When the lights go out - Bro Jeremy Howell 6-9-2024

If you have your Bibles with you, and I trust that you do,

if you know there's one nearby, will you turn with me to the Book

of Isaiah. May I direct your attention to the fiftieth chapter. You've guessed

that I've been spending some time reading this Book of Isaiah, the wonderful book

of the Bible. All of the books of the Bible are wonderful. This

is a wonderful book of the Bible. Mad direct your attention to the last

two verses, which are the tenth and eleventh verses. Isaiah, chapter number

fifty versus numbers ten and eleven, Brother Nathaniel, Second Timothy, Chapter number

two, Verse number three, Brother Jesse Acts chapter number seven versus number fifty

five and fifty six. Look at this great crowd out here this morning.

This isn't that wonderful? Telling you what? Everybody looks? Good, bright

eyed and pushy. Tell the old timers used to say, been shouting,

praising the Lord, been in the spirit. There's no better place to be

than in the Spirit of God, that this sweet Holy Ghost help it and

strengthen in us. You wouldn't have felt what you felt this morning down at

the flea market, down in the city of Miami, down on Fort Myers

Beach. Of what you felt this morning is exclusive to the family of God,

the people of God. I thank God for anointed teachers, musicians,

singers, they say in Kentucky, singers, all these wonderful people of God.

That makes a difference when they're truly saved, doesn't it. When they're

truly saved and you have confidence in them, you tell they're anoyed at the

most time, it makes the difference in the service of My hat is off

to each and everyone that has been anointed the morning. Appreciate you so much,

Brother Nathaniels. Second Timothy, chapter number two and verse number three.

Don't listen carefully now therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

I'm telling you, Brother Nathaniel, started this morning worship service off with there

is no discharge in this service. And several years ago, while I was

preaching, I said, you may decide at some point to leave the Bethel

Horner's Church, but you can never decide to leave the Family of God.

I don't want to leave the Family of God, but I want to endure

hardness as a good soldier. And you cannot get out of it. Unfortunately,

it is a fight. Unfortunately, we are on a battle field,

not a playground. We're on a battlefilled not a playground. How many of

you promised the Lord you would make him a soldier if he wrote your name?

Brother, the thing to read that one more time, so that those

that are just waking up should really get the context of what's being stated there

by the Apostle Paul, Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus

Christ. Endurance is vital for our survival. Endurance, Brother Jesse, Acts

chapter number seven, Versus number fifty five and fifty six. Listen to the

testimony of a man that endured to the end. But he, being full

of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, saw the glory of

God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said,

behood, I see the heaven's open and the son of Man standing on the

right hand of God. Praise the Lord. That's doctor Luke giving us the

recording of the account of the stoning of the martyr Stephen. The Lord showed

up. Let's stand for the reading of our golden texts. Isaiah chapter number

fifty, again directing your attention to the last two verses of that chapter.

The Bible says, who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth

the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light,

Let him trust in his name, And the name of the Lord is stay

upon his God. Behold all, ye that kill the fire, that compass

yourself about with sparks, Walk in the light of your fire, and in

the sparks that you have kindled, this shall you have of my hand.

Ye shall eye down in a sorrow. There could come a time when you

feel like you are walking in darkness without a glimmer of light to light the

path. And we'll see here in verse number ten, as we preach this

morning to you that you can trust in the Lord, and you can lean

on him. You can trust in the Lord, you can lean on him.

Amen. Isaiah warned the believers not to kindle their on fire during times

of darkness. We cannot generate or create our own light. We should walk

in his light. Those two points, we can trust the Lord and we

can lean on him. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, we love it.

We praise you. I thank you for the opportunity to be in the house

of the Lord. I prayed God that you would anoint this thy sir,

and said a God at my mouth, and help me to say the thing

that you would have me to say, nothing more or less, and knowing

the years of this people, that they might hear with the spirit of God,

says unto this church. I thank you for that that you are speaking

to us through your word. I thank you come so much that we can

hear from you. I pray God, when it's not something we want to

hear, that we would hear anyway, and that we would eat. Help

us to depart this place joyfully and not sorrowfully. In Jesus' name in the

church says Amen. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth

the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light,

let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God.

If you're one of those people that underlines a verse of scripture to your liking,

I recommend that you underline that tenth verse of the fiftieth chapter of the

Book of Isaiah, for in the days ahead you will need to revert back

to it to find comfort and consolation. Our text has found an Old Testament

book of the Holy Bible. This past Wednesday night, we took a text

from out of the fifty ninth chapter of this very book of the Bible.

