Possessing Your Promise Land Is Breakthrough Up To You

Possessing your promised land is breakthrough up to you. Do you ever wonder that? Lord, I want to possess my promised land too And and I want I want everything you have for me and I want to be careful because I don't like when preachers Take a concept and they kind of come up with their own idea You know, we can't make the Bible say whatever we want You know just just do this and do that and and a lot of sermons have been preached on possessing your promised land A lot of commentaries have commented on it And I'm hoping to unpack that a little bit and help a lot of people who will be listening even a little bit later We're gonna be we're definitely not going through verse by verse this week I'm gonna go through Psalm 66 67 68 just pulling out some key verses that talk about this issue which we would call tonight a topical message but Psalm 66 opens with making a joyful shout to the Lord and Reflecting on his greatness and we kind of did that tonight didn't we and that's why sometimes worship is explosive worship is You're excited sometimes because you're you're rejoicing it who God is and what he's done in your heart And then it goes on to talk about turning the sea into the dry land To open the door to the promised land. So if you're wondering how I got this message from Psalm 66, this is how He talks that he talks about God opening the sea and allowing him to walk on the dry land But I do want to clarify something in Genesis 50 24 The Bible says the land which he promised an oath to Abraham So when you hear songs old hymns about the promised land or when I'm talking about the promised land There's no verse that actually calls it the promised land What it is.

It's the land promised to Abraham and They were able to go in and possess The the land that God gave them and this message Really resonated with me because I think there's so many people including myself who want what God wants for us but sometimes we don't know exactly what that means or we've failed and we don't know how to get back up or We we kind of worry any any warriors out there fear Stepping out in faith. That's not easy, but God told them to possess the land but fear overcame their faith That's what happened many of you know the story but in case some of you don't They were God said here's the land. I promised to Abraham he Decades centuries probably before that he told Abraham come out of the land His name was Abram at that point come out of the land that I will show you Where's it at? Well, I'll show you God's not real clear Sometimes he directs you as you begin to move and he said I'm going to give you this land at some point your your your Children and grandchildren will inherit this land that I promised to you.

And so now the time is coming they are Joseph the whole story with Joseph and becoming underneath Pharaoh and at that point the Pharaoh died Joseph died and the children of Israel were stuck in Egypt and They made them slaves for many many years and God sent a deliverer Moses to deliver them and bring them to the land promised to them Centuries ago and that's where the whole concept of the promised land comes from and then Psalm 67 begins with let all the people praise you God be merciful to us and bless us and cause your face to shine upon us and Then Psalm 68. Like I said, we're just pulling out a few portions here of the of the three Psalms Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered. Let those who hate him flee before him as smoke is driven away So drive them away as wax melts before the fire so let the wicked perish at the presence of God and Some commentators believe this could also be talking about when they were delivered from Pharaoh, you know God drove the enemies away.

He scattered them and when they went into the promised land God drove away the enemies, you know all those funny names the Jebusites Parasites fungicides Those last two are not legitimate but all the ites were there and God actually drove them away and what is always interesting is They didn't just sit at home in their tents They had to do something and And that is where we get into a very interesting theological debate that we're not going to solve tonight How much is up to God and how much is up to us? Are you? Now, of course, we know God's sovereign. Everything is up to him. He's he calls the shots.

He's the shot-caller however, there's a lot of verses that deal with that wonderful two little letter word if If you do this if you do this you can inherit the promised land if you trust me if you go in and drive out the enemies if you fear not and so there seems to be a Responsibility on our part to also do something and there's lots of verses on that as well So let's talk about that for a minute possessing your promised land is Breakthrough up to you and you'll hear a lot of you know, those those those what they call charismatic preachers You know a lot of the famous ones, you know breakthrough is up to you and lots of sermons on seven steps to a breakthrough and and breakthrough and finances and breakthrough and and you know, some of them are okay, but at the core at the heart of a breakthrough a Breakthrough to me is something that God wants to do in and through you It's not what you want what I desire is Breakthrough God, for example when we planted the church, I can tell you the whole story at some other time But man, we fought it. It was challenging. I was not stepping out in faith, but at some point I had to do something or We would not be where we are today And that's why we talked about is breakthrough up to you Are there are some things are there some things that God is waiting on for you to do? Because the Bible also says if you seek me you will find me So does that mean if I don't seek him I? Won't find him Now, of course that you'd have to look at the Hebrew and break down that whole verse But a lot of it has to do with seeking a bakash in the Hebrew.

