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Ordered Steps (Feat. Debleaire K. Snell)
In this inspiring episode of 'Ordered Steps,' Pastor Debleaire K. Snell shares a powerful testimony of faith and healing, emphasizing the transformative power of prayer. He recounts a miracu...
Ordered Steps (Feat. Debleaire K. Snell)
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She had received a bad report.
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Doctors had told her that there's nothing else that they can do.
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Her diagnosis was so severe that all of the specialists began to walk out of the room.
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Somehow she began to remember that back in primary class and create a role.
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They used to sing songs that encouraged the heart so much that she began to sing a few of those little songs.
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And she began to remember that Jesus has the answer to everybody's problems.
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She also remembered that prayer began to move God in a way that nothing else can.
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And so while the doctors had given her a bad report, she remembered that prayer changes things.
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If you believe that prayer is able to change things, tell somebody next to you, I serve a God who is able to rain down blessings when we begin to pray.
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And so she began to pray a little bit and the doctors began to get a little confused.
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They didn't understand what was going on since the Wales, but she knew and understand that somewhere deep inside of her, it began to burn because that's what God does.
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When the Holy Spirit comes, it begins to move in such a way.
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And so she began to pray and she began to pray and as the doctors began to come day and night, day and night checking on her, something mysterious began to happen.
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See, there are times when God confused even the scientists of the day.
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And so something begins to happen. She went home, they discharged her and she began to tell the church, I need for you to pray for me.
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And the church began to pray and to pray and she listened to the voice of God.
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And lo and behold, when she went to get her third week checkup, the doctors looked and they began to see something begin to get smaller and smaller.
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The tomb was begin to recess and before you know it, her body will heal, not by some doctor, but by some doctor Jesus.
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I'm here to tell you that God is able to do all things.
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All we have to do is remember that when we take it all to our Lord and save you, Jesus Christ and prayer, that prayer will move things.
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If you believe that God is able, that prayer changes things, I'm going to invite you in as much as you can to kneel where you are as we go before God's throne because God is a God.
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There is always blessing in the blessing business.
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Hallelujah. Father God, we have come now on this day.
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The day that you have given us, the day that you have set aside, but which all mankind could come into worship you.
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And so we thank you, Father, for the blessings that you have already given us.
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Yes, we live in a day of tumultuous times.
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Every time we turn on the news, there is nothing but despair.
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And so the hearts of your children are getting a little faint, Jesus.
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It's beginning to get to a point where we just don't know which way to turn.
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But Father God, remind us that we serve a God that is able, a God that protects.
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And so Father God, we are praying that you would be a fence all around your children.
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So when they find themselves in school, that you will protect them, because now we're living in a day and time, Father God, that it seems every single day there is some mass shooting in a school, a place where our children go to learn.
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And now what they're learning, Jesus, is how to tub bullets.
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Father God, we are just so at a point now,
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where somehow hearts are beginning to become a little faint.
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But you told us that this time was going to come when the hearts of men would become so hard that they would wax cold, but Father God, we are praying that you would give us a spirit of love, a spirit of conviction, a spirit of commitment to our fellow men.
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We pray, Father God, that you will remove the insensitivity that exists.
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All of the hatred and the bigotry that we see every single day, Father God, we know that you are able to resolve it.
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But all we have to do, Father God, is come to you.
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And so for those that believe, Father God, we are praying that you would just keep us steady, that you would help us and to remind us that we serve a God that is bigger than all of our problems.
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So it doesn't matter where we find our problems, whether it's on the job in school, wherever we find them, Father God, we're going to come to you in prayer because we know that through the prayers of your children, that we know that you hear their prayers, you hear our prayers, Father.
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And so Father God, we are praying today, we are praying, Jesus, that you would bless us beyond anything we could ever begin to imagine.
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Because we're going through a day and time, Father God, our pandemic of epic propulsion.
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Every single day, there is somebody, Jesus, who's losing their lives to this pandemic.
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So Father God, we know that you have already promised us that if my people that are called by my name,
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would simply humbub themselves and pray that you would heal the land, so teach us, Father God, how to pray for the healing, that would come upon this land and heal us, Jesus.
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We pray, Father God, that you would help us to be mindful, that we would be steadfast and unmovable, that wherever we go, we will tell somebody about the goodness of Jesus, of how He has blessed us and kept us,
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and Father God, we are here today to give praise and honor to you for the keeping that you have done for us.
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You have allowed us to come here today, Father God, to give blessings to you, and so Father God, we are so grateful and we're thankful.
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And we are praying, Father God, for all of the families that have seen the passing of their loved ones.
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We continue to pray for the full more family, for the whales family, for the O'Connor family, and we are praying now, Father God, for the Montgomery family, whose mother passed just this morning.
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Father God, their hearts are hurting, and sometimes minds become so confused because somehow it seems as if the prayers have gone unanswered.
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But Father God, we know that you have a grand plan, and sometimes it simply does not fit into your plan, the prayers that we play, pray.
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And so Father God, we are praying that you would help them to be mindful, that if you watch even a sparrow that you've watched our all of her life, and so give them the comfort that they need, continue to bless them, Jesus.
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Give them the understanding that all things work together for the good of them who believe, and we believe, Father God, and we're asking Jesus that you would bless them.
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We thank you so much for all of the testimonies, Pastor, who gave his testimony just two weeks ago, of how you kept him, how you healed him, and he is today here today to tell of the goodness of Jesus.
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And so we thank you for the blessing.
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We thank you for Sister Wells, who's also a testimony, for Sister Webster, and everybody that is there so many here, Father God, that can stand today and testify of your goodness.
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And so we thank you, Jesus. We thank you, Jesus, for all of your blessings.
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And so Father God, we thank you so much for the man serving that you have an anointed and appointed, in this day and time in which we live, a man who is on a shamed of the gospel, who tells everybody about how good you are.
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And so Father God, we thank you so much for the enlargement of his territory that has happened already, and we're giving advanced things for the enlargement to come.
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We thank you, Father God, for all of his ministry, and we pray, Father God, that you will keep him, that you will continue to help him to understand that when you put your hand on the plow, there's no turning back.
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And so Father God, we thank you for his commitment.
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We thank you for his family that support him. We ask that you will continue to bless them, that you will continue to keep them safe while he's away.
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Continue to bless Father God, we pray. And Father God, above anything we could ever begin to ask of thee, we ask that you would give us a home in your kingdom when you shall come.
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But this is the prayer of all of those who believe. And so Father God, today we're going to ask all of those who believe to just say, Amen.
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Amen, Amen, and thank you Jesus. Thank you so much for the blessings Jesus. We thank you Father God, and above everything else Jesus, save us we pray in your sons holy name.
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This we ask in Jesus name, Amen, and Amen.
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This morning I have the great privilege and the honor of introducing our speaker for today.
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Pastor, Debleier Snow is a product of Christian education, proud graduate of Oakwood University, where he earned a bachelor's of arts degree in theology.
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He later enrolled at Andrews University, where he earned a master's of divinity there.
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He has been working for the South Central Conference for over 20 years. He has passed it all throughout that conference, pastoring in Mississippi, Kentucky, and Huntsville, Alabama.
