Attitude of the Heart

Well, praise God. I can identify in one sense with Paul, certainly not of many, but in one sense when he spoke about being with the people in weakness and fear and much trembling. But you know, the truth is we need to go through that, don't we? Because if we just run through our spiritual life in our own strength, that doesn't work, does it? And the Lord does have ways of showing us that. And I've had thoughts just kind of ruminating around the last two, three weeks or more. And they're not just thoughts where, oh, God, the Lord says, oh, I've got something for the people. They need this. This was something I needed. And this was very personal. And the truth is, that's the way it ought to be. Because I don't need to be sitting here dishing out stuff just to see this gospel theory or something. We need what's real. And the Lord kind of pointed out something in me, shined a light in a way that reminded me of something that we all know we've heard many times. And of course, that alone, you say, you tend to say, oh, Lord, we've heard that a million times. This is. And yet there I was needing it. Anybody been there? Yeah. We need certain truths virtually all the time. You know, I thought about this, that we have ways as human beings of measuring things. We're always measuring this or that. How much gas do I have? What's my temperature?

What's the temperature outside? What's, you know, a gazillion things. We've got to have the measurement that sort of tells us how we're doing and how things are going along. And the Lord kind of took my temperature one day and it wasn't doing so good. And he reminded me of a simple truth that I'm going to get to. But my mind went to a scripture that I have used many times. And he said, all right, it's time for you to listen to this. And it's in Philippians chapter two. And you know how Paul, so often he will write to the believers and he will describe what God's done for us and what he's given to us and then what he wants from us as a result of that. And in this case, he was talking, of course, about how Jesus, what he came down and what he did and the humility that he had and all that he went through for us. And yet he did it with joy and where he's at the place that he has arrived at because of what he was willing to do. And here we've been called into that same kingdom. And I think many times we get bogged down in life and we tend to think in terms of, you know, how's my life doing here? How do I feel? Nobody here ever experiences that, right? So I'll just talk to myself this morning. So anyway, so Paul in the heels of that begins in one of my favorite passages in verse 12 of Philippians 2. Therefore, as a result of what I've just been saying, therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence. So what's he going to tell them to do? Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. So that's kind of the foundation.

And yet there's, I'm going to get to something because I think a lot of times we can kind of muddle along in our spiritual life and we're think we're doing okay and the Lord shines a light and said, here's where you're really at. I need you to be aware of this need because you need to be looking to me. And so obviously we've said some of these things many times, but you can't work out something that isn't in. Salvation is a supernatural work when someone genuinely presents their heart and life so that it is no longer my life, but it belongs to him. And he is allowed to come in and reign on the throne of my heart and give me a new brand new life. That's the foundation of everything. And I have nothing that I can contribute that originates in me. I just simply hand the job over to him and he starts something, but there is a place that I have to fulfill and that's to work that out. And work is a, the word that is translated work there is enargeia, which is where we get our word energy. How many of you figured out by now that it takes energy to live for the Lord in this world? Yeah, it takes, there's, there's forces against us. And if we're going to live for him, it takes energy and every natural inclination that we have is to depend. upon ourselves, we'll say, God will tell me something to do and okay, and what's our natural inclination? You know, it's just, I can do that. I understand what you said. I will do that. And we learn pretty quickly if we're sensitive at all, and it just doesn't, it isn't that simple. I've got to get a source of energy. Now, what good would it do to plug in? I mean, you got something to do, and you need to plug it somewhere to get energy, and you go ahead and plug it into a dead battery. That doesn't work very well, does it? And that's about what I am without the Lord. In terms of spiritual ability and anything that matters to the kingdom of God, I'm a dead battery, folks. There ain't nothing in, nothing here. You know, we think I can do that, and I can't do that. And so anyway, there's got to be an energy that enables us to do that working out. And the very