It's it's finding something that's been missing and And so if you search for me with all of your heart like that, you will find me You'll find the power and presence of God. So there seems to be a little bit of responsibility on The part of the hearer, so let's talk about this Here's the key many things never go as expected Anybody relate Boy oh boy, that's the story of my life Many things never go as expected. I just talked about the church.

I'll bring it up again for some of you For For I mean ever since we started the church for the first five six seven years We had this idea of getting our own, you know large facility in Lancaster. That was the plan. There's no other option Until Joe Lindeman came and said hey, have you thought about going to Leon Valley? We're not going out there.

That's not my that's not where I'm going. Can you at least pray about it? Don't you hate when people say that can I pray it like that's way out there. That's like an hour and a half away Took me exactly 12 minutes from home, but you know it's how we all think we do we thought when you live over there you think this is like way far away like Santa Clarita and So as we drove, of course, you love the area.

The drive is the beautiful when I look out my office I don't have any pastors. I tease them. I go you look at a block wall I look at rolling hills and the meadows and and the oak trees and we fell in love with it, of course But it's not what I expected Right, I also expect I thought we were gonna have four or five boys four girls and one boy Looking back when I change it.

Absolutely not Man, once you have your first daughter, you're like hooked. I'll take ten of these and Of course boys to our blessing, of course Every man wants a boy because you're baseball shooting fun wrestling, you know, all those things You can't girls are like very delicate But expecting expecting How many of us have expected to buy a house by now? Expected things would be different So the hope here again, here's the key the hope we have must be in the promiser not just in the promise So once we keep our hope on the promiser God and Not on what we expect It's life is ten times easier You're not going anybody go through emotional highs and lows It's interesting that word happy comes from a longer word happenstance and It means I'm happy based on what's happening to me Where joy is Finding joy in God being your anchor the promiser even when the promise isn't coming to fulfillment We must continue to live out our mountaintop experiences even in the valleys This this will be key for many of you in the in the weeks and months to come You must continue to live out your mountaintop experiences even in the valleys What do I mean by that? Well, I share it a devotional with our our staff and volunteers this week I want to share it with you. It comes from Oswald Chambers work my utmost for his highest He said this we all have moments When we feel better than ever before and we say I feel fit for anything.

If only I can always be like this Anybody ever felt that way I'll never forget there's I've when I've done some fasting in the in the past Man, sometimes by day six day seven when the ketosis is kicked in the hunger is gone I am on cloud nine worship is descending from the portals of heaven I am walking on the in the spirit of the Holy Spirit. Nothing bugs me. Nothing Nothing.

I'm a mountaintop experience Remember we had ran the heavens every night for two weeks some of you and I couldn't wait to get to church and but then That doesn't always last We are not meant to stay there Those moments are moments of insight which we have to live up to even when we don't feel like it Many of us are no good for the everyday world when we are not on the mountaintop Yes, yet we must bring our everyday life up to the standard revealed to us on that mountaintop when we were there Never allow a feeling that was awakened in you awaken in you on the mountaintop to evaporate Act immediately do something even if your only response to act is that you would rather not If During a prayer meeting God shows you something to do. Don't say I'll do it. Just do it Pick yourself up by the back of the neck and shake off your flesh Lee laziness laziness can always be seen in our cravings for a mountaintop experience all We talked about is our planning for our time on the mountain We must learn to live in the ordinary gray day according to what we saw on the mountain Is that so true At least me.

I live this I was always you know, you're one you're looking for that spiritual high And I don't want to go to church if I don't feel it. I don't want to do anything for God if I don't I want searching for that mountaintop experience and Sometimes I know the worship team can relate. Sometimes you feel the the power.

It's just like worships on a whole new level. Oh If we could live here But then other times It's really challenging So staying focused on the promiser Not the promise Riding out those mountaintops Even in the valley And I noticed I've can become flaky in the valley. I can become flaky in the valley and the mountaintop, but let's talk about something that's really important right now the rules of hermeneutics You ready for a quick theology lesson How many of you know what hermeneutics is John I knew you it Anybody else? I know there are a few more.

