pay attention

01:14:27.380 --> 01:14:30.500
to the words that come out of your mouth. Now

01:14:30.500 --> 01:14:34.180
they have to see the way that you minister. Now

01:14:34.180 --> 01:14:37.220
they have to see the way that you stand on boundaries.

01:14:37.600 --> 01:14:39.399
And that's not just for my women. That's for

01:14:39.399 --> 01:14:41.640
the men too, the men who are, you know, the shirtless

01:14:41.640 --> 01:14:46.079
pics out there. The shirtless pics, the flexing,

01:14:46.079 --> 01:14:47.760
or the showing off your car, the showing off

01:14:47.760 --> 01:14:49.659
these things. You want someone who doesn't want

01:14:49.659 --> 01:14:51.579
you for all those things, but those are the things

01:14:51.579 --> 01:14:53.479
that you put out about yourself to seem desirable.

01:14:56.180 --> 01:14:58.939
Stop showing those things off. I'm not saying

01:14:58.939 --> 01:15:00.640
you have to keep them completely hidden and not

01:15:00.640 --> 01:15:03.819
glorify God, but stop making that your eye catcher,

01:15:03.840 --> 01:15:08.189
your conversation starter, your drawer in. There

01:15:08.189 --> 01:15:10.350
are people who are complaining and wanting deliverance

01:15:10.350 --> 01:15:11.850
and wanting to stop dealing with these things,

01:15:11.890 --> 01:15:14.670
but they're refusing to make the changes that

01:15:14.670 --> 01:15:16.829
God is calling them to make. I'm not speaking

01:15:16.829 --> 01:15:18.850
from a high horse. I'm someone who I used to

01:15:18.850 --> 01:15:22.289
post the bikini pics all over. I used to always

01:15:22.289 --> 01:15:24.390
crop tops, always the tight stuff, always the

01:15:24.390 --> 01:15:26.569
showing off a part of my body. And then I'd be

01:15:26.569 --> 01:15:28.529
like, why don't people want me for me? Why do

01:15:28.529 --> 01:15:30.930
they always end up lustful? Or why is it they

01:15:30.930 --> 01:15:32.470
seem like they want my heart, but when I set

01:15:32.470 --> 01:15:34.569
a boundary against intimacy, they don't want

01:15:34.569 --> 01:15:38.090
to follow it. They didn't seem like a lustful

01:15:38.090 --> 01:15:42.090
person. But best believe when you start covering

01:15:42.090 --> 01:15:48.689
up, that person stops calling. There are some

01:15:48.689 --> 01:15:54.689
people who know that alcohol and smoking is running

01:15:54.689 --> 01:15:57.609
them into the ground, that it is an idol, that

01:15:57.609 --> 01:16:00.409
it is an addiction. But they read scripture and

01:16:00.409 --> 01:16:03.029
see, well, it's not a sin to be drunk. It's not

01:16:03.029 --> 01:16:05.789
a sin to drink. It's only a sin to be drunk.

01:16:06.470 --> 01:16:09.989
And they're like, so I can keep drinking. But

01:16:09.989 --> 01:16:12.050
they're refusing to listen to the conviction

01:16:12.050 --> 01:16:14.229
God is giving them to live a sober lifestyle.

01:16:14.529 --> 01:16:18.029
Every time you drink, you wreck your life. Every

01:16:18.029 --> 01:16:19.970
time you smoke, you wreck your life. You get

01:16:19.970 --> 01:16:23.329
lazy. You get angry. You get belligerent. You

01:16:23.329 --> 01:16:27.449
get messy. You can't hold boundaries. You become

01:16:27.449 --> 01:16:32.210
vulnerable. But they don't want to say no to

01:16:32.210 --> 01:16:40.539
the bars. If you're like me, I was someone who

01:16:40.539 --> 01:16:43.460
I wanted to give my life to Jesus. And he said,

01:16:43.500 --> 01:16:45.119
you want to give your life to me? Stop being

01:16:45.119 --> 01:16:47.560
a tarot card reader. And I said, well, God, this

01:16:47.560 --> 01:16:49.199
is the only way I bring in money. What's going

01:16:49.199 --> 01:16:51.680
to happen? And God said, trust I will provide

01:16:51.680 --> 01:16:53.800
for you. I'm telling you to close this door,

01:16:53.840 --> 01:16:57.260
close it. And I closed that door and it wasn't

01:16:57.260 --> 01:17:01.890
easy. But God started ministering to me and sending

01:17:01.890 --> 01:17:05.550
me people who randomly blessed me. God came through.

01:17:05.689 --> 01:17:09.149
God made a way. And I was delivered. I saw healing

01:17:09.149 --> 01:17:11.670
I didn't think could be possible before God spoke

01:17:11.670 --> 01:17:16.850
it over me. And unfortunately, you hear celebrities.

