Come Out Of That Cozy Corner - Pastor J. D. Howell 11-30-2025

Matthew Chapter number twelve, Mad, direct your attention of verses

number nine through thirteen, Brother Nathaniel, Matthew nine and nine,

and Brother Jesse Genesis chapter number eighteen and verse number fourteen.

Brother Nathaniel, would you read Matthew nine and nine, my brother.

And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a

man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom, and

he said, unto him, follow me.

And he arose and followed him.

So Matthew abandoned his cozy office and left the receipt

of custom, and he chose the reception of Jesus. He

left the receipt of custom and chose the receipt of Jesus.

Should I say that again? He left the receipt of custom,

and he chose to follow Jesus took some effort on

his part that day. It's going to take some effort

on somebody's part this morning and tonight for you to

get what you need, Brother Jesse, Genesis chapter number eighteen,

Verse number fourteen. Is anything too hard for the Lord

at the time appointed? I will return unto thee according

to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a.

Son Phraise the Lord.

The Holy Gast spoke to Brother Philip this past Wednesday night,

those words, is there anything too hard for God? Let's

stand for the reading of our golden texts Matthew twelve

nine through thirteen. If you have it, say amen, Phraise

the Lord. And when he was departed, thence he went

into the synagogue, and behold there was a man which

had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, is

it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? That they

might accuse him? And he's said, unto them, what man

shall there be among you that shall have one sheep?

And if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day?

Will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? Now,

I want you to notice that sheep would not have

been happy remaining in the pit. It would not have

been comfortable on a couch and a cozy corner. It

wanted out. It wanted out of that situation. Praise the Lord. Okay,

what man shall there be among you that shall have

one sheep? And if it fall into a pit on

a Sabbath day? Will he not lay hold on it

and lift it out? The Lord knew that this man

this biblical character in this narrative today needed to be

brought out of a situation verse number twelve. How much, then,

is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore is it

lawful to do well on the Sabbath days? Sheeper man?

It's lawful for people to get help. Verse number thirteen,

then says he to the man stretched forth dying hand,

and he stretched it forth, that it was restored whole,

like as the other. We pray, Heavenly Father, we love him,

We praise you. We thank you for the opportunity to

come in your house this morning. We pray that you

would annoint this thy servant set of gud. Have my

mouth and help me to say what you would have

me to say, nothing more or less. Anoint ears of

this thy people this morning. We pray God, that you

would set a guard to their ears and help them

to hear what it is. The Spirit of God would

have them to hear what it is He is saying

to this church through the preach word of God, not

of my words, but of your words. May we speak God,

and may these sayings go below the shoulders. May they

saturate the spirit and the soul. We'll give you praise

and honor and glory, and may we depart this place

joyfully and not sorrowfully, in Jesus's name. And the church said, hey, man, brother,

look at your brother sitting next to you, and say, hey, neighbor,

come out of that cozy corner. Hey man, looking at

verse number ten again Matthew, chapter number twelve and verse

number ten. And behold there was a man which had

a withered hand, And they asked him, saying is it

lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?

That they might accuse him.

Our text is found in a New Testament book of

the Holy Bible, the Book of Matthew. Matthew, also known

as Levi, was a tax collector, and at some point

in his life, this tax collector turned into an apostle

and made a wonderful disciple of Jesus Christ. In fact,

he was quite fancied by the sayings of our Savior,

and at some point he decided to put pins to

parchment and record the sayings of the wonderful Master and

brother Jesse. I'm glad that he tuck those sayings away

so that he could compile this wonderful gospel that we're

looking into. This day, I'm thankful for a man that

had a desired not only to hide the words of

God in his heart that he might not sin against him,

but that this man had a desire to write some

things down seemingly. I believe we would expect that from

a tax collector, a recorder, a man that sat at

the receipt of custom. But this man, on a certain day,

he abandoned his office, his place of employment, and he

followed the Lord. I want you to think with me

of just how embarrassed he would have been because of

all of the dishonest things he had done to his

fellow Jews. There's no doubt there would have been a

desire within himself to have retreated from this opportunity, to

have fled into another country, as Jonah did when the

Lord commissioned him and asked him to follow him. There

had to be a little bit of a desire sis

to owl, for him to hide in a corner somewhere.

And there's no doubt that this man, in a moment,

after processing what was going on, he chose not to

shrink in a corner. But he'd rather follow Jesus. In

other words, he didn't want to wither away in a corner.

And that's what I feel like. During the night last night,

the Lord began to speaking of my heart about some

people in this building.

Today.

