Be A Maverick - Bro Philip Howell 3-9-2025

I appreciate the Lord tonight. Don't you.

Thank you for the spirit of the Lord. We feel

Pastor Dunn mentioned it. It's it's not what I'm gonna

preach on, but.

From the from the time I.

Got done study and I went and woke my wife

and da up and I just had.

That running over and over in my mind. Old, magnify

the Lord with there you go.

Elizabeth said, is that what you're preaching on? I said, no,

but but I don't know.

I don't know. That's just going over and over in

my mind.

So let's magnify the Lord tonight.

I appreciate the Lord.

While you're turning to a second Samuel chapter number twenty three,

I just want to say I appreciate my pastor give

him honor.

I don't take this lightly at all.

The Lord spoke this title into my heart for some reason.

I've got one of the mind.

Sometimes I think in my sleep, and the Lord spoke

this to me, and I remember thinking him i sleep.

If it stays with me, I know that's what God

wants me to preach on in the title, because it

was through my sleep.

I'll give it here in a minute.

I appreciate Brother Wood obeying the Lord the pastor was

talking about from the first time he met him. I

remember I remember that, not real clearly, but I was young,

and I remember getting into three p. Fifty that when

we had that where Brother Wood and then used to attend,

And I remember clearly Dad saying brother Woods got a

call on his life to preach.

And years and years would go by and Dad would

say it at random times.

I could tell there's a call on brother Wood, and

I'm glad he answered it this this many years later.

I know Brother Wood wouldn't wouldn't have it any other way.

My pastor said, it is important who you answer under.

I appreciate our pastor. You staying will read a second

Samuel twenty three, verse eleven and twelve. And after him

was Shama, the son of Agi. All right, and the

Philistines were gathered together into a troop where was a

piece of ground full of lentils, and the people fled

from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of

the ground and defended it and slew the Philistines.

And the Lord brought a great victory. If you'd stretch

your hands and pray to out y'all to us gode

y'all did even your name again? I wanna. I want

to point out a part right here.

In verse number three, it says, and the people fled

from the Philistines.

And my title is gonna be be a maverick.

The definition of a maverick is an unconventional independent does

not think or behave as some others.

And Shama was exactly that.

Rather, it says, and the people fled from the Philistines,

but he stood in the midst of the ground and

defended it and slew the Philistines, and the Lord wrought

a great victory Shama.

Most of us know. I'm gonna go.

Three different places tonight, three different.

Books of the Bible. Most of us know the story

of Sam. Shama was one of David's mighty men. Shama

had the good and David didn't just pick weak men

to follow him.

David was quite the warrior himself, and Shama was one

of those handpicked by King David. And when everyone else fled,

Shama stood. And Shamoh was a maverick. He didn't run

like everybody else. He's stuck strong when they all have

fear and we're overcome with fear. He had courage and

strength to do what he knew needed to be done.

On the flip to the First King's twenty one, we'll

be real, I hit I testified on this briefly the

uh deuring the revival, and I haven't been able to

shake it.

And the Lord gave me these.

Other places Uh First Kings twenty one versus UH two

and three.

And they have spake spake under name nay Bas, saying

give me thy vineyard, that I may.

Have it for a garden of herbs, because it is

near under my house.

And I will I will give.

Thee for a better vineyard than it, or if it's

seen good to THEE, I will give thee the worth

of it in money.

And Naybo said, or they have the Lord for bidding

me that.

I should give the inheritance of my father's unto thee.

Ay have we know the story. Ay have wanted what.

What Nabob had so bad, no doubt about it. Ay

have had plenty of vineyards, but there was one thing

he wanted that that man had that he did and

he wanted his vineyard.

It was close to his palace. The Bible says that

ain't have went into into his palace, and he laid

on his bend.

He turned his face to the wall. He had wanted

what that man he had such a sick, a sick

desire for what? For what Naba had that the Bible said,

he wouldn't even eat bread. Jezbel comes into him and

starts asking him what's wrong, And he said, Nay both

that Jesuelight won't give me his vineyard, and it ain't

that a have didn't offer him something for what he had.