fact that it's working out, it reminds us again that this is not something that happens and it's done. It's not a one and done situation. The beginning is, thank God, just like our birth and then into this world begins a life, but then God needs to develop that. So that's where He's going with this. Continue to work out your salvation, and boy, it's your salvation. Isn't that personal? How many of you got a personal salvation? Because if it isn't that, what is it? You're just coming and practicing religion. There has got to be a divine encounter that transforms your heart on the inside and sets you on a different course than everybody around you in the world. Without that, what do you have? What prospects do you have? Praise God. All right. And now here's the, here's the awesome part. We can work it out for it is God. That's the reason that it makes it possible, that makes it possible for me to work out what He's put in there. And it means that it's not just, okay, I dumped it in there, now go for it. This is an ongoing daily relationship where I've got to be plugged in. If I am going to exert or bring forth energy that enables me to do what He said, to be the kind of person that He wants me to be, I've got to get energy from somewhere. And that's what He gets to here, for it is God. Has He got enough energy? I guess so. For it is God who works in you. And again, you have that word energy. God is putting energy in, but He wants me to put the energy out. So there is a divine cooperation that goes on there. For it is God who works in you. And we made this point many times, to will and to do, because my will needs to be fixed. It is far too attached to what I see and feel and what's happening in my individual life and how I feel that day. We are far too attached to that. And God has to lift us out of that, so where something else is happening, so that I actually not just know what He wants, but I actually agree with it. And nobody here ever has that issue, right? He's just instant. Sure, tell me what you want. Lord, I'm totally on board right now. Well, if we're honest, that's not the case. And it may not be some grand thing, but we'll get to where I'm headed with this in a minute. For it is God who works in you to will and to act. So that's where I've got to get the energy. Every day I have got to realize that I need Him. And the funny thing is, how it works in real life is, if I don't have something that I have to fight against and overcome, what's the tendency? Just, yeah, backslide. You just coast. You just say, I got this, I'm handling it. And we don't even realize we have a need. And so God has ways of showing us, hey, wake up here. You've got a need. You need me.

Lord, I need you. We can sing that, but sometimes we don't live as if it's really, really true for me right here, right now. And so, you know, that particular day, the Lord kind of rang my bell a little bit and said, hey, where are you at here? What's going on? I want you to be aware of something that's going on in you right now, because this isn't what I'm looking for. And I want you to be aware of it so you can start plugging into me and change this, because this is kind of a barometer, if you will. There's another measuring device. This is a barometer of where you're at. And I'll say this before I go any further, when God shows us the barometer, the temperature or whatever, it's not to condemn, it's never to condemn, but it is to enlighten so that we can wake up and cooperate and do what he says here. Because he's always working, he's faithful, but we don't always cooperate with him as best we should. And so he's got to constantly bring reminders. And he brought me one that day, so thank the Lord. So anyway, and also I'm so thankful that it says, for his God who works in you to will and to act, why? In order to do what? To fulfill his, what kind of purpose? Good purpose, his good will, good and pleasing will. There's different translations. But basically what God has in mind for every one of us is loving and good and awesome. And the truth is we get so attached to our earthly circumstances and feelings, we don't always quite see that and feel that, do we? And we get our eyes off of what's really happening and where we're going into where we're at and how we feel about it.

Because the truth of the matter is we seek for pleasantness for our earthly circumstances and feelings. And the trouble, also another trouble, we've talked about this many times, is that our barometer, spiritually speaking, and our general sense of how am I doing, welfare, has a whole lot to do with how I'm feeling. We allow that to be the engine instead of the caboose of our little train. God has made us feeling creatures. We have emotions, but they were never meant to drive the train. And so how many of us, however, are way too influenced by those things? And God wants to help us. And I'm so thankful that he has a way of rattling my cage, that's not a cage, you know what I mean. But he gets my attention to say, wait a minute, let's pay attention. Here's an area where, well, I'll go on to the next verse. The first two words are do everything. Well, do everything kind of conveys to us the idea of this is what I want you to do. This is what I don't want you to do. And this is how I want you to do it. And it becomes an external thing where I do all the right things. I read my Bible, I pray, I smile. I go to church, I raise my hands.

You know, the outward is all there. But is that enough? You know, the Lord said something that's often been referred to, to Samuel when he went to anoint one of Jesse's sons to be king. And the first one came out and he took one look at that tall, handsome, gifted young man, said, boy, that's gotta be the guy. What did the Lord say to him? The Lord doesn't look as we do. He doesn't look on the outward appearance. He looks on the heart. And I wonder how many times when we're just kind of rocking along and coasting or somehow the way we're interacting and reacting to life and the things that happen to us, it's way too much like people of the world. And we're doing the right things on the outside. We haven't robbed any banks lately and haven't killed anybody. And so, and we're going to church and we're doing the right stuff. And so we're okay. And yet God says, I got more, I'm trying to fix your inside. I got someplace I'm going with this. I'm taking you down a road and you're just pulled off to the side. And then what he says, what he's about to say.

