The Oaks
The Oaks
3. How to Become Stable in an Unstable World - Know the Real Enemy
Our struggle is not again flesh and blood but against an unseen enemy. Learn how we fight by using the armor God has given for our benefit.
NoteTue, 6/23 · 11:20 AM1:44:32SUMMARY KEYWORDS god devil people wrestling pray paul jesus wrestle righteousness talking faith works prayer praying spirit read protect power overcomes lord
Remember this message from Isaiah chapter 61. God takes the seeds of brokenness and turns them in the oaks of righteousness and that's you.
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By nature, go through changes, and sometimes those changes on earth things. Sometimes the water start it just starts feel like we're just going back and forth. And anyway, so we've been talking about how, what are some things that I can grab ahold of to stabilize me. In the midst of seasons where I don't quite know what to do or think. And here are some of the things that we looked at so far fall back on the things that you know are true. I know God is good. I know God is good. Okay, know that God is good. That's something true, that helps you to know, because sometimes we see things right is God. Good. Right. That was the very first thing that the devil questioned about God, by the way, when he tempted out of me. Number two, do the things that you know to do the things that you know are right. Keep doing them those things.
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Simplify find
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that means to break it back down to the simplest form love God with all your heart, soul strength, love your neighbor as yourself. All the nonprofit's hangs on these. Sometimes it's hard to know what is the right thing to do in a situation but simplifying helps us get a starting point to move forward. Number four, remember the work so the Lord. A sath said, Where's God what is going on I'm just really at a place where my life is swirling, but I thought about this, I will remember the works of the Lord I'll remember his works of old, and when ASAP got to that point. It was a pivotal point and him feeling better.
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You ever want to feel better. Hmm.
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I mean, seriously. You want to feel better I mean you actually want to get better. But ASAP. Had he had a breakthrough in his mind when he got to this point. Remember, and he's like, I'm gonna call this out, God God you did this and this and this. And one more thing to remember about this, this point right here. Number four, remembering the works of the Lord is a SAF was calling the mind things that God had done for other people. His ancestors. Right. Are you guys tracking with me. So he was celebrating the victories that God had done for somebody that was not even ham. It was ushering him into that same flow of God's provision. That's a good thought I would love to preach on that some more I love that idea, because I've been reading Genesis, in the last couple weeks, and we are Abraham's children. So what God did for Abraham, oh we were part of we're part of that story. Okay, number five, ask God for the next step man should not live by bread alone, but by every word of god we actually need a Ramo from God, we need a word from the Lord for him to speak to us and show us. Last week we talked about this one point. This was the whole talk last week was remember what is enduring. And what was the one thing that we learned about that was enduring is this principle right here, as long as the earth endures this principle is going to Ender of seedtime and harvest. We're bringing it back to this thought that we have to remember even though things are swirling around us. We are personally responsible for what
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she said, because this was Carson at least
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read what we said, she said. It's a principle that are Bandura. Right. And so,
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today.
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Number three,
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how to be stable Are you guys ready. All right. We'll talk about today is, I guess, step number seven, if you will, to help you stay stable, is to remember something x is to know something is to know your enemy. And, this point is something let me just actually jump into the Scripture and lead into it interpret the point. Paul the Apostle in Ephesians chapter five.
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He's writing them just so you know.
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Emphasis the church at emphasis kind of happened out of a revival. But there's a tremendous amount of pluralism, that the church was born in, just so y'all know this, there was, um, there was upheaval there when I say pluralism, I mean, there were lots of different ideologies that were being communicated about or not just communicated that were believed, there's all these different city states and they all had different religions and different gods that they worship for, so it's not like it's not like the gospel was born and feared where it was just but not just know it was the world was wicked. Okay, we need to know this that the gospel, and that God is not intimidated by what is happening in our nation right now, his agenda. It may not be the agenda of anybody that is agenda is to bring the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Expansion but we need to know something. The parts are that are divisive. It's really important for us to understand this,
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this,
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Ephesians chapter six verse well. Paul said we
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just Tell your neighbor say we wrestle.
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Anybody ever watch rasslin, when you grow up wrestling. There's people that wrestle
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wrestle wrestle labor, any of your kids wrestle.
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Okay.
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That's wrestling. Okay, that's what you do.
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wrassling, you might watch wrestling.
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That's how you say it, WWE, or whatever.
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Listen.
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Because I mean, I grew up on Bundy and Andre the Giant.
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And who else
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macho man and Ric Flair and. Yeah, I don't know about who even is around anymore, but uh, I was never really into that but long story short, that's wrastlin,
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whether you're wrestling last night.
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Right. Either one, even if it's just, I mean they're still jumping off. Listen. Paul makes a really interesting point here when he says we wrestle another translation of this is, we struggle. I'll never forget something I read one time by john Eldridge, and one of his books is either Wild at Heart, or. I can't remember I read a few of his books he's great writer, but he said the reason that you feel like you're in a war is
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in the garage.
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The reason that you feel like something is struggling against you, or that you're wrapped up on the road. And it's, you know, you're laying down on the ground is diving, you know, and jumping on you. And then coming out, you know, is drop kicking you what's called power driver.
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Um, you have any idea how to reset it
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in your watch that you're just kind of looking at me. Y'all know y'all seen that. Okay. Thank you. Um. The reason you feel like that is because we are wrestling. You thought you were just wrestling we said it was somebody saying, ugly things.
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Whatever. What about this one about the deck. Right.