Could have been like so many in the church world.

He could have so many or traded and said, I ain't.

Lost what I had. I still got a vineyard. I

still got I still got the norty when they don't

just because they got a vineyard, they still let go

of the one that was handing it down to them.

And because he had it in his mind, he needed

it so bad he would trade what he had for it.

He would find it. And Jezebel, you know, just baby

in him. What's the matter, baby?

And then she ends up coming up with an entire

scheme that costs Nay off his entire life. But they

both I got a commanding for being a maverick. So

many people put yourself in his shoes. He knew what

a sick and evil man ain't have was.

Better on we do he lived in in his kingdom.

He knew he was a vild man. He probably knew man, if.

I don't do what he wants, if he don't, oh

Mama Jezabel will And it ended up costing him his

entire life.

But he stood like most wouldn't do.

I want to go one more place too, Uh to Daniel, Yes,

oh helpless Lord Daniel Chapter number three Versus Versus six fifteen.

It says, now this is this is.

The three Hebrew children when when King Neviknezzar has built

this image, and he's brought all his hierarchy, everyone of

prominence in power, and he's wanting to worship what he's made. Says, now,

if you be ready that what time you hear the

sound of the corner, the flute, the heart, the sack butt,

the sawtreet, the dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you

fall down and worship the image which I have made well.

But if you worship not, you shall he cast the

same hour into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

And who is that God? They shall deliver you out

of my hand.

And shadrag me shat.

Can have been to go answered and said to the king, oh,

never Canizar, we are not careful to answer THEE concerning

this matter.

We're not careful to answer THEE in this matter. These

three boys.

Never Canizzar made them who they were in the Kingdom

of Babylon.

They come in and we're uh, they were they were

learning the land.

And he made them who they were. So many times

he made them who they were, and and and people

talking and said, hey, the three boys ain't doing what

you said to do. You brought them in, You gave

him a place, you gave a prominence in the kingdom,

and said, never conz that the Bible says his vicious

was is his face was changed with Jerry. But but

these men they were, they were, They were matter as

if anybody ever was the part I love the most.

We are not careful to answer then this matter. We

we ask Christians. Sometimes you see people they.

Tiptoe around everybody, They timptoe around their loved ones. I'm

not sure if you should do that. Well, I feel

don't be so careful in your answer. Tell them I

know what God sent me to do, showing.

Them before they took them forore and after pictures up

bought the heads over there.

Tell them the before your family and where it's at now,

and what the actor's gonna do. Stop being so careful

if they talk against you, bop them that.

Because you want to. You know who the benefited in

the long run. Them boys. Never Canis made them princess.

You send them over a line, they're the one that gains.

Never I believe in my reading he pretty much made

a law to everyone worship the God of right.

Mean shack can have been to go. I won't be

much longer. Don't be so careful.

It's easy. It's easy to say, well, I'm a Christian.

I need to be I need to be nice. I

need to be soft on this talking. You know if they.

Whom I'm not saying, be mean, the sinners I talk

about family, friends, loved ones, fellow.

Christians that know.

Whenever they challenge something, you believe, don't be so careful.

If there's someone on the job, I understand they might

not have the knowledge.

Never Canizzar knew who these three worlds. He what they

strip for. Your family knows what you stand for. They

know who search you with him. They know he't Samus Bethel.

Bethel is known to stand. Bethel's long to the leaf

the Bible, and nothing more and nothing less, what the

sixty six books.

They know where you're at. God, don't don't be careful

being maverick for.

God, don't don't just go with the flow. Sham And

didn't do it. Anybody ran shadow buckled down.

I said, I that wasn't from what already wasn't even

Shamu's field.

And I didn't see it in there.

It just said, says there's a piece of ground full

of lentils. And Shama gets it in his heart. Hey,

they're not gonna sit there maybe it was his people.

They're not gonna sit there and destroy my children.

They're not gonna sit there and just watch them whither

away and just take this fool, take what someone else

planning and wreak it.

Say, I got it in his mind that he would stand,

whether it was his or not. That that is very commendable.