In that message, we learned that there are times during our lives where the

enemy attempts to swamp us with trials and times of sorrow and subfree. The

late Bessie Simpson, who attended this church for a decade. During the last

ten years of her life or so, she let me know that her favorite

song is found in the Old Church of God what we call Back then the

Red Back Hymnal. The title of that song is we will soon be done

with troubles and trials. Sometime last year she sprouted her heavenly wings and flew

home above sorrow and suffering. Truly, that woman that had been born of

woman was of many days and full of great trouble. Her life was full

of great trouble. But I think of someone that experienced great sorrow and great

suffering, and sometimes even dark periods in the soul. I think of sister

Bessie Simpson. But that is gone, that is no more those days are

far from her, and I thank God for that. And so last Wednesday

night we talked about that time when, not if not, maybe not possibly,

but when in that moment of that instance where the enemy comes in like

a flood, then we have an assurance that the Spirit of God, if

we are God's child and we are familiar with welcoming the Spirit to intercede on

our behalf and to intercept our enemy, when the enemy comes in like a

flood, then the Spirit of God will raise up a standard or banner against

it. I know what I feel in my soul, and this morning's message

is a very sober message. It is not the prosperity preaching of craftload Dollar,

It is not the prosperity preaching of so many preachers of today. Nor

am I a deceiver. Apostle Paul warned the young Bishop Timothy of deceivers that

would creep into the congregation and they would come in unannounced and unawares. And

I believe that that is happening all across this world. Around the globe,

there are churches being infiltrated by preachers that are promising the children of God that

their life will be full of prosperity, and that they will receive nothing but

blessings. And I do believe that we receive blessings as a child of God

from our heavenly Father. But we know that the New Testament writers and the

Old Testament writers gave us this book to encourage us, to show us that

the believers in Jehovah God, and the children of God, those that call

Jesus Christ the Messiah our brother, that we shall suffer persecution, and that

sometimes we will go through things that we cannot understand. We do not understand

why there is sickness. We do not understand why people suffer with cancer.

We do not understand how the wealthy are wicked. We do not understand how

the wicked are wealthy. We did not understand a lot of things about this

life. Our minds have been infiltrated with questions, and we look for answers.

And if we read this blessed book from the front to the back,

we will find the answers to these troubling questions. There's nothing more troubling to

a believer's soul than to hear a minister promised them nothing but total well being

and prosperity. Yes, it should be so that every preacher, every preacher

desires, as the apostle Paul did, for people to prosper, for the

soul to be healthy, for their body to be healthy. But we all

know that if we take this book into context and even examine the life of

those that Paul preached to, and examine the life of Paul himself, we

will see that he knew very well well that life sometimes has a shadow cast

over it. We will also admit that there comes a time in our life

where we seemingly are walking in darkness. David and the Salm has spoke of

times that they would walk through the valley of the shadow of death. They

talked about times when they were low mentally, times when there was a mental

fog or cloudiness of mind. They spoke of times when they were low spiritually.

Then they spoke of times when they were soaring high in the presence of

God. But I want to put an emphasis this morning all those times or

periods of our life when we're experiencing darkness, and we wonder, what is

the source of this darkness, What is causing this darkness in my life?

There's a darkness without a glimmer of light to light myth, and so many

people are hesitant to pull out the Word of God and to console it and

to look into it. If they would, they would find and to be

an illumination of mind and spirit and soul and heart. For the Bible said

that Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The very fact that we have that verse lets us know that there are

periods of darkness in the believer's life as well as in the unbeliever's life.

The difference in the believer and the unbeliever is this, the believer chooses to

trust the Lord and to lean on him. I've heard it said many times

throughout the years by believers during testimony services. They have stood up and said,

don't know how the people of this world are making it without the Lord.

Well, they're not making it very well. That's why whenever you see

them going through the grocery store, they stop at a certain ale and they

contemplate will I buy it or will I'm not buy it? But event they

ease on down and they look over the shoulder, look over the other shoulder

to make sure nobody else is looking, and with two hands they drive that

big case of alcohol out of the rack and slide it into their shopping guarda.

I'm telling you, yes, they're a shame of the crutches that they

are leading home. There's been a lot of people resort to drugs to find

comfort in their times out of darkness. I'm glad this morning that I do

not have to lean on substance abuse her to find the comfort times of darkness.