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We all know that Pastor Snow has been doing phenomenal work at the first church in Huntsville, doing just amazing things.
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Amen, Amen, God has been using him greatly, greatly. And we all know that this work is a movement.
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And the executive committee of South Central decided to give him a new assignment to now be the senior pastor at the Oakwood University Church.
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Amen, Amen.
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Of course we know Oakwood to be the flagship of black adventism, Amen?
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It's not an easy task to be the senior pastor there, but because the work, the regional work, knew that Pastor Snow had some broad, strong shoulders.
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Not only is the senior pastor now at Oakwood University, but he is now the director and the speaker of Breath of Light Ministries.
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Amen, Amen. And that is not an easy task in and of itself because the majority of the money that's used to help keep that ministry running has to be raised.
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And so not only is Pastor Snow of course the speaker of Breath of Light, but he has to be out there hoping to raise money to keep this ministry going.
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Amen? And so of course it's going to need us as a people because we're blessed by the Breath of Light Ministry to sacrificially give to keep this ministry going.
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Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen.
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So Pastor Snow has been married for close to 20 years to the love of his life, Gianna, Norman, and of course their union, they have three children, Jaden, Brooke, and Braden.
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And so we want to again thank Pastor Snow for accepting this charge to be here with us. He could be anywhere in the world right now, but he's worshiping with us today.
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The thing that I truly admire about Pastor Snow is that he talks to talk, but he walks to walk as well.
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We have a lot of dynamic, dynamic preachers who can burn the pulpit on fire, but they don't walk the walk.
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But the one thing that I can tell you for certainty, I went to school with him, I was able to pastor his parents and his family.
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This is truly a man of God.
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He's a family man and he wants to make heaven his home.
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And so the next voice you were here is Pastor Debbie Air Snow, here you am.
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God has been good, what you say men one more time. If he's been real good, you want to shout hallelujah.
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If you love him say thank you Jesus and if you're glad he's coming again, let's put our hands together for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
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But he is worthy to be praised.
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I don't know about you, but I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.
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This is the day that the Lord has made. I don't know about you, but I'm going to rejoice and be glad in it.
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Bible says from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
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Hallelujah to the Lamb of God today.
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Friends of mine I want you to know that I'm so excited to be here once again at the daughter of Zion 7th day Adventist Church.
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I'm grateful to be worshiping the true and living God here today in spirit and in truth.
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I think the last time I had the privilege of being with you was probably eight to ten years ago, had a chance to come down for one of your family life events, several years back.
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And I'm thankful to see how God is still blessing his people. Amen.
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As I look around and I see the construction going on and I hear the testimonies and I heard your finance share y'all going to raise that money.
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Come on and say amen.
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And I know that construction is a little bit inconvenient, but I need you to know construction in the house of God is a sign of progress.
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Too often I go around and I see the houses of God not reflecting his goodness to his people.
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And it is never an appropriate thing according to the prophet Habakkah for your house to look better than God's house.
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Come on and say amen.
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And so we thank God for the work that is going on here.
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And also I'm grateful to be here not just because of the body of Christ.
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I'm grateful to be here with your pastor, pastor Lenny Newton.
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Can we give him a heart of amen today?
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And I want you to know that I call pastor Newton my pastor.
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And the reason I say that is because before y'all stole him to come down here.
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He was the pastor of my home church there in Tallahassee.
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And God used him to do a tremendous work and a very critical time in the church's history.
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And we are grateful for his leadership there.
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And we rejoice even though he is here now as well.
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We praise God for him and his wife and his amazing children.
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And I want y'all to know saying this is not hyperbole.
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This is not just human inflation.
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I think in pastor Newton God has given you one of the greatest teachers, visionaries, leaders, spiritual examples that we have in our conference and in our work.
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And so pastor, we praise God for you and your family.
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And as I heard online about your testimony, I want you to know that you have not only my wife,
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and my prayers, you have my parents' prayers.
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There are a lot of people interceding for you.
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And we are going to pray God's man and his family through this ordeal.
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We are going to pray that the cancer never ever comes back.
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We are going to pray that God smite every cancer cell, not just in him, but as I heard you talk many who are in the body of Christ who are dealing with this journey.
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Our prayers are with you as well.
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I'm thankful once again just to be here.
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As the pastor stated, I'm in a little bit of a transition.
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Some of you all aware that on January 22nd, I'll begin my tenure as a senior pastor of the Oakwood University Church there in Huntsville.
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And in the early months of January, I'll take on the role as speaker director of Breath of Life.
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And so daughter of Zion, I want to ask, if you can do two things for me first, can I have your prayers for Breath of Life?
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Can you do me a favor, just add the Breath of Life ministry to your prayer list, just lifting up a petition to God each day.
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We're praying that God would grant Breath of Life supernatural, flavor, and influence.
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I'm praying that God would allow us to find new platforms so that we can pump this world full of the glad tidings of salvation and the message of the third angel.
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Anybody still believe in that message today?
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There is something that God has given this church that the world needs to be made aware of.
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And as the pastor stated, I pray that you would just join us in addition to what you give here at your church.
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If you can find it in your heart to give financially to the Breath of Life, that would help push the ministry forward.
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Can you say amen?
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And the reason I want you to know that, as a matter of fact, last week, I was in California at the media ministry.
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And I was there with the directors of It Is Written, and Voice of Prophecy, and Faithful Today.
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And one of the things that I need you to be aware of is that their budgets for ministry are several times larger than what we have at Breath of Life.
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And it's not necessarily just because their constituents have more money, they just have a greater level of buy-in about the ministry.
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And the reason that is critical for us to understand, and I want you to know that going for a pastor, I don't want you all to see Breath of Life as just belonging to us here in Huntsville.
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I want you to believe that Breath of Life is an extension of what you're doing here in South Florida.
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And my prayer is that going forward, that Breath of Life would be able to help feed our sister and affiliate churches spiritually, evangelistically, and through equipping and training.
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And so my prayer is that whatever you send up, that I pray that we will be able to send something back in a tangible and meaningful way.
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If that makes sense, then we hear you say, man.
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And so this is my first time making this request, as we get ready to take on their responsibility in January, I'm praying, and I'm going to make this request publicly, that daughter of Zion, if y'all don't mind, I would love for you all to be our chief affiliate hub church here for the South Florida area.
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If y'all don't mind, y'all will do that with us. Praise God. And I pray to be able to come down and spend some time, and I pray that you all draw as much from Breath of Life as you give to Breath of Life.
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Is that all right? Amen.
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And so having said all that, we want to go ahead and jump into the Word of God. Is that all right?
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Again, I just bring greetings on behalf of my wife and my kids who cannot be with us today, but they're watching at home. And so we ask that you will keep them in your prayers as well.
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Do me a favor. Go with me and your Bible to the book of Exodus. Exodus. And we're going to begin together here at verse chapter number 13. Exodus 13. And we're going to begin at verse 17.
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A very, very near and dear message to my heart. Exodus chapter 13. And we're going to begin together at verse number 17. When you get there, let me hear you say, amen.
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Exodus, that's there. The second book of the Bible. Exodus chapter 13. And we're going to begin at verse 17. Again, when you get there, just say, Pastor, I'm here.