01:17:16.930 --> 01:17:19.069
There's one celebrity who for a while was known

01:17:19.069 --> 01:17:23.770
to like love God and made like a lot of Christian

01:17:23.770 --> 01:17:28.829
music. but you shall know them by their fruits

01:17:28.829 --> 01:17:35.750
and one day all of a sudden it flipped and it

01:17:35.750 --> 01:17:38.529
seemed like they were back to vengefulness and

01:17:38.529 --> 01:17:41.569
like hatefulness and false idol worship and they

01:17:41.569 --> 01:17:44.189
were comparing themselves to Jesus and like like

01:17:44.189 --> 01:17:46.989
in ways that not not a way of like reading scripture

01:17:46.989 --> 01:17:48.869
but it was like they felt like they were elevated

01:17:48.869 --> 01:17:51.770
on that level and years later it was like last

01:17:51.770 --> 01:17:55.250
year I heard a testimony of them where they had

01:17:55.250 --> 01:17:58.659
they had decided to start walking with God and

01:17:58.659 --> 01:18:01.420
following God until there was a prayer they were

01:18:01.420 --> 01:18:04.960
praying and they prayed for a relationship to

01:18:04.960 --> 01:18:07.739
be rebuilt and for God to give them this person

01:18:07.739 --> 01:18:11.079
back and when God didn't do it they they turned

01:18:11.079 --> 01:18:16.140
their back and that's when you can see that relationship

01:18:16.140 --> 01:18:18.579
wasn't built out of reverence and fear and love

01:18:18.579 --> 01:18:21.579
it was a mutual transaction it was a transactional

01:18:21.579 --> 01:18:24.569
relationship And that person saw God more as

01:18:24.569 --> 01:18:27.029
a genie in a bottle. And best believe this is

01:18:27.029 --> 01:18:29.029
someone I pray for consistently. And I encourage

01:18:29.029 --> 01:18:32.409
you all to pray for these people too. As you

01:18:32.409 --> 01:18:34.210
see people doing this, the most powerful thing

01:18:34.210 --> 01:18:40.069
you can do is pray for them. I feel like someone

01:18:40.069 --> 01:18:42.229
is needing to hear this today. What is it that

01:18:42.229 --> 01:18:48.630
God is calling you to stop? Where he wants to

01:18:48.630 --> 01:18:52.090
give you deliverance. He wants to give you healing.

01:18:52.250 --> 01:18:54.649
He wants to give you that promise. He wants to

01:18:54.649 --> 01:18:56.850
give you that new life. But you are refusing

01:18:56.850 --> 01:19:03.869
to stop. Or you're so scared of the loss that

01:19:03.869 --> 01:19:06.810
you turn away from him every time he starts taking

01:19:06.810 --> 01:19:10.130
you into the deeper water. And you're not allowing

01:19:10.130 --> 01:19:16.079
yourself to really walk out by faith. There is

01:19:16.079 --> 01:19:18.520
no testing or trial or tribulation that you are

01:19:18.520 --> 01:19:20.739
facing right now that is not known to man. And

01:19:20.739 --> 01:19:25.100
that is biblical as well. Someone out here has

01:19:25.100 --> 01:19:29.539
been through it. You're not alone. Jesus faced

01:19:29.539 --> 01:19:37.319
temptations. And he is here to help us to flee

01:19:37.319 --> 01:19:41.739
temptation, to resist, and to trust in him. And

01:19:41.739 --> 01:19:45.430
I pray, y 'all. But this episode has been encouraging

01:19:45.430 --> 01:19:49.430
for you. And I ask you to like and subscribe

01:19:49.430 --> 01:19:51.310
wherever it is you're listening to this podcast.

01:19:51.729 --> 01:19:53.729
Share this episode with someone that you feel

01:19:53.729 --> 01:19:55.510
the Lord prompting you to share it with. Someone

01:19:55.510 --> 01:19:57.789
that you feel like is needing to see this. Re

01:19:57.789 --> 01:19:59.670
-share this on social media. If you're listening

01:19:59.670 --> 01:20:01.409
to YouTube, drop a comment. If you're listening

01:20:01.409 --> 01:20:03.710
to this on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, iHeartRadio,

01:20:03.770 --> 01:20:07.329
take a second to just leave a review. There's

01:20:07.329 --> 01:20:10.960
a little where you can click stars. It only takes

01:20:10.960 --> 01:20:12.500
a second, and I encourage you all to do it. Leave

01:20:12.500 --> 01:20:14.439
a comment on the episode. You can do that too.

01:20:14.500 --> 01:20:17.239
I see when you guys are interacting, and I love

01:20:17.239 --> 01:20:22.600
it. And I will talk to you guys next time. Bye,

01:20:22.720 --> 01:20:22.979
guys.