So doing everything is good. But what about the rest of this? Do everything without grumbling or arguing. See now he's hit every one of us between the eyes because we all do that. We all tend to react and complain on the inside when things don't please us in a natural sense. And that's where God wants to change the inside because where he's going with this is what kind of a testimony are we to the world? If all we have is on the outside, but the inside is still grumbling and complaining. You know, if there's something's pleasant, sure, praise God, I'm happy, everything's wonderful. But when there's any kind of adversity or difficulty or when we're just tired, when we're pressed, when anything. Any circumstance is not pleasant to us, and we start reacting to that on the inside. Is that what God's looking for? And that's kind of where he hit me between the eyes, because how many times have I preached this, and there I was on the inside just kind of sulking and complaining and giving in to the feelings, and now you're welcome to tell me that, you know, we've all learned this, you've all learned this, and I'm the one that needs this, but I don't think I'm the only one. Every single one of us goes through that all the time. I'm so thankful that God doesn't stop working. How many times have I prayed? I've, you know, the longer I've gone, the more I realize I need stuff. I need Him to work, and I've had many times where I've said, boy, it wasn't pleasant. I didn't feel like it, but I said, God, don't quit. Lord, don't quit, because here I am. If I went by my feelings, I'd probably quit. I would certainly step back, and this is just too much of a, too much of something. It's not pleasant at all, and I'm tired, and I just don't feel like fighting, and oh, thank God for His mercy. Thank God that He doesn't tell us a single thing to do without

giving us the means of doing it, if we will believe it and agree with Him, but what a barometer this is, and I wonder how many of us are going through life just kind of doing the stuff, but on the inside we're just kind of grumbling a little bit and complaining, and maybe even feeling sorry for ourselves occasionally. Nobody would ever do that, but the truth is we all do, and the Lord knows what He, He knew what He was getting into. We've said all these things many times, but anybody here need this today? Yeah, because that's where we're at, and if you're expecting, and I don't, I think people around here know, been around long enough, you know better than to think this, but there are some people that think, oh, if I sign up for the kingdom of God and Jesus comes in, then everything is going to be wonderful, my circumstances are going to be pleasant, and if they aren't, something is wrong, and the truth is if God didn't send us battles, we'd never learn how to win victories. If God didn't give us adversity, we would never get strong. We would never have to actually believe, because what is belief if it doesn't have to exert action, and we all know these things, but the reality is here I was, not a young man anymore exactly, and the Lord had to stop and say, wait a minute, look where you're at, look what's going on in here. I see that, but I need you to see it, because I need you. Here's an area where outwardly, yeah, you're doing the right stuff, but inwardly there's something that needs a little bit of attention here, and so that's what the Lord was dealing with me about. I haven't got this real organized. I thought of several other scriptures. Let's just see if I can, let's see which ones I had in mind. Let's just go to Colossians chapter three. We used this recently. Ben used it, and then I followed up, but Paul again has talked about the awesome things that God has done for us, all he's given to us, and now we're, now we need to learn how to live out the new life that he's put in. So again, it's the same kind of a theme. Stop doing this, start doing that. Why you can do that, because there's a new self, and that's a new life that he gave you, and it's from above, and it's supernatural. We don't have that. You're just trying to live a religion, but thank God we need to really believe that he lives in us, and that he is, he's able, that we are able in him to do whatever he tells us to do. So anyway, one of the things he said in verse nine, I'll just pick it up, do not lie to one another, each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices, and have put on the new self. That's what happens when we come to Jesus. Praise God, have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator. And then this is the verse that

was read, you know, we were talking about race recently, and what the concept of human category is. That's all done away in Christ. Christ is all and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, by the way, you want to know who God's chosen people are? Everyone that's in Christ, without any other earthly distinction. If we're part of that family, we are God's chosen. We need to ask God to give us the grace to live that out. Anyway, holy and dearly loved. Do you realize you're dearly loved this morning? Every one of us goes through circumstances and feelings where we don't feel dearly loved. And we would love if God really loves us and really blessing us. Why is it this way? Why do I feel this way? Why isn't that happening? You know, all these kinds of questions that the devil loves to play with our brains about. Anyway, dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion. So here's something to do. That comes from the inside, doesn't it? Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with or put up with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. That's pretty good advice, isn't it? Did the Lord forgive you? Do we have an excuse not to be forgiving toward others? You know, we know better than that. We don't always do it, but we know better. And over all these virtues put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity. Now, this is kind of where I was getting. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. And that's