For now, your content to be on a comfortable couch

in your cozy corner. You have a comfort zone. That's

what this cozy corner will represent today, a comfort zone.

In fact, you've settled down in that pew this morning,

and you've got so comfortable, you plumb cozy. And that

would have been so easy for Matthew, this tax collector,

to have done, is just to retreat into a corner

booth and to continue collecting taxes. And he would have

felt more comfortable in that situation. But rather than shrinking

up and shriveling up and withering away in that cozy

corner in his comfort zone, we find him following Jesus.

So he had to get up out of his comfort

zone and go into the center of God's will. And

as we read this writing of Matthew, we see a

man who was most familiar with the prophecies of the

Old Testament. So it's evident to me that this man

had a knowledge concerning the things that the prophets of

old had spoken. As Brother Nathaniel pointed out to us

this morning concerning the great Apostle Paul. He was not

ignorant concerning the things of Jehovah God. In fact, he

was very familiar with the ways of Yahweh. And we

know that God took those things that Apostle Paul had,

and he added to those things and made the Apostle

Paul a great minister. And so Matthew who possessed the

knowledge concerning the sayings of the prophets of old. And

there's people in this building this morning. You know what

the Church has told you to do for years. You

know what the spirit of God has bidden you to do.

You know that you need to have an ear to

hear what the Spirit of God says and to the church.

And there's been times that your ears have been unstopped, and.

You have heard the clarion call.

For commitment to come off of that comfortable couch in

that cozy corner and to do what the Spirit of

God has bidden you to do. But for some reason,

you'd rather anchor yourself right there on that comfortable couch.

But Matthew was not such a person as this. He

knew what the prophets of old had said, And he

also knew that the Prince of Preachers was standing there

that day before him, and that immediately he had to

follow Jesus and do exact exactly what the Master had

asked him to do. At some point, Matthew felt it

was his personal responsibility to share with the world the

good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible

readers and students present today know that Matthew wasn't one

to remain in a safe place. And I feel like, sister,

how I'm preaching a three to five today that have

been comfortable in what they perceived to be a safe place.

But can I tell you that sometimes your comfort zone

or your little cozy corner is not exactly the safest

place in the world for you to be in, especially

when you're in need of a change of situation, when

you're in need of a miracle. You cannot set there

idol and remain in what you perceive to be a

safe place. We feel that Matthew was a person that

was willing to get up and be about the father's business,

and he perceived that he really and truly was not

in a safe situation. Being the trader that he was

betraying his own Jewish brothers and sisters by working for

the Roman government. Do you really feel like this man

was in a safe place. In fact, there would have

been a lot of negative emotions concerning this man in

the general public. Most of his peers and contemporaries would

have frowned upon the very name of this man, brother Nathaniel.

But God wanted to turn this situation around for the

tax collector.

And I feel like there's somebody in this building.

I know there's straight of five that will hear what

the spirit of God has said to you today, but

I know there's at least one or two that will

allow this service to be a pivotal moment in your life,

and it will be a turning point for you today.

I believe you have to look at you surroundings.

This man was in the Senate God, the biblical character

before us today was in the House of God.

And Brother Nathaniel. I feel like.

This man was not sitting comfortable on a couch in

a cozy corner. Because Jesus gave us this parable of

a sheep that had fallen in the pit, and that

sheep would have had a strong desire to be released

from being held captive. And I know there's gotta be

somebody in this building today that is sick and tired

of being stuck on that couch. It's not a cozy

corner that you're in. I believe there was a lot

of holiness and Pentecostal people that I watched as a child,

and brother chip Roy, I saw just how comfortable they

were in the House of God. But I remember from

a very young age I was always uncomfortable in the

House of God. It's not that I felt like there

were tormenting spirits there present. It's not like I felt

like there were a lot of devils in the house.

I didn't feel like the people were trying to lead

us to Hell. I didn't feel like we were following

blind leaders always. But I was uncomfortable for whatever reason. Personally,

I was missing something, something that everybody else had. And

I realized, even though I was in the House of God,

I was missing out on something that everybody else had.

And that's how somebody in this building here this morning

you feel like I'm missing out on something that everybody

else has. I've come to the House of God, I

walk in that place, I sit in that view. I

go through the service, go through the mechanics and the motions.

I'm not motionless always, but I'll leave I'm missing something,

and I know I'm preaching to some that are comfortable

in that cozy corner, Brother Philip. They desire a safe situation,

but unfortunately they come in and look for their pew.

They look to see if there's a book there where

they're gonna be sitting down.

They look to see if there's a.