There's got to be Matias No You just not raising your hands Tim. Yeah. Okay, Jean.

I know you guys you guys you're being humble tonight It was in theology. There's lots of terms because they try to you know, homiletics hermeneutics pneumatology Eschatology they give they give certain words Hermeneutics is it's a very important aspect of theology and it is basically how you study the Bible There are it's very healthy I would encourage people to look at and and really dedicate to understanding the rules of hermeneutics It's like because the Bible can say kind of whatever you want it to say depending on what mood you're in I mean our governor used it on a billboard to support abortion That's not proper hermeneutics. And so we're not going to go through all the different rules, but a lot of things like the law of first mention How something was first mentioned in Genesis or what God meant by it usually is consistent throughout Scripture you also you look at the historical and Contextual meaning in other words what well what is the author trying to say to that group of people during that time? And that's why it's so important because we even we can look at famous verses how many loved that verse of claim that verse which I Have it's not bad, but God had and God knows the plans for you plans of hope and and a future Jeremiah, right? Oh, man.

I've got it on my wall. Nothing wrong with I think it's good But you have to understand that it was actually given when they were going into 70 years of bondage Well, wait a minute I'm going into 70 years as the Babylonians or Chaldeans or somebody was taking them into bondage for 70 years And God said don't worry I know the plans I have for you probably for your children actually To give you a hope and a future in other words. I know you're going through this But I do have plans for you and see if we don't understand The laws of how the Bible is written we can really not understand what it's saying to us now Although I think it speaks to us.

It's relevant to us The principles are for us sometimes have a scriptures have they ever leaped off the pages? It seemed like and you're so I'm claiming that Lord you are speaking to me this morning. That is such great confirmation that's because the Word of God is living and vibrant and It can do that, but we also have to What did it mean in history? and that's what people say and I've had this complaint against some of the times when I wrote the book on if my people and I talked about if my people Humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. I will heal their land Now is that written to America? No the historical context is Solomon was actually King and God said when I bring pestilence and famine and drought because you've disobeyed me if the people turn back to me I will begin to heal the land however That's a very important principle that is still consistent Even in the New Testament even today if God's people humble themselves pray seek his face and turn from his wicked ways They're wicked ways.

I'd rather live in that setting than the opposite So I believe we can claim What is it when I say, you know America if a lot of that were to happen God will heal the land not like utopia Not the 1930s again, not perfect. You don't have to leave your car and door unlocked or your home and locked anymore No, but there there's a healing that can take place in our families in our communities And God it drives me nuts this this homeless process crisis It's like get somebody in office who has a spirit of God who's praying and fasting and going down in and looking at Skid Row I'm praying over these people Lord. Give me wisdom.

Give me insight. How can we handle this? I guarantee he would fix the problem I guarantee you could curtail the problem Jesus said the poor you'll have with you always so, of course, we're always gonna have that but to throw more money at it I mean, what did you what was the recent thing in the news? They can't they can't find 64 billion That California spent on the homeless or is it 64 million one? billion with the B 24 billion. There we go.

Thank you. Yeah, they can't find well, where where's this money? I mean you get somebody in there who has the heart of God and you can fix these problems you can heal the Land you go down you begin to find out what's happening the drug give you some mental illness you pray over them Lord can we get them into into gatherings and churches and get healing and hope and you can't just build houses or Apartments and oh, that'll fix the problem. No, you actually might create more So God's Word is so relevant to all areas of life.

So that's what I mean when I say God can heal America Not the overall the overall sickness is there but he can begin to do amazing things So that's what hermeneutics is we look at the historical the contextual meaning and the overall harmony and Consistency of God's principles and then we can talk about this topic even more Succinct so to possess it possess the land is Breakthrough up to you possess means to see something to lay hold of it to acquire or to obtain and many commentators say that God wants us to possess our God-given dreams and enlarge the place of our dwelling and It often begins with a call to action again. He told Abram to go to a land that I will show you So what I'm talking about here if we could get a little bit more narrow a little more focused and Maybe for some people it needs to start with a prayer Lord. Show me Show me what this God-given dream is Show me what do you want for me to do because I know there's ministries inside of everyone There's books inside of a lot of people There's ministries inside of a lot of people maybe even certain jobs where you can help families help others Maybe serving at church.

There's there's Lord. I need this breakthrough. I need this financial breakthrough.