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And we're going to go ahead and invite you to stand for the reading of the Word today. Exodus chapter 13.
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And we're going to begin together at verse number 17. I'm reading here from the new King James version of the Bible. The Bible says, then it came to pass.
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When Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, less perhaps the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.
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So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness of the red sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. For he had placed the children of Israel under a solemn old saying, God will surely visit you. And you shall carry up my bones from here with you.
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And so they took their journey from Sukkoth and it camped at Eatham at the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of what?
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By cloud to lead the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. So as to go by day and by night. And he did not take away the pillar of the cloud by day or the pillar of fire.
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And so they took their journey from here by night from before the people. But again, I want to read for emphasis here just verse number 18. So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness of the red sea.
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And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. Today's saying, I want to talk to you under the subject ordered steps are not for ordinary people ordered steps are not for ordinary people. Let us pray together.
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Father, I pray that in this little while that you would say much Lord, it is my objective to do as John the Baptist. I want to decrease so that Jesus might increase.
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And so Father, I'm praying that in the hearing of the word that faith would be multiplied exponentially. So Lord, would you please hide me in the shadows of the cross that Jesus alone might be seen that Christ alone would be heard.
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And at the end of our time together made Jesus alone be praised. We ask this in the wonderful name of Jesus. Let God's people say together. Amen. And amen. You may be seated in the house of the Lord.
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Again, talking to you under the subject ordered ordered ordered steps are not for ordinary people. You know, saints in my spare time. One of the things I like to watch are these real estate reality television shows. I've just become fascinated with watching people build or acquire or purchase property.
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And there was one particular show where there was a builder who developed a very unique type of house. This house was more for entertaining than for living. It had an artistic flair to it. In fact, it trended more on the realm of aesthetic than it was practicality.
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And so when he met with the real estate agent, the real estate agent tried to let him know this is a beautiful house, but the problem is that it is too specific. In other words, there are not that many people that are looking for this type of house.
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He wanted him to lower the value of the house because the house would not appeal to the masses, but the stubborn builder was unwilling to budge on his price. He said to the agent, I set the price not based on the market, but based on the craftsmanship.
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He said this house is not too specific because it was built for a specific type of person. And he says, I know this house won't appeal to everyone, but because it was designed for a specific one. And he says, I'm willing to hold on to my house until I find the right buyer.
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And as the episode unfolded, they found a specific buyer who was willing to come in over the price of asking because this specific house was specifically what he was looking for.
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And can I suggest to somebody today that you have been created with specific detail by God. You see, you were not put together on the assembly line, but God gave you custom gifts.
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And specific outlets and specific talents for this world. And when you're created for something specific, you're not going to have an appeal that is general.
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So your value is not based upon the market. You ought to know your value is based on craftsmanship. In other words, your developer didn't create you for everything or everyone. He created you for the right thing and the right one.
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And in other words, the reason that's important is because sometimes we feel a certain way if we apply for 10 jobs, but we only get call back for two jobs.
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We get discouraged if we apply to 10 grad schools, but we only get accepted to one. Sometimes we get mad when we befriend many people, but it's only reciprocated by a couple of people.
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Some of us are upset because we're not getting that much romantic interest. We don't see good options in church or there are not enough housing options or enough vehicle options.
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And I want to say to somebody today, don't get discouraged by slim options. In other words, why do you need a whole bunch of options if you are created for something specific?
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In other words, since I need you to know, you are not created to work 10 jobs, God ordained a specific job. God didn't design you for 10 grad schools. He designed you for one grad school.
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God didn't design you to be with 10 men, sister. He created you for one man. God didn't design for everybody to be your friend. God set aside two or three.
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We are going to have a whole bunch of options. Don't start lowering the price to appeal to the masses.
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In other words, don't you start devaluing yourself. Don't issue no coupons. Stop giving out discounts. You are designed not for the market. God created you for something specific.
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You've got to know that if you've got ordered ordered steps, you're not designed to be like ordinary people. Can the church say, man?
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So go back with me. If you don't mind in your Bible today, I want us to look at a couple things. Go with me to Genesis chapter 15, verse and verse number 12.
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Genesis chapter 15. I want you to look with me at verse number 12. When you get there, say amen. Genesis chapter 15 and verse 12, as we unpack some things today.
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Genesis 15 and verse 12, when you get there, say, pastor, I'm there. The Bible says, now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram and behold horror and great darkness fell upon him.
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Then he said to Abram, no, certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own and will serve them and they will afflict them for hundred years.
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But the Bible says here and the nation whom they serve, I will judge. And after that, they shall come out with great substance or your version may say great possessions.
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Now as for you, you shall go to your father's and peace and you shall be buried at a good age. But in the fourth generation, they shall return here for the iniquity of the amurites is not yet complete.
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Now go with me to Exodus chapter 12 and verse 35. Exodus chapter 12 and verse 35. It's going to make sense in a minute. Exodus chapter 12 and verse 35, when you get there, say amen.
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Exodus 12 and verse 35. The Bible says now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses and they asked the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold and clothing.
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And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they granted them what they requested. Thus the Bible says they literally plundered the Egyptians. Are you with me today, church?
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Now beloved, I need you to know that this brief story has great meaning for us. But the first thing it teaches is that when you're going through a trial, don't focus on how it feels. You've got to focus on what is forming.
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And in other words, I need you to know saints that when you're in a trial or a difficult situation, how many of us know that when you're in it, all the pain and frustration feels arbitrary.
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But how many of us know that our God is an efficient savior and because he's efficient, he's not going waste time, he's not going waste energy, he's not going waste resources and you should know that God never waste a hurt.
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Now you just read there in Genesis chapter 15 that the Egyptian slavery did not catch God by surprise. In fact hundreds of years before he woke Abraham up in a dream and he let him know that your descendants are going to serve a people that are not their own.
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He literally says that they're going to suffer affliction and great toil. They're going to serve there for four generations, but when it's done, they're going to come out with great possessions.
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In other words, God is saying church, he's saying I'm not going to block this from happening, I'm not going to stop this from happening, I'm not going to keep it from happening, but when they come out, they're going to come out with great possessions.
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Now I need you to get beloved that Abraham is able to rest and have peace with this dream because he understands something critical. He's saying okay, I can live with this that if they suffer for a short while so they can prosper in a long term.
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I'm going to be okay if they have to be afflicted in the immediate so that they can get something valuable in the long term.
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And let me suggest friends that when you're going through a season of intense disappointment, you can't focus on how it feels, you've got to rejoice in what it's forming.
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See the reason we're not shouting yet is because we see Israel's reparations when they leave Egypt as making them whole because of what they afflicted, how they were afflicted.
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In other words, we feel like they are okay because they came out of this with great possessions, but how many of us know that man's greatest possessions cannot be purchased with money?
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Like do I have a witness that your greatest possessions cannot be purchased at Target, Walmart or on Amazon? Do I have a church with me today?
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In other words, I need you to know friends of mine that the greatest possessions you have are spiritual. Are y'all with me today church? See how many of us know that faith is a great possession?
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That patience is a great possession. That the ability to forgive is a great possession. That restraint is a great possession.