You do realize that you cannot create that your own a lie. The

Bible said that we should walk in the line that in him is a lie

there, but in him there is no darkness at all. I know that

in the days of Apostle Paul, he warned that the believers of her a

storm that was on the horizon, And I too must warm the believers.

But this generation of a spiritual storm that is on the horizon, in these

last of the last days, in the end of time, we see there's

a storm blooning in the distance, and there it's appearing as inevitable. As

sure as the coming of the Lord is certain her, so is this storm

that's coming upon this iteration. But anybody that's been saved for any period of

time, you know that whenever it begins to grow dark and your soul it's

just before the stir. I was praying a couple of weeks ago when God

first put the starter in my soul, and I heard God say that for

somebody at Metel. It's just the calmer the prayer of the story. I've

been praying for you ever since God spoken like into my soul. I remember

the day that better feel of power took me to the side and said,

he, Papa, I know that you're about to get in the poop in

saddle up, and I know that you're fishing to the liver of the word

of God. I hate the can shave on that. I hate to try

to shadow and darkness on that. But I want to let you know I

have been dark with cancer. It's a very aggressive form of cancer. I

had a choice. Did I blame God? Know? I had a choice

of hell. I would handle that situation in amorentbout sunsutside of sunshine skies who

weren't darkened by a storm cloud. Oh, come on now, I found

the answer and the remedy for how to handle that in these last two verses

of the fiftieth chapter of the Book of ouraa. I had no other choice

than the trusted the Lord and to lead on him. And I was in

the world. I had a favorite song. It meant a lot to me.

I'm not thought about that song until right now that some of the lyrics

had like this, we all in these abody to lead an I wonder at

the writer of that soul had heard the soul leading he Jesus same consecure from

all up to larm and come on freedom there that we receive news such as

this, or we find our separate trust into a storm and a period of

darkness. I appreciate you offering your shoulder, but it's not enough for me

to lead on. I know that a brother has been there perversity, and

I appreciate you showing up when I needed you the most. That I want

you to know that by Will told me I better trusted in the Lord and

I better lead held him up when this dark time comes her. It's a

somebody in this fielding this morning that can three something I wouldn't say without a

doubtfare yes you are, Oh, come on now as sure as God raises

up the standard there and this enemy in the front waters have come in,

and when they're rising, threatening to drown ourself when everything else around us has

been washed away. We've got to continue leaning on this rock leading all the

ever lasting arms. How many of you know that they are ever lasting arms?

By asking God this morning and to undertake it on your behalf, and

to make bear deceaving armor strengthen, and to let you know that his hand

has not shortened, that He's able to help you in your time of the

darkness. As believers, this building to have many years experiencing as warriors for

Christ, as children of God, that if you want to get them in

a circle, every honest one of them would mean there's been times in the

life of when they found something was taken place and what was taking place was

unpleasant. Every child of God present today should admit to every other child of

God that there's some things that we wish we would not have gone through,

as some things we hope they never got through. There are some things we're

trying to avoid. We're eating better, we're taking care of ourself, We're

going to church properly. We're properly taken care of our body and ourself.

We're maintaining that that retained to the best of our ability team, that there

are some things you could have her avoided and you had to go through them

anyway. That I want to talk about those things that could not be avoided

her. You have to go through them any way, or come on now,

you cannot afford that ever, I'm players that situation, the tradition,

some of them are under hearing of all. You know what you've got to

do. You've got to inure until the end of it. The Bible said,

when them son have been coming, shall it five faith on earth?

You know who's gonna be standing now when it comes again, or who's gonna

make it when they could go heaven. They're saying, I inured he until

the end, that this generation lest God understand the importance of innerans. The

reason why we've been here sixteen years, it's because we believe in persistence and

endurance. That's the only way we made that when the storm clouds take me

here, that's hearing the preends of doctors say, he did not take it

as a curse of God ride that I sould that he's solid. That's an

opportunity not telling their hardness as a good soldier, why you're coming, true,