Tambourine in the way, and they slide whatever it is

in their way out of the way, and they settle.

Down in their pew, and.

They put themselves on cruise control, and they sit there

and let Jesus and everybody else drive the service. I'll

preach to you here in a minute. I'm trying to

talk to those that will hear and will not heed,

as well as those that will hear, because they need

help and receive the help that they need. If you

look at our golden text again, Matthew, chapter number twelve,

in verse number ten, it says, and behold, Matthew was

telling everybody look at this. I want you to notice.

There was a man in the house which had a

withered hand and they asked him, saying, is it lawful

to heal on the Sabbath day? That they might accuse

him concerning this biblical character we're having to look at today.

We can learn a few things about the man with

a withered hand. And as your pastor for some time now,

I've learned some things about a couple of you. You

are content to find a comfortable couch in a cozy

place right among your brothers and sisters in the House

of God. I'll tell you why this man had a

change of circumstance and situation. It's because Jesus knew the

desire of his heart that he was not altogether happy

about having this withered hand. I'm sure there were times

in this man's life when he hoped and prayed that

he would be healed since to how I feel like

there were times that he went to lift a hand or.

Request prayer, or to worship.

To Lord, only to find that hand was without strength.

In other words, it was impotent to all that he

could just have the strength that he needed to raise

that certain hand. And I feel like there's one or

two of you of the five this morning. You are

sick and tired of your situation. You are sick of

your circumstances. I know there's a lot of people, they

tell me, getting sick and tired of being in churches

that have religious form and churches.

That lacked the power of God.

But because they are comfortable on a couch in their

cozy corner on some blocks somewhere in the world, they

will do nothing but sit there until they die.

We've heard of.

People that have grown sedentary, and because imbility.

They have lost their very lives.

They become im mobile, they become unmovable because they have

been im a mobile. And I feel like that might

be how some are whom I'm preaching to today. You

have been satisfied being sedentary for soul long, and you

feel like you are in a safer situation that I

want you to know. I feel like there is a

reason for every miracle. There is a purpose for every

miracleca to church, say Amen. And there was a purpose

for this man with a withered hand receiving his miracle,

if it was nothing more than him having the ability

to throw up a hand and to worship God. But

perhaps somewhere in his future he would need strength.

In that hand to save his very life.

And I want you to know there is a reason

for why we have a savior, and there is a

reason for why repeatedly, over and over again, we asked

the Lord to help us in our situations, circumstances, and

predicaments because we know we can all ways do whatever

it is we are to do when we're sedentary, when

we're immobile.

And I know, I told Sister how hold Of recently,

I said.

I feel like I'm living on Holy ghost power when

I get seeking body and when the devil tries to

shut me down, and all I do is tell the

Lord I can't preach like this. I'm unable to do

your will like this. I need help him my body

in order to do your will. I wonder how many

times did this man now.

When the with that had saved.

If I had it, I would do it. If I

had it, I would use it. What about the Holy ghost?

If you had it, what you using?

Oh? My God, you cat it with the right motive.

Take action up and praise God.

I don't want the Holy ghost to speak in tongues.

I don't walk the Holy ghost just to have someth

of somebody else?

Does it?

Havelf I walked the Holy Ghost in order to be

used by the Lord. I remember this past Sunday morning.

Sunday morning a week ago, I was very sick in body,

and I was sitting there in my comfortable recliner in

my cozy corner. And you're right, you guessed it. That's

the inspiration for this morning's service. And Brother Jesse, I

was suffering, and I knew it was nothing more than

an attack of Lucifer. I deserned that I had been

eating unhealthy foods. I deserned I didn't have any bad habits.

I deserned that I had been exercising like I never

had been before. I realized, I'm getting my steps in

every day. I realized I put off some pounds. I've

been feeling better than I had and feeling. But Brother Ethan,

I deserned it was attack, an attack from the enemy.

And Brother Philip, I told the Lord.

I said, well, I know you commissioned me to pastor

that church, and you have commanded that I feed the sheep,

and I need you this morning to enable me to

do what it is you have commissioned me to do.

And it wasn't but about ten minutes later, I felt

a power of God enter my body after suffering all

night long, and you're looking at a man that has

passed kidney stalls that doctors.

Have said will not pass.

You're looking at a man that's famil here with suffering.

And I'm telling you I had suffered like that in

a long time. But God came by and healed my

body because the desire of my heart was to call

to the House of God and do what God had

called me to do, and to worship Him in his house.

And that's what I want you to know about Matthew.

He had every reason in the world to sight why

he could.