And ay and uh oh nave on such a commendable man.

I know for a fact he knew a have was

a wicked man. He knew he knew it could cost him.

But but he didn't do what so many have done

over over the years and sell what they have for something.

It was another videard. Yeah, he said, I'll give you even.

The money of it, and if that's what you want,

but nave off ben walk day. He said, my fathers

have handed it down, Toney, so many of us we've

been handed down things.

And then the three here children said, like me, shocking

have been to go.

Let's let's let's all stand, if you would, let let's

take the heart what they did right. Don't don't be

don't be so careful. I was checking my spirit. Don't

don't be so careful.

When someone you know, you got a child that was

raised in and then they just go off the wall

with some thought.

Don't be so careful that they're lots, so far gone,

they don't bemember the word.

They're wants, so far gone, they don't remember what he said.

They don't mean what he stands for.

Make up your mind. I'll do whatever God wants me

to do. I'll stand come hell or high water.

We heard that for years, meaning they come against you.

I don't stand family friends, foe. Don't be so careful

to answer, just answering with love and the truth. I

appreciate the Lord. Now, let's all come in here.

God, Praise God, Thank you Jesus, Hallelujah.

Praise the Lord. Lord.

I thank you for this message to the.

Lord.

This day. Boss house was up against Ahabs God. We'll

be up against it when we find ourself up against it,

when we find ourself up against the Lord.

Hey, man, as you pray right now, I want to remind.

You of one of the cotexts that brother Philip just

gave us. He spoke of Nay, both the servant of

the lord who's dwelling and whose property.

Which included a vineyard, was adjacent or heart against the

palace of the notorious King.

Of Israel a have and his wicked bride, Jezebel, the

moment that they have ascended to the throne, the moment

that he brought Jezebel into the kingdom and into the

throne room. Nay, both knew right then, Brother phil I'm

up against it, he knew right then. And there I've

got bad neighbors. I'm up against it. I'm up against it.

It's a good thing that he was a maverick. I

own a piece of property in central Florida. About three

weeks ago, this man text me he got my number

from somebody in that little community, and he asked them,

do you think he's willing to sell? And they said,

I don't know. You had to ask him yourself. So

he messaged me and brother Philip. He said, I know

it's been vacant for a little while. Now I want

to buy it from you if it's for sale. I said, well,

for the right price, it's for sale. It's just a

piece of real estate that really no longer has any

value of im importance to me anymore. He said, to

be honestly, the reason why I want.

To buy it is not as an investment, not as

a holding, not for personal gain, he said, for personal protection.

He said, I'm concerned that some illegals would move in.

I'm concerned that I would get some bad neighbors. And

he said, I'm willing to pay a certain price in

order to keep from having bad neighbors. I want you

to know, we.

Can't control who were working beside always. We can't control

sometimes what our family members decide to do.

When Naybo was.

Visited by the Treasurer and the representatives of his kingdom,

the kingdom of Ahad. Brother Nathaniel, he knew I'm up

against it when they moved in. I'm up against it.

And I know that there's somebody in this building tonight.

You're up against it.

And Shama, as brother Philip said, he protected that piece

of ground. He stood surefooted in a sure place, and

he drove back the enemy and said, you can't have

this parcel of ground. It's not yours to be taken

for yourself. And I know God spoke to somebody tonight

in this thirty minute window. It's a window of grace

and a window of opportunity. God's made it clear to

you you better take the bully by the horns. You

better take the bully by the horns and say, neighbor,

I'm not gonna sell out. I'm gonna buy the truth

and sell it not it will never be for Seal. Mama, Daddy,

you may have chose to walk a different road. But

as for me, I have made my choice. I'm gonna

serve the Lord. I'm gonna worship him in the beauty

of holiness. I'm gonna worship him in spirit and in truth.

There is no doubt. There's people in this building tonight,

this preacher preach to you're up against it.

Jesus knows the feeling.