You've got to answer in that statement, I'm caring true now that come

on, now, I don't inspect him to die, and that I'm calling

true the world. I'll tell her somebody let who may be in spirits,

and that I hear in the darkness in your soul. That's it gonna get

through that. Hello, lou, I feel I want to go sit in

this place. People of God have had to endurance certain circumstances until the situation

changed for the better. In fact, there's a lot of people backsliding amongst

holiness of Pentecostal people because of the pastors preaching a prosperity doctrine and preaching I'm

telling you, they preached the works of Smith Wigglesworth and John Lake as though

they have just somehow schooled at their feet, but yet they have a form

of it. But somehow they denied the power thereof and because members of their

congregation were unable to be what they were trying to force them to be,

that person lost competence in themselves, They lost competence in the leadership, and

they lost competence in their God and then backsliding. But I've learned to tell

people you're gonna have to go through it. Said, well, but you're

gonna have to take that bohead of kee therapy treatment. You're gonna have to

take you it's a radiation treatments. And then I have to sit down in

front of the doctor and then he tell you something you don't want to hear.

You don't recruit the doctor until I make my tea said he was a

doctor. Oh my love, position no a turn stuff he prosition. Oh

my god, I'm won't then where that's coming from. But if you keep

gold in biling don't come on that. It is not well thought. For

the faithful took in the paint and get along. Now, it is not

a profect her faith took. Go to the doctor in the hell. Oh,

put in the power of God in this place, my God him.

Do we pray until the storm passes over. We pray until the storm passes

us by. We pray until we get past it and get through it.

And then there comes a revival service when the spirit of God speaks, and

brother Philip goes to the back door and rebuts to them with the name of

Jesus and cast cancer out of his body and out of the house of God.

Oh, come on, now, for when the situation changes better,

that person con say our endured hardness as a good soldier. They had to

endure. They had to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding. Church

Bethel, listen to me. Though it's difficult, we must endure. Though

it's difficult, we must endure all that are righteous, the godly, the

chosen, those that are in Christies, and they shall suffer persecution. In

his writing's directed to his son, Paint the apostle Paul Wroton, It's second

Timothy two and three. Thou Timothy, therefore, in their hardness as a

good soldier of Jesus Christ. Paul revermic Timothy that there will be times with

believers stride themselves in precarious situations. True Christians of every generation have experienced her

difficult and dangerous times. In her next few verses, her Paul to Timothy

that even experienced difficulty and dangerous times in ministry. Listen, prosperity, preacher,

why are you having problems in ministry? If you're so full of paper?

Why are you not one of the thousand to got some much strang start

a hostile ministry and fire the notts the Sourns are tru dourselves, right.

Paul told Timothy the son would ever be learning and never able to come to

the knowledge of the truth. And that's what I'm addressing this morning. The

truth is life hurts. The truth is life is not easy. The truth

is I'm preaching this morning being torment and obtained in my lower back. I

know what it is. The devil knows that this coming Friday, I'm getting

on an airplane and taking a mission trip. But you know what I'm gonna

endure let kidney pain or whatever it is that preach right off through it.

In his writings directed to his precious son Timothy, Paul warning them about these

people that would just be so full of knowledge, and they're just effort learning.

They're reading book after a book after book by the library upon library upon

library, and they're never able to come to the knowledge of this ruth.

Paul warned these deceivers would not only descend upon the houses of the ignorant,

naive women of the Believers churches, but that they would target the houses of

worship as well. Oh, come on, now, our houses are targets.

We are targets on the job, and even the church house is a

target. Paul told them that the deceivers would come in licking their chops,

that they would appear to be righteous, but they were wolves and sheep clothing,

and that these unbelievers would come in and target believers, and Timothy was

told to disern them out and to avoid them. He was told to avoid

the deceivers. There's some things that are unavoidable. Are they gods? But

there's some people that we can avoid. And because of their desire to mislead

people, and because they were malicious, the apostle Paul told Timothy, Hey,

if you don't get them out of there, that's gonna get dark around

there. Nevertheless, this surely had to have darkened the mind of the minister

Timothy when they realized that what you mean, I'm just gonna be trying to

feed my sheep during the services and during the gatherings of the local assembly and

these wolves are gonna come creeping in. Isn't that a little bit discouraging to

know that while you're trying to build up the family that God, there's a

wolf trying to drag somebody off the back of you and out the door.

They've bet a little bit disheartening to think about that. Oh yes, that's

a period of darkness in this bench ministry. That's just when the lights gone

out. I'm preaching the message the Holy Girls tighter when the lights go out.

This prosperity doctrine that is being preached through out to Land's causing people to

defect the faith because they roll on the promises that did not come from God.