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Knowing how to pray is a great possession. That character never loses its value. And see the problem is I can feel some of y'all rolling your eyes at me and saying, Pastor, God can give this to me in another way.
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But how many of you know that what makes something of high value or worth is that you can't get it everywhere.
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In other words, what makes something valuable is that you got to go to a specific dealer. You can't get it on the internet. You got to go to one location in order to get that which has major value. Are y'all with me today church?
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And I need you to understand this that every virtue we love comes from a process or dealer that we hate.
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In other words, I need y'all to get this church. I need you to realize that the only place you can get character is from a dealer called Difficulty.
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In other words, I need y'all to stay with me church. Difficulty has some partners. Its partners are delay and waiting and offense and betrayal and uncertainty. Y'all getting mighty quiet and do it and signing with me today.
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See, I need you to understand that you cannot get the character you love if you don't go through some processes that you hate.
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Remember, the Bible says that it is tribulation that work of what?
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It's tribulation that work of patience. How many of us know friends are mind that you can't get patience if you've never had to wait.
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You can't learn how to forgive if you've never suffered offense. You can never show restraint if you've never been betrayed.
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You can never learn how to wait if things happen right away. You can never have faith if things have never been uncertain.
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You realize that when you pray this prayer and you pray Lord make me like Jesus. You're inviting difficulty. You're welcoming hardship.
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You're saying Lord if I gotta be like Jesus, take me through the path of Jesus so I can get his character.
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Are y'all hearing the word today? See, I need you to know things that this not might not be shouting news but I pray that this is settling news.
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My prayer is that your perspective on things is beginning to be reset because see I need you to know that God never gives arbitrary pain but God allows productive pain.
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In other words, when God sends a hurt it is because the hurt is like a seed that's gonna produce something that could not be achieved any other way.
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I need you to understand that when you're in a hard situation don't focus on how it feels. You gotta focus on what is forming.
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Are y'all hearing me today church? In other words, let me say it this way. See, there are some of us that hate trial and adversity but let me ask this to question.
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Is there anybody in this room that exercises all works out? In other words, you go to the gym. You do push ups and you're plank and you run.
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But how many of us know that exercise ain't nothing but voluntary suffering?
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Oh, are y'all with me today? That's all exercise is. It's voluntary suffering. The reason you push up and the reason you plank and the reason you lift weights and all it is is I'm volunteering my body to suffer not because I like how it feels.
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But I believe in what is forming. Y'all not hearing me today. In other words, if you're willing to suffer to perfect the body, why aren't we willing to suffer to perfect the character?
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In other words, when you're underneath a bench press you don't focus on how it feels. You sign up to do it again because you believe in what is forming.
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And do I have anybody that's had some faith for you? Have some patience for you? Have some prayer on you don't like how it feels but you can say, God, I thank you for what it develops in my life. Are you hearing me today, Saints?
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And I need you to get that the second thing that this story teaches us beloved that when you go through hard trial, I want you to know that you're gonna come out better than when you came in.
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See, I need you to get what God tells Abraham. He says, listen, I'm gonna allow these four generations of your descendants to suffer.
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But I need you to know that when they go come out, they're gonna have enough wealth to subsidize the next 15 generations.
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See, y'all not, y'all not hear me today, Saints. The Bible says that they're gonna come out with great possessions. In fact, y'all just read there in Exodus chapter 12 that the Bible says that before they left, that Pharaoh granted them whatever they requested.
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The Bible literally says that they roll out with articles of silver and gold and fine linen. In fact, the word literally says that they plundered the Egyptians.
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And other words, that word plunder is the Hebrew word Nassau. It means to drain. It means to snatch. It means to exhaust the people of Egypt.
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In other words, when they leave, they don't just get enough for the road. God literally allows them to decimate the Egyptian economy.
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Literally what you see is the wealth of the wicked place under the stewardship of the righteous. I need you to get that their economy is so decimated.
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That you got slaves in the wilderness. We go chains on in earrings and Tommy Hill figure and Michael or Mike Kelly. I need you to get beloved that this thing is so bad that that's why Pharaoh says we gotta bring them back.
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You realize the reason Pharaoh charges into an open red sea is not to give the people. He's trying to go and get his stuff and bring it back home or you hear me saints.
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And see, I need you to know that God said to Abraham, he says, I'm gonna make of you a great nation, but the down payment was gonna come from Pharaoh's vaults.
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So they leave friends of mine better than how they came in. Now the reason that's critical is you gotta remember how they came into Egypt.
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Remember that the sons of Jacob went into Egypt because of the famine that was in Canaan. And the reason they go to Egypt is to borrow some of the surplus of grain that was established by Joseph during the war.
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They're going to be able to bring the seven years of plenty and isn't it amazing friends that they come in as borrowers but they go out as lenders.
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They come in with their bags empty but they leave with their bags overflowing. They come in with their hand out but they leave with their hands full.
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They come in on the bottom but they leave on the top. They come out with a deficit but guess what?
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They walk out with a surplus and is there anybody that knows that when you walk through something with God that you go come out better than the way you went in.
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Are you hearing me today saints? And see one of the things I love about the way God does this thing.
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Not only does God give them major financial blessing, God sets it up to where they ain't even got to spend it in the wilderness.
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See how many of us know that sometimes the greatest blessing is not just what you have come in but sometimes God blesses you financially and that ain't nothing got to go out.
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Oh Lord I wish I had a church with me today. In other words say I need you to think back through their wilderness journey of 40 years. God loads them down but they ain't got to spend none of it over today get to the land of Canaan.
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You realize that even though they dwelt in tents along the way they didn't have to buy houses why because God was there in a cloud to cool them during the day and God showed up as fire to keep them warm.
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And pay the utility bill at night. Do you realize that in the wilderness they didn't have to spend no money on food because God was the welfare system.
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God sent mana each day and he was sent a double portion on the six day and God sent mana until the day they requested quail.
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Do you realize that as they sojourn that God would settle them by lakes and bodies of water to get drink and when they ran out of lakes and rivers God was sent water even from the rock.
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Do you realize that for all those time they didn't have no medical bills because some 105 13 God says when I bought them out with silver and gold the Bible says that not a feeble one was amongst their tribes.
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Do you realize that they didn't have to buy no clothes because do to run me 29 God says that when I bought you up out of Egypt he literally says that your clothes did not rot and your sandals refused to break.
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Not only did God give it to them he set it up where they didn't have to give it away.
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Let me just pause to say this saying because sometimes the greatest financial blessing is simply when God rebukes the devourer and sustains what you already had.
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Are you hearing me today?
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In other words I need you to know that if you're one of those people that never get sick that God isn't just blessing you medically but guess what God is also blessing you financially.
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Maybe you ought to think God that there's not been any copay or medical deductible you had to pay any time this year because he blessed your health or your with me saints.
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Instead of complaining that you've been driving the same car for the last 12 years maybe you ought to thank God for the last eight years you a had no car payment because God has kept your vehicle on the road.
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Is there anybody that can just thank God that you got some shoes that's older than your children because he blessed your shoes like the children of Israel so that your sandals have not worn out.