I Need this to happen in my life, and I believe I truly believe that God Wants to do more in our life So here's a couple key things attitude determines altitude Is that not true how high you want to go with God? Attitude determines altitude and I know I've said this a lot on Sundays But what kept the children of Israel the whole generation out of the promised land? They walked around 40 years in the wilderness because first they feared right? Oh the the the The Giants are in the land and only Caleb Caleb and Joshua who actually went into the promised land They said no we can take this land because God told us so they were fearful, and then they're walking around grumbling and complaining grumbling and complaining Anybody can ever are you good grumblers or complainers? Anybody out there experts is anybody not a grumbler complainer? There's one two two people And I believe you because I mean some people like I would say my mom But I'd say my mom wasn't a grumbler complainer Paul. I don't think you are I don't know what I don't yeah I mean, so there are there it's a good thing if you've mastered it and I can get good at it until I turn on the media and You read the 24 billion in this and you're what's going on and you start grumbling and complaining and and What what what a certain amount of money was 20 years ago what it means now? Like I tell my kids you can't we keep gotta stop eating a dozen eggs a day. I mean, this is like Where groceries It's and it's incredible But altitude determines our attitude.

I'm sorry determines our altitude Very few realize how important attitude is everything from anger to Discouragement and a critical spirit to complaining all hinder what God has for us And I had I was gonna put a lot of verses for each of these points But it would it would have took too long, but you can look up. What does God say about anger? Actually Moses didn't go into the promised land Because of anger Anger worketh not the righteousness of God In other words, you'll never think get anything right by getting angry the wrong kind of anger. There is righteous indignation Jesus said zeal for God's house has consumed me.

I there's righteous being being angry. It's an emotion that God gives us to express Frustration at the evils in the world and then hopefully do something about it If you look at most ministries that are started it's because we're angry about something We're angry. How can they let a drag? Queen whatever they are called read in our libraries We're so angry we're gonna do something about it and we're gonna offer an alternative How can they allow God's Word to be demeaned and mocked I'm so angry I'm gonna preach fire next Sunday Golly Right, and there's a there's a passion.

There's a desire you can read sometimes I'll read Jesus's words and I think the volume was up Don't you you think he was always just calm and peaceful You think so? You whitewash tombs You whitewash tombs You're clean on the outside but You're dead inside hypocrites John the Baptist you brood of vipers Who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come don't say we're kids of Abraham for God is able to to Chop down the very root of that tree you guys be nice I'm telling you they were fired up They were fired up because that's sometimes how you get people's attention Jeremiah calm and quiet Isaiah I mean these prophets these guys I love these guys. I just I just read this week the story I probably won't get exactly right But where I think it's Ahab and Jehoshaphat Possibly maybe Hezekiah one of the good kings one of the bad kings yeah, and they said, you know, what it's a prophet say if we should go to war and And they said well, let's ask them and so all these prophets go to war you'll be fine go to war you'll be fine and When the Kings either Jehoshaphat or Hezekiah Said was there another prophet? And the Kings like yeah, but he never tells me good stuff. I think it's Mike Mike Mike Mike a Pronounced and he comes in and he says the God has given these prophets deceiving spirits If you come back, you know your God you're gonna die in this battle and some guys like some guy slapped him He slapped the he slapped the prophet get him out of here.

I'll be back. I'll deal with him Then he says if you come back then God has not spoken through me These guys are taught Elisha That's why sometimes we got to get that fire back in man Not to be angry out of control but a righteous anger that stands up and calls things out if you hear something walk in walk into planet fitness or 24-hour fitness or crunch if they're allowing things to say that's wrong. Look me in the face How are you allowing this go to the library? And ask them I Love watching John Montemagno Chuka on Instagram You should follow him turning point USA sending him at all the school districts He's talking so you're either a pervert or you're stupid To the school board and reads his porn a pornographic book You guys are allowing it Call them out.