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But there's somebody else that has an agenda
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behind all the nails and just kind of
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love. Okay, he's very intelligent man and a godly man. He says that it's not just the people that we, I forget his accent I say he says there's people behind the curtains that are pulling the strings that are creating up people but I would like to take it a step further than that though, and say, and this is what Paul wants us to understand what we wrestle with is not flesh and blood. So he says what it is and then he says What are you doing, okay, let's wrestle and I actually says well, first we wrestle not against flesh and blood in other words, what do you say other people are never really
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use it.
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Other people are never really your enemy can people be your enemy Yes Are we love our enemies Yes, okay, but we have to understand that there's a nother,
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you have any thoughts can they still come up there,
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is that we wrestle,
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or we struggle against say against. This is what happens is inadvertently we cooperate with instead of struggle against man God's will is really
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broken or the only one is broken
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powers rulers of darkness of this world, spiritual, Miss principalities, against principalities, powers rulers of darkness
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wickedness in high places
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that are broken there they, you still have them or they're not they're not omniscient right. He's one individual who has a location saying that we're speaking to here are this is actually a pecking order when he talks. This is the same. And listen, I want you to take anybody in the military, please forgive me because I just really don't know. I don't know rank and file. But, if I remember our privates like their email to get up on top lieutenants corporals general. You got to have any other problems before me, what he's saying all the way
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over saying hi places.
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You guys remember when we get another
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law. my
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dad was praying and Michael the archangel,
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or the big angry. Okay. He's a Saint
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Michael big day, front door, um, Michael
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is the lookout for shame.
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He shows up Gabriel. Nice are they not. But, nice. Anyway, Daniel was praying. Okay.
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Pray
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Daniels pray. And, Yes.
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That's where my
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21 days. Finally, on the 21st day shows up and said hey look in got your house with the mask on, on the first. Today's the 21st right. I got your request on the first. Um, I started moving. When that happened, but I got hung up with this guy named the Prince of Persia, and apparently that was the Andre john of the Persian right and they got in a wrestling match. And Daniel, kept praying until Michael prevailed, somehow, the prayer was connected to the breakthrough. But the thing that you need to understand is that there was a supernatural force that was, that was big. And you have this clash of the titans if you will but Jesus wins, always. So we need to understand that there are things like that. What we see in Jesus ministry. Jesus really dealt with those lower level guys, those that were inhabiting people he was doing personal deliverance you don't really see. As far as I know in the scripture Christians going after these regional entities. So my suggestion to you is no, don't go after them you don't want to extend what pass what Jesus did but know that they're there. They're displaced in other ways. I'm just saying you don't want to stand, try to, I'm just giving you guys a little word of caution you don't want to confront one of those guys you want to stay in the realm of authority that Jesus has given you. But Jesus said we don't read our policy we don't read it it's Facebook it's for spies powers, bla bla bla. So, the point that I'm wanting you to know about is look there's a devil he hates you. And he
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actually hates
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other people to the devil hates the Jews. Asian people, black people and white people, yellow, brown every, every color of the wheel that God loves so much is actually gonna be standing around, we read about that last week, every nation Tommy travel we stand around with the devil on the stretch. And so that's always his mo yeah there it will be ready.
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Oh,
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because we want to be swept away by something that the devil is doing we want to be able to discern the Lord
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Jesus was Jesus ministry.
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Father do so we want to be able to discern what are you telling me.
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What are you doing.
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And so anyway, Paul goes on and he says okay look. Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood are not with people. It's not Paul, and was actually beaten the internet, man I think episodes might even be where there was a riot. I mentioned this guy named Dimitri metalworking he made idle idle idle and stirred up the whole idols makers union or something like that. And anyway, I said he did me great harm. That's what Paul said in one of his letters about this guy
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here look I really understand that question.
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I was against the forces of darkness.
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So then he says so.
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He says Finally, be strong in the Lord and His mighty power. And he says, Put on full armor of God. Say full armor of God.
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Yeah, yeah, I
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can take her stand against the devil schemes. So, I'm just saying hey we wrestle. We wrestle with armor. We wrestle with things that actually protect us y'all know what armors for right. Here's the deal, right, God has put unify. But he
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can handle armor Hill.
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Okay. God would never put a seat. God does not want you to be destroyed. God does not, that's the devil's Mo. Yeah, but God wants us to actually prevail over call you guys remember the verse, the actually the series of verses in. In Revelation we've talked about this song. To him who overcomes, I will fill in the blank. There's a whole list of things that Jesus says to the worst that overcomes the reason we. There's a promised overcoming because there's something to be overcome. But Paul says put on the full armor of God so you can take your stand against the devil scheme so let's just spend the next couple minutes here and let's just look at the armor of God that he mentions, and let's think about how we might appropriate. There's a five or six different pieces of armor that we'll talk about, as we're talking about it.
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Look, you don't have to
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like my expectation for you guys is not that you figure it all out. But maybe there's one thing you're like yes that's what I need to work on. That's really all I'm looking for today is for one of these five for you to say that that's what I need, I need to work on that one. Got it. Alright so let's see which one. Let's see which one is number one Paul says here now, I'll read the verse, he says, our struggle is not against flesh and blood better than. And then he says, Therefore, put on the form of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. And after you have done everything to stand, stand firm with the built of truth book around your waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place your feet fitted with a readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this take up the shield of faith, then you can extinguish the flaming areas that he won't take on a helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit was closing on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Okay.
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So the first thing you mentioned the truth.