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See friends of mine I've just seen God make a way when there was no way I remember when my kids were small just when they had outgrown their clothes and I was about to have to go to the store.
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There would be a church member or a family member who says I got a son that's about two years older than yours and I got a bag of clothes that'll fit exactly where he is right now are you with me today church.
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Is there anybody that's wants to just say I praise God for his provision but is there anybody that can say I praise God for his prevention.
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In other words I praise him for what he prevented from coming upon my house and my family.
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In other words if you a had to go to the doctor you better praise him.
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If your car is still running guess what you better praise him.
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If your kids are on scholarship guess what you better praise him.
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If the pipes him burst in your house you ought to praise him.
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If your roof hadn't started leaking you ought to praise him.
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If your clothes haven't worn out you ought to praise him and if you're like me when you're gaining weight your clothes grew with you.
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You ought to praise him.
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Is there anybody that can thank God that he deterred the devour that he sustained what you had and he kept you and he kept that from going out of your house.
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Can the church say amen.
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So God is going to set it up that you leave better than the way you came.
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But go back with it if you don't mind.
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Our Exodus chapter 13 and I want you to look at verse number 20 the Bible says so that they took their journey from Sukkoth and they encamped that ethem at the edge of the wilderness.
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And the Lord went before them in the day in the pillar of cloud to lead the way in a pillar fire by night to lead them by day and by night.
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And the Bible says that he did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from the people.
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You see the next thing that this story teaches us friends of mine that you got to learn how to follow the cloud and not the crowd.
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You see I don't think friends of mine that we can truly appreciate the difficulty of the path that God is about to take them on.
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You see the Bible literally says that there is a shorter way or a shorter road for them to get the canem.
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But God says I can't take them the short way because as they're walking around with all this silver and gold the Philistines are going to see them as an opportunity.
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And when they see the threat of war they may be afraid and run back to Egypt.
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So God says I can't take them the easy way. I got to take my people up the rough side of the mountain.
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I got to take them the way of the wilderness.
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In other words I can't take them the short route.
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Now I need you to be clear that this short route it is an easy route.
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It is a familiar route. It is a well worn or paved or beaten path.
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Why? Because there are a lot of folks that are going down that short road.
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And I need you to know friends that on this short road it is a well beaten path.
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There is commerce along that road. There is food along that road.
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There is shelter along that road. There is water along that road.
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But more than anything else when they get confused about which way to go they can just look down at the footprints in the sand.
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And the footprints can tell them which way they are supposed to go.
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But I need you to know that this way God is taking them is up through the wilderness.
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In other words this is a rocky and difficult terrain for a large body of people.
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In other words they don't get to walk in the path.
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They got to create the path.
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In other words they don't get to walk in the trail.
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They got to blaze the trail.
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They got to roll through this joint with machete and rod.
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And they got to clear the path because not many folks have gone this way before.
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In other words as they march through this brushy and rocky and arid terrain.
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There are tree branches and roots that are along the ground.
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There are rocks that have never been displaced.
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I need you to know that there is stubborn bush and brush along the way.
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And I need you to know that on the other path there are footprints to let you know which way people have gone in the past.
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But on this journey that is filled with crabgrass and weed and rock and root system.
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There is no footprints to let them know which way they are supposed to go.
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And the reason that God takes them down the road where there is no footprints.
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It is a call to all generations all the way to our time to let us know that you're not supposed to follow the crowd.
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But you're supposed to be looking at the cloud.
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And he's saying friends of mine, I want you to hear me on this.
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That because you are mine, your path is supposed to be different.
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Because you belong to me, your path is supposed to be unique.
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Because you belong to me, guess what, young folks, you're supposed to look peculiar.
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And the reason friends of mine are what with God.
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The reason it plateaus so quickly is because we say we want to be the best.
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We like Christ, but we spend our days imitating them.
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In other words, God is trying to set you up in a way that you're not looking at the footprints of men.
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But you are having to sit up and look at the cloud looking unto Jesus.
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Who is the author and the finisher of our faith.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
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And the reason God doesn't want them looking at footprints is that footprints would have just confused them.
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See the problem is we want to shout, we shout on the song, my steps are ordered by the Lord.
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But how many of us understand that ordered steps are not for ordinary people?
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That ordinary steps are not for those that are trying to blend in with the crowd.
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Ordered steps are not for those that are trying to be like everybody.
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Ordered steps are not for those that are trying to be a carbon copy of somebody else's silhouette.
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Ordered steps are for those that want to function as God's workmanship.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
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See I need you to understand that you can't have ordered steps if comparison is the barometer by which you measure God's goodness.
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See if your steps are going to be ordered by God, you've got to focus on the leading of the cloud and not the direction of the crowd.
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And see I've got to ask you a question today especially to those who are perhaps under the age of 50.
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Like see if God orders your steps, guess what?
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I need you to know that also means God orders your stops.
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If God orders your steps, He orders your delays.
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He orders your difficulties.
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He orders it when it done take, when it takes a longer time than you wanted to take.
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And I guess my question is, will you walk in ordered steps?
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If ordered steps means you don't get to keep up with the Joneses.
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Will you walk in ordered steps if it means that you get married later than the rest of your friends?
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Will you walk in ordered steps if the doors that open for them don't open for you?
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Will you walk in ordered steps if the crowd does not ingratiate itself to you but in fact it's going to treat you as an outcast and one that does not fit in?
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Will you walk in ordered steps if it does not allow your life to look like everybody else's?
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I need you to know that God has established some of us where you're not supposed to inherit the path.
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You're supposed to create the path.
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See the question is, Jungado, are you okay being unique?
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Are you okay being different?
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Do you simply believe that what God has for you, that it is for you, and that what God has for you is greater than anything you can create for yourself?
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Am I talking to anybody today?
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See the problem with some of us is we don't have original vision, we've got copy vision.
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In other words, all we want to do is be a reherser, as Ellen White says, of other people's thoughts.
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See the problem is we run around with this copy script for our lives that somebody told us or something we saw that says I got to graduate by the time I'm 22.
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I'm going to be married by the time I'm 25.
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I'm going to be done with kids by the time I'm 30.
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I'm going to have my dream house by the time I'm 35.
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I'm going to be retired by the time I'm 50.
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And guess what, in your plan for your life, you don't never make room for no delays, no difficulties, no sickness, no hardship along the way.
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And how many of us hold enough to testify that life don't never go just like you planned it.
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Like there's going to be some delays and hardships along the way.
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See you didn't realize miscarriage was going to be a part of your journey.
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You could never believe that cancer was going to be a part of your journey.
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You never thought that unemployment would have been a part of your journey.
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And see the problem is we see every hardship and difficulty as our evidence that God is not with us.
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But if He orders my steps, He also orders the stocks.
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Are you hearing the word today, Saints?
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See I need you to know friends of mine that it's children of God.
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Your life is custom made.
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It is not desired.
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I don't know if any brothers in this room or ever tried on.
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Like you know how you made wear a 42 long or a 40 long or a 44.
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But like that's your size, right?
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But hey, you ever tried to put on a suit that was tailored for somebody else?
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I need you to know that when you put on a suit that's been tailored for somebody else,
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even if it's your size, it will hang right.