Thank God for that The reason we're in the predicament we're in is because men have become wimps They would have never allowed this stuff in the 1950s and 60s Again not by anger not by violence But my goodness get some boldness back in your spirit and that only comes from time with God Where he can direct you he can guide you he can fill you with his spirits The reason they didn't inherit this promised land was because of their unbelief their fear their grumbling and complaining And I actually just added this this morning, I think it's so important how to know when God is speaking to you Okay, Shane you're talking about this promise and God wants to do this in my heart How do I how do I know what God wants me to do? Well number one you have to renew your mind daily in his word Here's what I found the more I'm in his word the more thoughts I have about things the more I get motivated do things It's it's because I'm thinking that the heart and a nature of Christ God is actually giving me his heart His priorities his passions as I'm reading the word. I'm being renewed by by reading the word and That's where you get ideas. And that's where actually the idea to plant a church was spending a lot of time in God's Word It started to just well up inside of me.

So without that you're allowing all the media to influence you And that's why you're just gonna be hard to know what to do How to make money How to make money They tell me to do this and tell me to do this and a million dollars in my first year Okay, what does God's Word say? What does God's Word say then number to live a holy humble life marked by repentance This keeps the line of communication between you and God open Notice I didn't say a perfect life but a holy life Lord, I devote myself to humbly following you Lord. I want to live a holy life I want to I want to be filled with the Spirit as you're filled with the Spirit the more filled you are The more he can direct you Have you ever felt that you you're in church or in the word? You're doing good on your besetting sin. You've conquered it You're excited worship and and you're filled the Spirit now you have more discernment on what to do How what what what this job or this position or who to date who to marry who to you know? All these things are more clear because you're filled the Spirit.

So you're directed by the Spirit led by the Spirit Guided by the Spirit this the Holy Spirit guides. He leads he intercedes So if the Holy Spirit is being quenched and grieved it's gonna be a lot harder to discern the voice of God and Then three pray for confirmation Lord, is this you or is this me? anybody have a problem with with deciphering the two Because right you have a great idea. Oh, man, but Lord is this me? Or is it you because a good idea is not always a God idea How many good ideas have got me into trouble and I don't mean trouble I mean just too busy What have I committed to why did I take this on I don't have the time or the energy the resources it was a good idea, but Lord, it wasn't really you and once you have that confirmation and That can look different from it for different people.

I'm not going to go a whole list Um, you're in the Word God gives you confirmation through Scripture. It lines up with His Word Maybe maybe godly counsel in the multitude of counsel. There's safety There's a lot of ways to get confirmation especially on the big decisions number four step out Notice how I put the word here peaceful faith.

I'm sorry Yeah, peaceful faith in other words a lot. You don't want to rush You don't want have you ever made a decision knowing I'm being rushed. I'm being pushed into this I don't know about this but and and it's just too too quick We used to see it.

We don't see it much anymore but even when we do pre marriage counseling or different things and and you get halfway through and there's like they just one of them Pulls out and I and I can't do this. I can't do this Well, why didn't you tell us two months ago? Well, I wanted to but I felt pushed into this I bet I felt rushed into this my my biological clock is ticking My mom is ready for grandkids. I'm getting older and we start to make bad decisions Because we're pushed into things so step out with the peace of God in faith Here's why faith is so important without faith.

It's impossible. Please God and If all if we're always waiting for this to happen and this and this and this and this then this then I'll trust God Faith actually is the opposite it the Hebrews Is it 10 Hebrews 10? Love yeah 11 the beginning of 11 chapter 1 faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen So I'll give you example since we've been talking about it when when God put on our heart to to start a church It made no sense Right. There's no building.

There's no money. There's But you have to use wisdom, right? And so he said, okay Lord, I believe you're you've confirmed it many ways It lines up with Scripture My heart's been burdened for it for a long time. So I'm gonna step out in faith That pleases God That pleases God.

Oh, there's a person who trusts me he trusts me And here's the good news, even if that wasn't the right decision, he'd still lead me He'd still he'd so okay. You're close. I mean, let me help you.

Let me get you over here stepping out in faith Not rushed but confident asking God to guide you Commit thy way and to the Lord trust also in him and he will bring it to pass He will bring it to pay. I These there's no wiggle room in these scriptures Aren't you glad it doesn't say commit thy way to the Lord trust in him and he might bring it to pass You know, you'll find out it Tells so Lord I'm committing this to you And that's why we do baby dedications and that's why we dedicate our kids and that's why we we commit things to God Lord We're committing this to you, please in our elders meeting once a month. We pray that Lord We've been giving you've been giving you've given us stewardship over this body financially Relationally with the truth of your word.