kind of where the Lord put my attention. Be thankful. That's kind of the opposite of complaining, isn't it? I'm looking at how I feel and what's going on in my life. I'm not very thankful about it. Now, you know, we tend to associate Thanksgiving with pleasant things happening to us and recognizing somebody who has some bearing on why we feel—why things are going well. Thank you for that blessing or whatever. And so in our minds, with our natural thinking, we tend to think, oh, if God just gives me some pleasant something or meets a real need, I'm going to be thankful. Thank you, Father. But it doesn't say just when things are going to please us. There needs to be a thankfulness. Now, why should I be thankful? Well, if He is working in me for His good purpose and He uses all kinds of circumstances to do that, where am I at spiritually speaking? How mature am I as a believer if I'm unthankful for the very thing that He's doing for my good? I mean, you know, the scripture we quote all the time, in all things, God is at work for the good of those who love Him, those who are called according to His purpose. But the reality is, if we're not thankful, do we really believe that? Do we really believe that He is in most things, in the good things? No, in all things, He is working for our good. And so would not that be an appropriate response, knowing that? Isn't that of the right

thing to do, to say, thank you, Lord, even when it's not the thing that pleases me? Now, here's the issue. If we're grumbling and complaining and not being thankful, are we not disagreeing with God and what He's doing? That's kind of what, where the Lord kind of focused my attention. Here I am working for your good and you're disagreeing with me, you're complaining about it. And He's wanting to change me to the point where I am on board with what He's doing and how He's doing it. And I recognize His hand even when I don't like it from an earthly standpoint, because I know that I need that. Many times what He's doing is the very thing that the Lord was doing to me that day, showing me a need. Is that a good thing? Yeah. If I'm sitting there depending on myself and coasting and just not being all that He wants me to be and He flashes a light on some area of need in my life, is that a good thing? And He's got to use circumstances to do that. Does that mean He's mad at me? Oh, thank God for the love that reaches out. Even when He has to discipline me, there's always that heart of love. love that causes me to know that he's working all things for my good. There's no thing I'm saying we haven't heard, but I need this. Because the reality is every one of us is experiencing something. You get older, you have certain things, you're younger, each one of us at every point in our life has times when we just, we're not thankful. And it takes divine energy to be thankful. Now here's one picture that comes back to my mind many times. I think many of you at least have seen the Kendrick movie, was it Overcomer? About the runner, the girl runner. And without going into all the stuff, you remember the grandma who had a spirit of bitterness

toward the man who had misled his, her daughter and left her with the granddaughter to raise. And there was, and she was having a hard time reconciling that with the fact that the guy was now in the hospital blind, but he'd come to Christ. And she couldn't really let all of that past go. And there was a point in the movie where she was, she was praying by herself, said, Lord, I know I need to forgive him, but you're going to have to help me. Remember that scene? How many of us get in that same place where we know that we're supposed to be thankful, for example, but we don't feel like it. All we want to do is say, Lord, why is this happening? I don't feel good. I should, I should feel good if you're with me. And the Lord wants us to say, thank you. Well, it ain't in me to say thank you, and I don't feel like it. But here's where God wants us to begin to exercise faith. And one thing the Lord reminded me of that, again, I know this in my head, this isn't about working up a feeling. Being thankful isn't, you know, going through some, some ritual where I'm going to sing happy songs necessarily and just make, work up an emotion, and now I'm thankful. We can be thankful without having any of those kinds of emotions be a part of it. The truth is, if a thankful heart often can produce emotions, but even if it doesn't, that's not the issue. The issue is not how I feel. The issue is what I choose. And I have the power because of Him. If I'm willing, remember, God's at work, I work on my will. This is an area where we need help. Every single one of us needs help at some point in our life. To be willing, to actually say thank you from a heart, not just to go through the form. We're all good at that.