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Why? Because it was made for somebody else.
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And I need you to know that you need to stop trying to put on a life that was tailored for somebody else.
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Because even if you got their job, it would hang right on you.
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If you married their man, he would hang right on your arm.
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If you got their house, it wouldn't fit or satisfy.
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And that's why some of us that no matter how much we get, no matter how much we achieve,
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no matter how much we receive, we're not happy with what we have.
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Because it was based on somebody else and not what God had for us.
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So the question for somebody today is, are you following the cloud?
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Or are you mimicking the crowd?
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In other words, what's your standard for living?
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Is it God's will or is it their opinion?
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In your life, do you worry more about God's plan or their criticism?
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Are you hearing me, Saints?
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You see the wilderness and the short route where both get you to the same,
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what place? But I need you to understand that wilderness road.
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It is a hard road and it is a difficult road.
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But God's ultimate design is to get you into the land of Canaan.
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Are you all with me today, Saints?
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My prayer for somebody today is that you get to the place where you value the will of God.
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More than you put stock in the opinions of people.
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See, I need you to understand that you got to get to a place, help me Holy Ghosts.
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Where you just learn how to live to hear Jesus say, well done, good and faithful service.
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Hold on for a second.
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You want to get to a place where you have, where Jesus say, well done, good and faithful service.
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Like how many of us are getting to that place where all that matters is the approval of God in your life.
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Listen man, I remember growing up like my dad.
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He taught me how to play ball.
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He taught me how to square my shoulders and my knees and how to keep my eyes on the rim.
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And once I shot the ball to follow through the entire way, like he taught me everything that I knew about playing ball.
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And I remember up there in Tellerhatson, we were playing O'Calla in our first church league game.
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And I remember, as we were set up in our office, the ball, swing around to my side.
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And I got ready to shoot the ball.
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And I remember playing in my head.
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Everything he said, I squared my knees with my shoulders, kept my eyes on the rim,
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had great arc on the shot I followed through.
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And the shot hit nothing but net.
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And because my home church was a supportive church, everybody was cheering.
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And everybody was shouting.
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But I knew you to know that even though I saw certain folks shouting as I ran back down the court, all of that didn't matter.
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I was just looking for my daddy in the back row.
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And it wasn't until I saw daddy standing up with applause that I felt like I pay.
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And how many of us know it doesn't matter how many folks cheer for you.
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It doesn't matter how many folks say you're done well.
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It doesn't matter who's against you.
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When you live for the approval of your daddy, it doesn't matter what anybody else has to say.
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Are y'all hearing the word today, Saints?
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And say, I want us to get to the place, beloved, where what matters the most friends of mine is the will of God.
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And can I just pause and say this to the young folks?
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Listen, I need you to know, like if there are any teenagers, young adults, I need you to realize,
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that you got to get comfortable being unique.
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Can I talk to the young people for a second?
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Like, I need, I like, let's crazy, man.
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Don't judge me on this.
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Like, we're new to the church.
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But I remember I went to Godby High School and we have our little, little weekend dances.
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And we would go to the dances.
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I need you to know, and when it comes down to rhythm, this pastor got two left feet.
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Y'all pray for me today.
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And see what happened is because like me and there's some guys like me,
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we didn't know how to dance.
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What we would do is we would just stand there on the wall.
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And what we would do is we would make fun of everybody that was out there dancing.
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And the reason we made fun of them dancing was because we couldn't.
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Oh, y'all, not with me.
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In other words, young people, I need you to understand that you're going to be mocked for doing the things that other people just can't do.
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And so you got to understand why you're going to be persecuted and not put too much stock in it.
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See the reason they mocking you is because they can't be you.
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In other words, the reason they mocking you getting good grades is because they can't get good grades.
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The reason they mock how strict your parents are is because they parents don't care nothing about what they do.
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The reason they mock your virtue and purity is because they gave theirs away a long time ago.
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And they know they can't get it back.
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The reason they mock you using good English is because they don't know the difference between a participle and an adverb.
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The reason they mock that you're not in a relationship is because they're too afraid to be by themselves.
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And what I'm saying is don't be ashamed if you're into school.
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Don't be ashamed if you're artistic.
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Don't be ashamed about speaking good English.
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Don't be ashamed about being the head and not the tail.
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Don't be ashamed about being above and not beneath.
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Don't be afraid of being different.
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Don't be ashamed to be peculiar.
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You are God's workmanship.
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In other words, don't sheepen your value to fit in with nobody else.
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You got to know what was put into you are you all here with him saying, say.
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Listen man, I'm probably sitting in bed.
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I remember growing up, one of the things my uncle said to me how to do is like when you went into a store,
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and you didn't want to pay this before the days of barcodes and scanners.
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If you didn't want to pay full price for something, what we were taught how to do is to take the sticker off of a cheaper item.
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Come on on judge me.
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We had no way he's been saved. Come on and say man.
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We wouldn't steal it outright but you would take the price tag off of some cheaper.
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And young people don't get no ideas. Come on and say man.
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And we were put it on something more expensive.
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So you didn't have to pay the full price for it.
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And I remember one day, this is like back in the late 80s, you remember man, I'm giving myself away those African medallions that were in style big time back in that time.
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I went to the flea market and I went to a particular booth and I wanted this little African medallion and it cost like 12 or 15 dollars.
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And I found something else that only cost like two or three dollars.
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And I took the price tag off that cheap thing and I put it on the sticker and I went there to the counter and the lady looked at the price tag and she looked at the objects and she looked at being said, young man, this is not the right price.
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And I tried to act all offended. You know how it is we got caught in the light. You got that real offended.
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You got to be over the top man. You got to protest way too much.
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I was just like, no, no, I mean, that's the price that was on there. She said, young man, that is not the right price for this item.
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I said, well, man, how do you know that's what the sticker says. She says the reason I know how much it costs is because I made it with my own two hands.
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In other words, because she knew how much it cost because she knew what she put into it.
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She wouldn't give it away for a discount because she knew the craftsmanship.
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And what I'm saying to the church of God is because God knows what he put into you and he knows the price that has been paid.
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He's not going to let you cheapen yourself. He doesn't want you to devalue yourself. He doesn't want you to give a coupon for yourself because you've been given too much.
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The price has been too high. You got God's craftsmanship.
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Are you all hearing the word today, Satan?
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And the word says to us here in verse number 22, I need you know I'm done.
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The Bible says that he did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night. The Bible says he never ever took it away.
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And the last thing that shows friends of mine is the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.
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Did y'all see this? No, no, no, no, are y'all paying attention to church?
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The Bible says that the cloud never left them.
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The Bible says that the cloud stayed with these hard headed Negroes until the day they marched into Canaan.
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And what God is showing us is that the cloud, which is symbolic of God's presence, it wasn't some timey.
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The cloud wasn't moody. The cloud was not fickle. But the cloud stood with the people of God no matter where they were on the journey until they got all the way into the land of Canaan.
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See some of us still don't realize why that's a reason for us to rejoice.
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Do you realize that their wilderness journey was not a series of highlights?
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It was actually reads like a case study of low lights and rebellion against God.