We commit it to you. This is your church What do you want us to do help us steward this you you lead you show us Are we trusting you I wasn't going to share this but maybe I will I don't know. What do you think? Yeah, of course, yeah, of course you it's easy for you to say but something I always get convicted on we're not convicted but Trusting God is And I think I don't know if I mentioned before but we just found out we have to replace All of our water sprinklers in the whole facility after 30 years and that is a lot more money than I thought So every time I want to mention it I Just kind of you know, I don't know reason I'm sharing it is to because it fits in here I just you know, just have a pause You know God will bring The right things that even on on the online giving Online giving we would never guessed we've never imagined how many people reaches throughout the United States.

They give online You know four or five times more than our local body And God opens doors to know well some of you give online so that I guess I should clarify that, you know Not every break right, but but God brings in enough to cover these things often And I remember I don't think I did this year, but last year Last year you ever do something, you know, and I probably shouldn't but Lord, I don't know if it's you or not It's not a bad thing, but you're just not really trusting him. You're trusting yourself so I Think it's when we had to do the roof $50,000 quote. We got on the roof to redo it thought one thing it's the next and So it was a year-end year-end.

I knew like just trust God like no, I'm gonna take this one on myself So at the year year-end like a week before the year ended we sent out an email everything said hey, here's a link to PayPal It's your end giving and nobody gave anything What? Lord What is going on but trusting him trusting him the George Mueller approach you should read his books and So it's out. What's why we do things differently here. People say why don't you collect an offering? Why don't you talk about tithing? Why don't you you know do big pushes and big drives and big funds? It's actually there's a there's a church locally where one person's been complaining.

I know I know of him He goes there like all they do is talk about money every single week It's like they're building this building and if you don't give and you don't give and like that would be stressful That would be really stressful But God has just been teaching. It's just I've got this and then of course people hear about it and they Enough came in to cover the the roof and things so it's just amazing how God will work even in our frailty Even in our mistakes He'll still Lord we commit this to you. You're not committing a perfect walk You're committing a walk dedicated to him and he will hey We'll have it come to pass the next faith engages God's promises.

That's why I just said I already talked about that faith engages God's promises What could be God? I know Lord. I know you want us to have a healthy marriage It's not going good or I know our kids how many gosh how many times have we cried in the prayer room together? Over the years Paul. You know this to being in there just parents grieving over their prodigals Grieving over their prodigals praying with them and and but but knowing God I have faith What's the other what's the other alternative? Oh? they're never gonna come to faith I Can't imagine right now my brother sister in hell brings me to tears and you think about your kids Trust in him I Do know this when a parent gets serious and they pray and they fast and they pull down heaven Watch what God will do.

It's amazing. I'm I'm I never give up on that. I Never give up on that the power of desperation the power of desperation Being in anguish for something if you get a chance even if you're listening to this later Or you can made it make a note Whatever you do find it on YouTube or rumble.

It's called a call to anguish by David Wilkerson a call to anguish By David Wilkerson, there's probably an 11-minute version as well Very powerful I'd listened to it before I came here, and it just wrecks me Because that's what we got to get back in it in Christian American Christianity that Anguish that burden of the Lord that brokenness that humility instead of games and gimmicks Pleasing the crowd but not pleasing God We want to draw in the numbers, but we reject the presence of God Why is faith so important? Here's why it's so important because faith actually I don't know how many of you know this but faith actually acts Your faith is active You don't just sit down on your couch and watch Netflix all week For example if we're praying for a prodigal, I'm not gonna pray sit and watch Netflix and go by Krispy Kreme All week and expect there there has to be some petitioning and some praying it also waits it waits on God it Anticipates so faith acts it waits and it anticipates all this is scriptural versus grumbling complaining and procrastinating Faith has feet A 11 6 Hebrews 11 6 but without faith it's impossible to please God For he who comes to God must believe that he is in other words he is God and He is a love this word. He is a rewarder of those who? Diligently seek are we missing are we missing some diligence could this be the missing Ingredient in our pursuit of God Just let that sink in for a minute he is a rewarder of those who seek him. Yeah, he could have said that But the word diligence go look it up.