Thank you, Lord. And down in here, we're still grumbling. I'll tell you, God is able to help every single one, right where you're at right now, whatever you're going through, whatever you're feeling, if you'd rather something, your circumstances be different right now. How about if the Lord knows what you need and loves you enough to do that instead of what you would prefer in the natural? Can we, by faith, recognize that, look past ourselves and say, thank you, Lord. I know you know what I need. I know you love me. I believe it. And so instead of complaining, I'm going to exercise thanks. I need you to help me, but you promised to do that. So thank you, Lord. Whether I even feel it now or not, thank you. That's a pretty good opportunity, isn't it, to grow? And how are we going to grow if God doesn't put us in situations like that, where we have to exercise what we say we believe? It's gotten quiet in here. Is this touching anybody's need? Yeah, certainly touching mine, but I'll tell you, God is so merciful and faithful. Anyway, let's see. Yeah, be thankful. That's where I stop. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing with gratitude. There it is again. You kind of can't get away from that, can you?

Singing with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Giving thanks. Oh, Lord. There it is again. Giving thanks to God the Father through Him. You know, I thought of a scripture that has been referred to, I guess, many times over the years. Well, you know, the passage where 1 Thessalonians 5, you got a whole lot of simple little basic instructions. Rejoice, verse 16, rejoice always, pray continually. But here's the one, verse 18, give thanks in all circumstances. Not just the good ones, not just the ones that please our flesh. Give thanks in all circumstances, all right? For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. So I mean, if we are, we're just stubbornly clinging to self-pity and ungratitude and all those kinds of murmuring and complaining, are we really on board with what he's doing? Wouldn't life be smoother in our relationship with him, much better if we would just agree with him? You think we'd have more peace in our hearts? Doesn't mean every circumstance would immediately become awesome on the outside, but I'll tell you, how are we going to have peace with God if we're disagreeing with him all the time, fussing and fighting? Well, thank God he is so merciful. But this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. But I have heard, and I think I've said this in the past, I have heard people say, yes, we're going to give thanks in all circumstances, but not for them. Is that so? How about Ephesians chapter five?

Let's see where I wanted to pick that up. Well, in the middle of a lot of instructions as to how to live as children of light and all of that, verse 15, be careful then how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity. How many of you have had opportunities lately? Of course, the opportunities many times are things that we're dealing with adversity, not just, oh, wow, I'm going to get out and preach and do this and that. The opportunities most of us need are to deal with situations and needs in our own hearts. All right? Making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart. How many times does it go down in here where, again, we find it easy to do the outside, but the inside is not quite connected? The Lord's helping us, isn't He? He loves us enough to tell us about it, but He's there to help us do it. All right? Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always, not sometimes, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything. Oops. It's not just in all circumstances, but it's for them. How many of you find it difficult to thank the Lord for something that really is unpleasant? I believe the Lord would help us if we're willing. And don't even say, okay, I'll do it, but you've got to reward me with good feelings or else I'm going to complain again. That's kind of how we are, isn't it?

I just thank God for His great mercy and His love for us and how much we need Him. I thank Him for bringing that to my attention because there I was in a pity party and just fussing and kind of not doing bad stuff, but just not really happy about it entirely because I didn't feel good. Well, praise God. Call the United Nations. Phil doesn't feel good. So anyway, let's go back just briefly to Philippians 2. Do everything, everything, everything, oh Lord, everything without grumbling or arguing. Now why do that? So that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. See, God's just not wanting to fix us up on the outside so we do the right stuff. We can do everything, but He wants this fixed. And the more... The more this is fixed, the more this agrees with Him, even when we don't feel like it, the more we're going to be changed, the more we're going to be what He wants us to be. So listen to the consequence of that, doing everything without grumbling and so forth, then, then, not before, but then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the Word of Life. I'll tell you, God wants us to be a light in this world. He, everything that He is doing, there are no mistakes. We talked about this recently. There are no mistakes. We've got no accidents. Everything He does is to help us to become, not just on the outside, but on the inside, different people. And every bit of energy I need to do everything He tells me to do in this book, He is willing to supply, if I'm willing to agree with Him, and live it out, choose to live it out. Let the emotions come and go. That's not the issue. The issue is, am I willing to trust Him, and not just to trust Him, but to say, thank you, Lord. Not, I'll do it, but I don't have to be happy about it, which is how we are with more than we'd like to realize. This is a simple thing. We've heard it so many times.