God did not promise you a cadillaca and the driveway. God did not

promise you. And don't guess Paul in your back yard, come on,

but he did promise you you he would go with you every step of the

way. Look through the good times and through the ard times. I teased

the lead back. So we can avoid deceivers, but we can't always avoid

problems. He said. This is a sad picture for sure, when the

lots go out, When the lots go out, these people needed help,

but these false teachers came in lack of flood. Lack of flood. Brother

jered by one false teacher after another, one false prophet after another, one

false prophet after another, one false pastor after another. Paul had worn Timothy

of this very thing. Now you look at our golden text, if you

would please sir and look alone with him, ma'am. There in our golden

texts, Isaiah fifty ten and eleven has said, who is among you that

feareth the Lord? How'm in this building fears the Lord? There's a bunch

of you that fear the Lord. I believe that because you're in his house

this morning and not playing golf. You're in his house this morning and not

catching tartan. I love to be fishing on that river just right over there,

just across the street, literally, but this morning, because I fear

the Lord, I'm in his house and not catching record breaking catfish. Just

kid, I ain't catching I'm that big. But who in this building fears

the Lord? Many hands? Raise them one more time? And you know

what that obeys the voice of his servant. You can raise your hand.

You don't feel condemned at all about that. But listen to this. This

is the answer to that you're walking in darkness and you have no life.

Hey, it's not talking about you walking in your sin her walking into a

dark tavern, or walking into a dark place on the internet, or walking

into some darkness of depression deliberately, but it has on to say, let

him trust her in the name of the Lord and stay of con is God.

Right here we find scripts are proven that the person that obeys the voice

of God's servant, that obeys the sern of the Lord himself Jesus, that

obeys God, that fierce God, they go through periods of darkness where you

access the serena. Just a couple of Sundays ago, the Holy Gess had

warned us a couple of services prior to that, that there was something very

serious forthcoming, now something pending, and people moved with fear, and we

prayed, and we said, we ain't identified her what it is yet,

but everybody be prepared for whatever life sends your way, to quote Mother full

of Bear and Drew, how on that and who you weren't prepared? And

then suddenly, on the way the coover's traveling with the entire church family,

here come a dark cloud, a time of darkness appint our sister, her

first awning out with dad and mom and without Dad and mom. It was

not her intention to get in an automobile accident, but somebody that decided to

do an I legal you turn, eh, And they turned right there in

front of her and it made contact their vehicle, make contact with her her

vehicle, that they sent her into a time of darkness or come on,

now, I'm telling somebody in this field and that there are some things that

are unagordable head and they take place. But I'm glad that when it happened,

we can call for a name for the Lord, that we don't have

to unleast a cons word. We can call the nab the Lord has the

times I'll recognize this situation. It's unavoidable enough. But I can call her

Jesus and say some God wants it Anay, you can't call O the Lord.

I could call on Jesus any time. Oh yes, I can.

Now, I want you to look at that verse right there. So let

him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God. I'm

leaning on Jesus. Look at the verses that precede this text. Isaiah is

prophesied about things the Messiah, the Son of God, will experience at some

point. The Light him self is going to go through some things. Look

at what it says. I gave my back to the smiters, all my

cheeks to them. I gave they plucked off the hair I him knocked my

face from shame and spitting what the Son of God has said. They beat

my back, they smoke my face, They pulled the hairs of my beard

out, they plucked my beard hairs, and I him knocked my face from

shame and spitting. Don't y'all feel alike? That was a dark period of

time in the Messiah's life. And I'm said some would have said, you

yourself great position all, great God of faith, who raise yourself up right

now, deniverlesself from there tormentors. But Jesus indured the greatest torture for every

person. He suffered it all for you. And I I used to love

to hear the old saints of you yester year, who right now to cease

sing the Son. He suffered it all because he loved me. Jesus in

the greatest torment and canture for every person he misfield and worm. Then I'm

so thankful for ahead they suffered it all. According to the New Testament writers,

I've saved to experience something that was more unpleasant than the pain. He

fell after the executioner had caught him and tied him to the block, and

after the executioner had taken the Roman Cat of nine Tales and mercilessly ripped his

back to shreds. After the Cat of nine Tales had made contact with his

back and ripped the flesh up again hundreds of times, not forty times.

That was a Jewish thing. Oh, come on now, hundred some time.