If you want you can just google the Greek word for diligence. It's like a beat of water hitting a rock Over Weeks and months and years, did you know that little water eventually? Wears down that big boulder Diligence he's a rewarder of those who Diligently seek him even when I don't feel like it even when I don't want to be at church on Sunday Even when I don't want to get up and pray even when I but I'm going to do it Anyway, I'm gonna be diligent about it because diligent does things when they don't see the result That's diligence And working with a lot of in the past when I help people with with the area of health and fitness and weight loss Diligence was key Right moving forward even when I don't see the calories burned Takes time energy Resources perseverance same thing how much more with our faith So without faith, it's impossible to please God look at Noah prepared Abraham believed in Sarah received they all did something remember remember Noah Noah moved with fear moved with reverence to the building of an ark and the saving of his family. He did something he prepared Abram Believed and he stepped out in faith towards the promised land Sarah believed that her womb would be filled again and she received from God Was expecting it faith is powerful and then streams in the desert from March It shall come to pass as soon as the souls of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord Shall rest in the waters of the Jordan.

The waters shall be cut off In other words, the priests will be able to walk through dry land It goes on to say brave Levites who can help admire them. They carried the ark right to the stream It wasn't a stream the Jordan. It's a big river.

They here they come with the ark It's probably who knows how deep and they get there they step in the water and that's when it parts That's faith Even the ark did not move itself. It was carried When God is the architect which we know he is men are the Masons and the laborers Maybe this will inspire somebody to to get back in the fight again Hmm like why semen in the life of faith let us launch out into the deep and find That all things are possible with God and all things are possible unto him who believes Now of course good to clarify what you are believing for has to line up with Scripture You ask and you pray but you ask you you don't receive because you ask a miss that you might spend it on your pleasures But if you pray according to God's will and sometimes Lord, I don't know what your will is in this area Can you help me pray? And then finally we have to prepare for the promise with obedience prepare for the promise with obedience There's more here in my notes, but it will take a while to go through it all but let me just say this Streams in the desert again. These are great devotionals It's a temptation often comes upon a man when it's when its strongest power when he is nearest to God As someone has said the devil aims high So the closer you get to God yes, sometimes temptation ramps up you heard it first tonight How many of you thought man a closer I draw to God the close easier life will become Do you know how many people I have seen over the years they they're drawing into God and and they're and they're going after Him with all their heart and the old girlfriend calls The old addiction knocks on the door.

I beat that years ago Why is this coming up again? Why is this temptation coming from? the more I closer I draw closer to God the the heart of the fight is If a man has much of the Spirit of God, he will have great conflicts with the tempter God permits temptation because it does for us what the storms do to the oak trees It roots us down and what the fire does for the paintings on porcelain. It makes them permanent As I got older in my walk and many of you realize this although I don't like temptation. It does make you stronger It makes you stronger Because you understand the tricks and the wiles of the devil you build up that resistance You know when you say no to something enough it begins to strengthen you You begin to control it versus it controlling you There's victory Second Chronicles 6 when the people become slaves and in bondage because of sin God said if they wake up Like the prodigal son they come to themselves and they repent they will be set free Obedience can be that that That that final mechanism that God uses to get you back on track Proverbs 29 18 the amplified version where there is no vision Have you heard that scripture before where there's no vision the people perish or where there's no vision The people are unrestained that word vision.

It's not like what you're probably thinking the word actually means where there is no revelation from God in his word Where in other words when I have a when I have a revelation from God in his word when his word comes alive when it Speaks to me when it gives me direction Oh, I've got purpose I've got purpose when you have purpose. It's hard to knock you off track Where there is no vision No revelation of God or his word the people are under restraint But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law of God Obedience obeying prepares us but disobedience stops the momentum But be careful sometimes we confuse the way we feel with the right thing to do Victor mark said that this week be careful. Sometimes we confuse the way we feel with the right thing to do I want to leave you with this story in second chronicles Have you ever heard when you read through the bible high places You you this king was doing great things and it says But the high places were not removed Get to this king good kings do some good but the high places were not removed what's wrong with these guys The high places were up up on hills often that's where the pagan practices of sacrificial system would of sacrificing kids or sexual types of things would happen and they would they would do things to their gods And at some point though the children of israel began to use those high places not to sacrifice to pagans But to actually sacrifice to god because it was convenient We don't have to go back to jerusalem back to the temple It's going to take us a week to get back.