Jesus spoke concerning judas he said, my familiar friend has

lifted up his heel against me. One of my closest

friends is now against me. Brother Philip told you that

I be a maverick. Stand up and speak the truth

in love. Somebody in this building right now, as the

spirit of God is moving on three or four, you

need to reject the devil's ultimatum, as the three Hebrew

men did. Those young men, as Brother Philip said, they

weren't careful. They weren't tiptoeing through the tulips. They weren't

need to lead hand on the situation aggressively. They went

into attack mode, so to speak. And they told the

emflor of the world, we're not careful to answer you

concerned this matter. King, you may have made us who

we are in Babylon, But the God of the universe,

your king, your Lord, the King of kings, and the

Lord of lords, the one that holds your sanity in

his hand, the one that holds your heart in his hand.

The King is who we answer to ultimately, and there's

somebody in this building tonight you need to say Jesus,

I understand your word. Your word supersedes any any words

of any individual, any family member. Tough love may be

what it takes. Tough words. You're not going to use

drugs in here. You're not going to do that in here.

Mom and Dad, you know what the truth is. You've

heard it, you've preached it. You stood forward at one time.

It's time to take the bully by the horns. Be

a maverick. I want everybody that will just to pray

a little longer and say, God, help me to stand

for what's right. I want to be sweet about it.

I want to be loving about it. Brother Jesse's driving

right now and I'll share this.

Says you continue to pray, he told me.

He said, Dad, recently, I saw a prodigal somebody that

used to pray in the altars of Bethel, and I said,

say on, son, continue on.

He said they were nearby and they made small talk,

and he said they look to be totally opposite of

what they used to be four to five years ago.

And brother Philip, brother Jesse said, I almost decided to

be a maverick. He didn't use that exact phrase or terminology,

but that's what he was saying.

He said, Dad, Pastor, Father, Pastor, I wanted to go

to that person with love, but with holy boldness.

And I wanted to say, even though they're going to church,

even though they claim to be serving God, even though

they claim to be praying, even though they claim to

know more than you.

Now, Dad, he said, I wanted to go to.

Them in their state of mind and in their state

of affairs. He said, Dad, I was raised in your

church with this young woman, And he said, I wanted

to approach her and look her right in the eyeballs

and say thank you for no longer being a hypocrite,

thank you for showing us your heart and for dressing

like a daughter of this world. Thank you for no

longer playing church, for no longer dressing holiness while holding

iniquity in your heart. Thank you for no longer pretending

to be an angel of heaven.

When you have a devilish heart.

And brother Jesse said, I was disclose and did a

gesture of about an inch. I was this close to going.

I've been telling her thank you for no longer playing church.

But the rest of that story is Brother Jesse knew

she has been balked because she was for sale. She

does believe she's saved, she does believe she's sanctified, she

does believe she's Holy Ghostfield, but she no longer resembles

a child of God at all. As for me, and

as for those that her brother Philip preached, and I

will be a maverick and will stand for the truth

and love unashamedly. We will say we will hold to

these sixty six love letters the Bible. As for me

and my house, we will serve the Lord. Amen. Be

a maverick. Honey, you know you need to go to church.

Honey. You know you need to serve God. Honey. You

know you're no one to be talking. Honey. That's like

the pot calling the kettle black. Honey.

You're in no position to judge. Honey. You're not even

hardly in your right mind. Honey, you're under the influence

of drugs. Honey.

You can speak the truth in love. You can speak

the truth in love.

But I know the spirit of God used brother Philip

or preach your man in his early twenties and night

would tell us be a maverick, stand up for what

you believe Holy Ghost is definitely moving up here at

the front hearing.

Witness son and moving. I'll say this.

I was showing somebody some love about five years ago,

and I allowed a homeless holiness.

Woman, a widow that was down on her luck, to

move in.

The back of the church property, of course, rent free.

She decided on her own sister how well.

She decided to bring in every stray she could find

without asking me or the church.

If that was okay.

Then one day somebody said, Pastor, it's dark, but I

see an ember glowing down there at the back of

the church property, Brother Tom's deret, And I said, I'm

familiar with little three h diameter embers and quarter inch

diameter embers glow. That would mean somebody's smoking on the

church property. They knew better than that.