Not follow Jesus.

I've got some things in my past that I'm ashamed of. Oh,

come on now, they will never forgive me for what

I have done. I've been dishonest, have lied. But Jesus

pooled Matthew out of that situation and made him very trustworthy,

in fact, so trustworthy that the former tax collector would

open up the Bible, the Gospel of Jesus Christ to

all of humanity. When you think of somebody that pulled

the Bible reader out of the Old Testament, out of

their comforts, on that pulled the Jews out of the

Old Covenant and pulled them into something new. You can't

come Matthew, the author of the First Gospel, the author

of the first Book of the New Testament. And I'm

telling you, you can get over the embarrassment. You can

get over the shame. You can get over the sin.

You can get over the mistakes, you can get over

the failure. Whatever it is that's caused you to shrink away,

whatever it.

Is that calls you to wither away, you.

Can get over it. You can get past that. I

want to preach to you this morning. I got a

burden second to none I've ever had. I feel heavy

in my spirit, but at the same time, I feel

a deep, subtle peace. I've seen those people that chose

to become setting Terry and what they perceived to be

a safe place. But I proposed to you that if

Jesus hadn't to have walked on into the synagogue that day,

and if Jesus had to surveyed the congregants that had

gathered that day, and if Jesus had to saw this

man's situation, and if this man had to responded to Jesus,

I proposed to you the something awful would have happened

to him. Some of you are familiar with Ronald McDonald.

That's the nickname that I gave the man that worked

at McDonald's here in Label And I loved Ronald McDonald

and he loved me. He's been to our church a

few times over the years. I think over the past

twelve years he's been three or four times. Some of

you new people had no idea that Ronald McDonald came

to revival service and heard the Reverend Bill Usedton preach

ironically every time that man came, I was not preaching,

and I preach a lot. It was just that way.

But he all always loved to talk to us, just

like he loved to talk to everyone else. And Brother Jesse,

I saw him with that withered hen work hard. I

never saw a time when I was in McDonald's that

ron was looking to get in a corner and settle

down in a booth at McDonald's and get comfortable, and

to act like he just needed to sit there because

of his disability and do nothing. I remember the first

time I saw Ronald McDonald in McDonald's twelve or fifteen

years ago, and I saw him pushing that water bucket

with that mop handle, and that other arm and hand

shriveled up. He was born with that defect. They call

that a birth defect. I don't know if this man

was born with this. I didn't have time to search

every gospel and to look at every written record of

what was going on. But I know that Luke, the

Beloved Position put an important detail in this. He said

that Luis Luke said that this man's right hand was withered.

Matthew did not denote which hand was withered, but the

doctor said it was his right hand. There was a

reason for the doctor noting that it was his right hand. Now,

I never saw Ron act like he couldn't do something

because of his disability. But I saw him struggle. I

saw him disappointed when nobody else was looking and watching.

I saw him suffer.

I'm telling you when he was pushing things out to

the dumpster, when some of you were not caring enough

to watch, when some of you did not care enough

to offer assistance.

I watched when he.

Tried to pull a big bag of garbage out with

one arm and one hand. I saw him kick the

waist bucket. I saw him curse his disability. I'm not

saying that he cussed it. I'm saying he wished for

a better day. He wished to be out of that

safe situation, if you would. He wished to be able

to do something everybody else was doing.

I dare to say that if Ron.

Would have had two good arms and two good hands,

he would have worked circles around everybody in that place.

It appeared to me that he did so anyway, with

only one functioning arm in hand. But I'm telling you

I saw his disappointments and his frustrations because of the

immobility of that other arm, if you would, and Brother Nathaniel,

there were times I saw his face turned cherry red.

I saw him get angry and just realize, oh no,

what can I do about it?

It is what it is. Oh, if ron would have

just kept coming to church.

Some of you don't know this, but two weeks ago,

about one o'clock in the morning, a phone call came

in to the nine to one one dispatcher. They said,

what is the cause of the reason of your emergency?

They said, there's an automobile sinking in a nearby pond,

and they gave the address. It was Ronald McDonald's address. Somehow,

something had happened and he lost control of that automobile.

He veered off course and ended up in an automobile

that was in a pon. Are y'all listening to him,

and could it be that because of his disability he

veered off course? Could it be that because of his

disability he was unable to exit the vehicle as it

was sinking.

It is highly likely, I'm telling.

You, Ron, if he was here today, he would tell

you spiritually speaking of whatever it is that's hindering you,

it's hurting you.

Whatever it is that is hindering you, it is not

helping you.