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And yet the Bible says that this cloud, I need you to get that the cloud didn't stay with them based on their behavior.
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The cloud didn't give up on them when they acted simple. Y'all not with me today church.
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In other words, I need you to get that the cloud stayed with them after they asked God to deliver them from Egypt.
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And then they get outside of Egypt and say, man, man, it was show enough a whole lot more food for us to eat in Egypt.
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Remember the leaks and the onions, how it was sure to your food in Egypt.
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And when they talked about going back to Egypt, guess what? The cloud still stayed with them.
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You realize that when they got there to the place where they had no water and they thought about stoning Moses and Moses named the place Masa and Maraba
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because there they continued with the Lord. The Bible says that the cloud still stayed with the people.
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The Bible lets us know that when they took the silver and gold that God gave them when they left Egypt and they fashioned it into a golden calf
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and says, this is the God that brought you out of Egypt. Guess what? The cloud still stayed with the people.
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You realize that when God sent men and they complained about the men of the cloud still stayed with the people.
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And when they asked for quail and God gave them quail and they complained about the quail, guess what? The cloud still stayed with the people.
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I need you to know that the cloud still stayed with them when they asked for water and then complained that the water was too bitter to drink.
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The cloud stayed with the people when they got there on the edge of the promised land and they said that we are like grasshoppers in their eyes and so we are in our own sight and they refuse to go in.
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I need you to know that no matter how much they rebelled, no matter how foolish they were, no matter how hard harder they were, the Bible says that the cloud never left them.
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That the cloud never forsook them. But the cloud said, I'll stay with you always until you enter into the land of Canaan.
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In other words, the cloud said, I'm not going to give up on you. The cloud says, I'm going to give you another chance.
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The cloud said, I'm going to be long suffering. And is there anybody that's thankful that the presence of the cloud is not contingent upon our good behavior.
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Is there anybody that can testify that my cloud should have left me a long time ago? In other words, I said I'd never do it again.
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But I did it again and guess what? The cloud still stood with me. I need you to know that the presence of the cloud was simply symbolic of God's commitment to sanctification because how many of us know that He which has begun a good work in you.
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Shall continue it until the day of Jesus Christ. See, I don't know about you, friends of mine. I'm thankful for His provision. I'm thankful for His protection.
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I'm thankful that God rebukes the devourer. But you know what I'm thankful about the most is that when the cloud should have cut me off, the cloud kept walking with me.
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When the cloud should have destroyed me, the cloud said, I'll stand with you. Is there anybody that's just thankful that God is abundant in mercy, that God didn't deal with you according to your transgressions, but according to the multitude of us tend to mercy.
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Is there anybody thankful for His amazing grace? How sweet the sound that saves a wretch like you and me. I once was lost, but now I'm glad I was blind, but now I see, is there anybody that can give God a praise for His long suffering?
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You want to praise Him for His second chance. You want to praise Him for forgiveness of His sins. You want to praise Him that His grace is sufficient. You want to praise Him that your niceties are covered.
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You want to praise Him that your past has been washed away. You want to praise Him that when you use the strength He gave you to say it.
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That the cloud says, I'll cover you, I'll keep you and I'll walk with you till you get over into your heavenly canine.
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And see the reason this is important for somebody to know. See, I need you to get this the same way. The cloud stayed with Israel and all their stupid, stubborn rebellion.
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The same way that the God of heaven walks with us through all of our stupidest stubborn rebellion. See, we tell some of the wrong stories. We undervalue to get this God.
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We'll say something like, God is the God of a second chance. You realize you use your second chance as soon as you came up out of the water baptism.
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You use up your second chance a long time ago, but God is infinite in mercy, abundant in goodness. And He says, friends of mine, that I'll never leave you.
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I'll never forsake you. Jesus says, I'll know I'll be with you always to the ends of the earth. I'll be with you until you can cross over into your heavenly abode.
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God said to somebody, if I began a good work in you, He says, I will be there to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. See, why is that critical?
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Because he's some of us, man, we are so behavior centered in our religion that because see what happened is we bring God down to our level. And because you are to cut somebody off by now.
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You walk around feeling like, man, I should be cut off by now. But this is the message to somebody. If you don't give up on God, God will never, ever give up on you.
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He says, come now and let us reason together. Though your sins be escorted, I'll make a white light snow. Though they'll be red like crimson, I'll make a white light wall.
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I need somebody to understand that his grace, the Bible says, we're sinning about grace does much more bound.
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I need somebody to understand, friends of mine, that you can't even out-send the love of God.
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The Bible says the arm of the Lord is not too short to say and his ear is not too dull to hear.
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And I'm saying to anybody that's watching online, anybody in this building who is walking around with needless condemnation and this needless shame and this needless sense of being alienated from God.
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I need you to realize, need the apostasy of Israel, like to take the silver and the gold that God gave them.
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The cloud is right at the top of the mountain. They've fascinated into a calf and they say, this is the God that brought you out of each other.
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They did it in the face of the cloud. And the cloud says, I'm still here for you. I'm still going to feed you tomorrow.
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When you wake up tomorrow, the man will still be there. I'll never deal with you the way you deal with me.
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And say, this is why friends of mine, you rarely will hear me talking no matter what we do for Christ or in Christ. You'll never hear me talk about my own faithfulness.
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You want to know why? Because everything we do for Christ, it is not because we are good.
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It's just a response to how unwaveringly faithful God has been to us.
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It is God that works in us to will and to do. If his good pleasure, you realize even your faithfulness is the result of God that works inside of you.
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So stop panicking yourself on the back. Stop saying what we have done. Everything we have received, everything we have produced, we have received from God.
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Are you hearing a word today?
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So right now, as we get ready to close out of this service, I want somebody to receive and make the decision to walk in God's amazing grace.
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Maybe there is somebody who has already been persuaded. Maybe you grew up around church and you grew up around religious things, but you've never known the liberty of Christ.
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You've walked around serving God more out of fear of hell than you have out of just appreciation for what Jesus did at the cross.
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And God, and you walk around with this guilt and this uncertainty about salvation because your what we got is based on behavior.
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So on your good days, you feel really saved and on your bad days, you feel lost and sometimes you go from being saved to lost within the same course of the same day.
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And the reason your stuff is so up and down is because you've never understood that the same way the cloud walked with a rebellious people till they got into the earthly kingdom.
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It's the same way our Savior is going to walk with us until we get into our heavenly canary.
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Are you hearing me today, says?
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And if you never give up on Him, He will never, ever give up on you.
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So there's somebody who's saying, Pastor, I want to receive the grace of God a new.
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I want to walk in the grace of God a fresh.
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I want to function in love, not in fear.
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I want to function in gratitude, not under obligation of the terms of the law because I realize now His grace is sufficient.
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If that's you and you want to say, I want to enjoy salvation.
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I want to have the certainty of salvation because you realize you can never have the joy of salvation if you don't have the assurance of salvation.
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So the reason you don't have the joy is because you don't have the assurance of your skirt.
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But you don't have to be afraid because His grace is sufficient.
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If you believe that today, I want to invite you to stand to your feet as we pray.
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You simply say, Lord, help me to be liberated by grace.