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Yeah. And so,
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this is something we've kind of talked about already falling back on when you feel like you're in a battle you feel that things are just to fall back on the truth that you know, it's really important that we read God's word so that we have a revelation of truth but also to know, what are the things that I know are true, those are the things that you need to dig into when, when the when the fog of war, if you will, is raging around you. Like one thing that I just write one thing that I fight with is the thought that I'm that God is good. God has a good god you know they say that the bill kind of holds everything in place. Yeah, all the other armor, but we want to hold on to the bill of true. Number two is the breastplate of righteousness. We want to pursue truth. Number two is we want to know that righteousness, actually protects us righteousness, and the Bible says that we are righteous because what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. And so,
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one thing that protect
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us protect our heart, Alicia has been
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here, righteousness is the revelation that say this women say I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That's a verse say we were sinners who were made righteous by the blood of Christ, that protects us yeah. One of the reasons I have faith believe God for things that I don't deserve, is because my righteousness was not deserved. And it's given to me. And I accepted His righteousness, in place of mine. And that gives me confidence to move forward. And, and so apparently he is righteousness us being righteous versus being a right with God has something to do with protecting our heart. By the way, I don't get all this, okay. Revelation on this, but I know I don't have to know that to know. Okay, this is something that I will embrace his righteousness, I want to embrace truth, like Paul say look this is how you protect yourself from these epic powers. He kind of describes his truth. his righteousness. Oh, I want to be right with God. I want to practice righteousness. I want to do what I know is right. So if you believe that you're righteous then you'll start acting a little more like. If you believe something else about yourself and you're going to start acting like what you believe. We're the righteousness of God in Christ so we're righteous. And so God wants us to act out of that he wants us to do what's right. Did you know that you're protected if you will do what's right. This goes back to what we talked about last week. We want to do
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what is right.
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Number three, the gospel
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is the
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gospel of peace. And so, peace is associated with your feet, and are what moves you right. Did you realize it's hard to create more without peace in your life. This is what Romans 1619 there should be a song. Turner Turner Turner. No,
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no further.
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And then it goes
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16 1916 minutes.
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Last night I said, the God of peace, crushed underneath our faith
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in the God.
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He was just calling to ask
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us this is interesting you guys because the Bible does not say that the God of War was the God of wrastling, or the God of whatever this is the God of one of the most fundamental weapons that we have in our arsenal as Christians in a time of turbulence. So we only being in person thing or time of turbulence in our world, 108.
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Yeah, which probably
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level two is Kingdom fully come this kingdom is growing right but piece crushes sake, our payment just went down for your bias 19. And if you're right handed, so God crushes Satan piece for you to walk in pace enables you to have full
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mortgage taxes and insurance.
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What does fear do.
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Fear freezes you right. So we like
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to have momentum,
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covered with peace gospel.
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Allah.
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Then we have the shield of faith. About 600 of that and it says the shield of faith, actually enables you at that point quench every fiery Dart. So I know I've been talking about wrestling but
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I have a wrestler.
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By refinance and as you start over on those like it's a bad guy, as people are hating Sunday. Hey. Oh, okay. So I don't know him, but let's just say Triple H, not only wrestles against you. But also, he comes into the ring with a bow. And he shooting flaming arrows, he.
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I just wonder if sometimes when we erupt.
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We just got hit by flaming arrow. We just provided a gasoline. Right. The devil wants to sting us every now and then things happen to us. And that's what an arrow is meant to do. It's meant to wound you it's meant to sting you. But did you know that faith can actually protect you.
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I feel like this is a prophetic word for somebody.
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When something goes wrong in your life. I just want you to understand that bad things happen. People make bad choices, and they affect you.
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But don't go down the path of saying
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anything bad ever happens it just happens to me, that by the way, is not faith. But if you will actually use the shield of faith. It will quit that Dart. And that thing instead of reaching your person. Your body, your faith actually keeps it out here. Faith enables you to stay protected from arrows that were meant to take you out. Hello. Look if somebody's shooting an arrow at you. It is not for your benefit or you really have to understand that Paul is saying the devil shoots arrows.
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Sounds good. You're not without protection,
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they were there bad ones.
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I believe God is good.
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Something happens. Instead of going down that same old trail where you say,
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Marley stop by
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hard and this always happens
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on that trail. It's like God's gonna turn this around God's gonna use everything for my good faith. And that faith. It takes the fire out. I want to talk to you by faith actually crazy wishes, the fire out of the room, something done that shower flashing everywhere yeah that's actually what it says. In addition, take up the shield of faith, which you can extinguish Can you say extinguish. So all right so was that they didn't like to ask you so flaming arrows, but somebody throws you a fire eating glass. Okay. And that's the Lord, or an extinguishing fire retardant shield. There you go, that's what we have our faith. When we make the active choice to believe God will distinguish his fiery darts
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see glasses.
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Raise your windows.
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I know your head is very important. Right, okay. I don't know maybe God wants to save our head. I don't think that oh god i'm not sure Novation. Put it on that guy, the plumber gone for two weeks. If you don't have a relationship.
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He's coming coming back.
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It's just like not wearing a helmet. That's all I gotta say, it's like having a death wish it's like, how can you be saved unless we have the helmet of salvation. So, my only encouragement is the only thing I know to say about this, is get right with God, give your life to Christ be say, which faucet. Otherwise, I'd say the enemy let me just tell you something the enemy wants to destroy everybody he was in the third tradition but don't destroy every had a plumber house this morning.
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And then number six the sword of the Spirit,
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which is the word of God. So, people say about this sort of strategy and this is actually this the only use that we can actually damage to the devil. By using the word of god you guys remember whenever the devil himself came to Jesus and tempted Jesus. You remember how Jesus responded to the devil.
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This way,
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the devil came saying it's written to Jesus and taking them out of context 60 condos, and Jesus came back with it's also written down, Jesus actually did battle with the devil, using the word of God. And so Jesus is our model we can do battle with the devil, by using the word of God. So for us to treasure the Word of God, for us to remember the word of God, to quote the Word of God to commit it to memory to make it our mantra Jonathan's got to kind of build on the Word of God and built on a godly belief. Um, oh, you can do that, and it actually becomes a weapon in your hand. Yeah. My grandmother, she passed away I think it's just been a year ago,
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I was just looking at anytime.