So that here's a period of darkness. I'm telling you, I am

preaching the real prosperity Messenger this morning that the children of God need to hear

her. I'm looking forward to going to heaven, and I want you to

know that the creston dollars her message is untimely. It ain't time to preach

that. Yet there will come a time when we can all preach what he's

been preaching. Who'll be not looking for Duster Palliser will be walking on streets

Ago and every one of us, So we will have imaging all time.

I'm telling somebody else sitting in this life, we can extruct, use periods

of darkness here as towards you move well on my time, we said,

extract periods of darkness or love. I love what I feel in my soul.

This is not a shout messing, but this I'll keeping the touch from

two one down upon sas because when hard times tough, people remember hey pastor

preached on that. Oh my Jesus, I thank God for what I feel.

So the meeting of the Roman executioners would have been a period of darkness

for Jesus that time that you just betrayed him. There's no hurt like that

hurt of a close familiar friend. Of betraying you, that would have been

a period of darkness. There's some of you very familiar with the bitter morsel

of betrayal. That would have been a very dark time. I'm preaching a

sermon the Holy Ghost title when the lights go out for a brief moment of

time, though it got darker home Jesus and the Bible said after that they

had executed him, he felt his father, for sake, killed and he

cried and he said, Father, why hast thou forsaken me? And all

the onlookers testified and said it was darkness haul over the entire face of the

earth because Jesus felt the lights going out. Oh my God, I'm a

puller for somebody. The way he heard it and the way he grow when

he felt this separation between him and his father, He talked the cross of

Calvin as a good soldier. He was not to be executed because of a

son grown doing. He was not being executed because of his own sins and

bactresses that he had made. Colony went doctor on the Sinema sacrifice. It

went doctor and the son of God and I worked. She didn't know who

may be struggling spiritually. You might be wondering where is your father. You

might be wondering where's your God. You may be wondering why you're not feeling

him to what somebody else say, it's feeding him. When I've got good

beats to bring that and the share this morning, you're gonna be done without

her. If you get true and just get the health. I tell you

to get true, and there's gonna be a sertainness when you get some great

true there's gonna be a service. When the sunshine again, well, I'm

telling you godkin up there, you turn it. It went dark reaching on

when the lights go out. The lights went out. Hey, it turned

out the lights. Brothers, hear my turning lights up back there? This

little bit over better troubabed during the night service. But God told me to

preach it. This morning. God knew who would be here. I'm already

very uncomfortable with this situation, aren't y'all. I don't like it being dark.

I don't like it being dark unless I'm asleeping. And you know what,

sister Wooton. We find that Jesus experienced that darkness. Also, the

Egyptians had experienced the darkness that was so great that it could be felt.

Turn the lights back on. Brothers, some of them are getting a little

bit uncomfortable and nerve as by Indian friend says, you see our example.

Jesus Christ the MASSI himself experienced things that were unpleasant and things that were unavoidable,

but he endured them. Look at what Isaiah said, we could do

what we experienced the unpleasant things of life. Let him trust in the name

of the Lord and stay upon his God. Let him trust in the name

of the Lord. Oh, come on, Another Bible says, the name

of the Lord is a strong tower. The rocheous running to it, and

dar say. There are times when I find myself in the dark, and

the only thing I can do is utter the name Jesus. In a moment,

all I can say this, Jesus the fat jeez, the fat cheese

the faith, and that's what the devil does not want you to do.

And the prophet always say it was telling me a lofe. The lots can

be turned on, the lot can come back. Hold you just not to

trust in their name in the Lord, and be stayed upon your God.

For another example of a man that was full of faith and full of the

holy ghosts, there's a powerhouse seacon turned preacher. Consider the martyr Stephen again,

a man full of faith, full of the holy ghosts. How can

you be fore the holy ghost did not full of faith? Considered the matter

of Stephen at my last point, what happened as he was being murdered.

Yes, the stones were coming in lack of blood. Yes they were cracking

his skull, and they were ripping his flesh. But he kept trusting the

Lord and kept looking to him. Doctor Luke described what Paul witnessed and what

he heard Stephen saying as they gnashed on him with their teeth before the stoning.

The people had literally gnashed on him with their teeth. Now, every

holiness preacher that I know of is despised by somebody as some rouping people.

But we've never been bitten, Brother Cody by the opposition, But this man

had been bitten by the opposition. So he's a preaching and somebody's knowing on

his forearm. He's a preaching and a human being, not a people,

not a catchdome. He's trying to bide his ear off. Ain't come out.