I'm telling you, any time you decide to settle down

in a safe place, in a safe situation, it doesn't

matter if it's for the reason helping to avoid embarrassment.

You've gotta get better, you gotta get over it, and

you gotta go on.

I'm preaching that somebody in this building to day stop

being on the comfortable council in a cozy corner and

get up and do what God whatever you do. It's

highly likely if Pe'd had two strong arms, he'd have

got out of that vehicle. People ask me what happened

to him, and I've held my peace until now. I

tell you what happened to him. It's hard to undo

a seat belt. It's hard to crack open a door

while a vehicle's settling down to the bottom of the

pond with one arm. I know my sister in law,

time and time again struggle with one arm. I'm preaching

to somebody here today. It's like somebody limping on one leg.

Sister Cheryl is an amputee, and she limps on one leg,

and she's listening right now. And I tell you this,

Sister Cheryl would tell you if I had two good

legs and two good feet, I'd go to Bethel Church again,

and I'd take me a few laps around the House

of God. Come on now. I'm sure she hopes and

she prays for that day when she will be healed.

I'm sure she has daydreamed of doing things like that

every day of her life. If he gave me my

leg back, I'd run around the House of God. I'd

go to homeless ministry. I'd do more than I've ever

done before if I had.

My leg back.

And I'm telling somebody hearing this morning, spirtually speaking, that

God wants to put you on two strong leads, and

God wants to give you too strong arms to do

the wheeler of God.

Up till this point you may have lift along, But I'm.

Telling you, after the day you'll be running along. I said,

you go from limping up to running there after this.

Service this morning, you're not know my heart, you still

cool your tellout.

Since the wood. And I feel this in my soul.

How many times did this little sheep say, get me

out of this pit. It wasn't a safe situation. It

wasn't a life of ease on a comfortable couch in

a cozy corner. Jesus gave the parable hubb a sheep.

You know what a sheep does when it's falling in

a deep place. It until it can't buy no more. Right,

it balls until it can't bahed no more. And Jesus

is saying, every one of you hypocrites, every Pharisee and Saddacee,

is crime, every one of your religious leaders us here.

Today in this synagogue.

You know, if your little lamb was in the bottom

of the pit next door, you go in there and

lift it out.

They tried their best to find.

A way to nail Jesus to the cross Rome before

they did that. I want you to know he had

a wise answer, and his wise answer to you today

is gid up, kid up, then Jesus' name and take

that withered head that stretch it out. It doesn't matter

he seize it. You need it, I said, you need

the strength that comes from the Lord. I dream of

the day when I can lift hands. He would have

thought and daydream unhindered. Oh, you want me to lift

up holy hands without wrath and doubting.

I would love to do that.

You want me to praise you unhindered with unwered hands.

I would love to do that on a daily basis.

I'm telling you, if you'd seek the Holy Ghost for

the right reason, and you were to get the right

motive in heart, he'd feel you to capacity right now.

Jesus knew that Matthew was.

One that would get up out of his cozy corner

and go do what it was that Jesus wanted him

to do. That's why Matthew ended up as a trader

working for the Roman government.

Anyway, he wasn't looking for a comfort zone.

In fact, he was quite willing to live in an

uncomfortable situation on a daily basis. When they turned the

light out, so to speak, when they turned the luck

on the door, his life was in jeopardy because he

had taken more from somebody than he should have. He

had inflated, in embellished things that he should not have.

Are y'all with me?

He was okay living in an uncomfortable situation. And so

what concerning you? Why are you uncomfortable? Lift up that disability,

Use that tom that God gave you. The cat ain't

got nobody's tongue in this building, as far as I know.

If he has your tongue, I want to serve notice

to you, it.

Is not a cat that's got it to It is

a roaring lion that's got it.

And you know how you're gonna get an audience.

With Jesus, you better roar louder than a roaring lion.

Ten thousand lions would have been roaring in the ears

of blindbarning mails that day, and it whip from them

up to the disciples, saying that he settle down, Oh

hold your peace, But he cried all the more louder.

Jesus said of David myself. For me, I'm telling you

today it can't be sorry that God fixes you in

your situation. I want the Holy Ghost to be a witness.

I want the Holy Ghost to be an effective witness.

I want the Holy Ghost to pray that furid prayer.

Hother righteous man. Oh oh, I remember before I received

the Holy Ghost, I started daydreaming of being fool with

a holy ghost, Sister woot And I wondered if this

man felt the way I did during the night. I

wonder if this man felt the way I have all morning.