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She would just start putting order God. That's what she did. And I think she was a holy terror, to the devil. She was meek little woman.
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Say Patrick quote,
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but I think when she got to him and I think that there was a, I think we refund great amount of honor that gets me in it, because of the way that she prayed. And so, but she prayed using the sword of the Spirit. Speaking of prayer. That's the last thing that he says, this was not a piece of armor. But he said, and do that so he said take on the Word of God. Yeah, which is the sword of the Spirit. So we're slicing and dicing with a word of God. And, um, hey every now and then something like feels like it's up to you, like a slimy something, and we're gonna cut that thing off that's what swords do they pay every month. Right. And then Paul finishes by saying look, and thanks to Sam but also do this with Ben right in
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with all kind of pray. Oh,
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that just really opens it up for us, doesn't it.
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Yeah. So Josh, I don't know how to pray well there's lots of kinds of prayer that's the Yellow House so today I wanted us to end with Dan with me.
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Yeah.
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I just want us to take just a minute.
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Normally I would set up a Michael Jordan, but uh, I don't really know that
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they see me Oh,
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yeah, we gotta fix it's working now, you got to help him upstairs now.
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While we're trying to do
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is no, I don't want you germs. Yeah. So let's just play. The thing that this will require is for you to just know. I want you to do this. Think about this. And we're about to say the Lord's prayer together. But before we do, one of the things that says the Lord's prayers. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it isn't. We know that's what family diplomacy, anything of the day, think of Alaska in that room.
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Were prayed that for your family
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or stay last there.
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Finally, we would you boy if we were down is anytime I said he didn't want the guests right she didn't want to move into that room, which is so cute It's perfect for her to start and I said, Well, why don't you give me the TV I'll go up there. So she's getting the TV that was in living room. First of all, no, that was supposed to go in our bedroom. I just thought, you know,
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it's way worse
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or but you blow up there and mortar, Netflix, you know, just like he did, where we might be afraid of go in there with you. You just man oh no cartoon series, he really liked. And then also the fear because of the chaos. Okay. I'd love to have you up there. Downstairs violence does not kill Bob Marcy's been in Iran. We've been trying to make this displacement remote for them so they'll stay. Not. Show us how. No, no, it's a really helps us to to have this office.
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We want to be established years.
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Show us in our little ways in our little homes and our little hearts. 30 Minute. Our little porches and and our little chair, our little living room. Show us how to start
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bringing the
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space. Going out one today in our own space. Let Your kingdom come to our sphere already. We're faithful God gives us the principle to Lord help us to learn,
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faithful your kingdom. Okay.
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Ginger has more done in Greenville you might feel that
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he was cheaper. In the year,
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when she got hurting I want to miss you pronounce. Two years ago, this is pray in the Spirit for how much, all kinds of prayer was obviously making this very broad way to pray
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when he's talking about the gear, it was
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done in two different context one context we spoke about it was in a church gathering required interpretations as Bethenny changes niece's actually says when I pray with my understanding. In other words, I know what I'm saying.
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relate them.
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In other words, I get what I'm praying about, but he said when I pray with my spirit he specifically calls it, praying to the spirit he was talking about a devotional language. He says when I pray with my spirit.
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My mind is unfriendly.
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In other words, something that's coming out of my limited ego.
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I don't know what i'm saying i
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mean what do you say working for that money, I will pray with the spirit, and with my understand. So you said that one thing I want you to realize because he specifically says pray in the Spirit, with all kinds of prayers. I think we pray in the spirit of, not what it means but I think that is also what it means. So if you've never received a prayer lns only handles the one that's been around around I don't know what that means about one.
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It's Paul says this is a key
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to us wrestling brass with enemies being able to pray in the Spirit. And to pray with our spirit, you know Paul even took it even further. He said I will same with my understand that plumber Sure. bucks javelins do that work. So, and then one more thing here and this is where how we're going to answer today. Jesus disciples came to him and said, Lord, teach us to pray.
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They've started I think they started making a connection between Jesus
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power. His power.
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And he was casting, we I think I
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was like, against the enemy.
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By the way, the Bible says that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. That's Jesus, Mo, using this guy. He's destroying the works of the devil. So, the devil might have showed up in the rain but we, we got the power weekend. Right. Thanks for that metaphor today of wrestling but uh. Oh, Jesus. His disciples made this connection. They said war. This is how you should pray. So why don't we pray, exactly what Jesus taught us to pray together. I'm talking about. So let's say this together. Our Father in heaven. Yeah, like before. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on
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earth as it is in heaven.
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Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us, the evil that powerful deliver us from the
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other side deliver.
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Deliver delivers.
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Here's our prayer.
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Let's make these declarations trying to sell it I'm just saying if one tries
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to lower the price. God sees me.
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God is with me
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Speaker 1
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ever leave me she thought they were taught that God is it just. Y'all know what I need before I had mercial properties in the residential properties. So they're having the boat, they had voted on
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either. I am righteous because of Jesus.
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I have the peace of God.
1
Speaker 1
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Oh, the owners don't want people parking there's probably I can pray and see results. Man, it just seems I can offer so much go downstairs and have dinner. Did you enjoy that.
Speaker 1
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hopes podcasts. Remember this message from Isaiah chapter 61. God takes the seeds of brokenness and turns them in the hopes of righteousness,
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and that's you.