That sounds like a period of darkness, not telling that. Somebody said,

that's a faith, that's Stephen. Where's the power hold of gods?

That's Steven. How do you know whether or not they're supposed to eat worry

and walk through it or not to the glory of God. You remember the

man that was speak with sickness, and they began to ask themselves who committed

to sin? Did he do? And how hand did his parents do it?

All? It sounded so like that. That's the sound is so great.

Now, this sound is so profound. Let Jesus be wider dem with

his answer. None of the as He's powerslf I sin? What this let's

time for what they'ren't known? It is not to the wall. Then eleven

chapter the Book of Hebrews, the Great Apostle paula man full of faith,

man poor the holy goes with extreme measures of both, he said, concerning

some martyrs, some were delivered, some were executed. Concerned some Christians,

some were delivered, and some became martyrs. Doctor Luke said, as I

interviewed these men, they told me what happened to Steven. We recently heard

of what happened to a young couple on the mission fielding hated. And there's

been some people saying wealth they'd have been loved by the Holy goes, or

they've been full of faith, or had what they needed. They deserted.

The trouble was coming and they went to safety. Not always. But I

was praying about it, and I heard the Lord say the same thing he

told eld More about claud Elien when clauled Elia died. The heavens has received

claud And I was a praying, buying them own business and praying for this

couple, and I heard the Lord say, of my soul, the heavens

has received Davy and his drive whatever her name is, was it Natalie?

And I tell you what, that's wonderful. That's good enough, that's great

praise the Lord. But Steven's a preacher. Come over here, a little

bulldog. We're gonna celebrate his sixteenth birthday to night. Isn't that exciting?

All right? I'm been trying to preach right now, I want you to

be boying me. I try it anyway, all right, get closed at

least all right? Hey man, look at this yard. Man, come

on, get off of me. You just work around, be good,

and they'll be good acting this out. So I'm been trying to preach and

talking about the company Lord, they're literally boting on him. System what you

talking about? Agitating and aggravating, That's what it said. They gnashed on

him with their teys, while in national him with their teeth. The Bible

said that he being full of the holy ghost, look step passle in the

hero and Sola Gloria corner and jeans the standing from the rock her of God.

Then he sent the hole r. I see the heavens open and the

suner man there standing on the rock hand head, Oh God. After this,

things did not improve her. After that statement, Pnsel could not get

better. Nat stole from and they crusted on the cnia and they stole the

look. I said, it not go. It did not get better.

Luck. The situation did not improve. It didn't worse en but godless there,

I said, the locks than your heaven. He's the rock, cap

leading all. He's the rock you can trust you. He's the rock,

your leader, a an acre to hold on to you with the storms of

rough raging from strong arms to lean upon. I have a short foundation that

is strong, steady and stable. And that poundation's got a name. His

name is Cheesus, the rock. I'm standing home. You look, thought

when this man was preaching about looking right into heaven that they have stopped their

botton. But know, they grabbed him, and they drug him outside of

the city, and they cast him down, and they stole him. The

Bible said, that cried out with a loud voice. The mob cried out

with a loud voice to drowned out the preaching of the preacher. Somebody says,

does a preacher of righteousness supposed to preach loud? Stephen was preaching so

loud. They cried out with a loud voice. The Bible said, he's

preaching. Are allowed? They had to stop their ears. Huh. If

he'd had a megaphone, he'd have had it on ten. I want you

all to think about that now. When the devil come up and yapping and

barking. This man did not back up. He did not being and he

did not know. The Bible said they stoned him to death. And when

dark the lights went out. I'm preaching on when the lights gone out in

that moment his scenes that Steven's paper had grown dark. It appears so that

many were not present to help, But God was a present helper in the

time of Strauble. He didn't ask where it's Peter. He didn't ask where

it's changed. He didn't ask where it's child. The rock he would lean

on that was not Peter. He'd lean on the rocker and shepherd. And

I want you to know what you could still touch up doesn't excuse up calling

away who he's got turnt up, pull up Peta has an excuse up for

who got the through dark days. You can get to those days, not

trustening and all that and read it all Jesus, but jes say, when

you've come to the piano, my brother and I want to point this out.

Stephen did not try to create his own light. He stood in Heaven's

light. He stood in Jesus's light. That's what they're doing now when they

start these programs. Alcoholic anonymous drug programs. They started all this stuff.