I want if this man felt the way I felt

during the special singing, did he have a deep settled peace?

The Sufting's gonna.

Change for him right here in this service in the

synagogue today. I wonder if he was walking on the

balls of his feet that day, is so excited.

He just felt like a miracle was in the making.

And I'm telling you, there's seventy seven people in this building,

they told me, or at least it attended Sunday school,

maybe a little more now. But Sister, I believe I'm

preaching about five of you today to tell you you

cannot grow complacent, you cannot grow cold.

Oh come on, you can't even be a coward.

You've got to be courageous, and you've got to get

up from whatever's got you down. I'm telling you, I

believe this man. Not only did he stretch out to

the withered hand on command, he lifted it up. I'm

telling you, when you stretch it out, God will help

you lift it up.

Wow.

Old, why we're so hesitant and so reluctant to stand up.

And to speak out the praises of our God.

I remember the service that Sister Denise Shivers received the

Holy Ghost. Preaching was good, the singing was good. Everything

about that morning service was good, no complaints.

But I saw her seek the Holy Ghost. And this

is a fact.

I witnessed it with my own eyes, the same way

the author of Saint Matthew's Gospel witness some things as

he is accompanied Jesus on his ministry journey.

I witnessed it.

Sister Shivers got discouraged after praying for a while. We

had prayed for her, and she had sought the Holy Ghost.

And if you would, seemingly her arm had withered up

right in the middle of an aultar service. And I

saw her walk over about right in here, and she

went about two.

Or three pews back.

I think it might have been this third few people say,

brother Jeremy, you've got an amazing memory. You're right, And

she got down right up in there, and God spoke

to me and said, call her out of that place,

call her out of that place a discouragement. She didn't

feel defeated, but she was disappointed and discourage because I'm

sure she just felt like that morning would be her morning.

That's how I feel about this man. I feel like

every time I went to church. Could this be the

day of my healing? Could this be the day that

I'm able to swing a sickle into the garden. Could

this be the day that I'm able to swing a

shovel on a hoe around the home place? Could this

be the day that I get a healing and able

to lead an ox around the family farm. Could this

be the day that I become more valuable and more

fruitful as a leader in my family? Could this be

the day a change for me? There's been some of you.

I'm telling you you've been battling internally. I'm not saying

struggling with sin, but there's some things that you've been

battling and struggling with. And that particular morning, I could

just tell she was dealing with disappointment, and God said,

call her out of that place. And we called her

up and we anointed her with on. We prayed and

literally basically said, receive ye the Holy Ghost. And it

was long after that Sister how Well and I believe

brother and Sister Douglas walked up there and some others.

We began to pray, and Brother Brocas saw strength began

to come in to her and I just walked off,

and I remember she went back there to the back

of the church, about two or three pews up from

the last pew, and she sat down and began to pray,

and people were talking. They said, I think she's breaking

down with disappointment, and people said, I believe she's so discouraged.

She's weeping and crying and self pity. And there was

just people surmising. You know a lot of people do

that in the altar service. They're walking around deserning everybody's

problem and they're a mile off. And somebody walked by

me and they said, look how discouraged she is. I'm

glad you called her up and asked the church to

pray for that she'd received the Holy Ghost. But look

how discouraged. She is, I said, that ain't discouraged, but

that's the spirit of God. And I walked back there

and put my hand on her and started praying with her.

And Sister how and some others. We got back there

and got around her. In the morning speaker and his

wife coming and got around her.

And it wasn't long. She's walking up and down this

aisle full of the Holy Ghost.

I'm telling you, that woman wasn't back there wallowing in

self pity or disappointment, come on, or frustrated because of

what she didn't get. She knew something was about to happen.

And that's where you've got to gift. You've got to

expect a miracle. You've got to expect a change of situation.

You got to expect a change of circumstance. I'm telling

where is your anticipation for a move of God? Where

is your expectation of a mirror? It's here today, It's

here today. It's easy to conclude that this man had

not given up on trying for a change of situation.

I can't help but believe.

That this man was expecting things to be different by

morning light, Oh sweet Lamb of God, some mad in

this bill says, well, brother, how will preachure? I've tried

everything and nothing has changed my circumstances. I'm still in

the same situation. Are you still in the same place?

Are you still sitting in the same pew? That don't

matter if you've got a walker or a cane or

what you have. If you were able to walk into church,

I guarantee you're able to walk from your pew to

the altar. If you're able to walk from your couch

to your bathroom to relieve yourself, I guarantee you're able

to get out of your pew and tay one laugh

around the church to help heal yourself. I'm still in

the same situation. That's because you want to be in

the same situation. Come on, now, you're still in the shame,

in the same shape physically and spiritually, because you want

to remain in the same shape. Y'all bear with me

while I preach to the other three right now. But

to those other two, you're sick and tired of that situation.