1
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By nature, go through changes, and sometimes those changes on earth things. Sometimes the water start it just starts feel like we're just going back and forth. And anyway, so we've been talking about how, what are some things that I can grab ahold of to stabilize me. In the midst of seasons where I don't quite know what to do or think. And here are some of the things that we looked at so far fall back on the things that you know are true. I know God is good. I know God is good. Okay, know that God is good. That's something true, that helps you to know, because sometimes we see things right is God. Good. Right. That was the very first thing that the devil questioned about God, by the way, when he tempted out of me. Number two, do the things that you know to do the things that you know are right. Keep doing them those things.
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Simplify find
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that means to break it back down to the simplest form love God with all your heart, soul strength, love your neighbor as yourself. All the nonprofit's hangs on these. Sometimes it's hard to know what is the right thing to do in a situation but simplifying helps us get a starting point to move forward. Number four, remember the work so the Lord. A sath said, Where's God what is going on I'm just really at a place where my life is swirling, but I thought about this, I will remember the works of the Lord I'll remember his works of old, and when ASAP got to that point. It was a pivotal point and him feeling better.
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You ever want to feel better. Hmm.
1
Speaker 1
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I mean, seriously. You want to feel better I mean you actually want to get better. But ASAP. Had he had a breakthrough in his mind when he got to this point. Remember, and he's like, I'm gonna call this out, God God you did this and this and this. And one more thing to remember about this, this point right here. Number four, remembering the works of the Lord is a SAF was calling the mind things that God had done for other people. His ancestors. Right. Are you guys tracking with me. So he was celebrating the victories that God had done for somebody that was not even ham. It was ushering him into that same flow of God's provision. That's a good thought I would love to preach on that some more I love that idea, because I've been reading Genesis, in the last couple weeks, and we are Abraham's children. So what God did for Abraham, oh we were part of we're part of that story. Okay, number five, ask God for the next step man should not live by bread alone, but by every word of god we actually need a Ramo from God, we need a word from the Lord for him to speak to us and show us. Last week we talked about this one point. This was the whole talk last week was remember what is enduring. And what was the one thing that we learned about that was enduring is this principle right here, as long as the earth endures this principle is going to Ender of seedtime and harvest. We're bringing it back to this thought that we have to remember even though things are swirling around us. We are personally responsible for what
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she said, because this was Carson at least
1
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read what we said, she said. It's a principle that are Bandura. Right. And so,
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today.
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Number three,
1
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how to be stable Are you guys ready. All right. We'll talk about today is, I guess, step number seven, if you will, to help you stay stable, is to remember something x is to know something is to know your enemy. And, this point is something let me just actually jump into the Scripture and lead into it interpret the point. Paul the Apostle in Ephesians chapter five.
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He's writing them just so you know.
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Emphasis the church at emphasis kind of happened out of a revival. But there's a tremendous amount of pluralism, that the church was born in, just so y'all know this, there was, um, there was upheaval there when I say pluralism, I mean, there were lots of different ideologies that were being communicated about or not just communicated that were believed, there's all these different city states and they all had different religions and different gods that they worship for, so it's not like it's not like the gospel was born and feared where it was just but not just know it was the world was wicked. Okay, we need to know this that the gospel, and that God is not intimidated by what is happening in our nation right now, his agenda. It may not be the agenda of anybody that is agenda is to bring the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Expansion but we need to know something. The parts are that are divisive. It's really important for us to understand this,
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this,
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Ephesians chapter six verse well. Paul said we
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just Tell your neighbor say we wrestle.
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Anybody ever watch rasslin, when you grow up wrestling. There's people that wrestle
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wrestle wrestle labor, any of your kids wrestle.
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Okay.
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Speaker 1
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That's wrestling. Okay, that's what you do.
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wrassling, you might watch wrestling.
1
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That's how you say it, WWE, or whatever.
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Listen.
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Because I mean, I grew up on Bundy and Andre the Giant.
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And who else
1
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macho man and Ric Flair and. Yeah, I don't know about who even is around anymore, but uh, I was never really into that but long story short, that's wrastlin,
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whether you're wrestling last night.
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Speaker 1
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Right. Either one, even if it's just, I mean they're still jumping off. Listen. Paul makes a really interesting point here when he says we wrestle another translation of this is, we struggle. I'll never forget something I read one time by john Eldridge, and one of his books is either Wild at Heart, or. I can't remember I read a few of his books he's great writer, but he said the reason that you feel like you're in a war is
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in the garage.
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The reason that you feel like something is struggling against you, or that you're wrapped up on the road. And it's, you know, you're laying down on the ground is diving, you know, and jumping on you. And then coming out, you know, is drop kicking you what's called power driver.
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Um, you have any idea how to reset it
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Speaker 1
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in your watch that you're just kind of looking at me. Y'all know y'all seen that. Okay. Thank you. Um. The reason you feel like that is because we are wrestling. You thought you were just wrestling we said it was somebody saying, ugly things.
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Whatever. What about this one about the deck. Right.
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But there's somebody else that has an agenda
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behind all the nails and just kind of
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love. Okay, he's very intelligent man and a godly man. He says that it's not just the people that we, I forget his accent I say he says there's people behind the curtains that are pulling the strings that are creating up people but I would like to take it a step further than that though, and say, and this is what Paul wants us to understand what we wrestle with is not flesh and blood. So he says what it is and then he says What are you doing, okay, let's wrestle and I actually says well, first we wrestle not against flesh and blood in other words, what do you say other people are never really
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use it.