But there I, there I was, many times I preached this, I needed it. And I don't think I'm the only one. I believe the Lord wants to encourage every one of us to exercise the faith that He has given us, to actually believe the things we say we believe, and to agree with them down in here, even when we don't feel like it. But we can look up and say, Lord, I know you love me. I know you put me on a road that leads to an awesome place. I can't even imagine what you've got laid out for me. And I know you know what I need, and you care. So if you're allowing this to happen in me right now, thank you, because you know what I need, and I trust you. Praise God. That's a simple truth, isn't it? But I suspect there's more than, I'm not the only one who needs this right now, because we are in that process where God is building a light that He is going to use in this hour, and we're part of that, but only if He is, if He lives in us instead of us complaining and fussing all the time. Lord, help us. Praise God. Praise God. I'm thankful that the Lord is completing that work that He promised to complete in us. He started it, and He is going to finish it. Just something brief, and part of this I even thought about when the choir was singing, but I'm going to go back, if you don't mind, and read the last verse that Phil read in Philippians 2 and verse 14. It says, do everything without grumbling or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure. There's a process where you become blameless and pure, and none of us here are perfect, but the thing of it is, is the work that He's doing in us is going to express His righteousness and His holiness. Even in earthen vessels that are without Him, nothing, He fills those vessels. In fact, you know, Phil also alluded to that scripture about being filled with the Spirit. It is the Spirit of God that comes in, and we're clothed in, and we ask for that comes in here and goes out, and then people see something we're seeing. It's life. It's hope. It's strength. Anyway, and can anybody here do that or perform that without the Spirit and the power of God in us? If the kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of the kingdom, what is the force? It has to be through Him. That's what He's promised to do. I'll finish this verse here, that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Do we live in a warped and crooked generation? Yeah. I mean, every generation without Christ or without God is warped and crooked, and the warpedness and crookedness that's in us, He's working out. But I was thinking about when they were singing, this morning they were singing the song, Maranatha, O Lord Come. You know, but I thought about Noah. You know, Noah didn't

just come out there and say, a flood's coming. He also built an ark, and we as the people of God, if the Lord is interested in building His church, putting His people together, it's going to do something. There is a true ark of safety in Jesus Christ and is seen in His church and the members of it. body. And in a time where it's the darkest, just like it was in times in the Bible, you would see the most darkest situation. But when God showed up, there was a proclamation and example of who God is, and that there is a God that we must reckon with, and a God that has power in a situation, and what the Lord wants to express to people in this world. God loves you and wants you to come to him. He gave his life for you. His life is in the church. And if we become that light that shines to a warped and crooked generation, it has to be the Jesus in us. But his whole, you know, a lot of us say about his purpose, and it's his purpose not to build his church, and to put us together, and to put him, I tell you what, the first thing he told us to ask for was for his kingdom to come and his will to be done. Is that correct? And so, I mean, that's the first thing when he tells us to pray. You ask for that. It's all about his kingdom. It's about his righteousness, his church, his holiness, his righteousness, and everything that goes with it. And when you when you see that happening in our lives, whether it's in our homes or on a job, when we're in a situation where what we do is not dictated by our circumstances, but by the one living in us, there's a light that shines forth. And when that light shines forth, and it's dark, people see a light. Is that not the reason that Christ, he told us that we were a light? You don't take a light and put a bushel basket over it. You let it shine. But the thing of this, when we're filled with that, it comes out without us trying. In fact, the more we try, the more I've tried, the more I fall flat on my face. But that's why Jesus wants us to be clothed with power by his spirit, so that he can be seen in this dark world. There's no accident that we were all born in this generation at this time. And ever how long it is before Christ returns, we don't know that. You can't put too much energy in trying to figure that out. The thing to do is to occupy until he comes. And I thought about that too, about where the Lord gave the minions, or he gave the monies to the people. And that's where that saying comes from, occupy until I come. It's do business until I come. You, you be a light, because I've called you to be a light. I put that light in you. You have a purpose. I have a purpose. At the darkest time in earth's history, we have a purpose in Jesus Christ. It is him. It is for him to be seen in us, to live through us. And then again, we won't be