Let's just do it on the high place Let's compromise And the high places were not removed Nevertheless the heart of asa was loyal all his days Also was not completely obedient in the outward visible areas of his life He was obedient in what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right Again from oswald chambers beware of ever thinking. Oh that thing in my life doesn't matter much Have you said that Watch out for that thing watch out for that thing because that usually is the thing the hook that gets you We see the big things But the little things the little things Beware oh that that's not that big of a deal. Yeah, I flirt with that person who's not my spouse But it's not really that big of a deal I pray for so many people next door who went back to their drug or their addiction And are hooked And it's destroying them, but it started with this statement That's not that big a deal right now It's it's often the little things god convicts us about isn't it? Go go fix that with your neighbor go fix that with that person at church go fix that with your spouse get rid of that It's not a big deal Or god wanting us to make changes in our life The little things that are a big thing But he said beware beware of that little thing the fact that it doesn't matter much to you may mean that it means a great deal to god Folks it is often the little things That lead to the big things Often you'll find people That when you've if you've looked into it and you do counseling on let's say pornography for example It often starts with just media And watching things Not that bad it's not that big yeah, i'm kind of convict I shouldn't be watching that on voodoo or netflix or amazon prime, but it's not it's not that big of a deal And because it's not that big of a deal we normally make excuses But those are the things you need to root out if god is dealing with you on on those issues Luke said blessed are those who hear the word of god and obey it Psalm 66.

I love this one for many people and even myself If I regard iniquity in my heart, in other words, I have sin and I don't care i'm going to continue and i'm not going to Repent i'm not gonna i'm not gonna get rid of this stinking thinking or this wrong attitude or this critical heart Or this besetting sin if I regard this iniquity in the heart the lord will not hear my prayers What else could that mean? That's exactly what it means husbands. God said I won't even hear your prayers if you don't treat your wives, right? Oh, it doesn't say that go look it up There's nothing else that can mean Show treat them as a weaker vessel loving them as christ loved the church or your prayers will be hindered Is not my ear my ears not heavy. My hand's not short says the lord But your sins have separated me from you so that I can no longer hear you It's a consistent theme And then the new testament it switches to quenching and grieving the spirit of god Because of besetting sin And joshua told the people consecrate yourself in other words Get ready for tomorrow.

The lord will do amazing things among you So there is a consecration. There is a repentance. There is a cleaning of the heart so to speak And I just heard on one of my older sermons I was on the radio I had it on for some reason I'm, like I forgot about that analogy.

I should use it. It's been a while But when I was many of you Will know do you know what a big air compressor is? They usually pull them on the back of a truck the big kind And uh, we were getting a think of four inch or five inch Um line, they call it they call it pvc or abs piping That they run electrical line through it like like across the street down a block we could We're we're getting the pipe clean and it was 10 years. It hadn't been used and the cap was off So you've got all kinds of Probably dead mice down there You know, you have lots of black widows, of course and junk and mud and and so Uh, what we did is we hooked up the air compressor on the end of the hose We put like some type of mechanism right on the pipe At the end of the pipe and then we turned it on and you hear It was and all that pressure Shot out the pipe at the other end like 50 feet high all the stuff came out And now it was clean now southern california edison showed up and they ran their their their line through it Like what a great analogy for us god wants to clean out that line of communication There's there's a disconnect there often and that's what all these things we're talking about obedience and faith and repentance and and Sanctify yourself consecrate yourself for tomorrow.

The lord will do amazing things god I want I want the holy spirit to run through my life just like that I want to be I want to be clean. I want to be set free I want the free-flowing power of god in my life, but it requires getting rid of that junk Removing those things from your life. We need god's presence again like never before.

Amen We need his presence again like never before if we kept reading in psalm 68 it says this oh god When you went out before your people when you marched through the wilderness the earth shook the heavens dropped rain at the presence of god And mount sinai literally was moved by the presence of god Sing to god you kingdoms of the earth. Oh sing praises to the lord to him who rides on heavens Indeed, he sends out his voice a mighty voice ascribe strength to god His excellence is over israel. His strength is in the clouds.

Oh god. You are more awesome Than your holy place The god of israel is he who gives strength and power to his people Is there anything that resonated with you because normally when we talk about god's word? He prompts us in certain ways. Have you ever felt that conviction? It's like ah that hurt If it hurt that's usually the the knife Going in and cutting out that that spiritual cancer It's got to hurt sometimes