You're upset about that circumstance. Hope I had the Holy Ghost,

I'd be spiritual and I can pray for that little

baby with a fevered brow. Hope I had the Holy ghost,

I could be an effective witness and help advance the

kingdom to the glory of My God. Hoh, Come on, Jesus,

is miful of somebody today. I felt it through the night.

Last night.

The Lord of the Sabbath walked in notice verse number

eight and nine. Versus number eight nine, The Lord of

the Sabbath Day is in the house. The Lord of

the Sabbath Day is in the Synagogue. And the Lord

of the Sabbath Day has been in this house already

right here. Even during this message, folks have shouted, they

spoke in tongues, They've wept, they've cried, they've thrown their

hands up.

We've felt a surge of the spirit.

But some have been content to sit on that comfortable

couch in a.

Coze a place.

But Jesus beheld him and said, unto him, but with men,

this is impossible, But.

With God, all things are possible. That was after he.

Told the young rich ruler and all those that were

surrounding that situation, it is definitely an impossible scenario, but

with God it is not an impossibility. In both of

these seemingly impossible situations. The omnipotent was at present. And

that's what I want you to understand here this morning.

Jesus said, with God, all things are possible. And Jesus

would tell you get up and out of the tax

collector boota. He would tell you get up and get

out of that pew. He didn't give you two knees

for you to sit there and the wither away and

the dry upper. He gave you too knees to stand

yourself upper on your own to pizza that praise the Lord.

I feel the holy ghost in this place. The problem

is you sit on the comfortable couch without God. You

sit in a tax collector's booth without God. But Jesus said,

rich young ruler, if you're doing with me, all things

are possible. You want to know what I believe Jesus

was saying. For sake, all that, and whatever trooper wins,

you'll have more than you've ever had. Jesus was gonna

strip that man of his wealth as he did job.

If his heart had been right, then whenever Jesus was

done with him, he'd have restored it.

Unto him. I feel the holy ghosts in this place.

You can't sit on a comfortable couch in a cozy

corner with God, because God is a God that's on

the move. And Wednesday night I felt it from the

top of my head to the sole on my feet.

Brother Philip, when the Holy Ghost asked you what he

asked Abraham and Sarah when they wonder could God do

the impossible? And I want to ask you again this morning,

brother Philip, Is there anything too hard for God? I said,

Sister Elizabeth, Is there anything too hard for God?

Amen? Bethel.

If it's a problem, there is a solution, and it

is possible. The author of this sacred writing, he preached

truth to those that would come after him, and he

practiced what he preached. And I believe this man ran

to his calling, and he ran to his miracle, and

Jesus was present this day to heal this man. Jesus

was present to heal this man. I believe Jehovah Rapha

is still the same today as he's ever been. He's

the same yesterday, today and forever. I shared with Sister

Howell recently, I said, I'll tell you why you don't

see as many healings and miracles anymore as you used

to is because people have got so distracted that they

no longer can hear that whisper from heaven, And even

when they hear the thunder from heaven, they miss it.

A pastor can scream at the top of his lungs

obey God and receive your healing. That's the thunder from heaven.

A still small voice can tell you to say something

to somebody that would encourage them, and your action or

reaction to his action, would bring about healing. What it

is nobody wants to hear Jesus say anymore, Hey, you

stand up. I feel like obeying God right here? Are

you comfortable on that couch in a cozy corner? I'm

glad nineteen years ago when God said leave Moulberry, Florida,

I got up out of my comfort zone and came

to what I thought would be an uncomfortable place, A

place I knew nothing of. Sounds a lot like Abraham's story,

doesn't it. God didn't give us a play by a playbook.

We didn't know what to expect. Well, I don't know

what everybody's going to think. If I start pulling this

withered hand out of this robe here, it might scare somebody. Listen, everybody,

already knows about you. Ron could walk around and act

like nobody knew about his situation, But sister Winding, if

he tried to conceal that, we'd all figured it out eventually.

There's a reason why one arm's not showing another's pushing

them up. We already know about your struggles. We already

know about your weakness. We already know about it, We

already see it. Everybody in this place knew this man

wasn't as strong as he should be. Somebody's getting this.

I want to show you something. How many right handers

do we have in this building? Raise your right hand,

might be better to do it this way. How many left

handers do we have in this building? One? Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

We have ten left handers and about and about eighty people.