complaining and crying and moaning and groaning if we are filled with that spirit that gives all life and all hope. Jesus said, you know, the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. But I have come that you might have life and you might have its fullness. If we have the fullness of Christ living in us, do we have something to rejoice about? Do we have something to praise God about? Can people see something in us that is the exact opposite of what they see in the world of what our nature and our emotions dictate? Because if that's all we got, we got nothing. We got something, but it's negative. He is a hundred percent positive. His life flows. His life raises people from the dead. It still raises people from the dead. And so, and so if that's indwelling me, I'm going to be able to praise him when things are really bad. One of the worst times for anybody had to be when Jesus was getting ready to go to the cross. The weight of everything was coming on him. He said, you know, he even fell down on his face. But it also says this, for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. He knew in the end what it was going to be and what he was doing. And he didn't pray just for himself. He prayed for us, but he prayed that the Lord would give him grace to do that for us. And when we are filled with him and ask for his input, his strength, his help, Lord help me, it's going to help somebody else. He's going to empower us to do what we cannot do, including worshiping him, praising him, living for him in a warped and a crooked generation. But I'll tell you what, he is so good. Is his power the same? He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. When we have him in us, people are going to see a little, it might be just a spark, but they're going to see a part of the kingdom of God, and they're going to look and say, that's different. Do people need to see something different now than what they see on the news, what they see in society, what they see in government? They need to see the one whose government is on his shoulders, and it's Jesus Christ. That's who he is. Is he alive? Is he alive in your heart? Is he alive in my heart? Is he alive in his word? Is he alive by the spirit, and that spirit that dwells in us? Did he give us that, and did he send the Holy Spirit? back just so we can mumble and grumble. No, he wants us to be filled with himself and be able to speak to others and share with others the love of God. That's what I want and I tell you what, if that's happening, I tell you what, his will and his purpose is not that. It's for him to show himself to others so he can bring people to himself so lives can be changed. Hearts can be changed from a hard heart to one where he can dwell.

That's his purpose. Is he doing that? Is he doing it in your life? I believe he is. Is he doing it in mine? Yes. I'll tell you what, I don't care how hard-hitted and stubborn you are, he's got a hammer. He's actually got loving hands. That's what it is. He can lovingly correct us, help us, strengthen us and I tell you what, the spirit of him who is watching over us, his spirit, he's meek and gentle and he can yet deal with us no matter what our issues are and change a heart that doesn't want him into one that does and yields to him so that he comes in and expresses himself to others. Aren't you glad of that? I am. Gives me something to rejoice in and thank God for. Praise God. That's all I have. Praise God. I agree with Steve. It's our job to witness to people, not to preach to them, to witness to them and I was thinking about my nephew Chris and that's what I've been trying to do. I had a dream, woke up this morning. I thought it was kind of strange when I woke up but then I started thinking about it and I'll just tell you the dream. It was, we was in a war because I had a rifle in my hand. There was a car and there was another car on down. The car was on fire and I was helping this guy, I don't know who it was, to get people out of that car and then he said, he said, that's your car down there. So I went running down there and I seen a, I seen, I seen a blonde headed lady, I guess it was Candy. She was, she was coming too but she weren't there yet and I got there and it was like a old Explorer I had. It was a back door. I opened it up. It was hard to get open and I got it open and I started helping kids out. They was coming out, they was coming out and I was so happy to get them out and then there was one left and he'd come all the way up. I said, come on, come on and he kind of ducked down in there. I said, come on, you need to come on out. You need to come on out and get out, get out and I woke up and anyway, I thought that's a strange dream but I thought about it and I said, maybe that's my nephew, Chris. I'm trying to get him to come out, come out, you know, to be saved, you know, not to preach to him but just to let him know all you gotta do is talk to God and let him know that you're there and last time we went to see him, me and my brother went to see him and he talked for a while. We just talked about nothing, you know, how you do but before I left, I said, Chris, I said, have you been talking to the Lord? He said, yes. He's never really been to church, I don't think but he says, yes, I have. He says, when I'm out here alone by myself early in the morning, he said, I have and he got broken a

little bit and I hadn't seen him broken but anyway, y'all continue to pray for him, ask the Lord to help him. He's got stage four cancer. He don't have a whole lot of time but anyway, there's time to know the Lord.