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Other people are never really your enemy can people be your enemy Yes Are we love our enemies Yes, okay, but we have to understand that there's a nother,
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you have any thoughts can they still come up there,
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is that we wrestle,
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or we struggle against say against. This is what happens is inadvertently we cooperate with instead of struggle against man God's will is really
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broken or the only one is broken
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powers rulers of darkness of this world, spiritual, Miss principalities, against principalities, powers rulers of darkness
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wickedness in high places
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that are broken there they, you still have them or they're not they're not omniscient right. He's one individual who has a location saying that we're speaking to here are this is actually a pecking order when he talks. This is the same. And listen, I want you to take anybody in the military, please forgive me because I just really don't know. I don't know rank and file. But, if I remember our privates like their email to get up on top lieutenants corporals general. You got to have any other problems before me, what he's saying all the way
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over saying hi places.
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You guys remember when we get another
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law. my
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dad was praying and Michael the archangel,
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or the big angry. Okay. He's a Saint
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Michael big day, front door, um, Michael
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is the lookout for shame.
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He shows up Gabriel. Nice are they not. But, nice. Anyway, Daniel was praying. Okay.
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Pray
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Daniels pray. And, Yes.
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That's where my
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21 days. Finally, on the 21st day shows up and said hey look in got your house with the mask on, on the first. Today's the 21st right. I got your request on the first. Um, I started moving. When that happened, but I got hung up with this guy named the Prince of Persia, and apparently that was the Andre john of the Persian right and they got in a wrestling match. And Daniel, kept praying until Michael prevailed, somehow, the prayer was connected to the breakthrough. But the thing that you need to understand is that there was a supernatural force that was, that was big. And you have this clash of the titans if you will but Jesus wins, always. So we need to understand that there are things like that. What we see in Jesus ministry. Jesus really dealt with those lower level guys, those that were inhabiting people he was doing personal deliverance you don't really see. As far as I know in the scripture Christians going after these regional entities. So my suggestion to you is no, don't go after them you don't want to extend what pass what Jesus did but know that they're there. They're displaced in other ways. I'm just saying you don't want to stand, try to, I'm just giving you guys a little word of caution you don't want to confront one of those guys you want to stay in the realm of authority that Jesus has given you. But Jesus said we don't read our policy we don't read it it's Facebook it's for spies powers, bla bla bla. So, the point that I'm wanting you to know about is look there's a devil he hates you. And he
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actually hates
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other people to the devil hates the Jews. Asian people, black people and white people, yellow, brown every, every color of the wheel that God loves so much is actually gonna be standing around, we read about that last week, every nation Tommy travel we stand around with the devil on the stretch. And so that's always his mo yeah there it will be ready.
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Oh,
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because we want to be swept away by something that the devil is doing we want to be able to discern the Lord
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Jesus was Jesus ministry.
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Father do so we want to be able to discern what are you telling me.
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What are you doing.
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And so anyway, Paul goes on and he says okay look. Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood are not with people. It's not Paul, and was actually beaten the internet, man I think episodes might even be where there was a riot. I mentioned this guy named Dimitri metalworking he made idle idle idle and stirred up the whole idols makers union or something like that. And anyway, I said he did me great harm. That's what Paul said in one of his letters about this guy
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here look I really understand that question.
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I was against the forces of darkness.
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So then he says so.
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He says Finally, be strong in the Lord and His mighty power. And he says, Put on full armor of God. Say full armor of God.
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Yeah, yeah, I
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can take her stand against the devil schemes. So, I'm just saying hey we wrestle. We wrestle with armor. We wrestle with things that actually protect us y'all know what armors for right. Here's the deal, right, God has put unify. But he
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can handle armor Hill.
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Speaker 1
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Okay. God would never put a seat. God does not want you to be destroyed. God does not, that's the devil's Mo. Yeah, but God wants us to actually prevail over call you guys remember the verse, the actually the series of verses in. In Revelation we've talked about this song. To him who overcomes, I will fill in the blank. There's a whole list of things that Jesus says to the worst that overcomes the reason we. There's a promised overcoming because there's something to be overcome. But Paul says put on the full armor of God so you can take your stand against the devil scheme so let's just spend the next couple minutes here and let's just look at the armor of God that he mentions, and let's think about how we might appropriate. There's a five or six different pieces of armor that we'll talk about, as we're talking about it.
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Look, you don't have to
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like my expectation for you guys is not that you figure it all out. But maybe there's one thing you're like yes that's what I need to work on. That's really all I'm looking for today is for one of these five for you to say that that's what I need, I need to work on that one. Got it. Alright so let's see which one. Let's see which one is number one Paul says here now, I'll read the verse, he says, our struggle is not against flesh and blood better than. And then he says, Therefore, put on the form of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground. And after you have done everything to stand, stand firm with the built of truth book around your waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place your feet fitted with a readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this take up the shield of faith, then you can extinguish the flaming areas that he won't take on a helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit was closing on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Okay.
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So the first thing you mentioned the truth.
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Yeah. And so,
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this is something we've kind of talked about already falling back on when you feel like you're in a battle you feel that things are just to fall back on the truth that you know, it's really important that we read God's word so that we have a revelation of truth but also to know, what are the things that I know are true, those are the things that you need to dig into when, when the when the fog of war, if you will, is raging around you. Like one thing that I just write one thing that I fight with is the thought that I'm that God is good. God has a good god you know they say that the bill kind of holds everything in place. Yeah, all the other armor, but we want to hold on to the bill of true. Number two is the breastplate of righteousness. We want to pursue truth. Number two is we want to know that righteousness, actually protects us righteousness, and the Bible says that we are righteous because what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. And so,
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one thing that protect
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us protect our heart, Alicia has been
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Speaker 1
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here, righteousness is the revelation that say this women say I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That's a verse say we were sinners who were made righteous by the blood of Christ, that protects us yeah. One of the reasons I have faith believe God for things that I don't deserve, is because my righteousness was not deserved. And it's given to me. And I accepted His righteousness, in place of mine. And that gives me confidence to move forward. And, and so apparently he is righteousness us being righteous versus being a right with God has something to do with protecting our heart. By the way, I don't get all this, okay. Revelation on this, but I know I don't have to know that to know. Okay, this is something that I will embrace his righteousness, I want to embrace truth, like Paul say look this is how you protect yourself from these epic powers. He kind of describes his truth. his righteousness. Oh, I want to be right with God. I want to practice righteousness. I want to do what I know is right. So if you believe that you're righteous then you'll start acting a little more like. If you believe something else about yourself and you're going to start acting like what you believe. We're the righteousness of God in Christ so we're righteous. And so God wants us to act out of that he wants us to do what's right. Did you know that you're protected if you will do what's right. This goes back to what we talked about last week. We want to do
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what is right.