It's good. I'm glad that they're trying to help their fellow men, and

I'm glad that they try to help people get through those periods of darkness.

But I want you to know the failure rate is how they're not very successful

at rehabilitating people. But more than rehabilitation, we need redemption. And we

sing about that this morning, sweetest the song I sing today, I am

we need He stood in his light. When the shadow of death is cast

upon us, when the shadow of disease and sickness and hutness and compromise,

worldliness and deceivers it all comes in. Yes, Christians go through things.

It's hard to believe that Paul would have to tell Timothy, you're gonna have

this problem in your church. There's gonna be people that try to come in

and take your bupit. They're gonna try to promote things that Jesus is against.

How unnerving for a young preacher to be told that by Paul. Could

you imagine upon my deathbed, me telling the preacher coming in behind me.

How I want you to know there's guys that's coming in with their intention to

destroy nothing. You realize how I wasn't irving. That would be for that

young preacher to realize. Pastor just told me trouble's coming. I'm not talking

to somebody this morning who was expecting trouble. I'm talking to somebody this morning

that's in the midst of trouble. And I want you to know. Christians

go through these things, but when it appears we're walking in darkness, he

is the light. Let's stand. My heart has broke in the last couple

of weeks. Since the Lord showed me that you would be going through something.

I would say, by now you're in the middle of it. I

wouldn't say by now the lights have gone out. You say I'm being torn

spiritually. I don't want to do this. I don't want to go that

path. I don't want to lose out with God. I don't want to

become lost, and I've done, but I find myself in the time for

darkness. I want to tell you something. You better keep trusting in the

Lord. Better keep leaning on Jesus. Don't lean on your own understanding.

Trust in the Lord. Lean not to your own understanding. In all your

ways. Acknowledge Him and he shall direct your path. But this appeared in

darkness. You contemplated backsliding, You contemplated walking away, because how can I

be in the birth of will of God if I'm going through things? Well?

I want to ask you something. Did I preach according to the will

of God this morning? Did he not show up and help me? I'm

still hurting my lower right back now that didn't and get subsided. I'm still

hurting, but he wants me to be faithful to my post to duty.

Is there somebody in this building right now as we bow our heads and close

our eyes as it's somebody that would say, preacher, I am that one

going through it? Would you raise your hand, there's a hand, there's

a hand. There's a hand, there's a hen. There's a hand.

It's five six six. There may even be some that are too scared to

admit it. I want us to pray right now, and I don't want

us to just tuck our heads and our elbows. I wants to really pray

and call his name, the Lord. Would you find a place to deel

and pray? Take you to Jesus? And this is what I want you

to tell him. I trust you, Lord, I trust you to see

me through when the lights go out, when things happened and I did not

expect to happen, when I'm going through things I did not expect to go

through. When I'm facing Thanks God never thought about question. What about the

things I'm good, not the creatural burgers in this life those times contracts,

the weak, it's blurred, And thought, this were a lot of path

you can trust the Lord honest. Then I am reminded, I've never been

in the same I've ever had a stand one along. As I look at

all the victory in the sphere, the fast, it's really dark in your

world? What the trust? He never paromised that the cross would not get

heavy and you would not be hard to find. He never offered victories without

fat. He said help would always come in time. I just remain moving

your standing in the value of sion, and the adversary says, oh,

or will shoot. He will take you through the fire. He never paromised,

and the cross would I get heavy and then he would not be far

the time. He never offered mic trees without fight. Even he said help

wuld always come on me in time. So just recamber w standing in the

valley of season in the atmosphere, saiski him, just pull on our Lord

show and he will take you through the fire. So many times I question,

Susir, circumstances, the things I could not stand. Many times a

trial when the weakness burn my Phisian and Bob Strange and get so stay,

I reminded I've never been forsaken. I've never had standing. The day as

a look kill all the victories the sphere. It wises up with me from

any through the barn. He sees me strong. He never promised at the

cross not be heavy, and he will not be fad to time. He

never offers physios me out fighting, but he said help all it's come time,

suggested be a Proway was standing in the valley of the Caesar in the

Amisphere and s to shold on our lord is shower and he will take you

through the fire. I do with in myself did I wish? But if

I to rush the hand of God, he'll shield the plan the game.

He promis that the colt gony here y. He never offer he preasing our

fighting when he said it always come to time. So just se ben for

me your standing in the valley. The diseason he has a series. Our

Lord will show up and he will take you through Lookin