That means there's seventy right handers. There's a reason the

physician said. It's his right hand. The physician knew naturally

he was born right handed. Now, I want to ask

you something. When you need to snatch your child from

a card it's about to run them over, what hand

do you use? You settled down in that comfortable counch

right now, ain't you. This is your message. This ain't

my message, you said her, right back down. I'm gonna

tell you you're gonna die with that disability, and you're

gonna die being a poor excuse for a Christian. You're

gonna die weak. It don't matter if you die weak,

naturally or spiritually. Dying weak is no honor. But I

remember Sister Cheryl's listening to this. But there was a

service when the Holy Goosh moved on me. She had

a little sore on her foot, and she got the

pampering it baby in it, and that wasn't her nature.

Sister Cheryl's listening, and she'll say, that's right, Pastor. One

night the Holy Goosh moved on me and I said, thus,

saith God, if you don't run around this church and

worship God, you may have a boot and the bandage.

But thus saith God, the doctor's gonna lop it off.

And they fought tooth and now doctor did the best

of the best did to save it, and God said nope,

and they cut it off. And now she wishes she'd

have ran that night. She wishes. And what's sad about it?

Sister Cheryl's very obedient.

What's sad is.

For the most part, she obeys God every time he speaks.

But for whatever reason, she just didn't do it, and

God took offense to it. And if you're battening down

the hatches right now and say, well, I could sit

right here because I'm privileging entitled to you know what.

That breath of air you just pulled in is by

the grace and the goodness of God. It's here in

Him we live and move and have our being. If

he tells the wind not to blow in your nostrils again,

you're in trouble. I saw little Ezra running towards the

highway yesterday and I saw sister Leah come alive. She

ran him down, and just before he got to the highway,

she snatched him with her right hand. You know why

she didn't use her left because she didn't want to

miss brother Brock. You know why she didn't use her

left hand, Brother Gabriel, because she wanted to have the

shrink she needed to pull Ezra out of the road.

And that's what I'm telling you. I'm not dealing with

a left hand that's withered away today. I'm dealing with

the right hand that's withering I need to Holy Ghost.

I need to be able to pray for my baby.

I need to be able to pray that a hedge

would be around my grand babies. I need to be

able to pray that God will protect my husband while

he's on the job.

I need to be able to pray that God would.

Spare my wife while he's at the house from an aneurism.

I need to be able to go to the House

of God and bless the Lord with all my might,

with all of.

My strength, with every breath, with every breath, with every fiber,

with every breath, with every fiber in my bed, I

want to bless the Lord.

I'm telling you else, God, to give your strength to

praise the Lord with.

It is with the right hand you take control of

the situation. Let's stand. I have so much more to preach.

I want to tell somebody, come up out of that

cozy corner. I'm preaching a message the Holy Ghost. Title

come out of that cozy corner. You got to get

to Jesus. It's time to stretch out that withered hand today.

Whatever the withered hand means to you, it's time to

stretch out that withered hand today. This morning in this

morning service. It's time to do it today. That's right,

says to heaven. God spared her last week a miracle.

What about you?

Will you get off that comfortable couch in a cozy corner.

There's people right now sitting in what they call hold

in this churches that get complacent. They're in their comfort zone.

I remember years ago during a camp meeting. It came

to be altar service like we're having right now. The

place was full. There's about two hundred and fifty people

in the building, and Brother Russell McDonald was the night speaker.

How will children you will remember this? This just came

to mind.

We was in South Georgia at a camp meeting. Brother

Russell McDonald was the night speaker. The vestibule began to

fill up during the ultra service. The vestibule began to

fill up during the ultra service, and good sweet Brother

Russell McDonald took the microphone and turned it on again

right in the middle of that ultra service, and he

pointed at all them people in the back, and I

will remember it for as long as I live. He said,

come up out of that back. Brother Russell McDonald said,

come up out of that vestibule. That's his words. Come

up out of that back, Come up out of that

vestibule and get up here where God is. And I'm

telling you God spoken to my heart daring the night

out of that cozy corner. Sister and brother, you're looking

at me, waiting on me right now. It's you that

needs to praise the Lord. I've given you what you need.

I've given you the message.

He is all you need.

Well, I'm embarrassed, so was Matthew. Well, I've been dishonest,

So had Matthew been. I'm uncomfortable obeying God. Matthew was too,

but he did it. He would have been tempted to

shrink and to wither away as well. Well, I've never

lifted my voice. You ought to try. I've never praised him.

You ought to try.

You right,