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Number three, the gospel
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is the
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gospel of peace. And so, peace is associated with your feet, and are what moves you right. Did you realize it's hard to create more without peace in your life. This is what Romans 1619 there should be a song. Turner Turner Turner. No,
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no further.
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And then it goes
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16 1916 minutes.
1
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Last night I said, the God of peace, crushed underneath our faith
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in the God.
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He was just calling to ask
1
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us this is interesting you guys because the Bible does not say that the God of War was the God of wrastling, or the God of whatever this is the God of one of the most fundamental weapons that we have in our arsenal as Christians in a time of turbulence. So we only being in person thing or time of turbulence in our world, 108.
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Yeah, which probably
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Speaker 1
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level two is Kingdom fully come this kingdom is growing right but piece crushes sake, our payment just went down for your bias 19. And if you're right handed, so God crushes Satan piece for you to walk in pace enables you to have full
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mortgage taxes and insurance.
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What does fear do.
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Fear freezes you right. So we like
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to have momentum,
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covered with peace gospel.
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Allah.
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Then we have the shield of faith. About 600 of that and it says the shield of faith, actually enables you at that point quench every fiery Dart. So I know I've been talking about wrestling but
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I have a wrestler.
1
Speaker 1
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By refinance and as you start over on those like it's a bad guy, as people are hating Sunday. Hey. Oh, okay. So I don't know him, but let's just say Triple H, not only wrestles against you. But also, he comes into the ring with a bow. And he shooting flaming arrows, he.
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I just wonder if sometimes when we erupt.
1
Speaker 1
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We just got hit by flaming arrow. We just provided a gasoline. Right. The devil wants to sting us every now and then things happen to us. And that's what an arrow is meant to do. It's meant to wound you it's meant to sting you. But did you know that faith can actually protect you.
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I feel like this is a prophetic word for somebody.
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When something goes wrong in your life. I just want you to understand that bad things happen. People make bad choices, and they affect you.
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But don't go down the path of saying
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anything bad ever happens it just happens to me, that by the way, is not faith. But if you will actually use the shield of faith. It will quit that Dart. And that thing instead of reaching your person. Your body, your faith actually keeps it out here. Faith enables you to stay protected from arrows that were meant to take you out. Hello. Look if somebody's shooting an arrow at you. It is not for your benefit or you really have to understand that Paul is saying the devil shoots arrows.
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Sounds good. You're not without protection,
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they were there bad ones.
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I believe God is good.
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Something happens. Instead of going down that same old trail where you say,
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Marley stop by
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hard and this always happens
1
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on that trail. It's like God's gonna turn this around God's gonna use everything for my good faith. And that faith. It takes the fire out. I want to talk to you by faith actually crazy wishes, the fire out of the room, something done that shower flashing everywhere yeah that's actually what it says. In addition, take up the shield of faith, which you can extinguish Can you say extinguish. So all right so was that they didn't like to ask you so flaming arrows, but somebody throws you a fire eating glass. Okay. And that's the Lord, or an extinguishing fire retardant shield. There you go, that's what we have our faith. When we make the active choice to believe God will distinguish his fiery darts
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see glasses.
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Raise your windows.
1
Speaker 1
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I know your head is very important. Right, okay. I don't know maybe God wants to save our head. I don't think that oh god i'm not sure Novation. Put it on that guy, the plumber gone for two weeks. If you don't have a relationship.
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He's coming coming back.
1
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It's just like not wearing a helmet. That's all I gotta say, it's like having a death wish it's like, how can you be saved unless we have the helmet of salvation. So, my only encouragement is the only thing I know to say about this, is get right with God, give your life to Christ be say, which faucet. Otherwise, I'd say the enemy let me just tell you something the enemy wants to destroy everybody he was in the third tradition but don't destroy every had a plumber house this morning.
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And then number six the sword of the Spirit,
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Speaker 1
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which is the word of God. So, people say about this sort of strategy and this is actually this the only use that we can actually damage to the devil. By using the word of god you guys remember whenever the devil himself came to Jesus and tempted Jesus. You remember how Jesus responded to the devil.
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This way,
1
Speaker 1
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the devil came saying it's written to Jesus and taking them out of context 60 condos, and Jesus came back with it's also written down, Jesus actually did battle with the devil, using the word of God. And so Jesus is our model we can do battle with the devil, by using the word of God. So for us to treasure the Word of God, for us to remember the word of God, to quote the Word of God to commit it to memory to make it our mantra Jonathan's got to kind of build on the Word of God and built on a godly belief. Um, oh, you can do that, and it actually becomes a weapon in your hand. Yeah. My grandmother, she passed away I think it's just been a year ago,
30:32
I was just looking at anytime.
1
Speaker 1
30:36
She would just start putting order God. That's what she did. And I think she was a holy terror, to the devil. She was meek little woman.