So I was.

Gracious and merciful for a couple of weeks, and then

I saw it for myself. I saw it again. I

beat around the bush and I mentioned it to that

dear sweet sister. Hey, that company that you've invited is

not doing right. I mentioned it from the pulpit. That

went on about two or three weeks, and somebody told me, said,

she's brought in people that are notoriously bad that they're

known to use drugs, they're known to sell drugs. After

I heard that, A messaged her and I said, I'm

coming over to do an in house inspection on the

church property as the representative for the Bethel Holding as

church people, I'm going to come down there and look

around and see what's going on with the church property.

When I come down that driveway, out from behind that

building came thuggish looking people. They left everything they had

behind and Brother Philip, they were so nervous. I never

spoke a word. They were nervous about what they had

been doing on the church property, and I never spoke

a word to them. To this day, do not know

who they are. But I walked around with some of

the how Were young men and some of the other

brothers there, and.

I went in that back room in there was all

types of drugs, vices.

Somebody that was spineless, who called themselves Holdliness allowed people

to live on the church property using drugs. Now, the

difference in that personality in Sister Howell's personality.

Sister how would have never allowed the.

First member of the cigarette nobody would have ever lit

a camel in the church property. She'd have never brought

a bad neighbor in are y'all listening.

That man told me I want to buy your property,

Pastor How, because.

I don't want a bad neighbor. Naybeth had no choice,

And that's what Brother Philip said. You have no choice

in this. It's family members. But sometimes you had to

stand up to that family member and say not here,

not in my house, not in my text dread, not

in my phone, not here, not now, not anytime soon.

So I go into that down there and I walk

in and that dear sweet sister that was fineless. She

approached me and she said, Brother How, I'm so sorry.

I didn't know how to say. No.

What it is, Brother Phillips, She said, I'm sorry, I

didn't know how to say what I needed to say.

I walked to the kitchen and on the table was

a pack of cigarettes. I said, what is this doing

in the church parsonage that I've let you live in.

Some of these people in this building watched me do it.

It was the first time I'd ever held a pack

of cigarettes in my life. My blood pressure was not elevated.

I was upset. I did not lose my temper or

my cool.

But I went to the sink and Sister Walker, I

grabbed a dishwashing liquid and I filled them packed that

pack of cigarettes up with dawn dish washing liquid, and

I threw it in the trash. And the Bethel men

we cleaned down all types of things out of that

back room where them people were living like animals on

the church property. Great and gross sin in the sight

of God. You know who was responsible to clean that up?

The pastor was You know who made that mess? One

of the pastor's sheep. Moms and dads. You can clean

it up, Grandma and grandpa, you can clean it up.

Brother Philip's text was this, stand your ground, do it

the way we do it, or there's the door.

Live right, keep your drugs out, or there's the door.

Brother Jesse was so close to telling that girl, you

know you're not living right.

Don't act like you have the Holy ghost.

My brother Jesse wanted to tell if you were raising

of the same preacher I was raised under.

You know better.

You know better, and I want to tell somebody right now,

nay Us knew better than to sellout. I don't want

to be a sellout right now in the name of Jesus.

May God give you strength to do what's right. Close

the door on the devil. Close the door on the devil.

Young man, It's time to close the door on the devil.

It's time to block that number. It's time to block

that number. Mom and dad, and she's being talked chicken, problematic,

and she's taughting you day and night with the other text.

It's time to block the number.

Because the prodigal son had to come to their sensors.

The prodigal son had to come to his senses. And

as long as they're not in their right mind, they

ain't no sense of letting them drive you out of yours.

I feel the authority of God on that God's are

moving in this alter. This alt is not bearing, it's

not fruitless, it's fruitful. God's speaking to some people. Enough

is enough. You're not gonna use drugs in here. You're

not even gonna get a warning. It ain't gonna happen.

You know better, You know better.

A stand strong, be courageous, Stand strong, courageous, God, Ilisa,

and for the True.

God and for what's right. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Find North rep

stands strong Dan's wrong.

The woods

Gone