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Help my heart to be melted by your grace.
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Help me to respond to love and not fear and to walk into all that which you have in store for me.
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My second appeal is this as you're praying and talking to Jesus Christ.
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Maybe there is somebody who has never ever said yes to Jesus Christ.
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Maybe you need to make it up in your mind today to say, I want to go all the way with Christ through.
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I need to make my decision for Christ official.
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The way you make your decision for Christ official is too full.
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The Bible literally says that you have to join the body of Christ which is the church.
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And you realize that you join the church through a couple of ways through baptism or through re-dedication to Him.
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And there is somebody today, maybe you're watching online and you want to be on one of the next baptisms of this church.
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You want to text the word baptism to 5, 6, 1, 4, 6, 8, 3, 8, 7, 3, whether you're young, whether you're old, whether you're middle-aged, it doesn't matter.
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You realize that you realize your need for saving.
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You understand that you cannot save yourself and you want to get to a place where I want to walk away from the cross.
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But you realize it only takes this journey.
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In some parts you have to separate yourself from the crowd and you have to follow the directions of the crowd.
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Cloud.
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And maybe there is somebody in the room today.
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Maybe you're right here in this building and the spirit of God has been moving upon your heart.
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And you've been contemplating joining this church, becoming a member of the family of God entering into the body of Christ.
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And if you're here today, you want to join this church of God through baptism.
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Maybe you need to come back to the church through re-baptism.
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Or maybe you're already a believer, but you want to align yourself with the teachings of the 7th Adventist Church.
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You want to join through professing your faith in Christ and the truth of God's Word.
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And if you're here today and you want to say yes, you want to respond to God.
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You want to respond to this amazing grace.
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Just raise your hand wherever you are saying I want to join God's church through baptism.
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You want to say I need to come back to God.
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I need to re-dedicate myself through re-baptism.
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Or maybe you're saying I'm not a 7-day witness, but I like what I hear.
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I love this church. This is where I want to be planted.
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And you want to join through professing the faith, acknowledging your belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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If that's you today, wherever you are, just raise your hand.
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I'm going to be baptized. I'm going to be re-dedicated.
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If that's you, just raise your hand if you're online.
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You can text the Word baptism 5, 6, 1, 4, 6, 8, 3, 8, 7, 3.
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If you're here today, would you receive the Lord?
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Would you go all the way with Him?
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Would you begin the journey of what it means to become born again?
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And see there's somebody who needs to say yes today, but you know what you're doing?
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Right there in your pew or right there online.
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You know what you're worried about?
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What is my mama going to say?
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What is my family going to say?
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What's my man going to say?
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What's my friend going to say?
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But remember God took you through the wilderness so you couldn't see footprints
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because He wants you to get to the place where you follow the cloud instead of asking permission from the crowd.
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And let me just say this, there is nobody that will ever take up their cross and follow Jesus
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with the full support of everybody in their inner-crowned circle.
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At some point you're going to make somebody in a crowd mad when you decide to follow Jesus
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join the church or walk in the truth of God's Word.
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So today if you hear His voice, young person, today if you hear His voice, season saint, today if you hear His voice,
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you're in church for the first time or you're in church for the first time in a long time.
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You want to say yes to Him.
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Just raise your hand so I don't want to go all the way.
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You're texting baptism 5, 6, 1, 4, 6, 8, 3, 7, 3.
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But my larger appeal is for this and the body.
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Maybe you're already persuaded, you're already believed.
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You want to say pastor, I agree with the Word.
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I want to focus in trial on what it forms, not on how it feels.
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You want to get to the place where you're saying Lord, I realize that my path is custom.
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I don't have to be like everybody else.
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I can function in an original vision, not copy vision.
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I want to be what you have ordained me to be.
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You want to live your life to hear Jesus say, well done.
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No matter who criticizes is or who compliments, you're living for the approval of the Savior.
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If that's you today, you're saying pastor, I agree.
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And if you agree, just raise your hand wherever you are.
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We're going to pray.
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We're going to pray to walk in truth, to walk in His way, to do what God has called us to do.
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Father in heaven, we thank you for your Word.
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Lord your Word is a lamp unto our feet and it is a light unto our path.
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And Father, my prayer, first of all, is for those who are contemplating a decision for Christ.
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Baptism.
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Maybe there's somebody joining, that makes it up in their mind and say, I want to get Bible studies.
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So I can get settled in the Word.
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Maybe there's somebody who's saying, I want to profess my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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I pray to God that this would be the day, that they would not delay to another hour.
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I pray that they would not say tomorrow or next week, because as storms swept through the Southeastern,
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I'm moving up the eastern coast, there are certain folks that had plans for today.
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And last night was their final night.
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They didn't wake up to execute the plan.
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So whatever was undone yesterday is going to be undone permanently.
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So if they went to sleep without Christ, there's no more chance for them, but there's chance for somebody today.
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So if you're online, you want to text Baptism, if you're in the building, you want to raise your hand,
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because you realize tomorrow is not promised.
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Because if you leave that decision undone today, undone this week, and you don't get next week or tomorrow,
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guess what? It's going to be undone forever.
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But there's somebody today who's saying, Lord, you know better than me.
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As a long time believer, you're making it up in your mind to say, Lord, I believe you have a plan for me.
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I believe my steps have been ordered.
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I believe that you've given me custom gifts, custom traits, a custom outlook on the world,
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and Lord, help me to get to the place where I stop trying to copy.
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Help me to stop imitating them and to imitate you.
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If I ever help me to stop living for man's approval, and help me to live for heaven's applause,
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Father, I'm praying that you had set apart the daughter of Zion 7 dead in his church to do a work that is so unique,
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a work that is so rare, a work that is so powerful.
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I pray that it will be a penicstal work that is unlike any work that is seen, not just in any admin's church,
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but in any church here in the South Florida terrain.
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God, I'm praying that you bless the pastor of this church.
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I pray for blessing over his family.
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I pray for blessing over his vision.
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Lord, we pray for a divine blessing over his health.
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I pray to God that you would move in his body with such power and strength that every cancer cell,
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every potential cell, that it would be smitten dead, that he would be able to run the race with patience,
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that is laid out for him, that he would live and not die, that he would run on and see what the end is going to be,
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oh God, may he preach with power, may he preach with fury, may he preach without discouragement on a single Sabbath,
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knowing Lord the work that you've called him to do.
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Lord, I pray for every visionary that is in the pew, every potential entrepreneur.
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I pray for the next great writer, the next great singer, the next great ministry leader,
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the next great preacher, Lord, you've got him sitting in the pew slower.
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I pray to God that they would embrace being different, that they would embrace being peculiar,
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that they would embrace being unique.
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I pray for the young person, that they would realize that you have a purpose and a plan that is unlike anybody else's Jesus.
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May they endure hardship, may they endure being mocked, but I pray to God that they would come out of it with position,
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that are even greater than what Israel left Egypt with, may they leave with faith, hope,
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character that has an appraisal that never decreases.
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Bless and keep these your people.
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We pray it all in the matchless and wonderful name of Jesus.
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Let God's people say together, amen, and amen.
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Put your hands together for Jesus Christ and give it a praise.
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Amen.