30:49
Say Patrick quote,
1
Speaker 1
30:50
but I think when she got to him and I think that there was a, I think we refund great amount of honor that gets me in it, because of the way that she prayed. And so, but she prayed using the sword of the Spirit. Speaking of prayer. That's the last thing that he says, this was not a piece of armor. But he said, and do that so he said take on the Word of God. Yeah, which is the sword of the Spirit. So we're slicing and dicing with a word of God. And, um, hey every now and then something like feels like it's up to you, like a slimy something, and we're gonna cut that thing off that's what swords do they pay every month. Right. And then Paul finishes by saying look, and thanks to Sam but also do this with Ben right in
31:43
with all kind of pray. Oh,
31:47
that just really opens it up for us, doesn't it.
1
Speaker 1
31:52
Yeah. So Josh, I don't know how to pray well there's lots of kinds of prayer that's the Yellow House so today I wanted us to end with Dan with me.
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Yeah.
32:05
I just want us to take just a minute.
1
Speaker 1
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Normally I would set up a Michael Jordan, but uh, I don't really know that
32:16
they see me Oh,
1
Speaker 1
32:19
yeah, we gotta fix it's working now, you got to help him upstairs now.
32:25
While we're trying to do
1
Speaker 1
32:27
is no, I don't want you germs. Yeah. So let's just play. The thing that this will require is for you to just know. I want you to do this. Think about this. And we're about to say the Lord's prayer together. But before we do, one of the things that says the Lord's prayers. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it isn't. We know that's what family diplomacy, anything of the day, think of Alaska in that room.
33:01
Were prayed that for your family
33:05
or stay last there.
1
Speaker 1
33:10
Finally, we would you boy if we were down is anytime I said he didn't want the guests right she didn't want to move into that room, which is so cute It's perfect for her to start and I said, Well, why don't you give me the TV I'll go up there. So she's getting the TV that was in living room. First of all, no, that was supposed to go in our bedroom. I just thought, you know,
33:38
it's way worse
1
Speaker 1
33:41
or but you blow up there and mortar, Netflix, you know, just like he did, where we might be afraid of go in there with you. You just man oh no cartoon series, he really liked. And then also the fear because of the chaos. Okay. I'd love to have you up there. Downstairs violence does not kill Bob Marcy's been in Iran. We've been trying to make this displacement remote for them so they'll stay. Not. Show us how. No, no, it's a really helps us to to have this office.
34:27
We want to be established years.
1
Speaker 1
34:32
Show us in our little ways in our little homes and our little hearts. 30 Minute. Our little porches and and our little chair, our little living room. Show us how to start
34:45
bringing the
1
Speaker 1
34:47
space. Going out one today in our own space. Let Your kingdom come to our sphere already. We're faithful God gives us the principle to Lord help us to learn,
35:06
faithful your kingdom. Okay.
35:10
Ginger has more done in Greenville you might feel that
35:14
he was cheaper. In the year,
1
Speaker 1
35:16
when she got hurting I want to miss you pronounce. Two years ago, this is pray in the Spirit for how much, all kinds of prayer was obviously making this very broad way to pray
35:35
when he's talking about the gear, it was
1
Speaker 1
35:41
done in two different context one context we spoke about it was in a church gathering required interpretations as Bethenny changes niece's actually says when I pray with my understanding. In other words, I know what I'm saying.
35:59
relate them.
1
Speaker 1
36:00
In other words, I get what I'm praying about, but he said when I pray with my spirit he specifically calls it, praying to the spirit he was talking about a devotional language. He says when I pray with my spirit.
36:14
My mind is unfriendly.
1
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36:15
In other words, something that's coming out of my limited ego.
36:22
I don't know what i'm saying i
1
Speaker 1
36:24
mean what do you say working for that money, I will pray with the spirit, and with my understand. So you said that one thing I want you to realize because he specifically says pray in the Spirit, with all kinds of prayers. I think we pray in the spirit of, not what it means but I think that is also what it means. So if you've never received a prayer lns only handles the one that's been around around I don't know what that means about one.
36:52
It's Paul says this is a key
1
Speaker 1
36:54
to us wrestling brass with enemies being able to pray in the Spirit. And to pray with our spirit, you know Paul even took it even further. He said I will same with my understand that plumber Sure. bucks javelins do that work. So, and then one more thing here and this is where how we're going to answer today. Jesus disciples came to him and said, Lord, teach us to pray.
37:24
They've started I think they started making a connection between Jesus
37:27
power. His power.
37:31
And he was casting, we I think I
37:34
was like, against the enemy.
1
Speaker 1
37:38
By the way, the Bible says that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. That's Jesus, Mo, using this guy. He's destroying the works of the devil. So, the devil might have showed up in the rain but we, we got the power weekend. Right. Thanks for that metaphor today of wrestling but uh. Oh, Jesus. His disciples made this connection. They said war. This is how you should pray. So why don't we pray, exactly what Jesus taught us to pray together. I'm talking about. So let's say this together. Our Father in heaven. Yeah, like before. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on
38:32
earth as it is in heaven.
1
Speaker 1
38:37
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us, the evil that powerful deliver us from the
39:02
other side deliver.
39:08
Deliver delivers.
39:10
Here's our prayer.
1
Speaker 1
39:13
Let's make these declarations trying to sell it I'm just saying if one tries
39:19
to lower the price. God sees me.
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God is with me
1
Speaker 1
39:28
ever leave me she thought they were taught that God is it just. Y'all know what I need before I had mercial properties in the residential properties. So they're having the boat, they had voted on
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either. I am righteous because of Jesus.
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I have the peace of God.
1
Speaker 1
39:52
Oh, the owners don't want people parking there's probably I can pray and see results. Man, it just seems I can offer so much go downstairs and have dinner. Did you enjoy that.