Join The Resistance

It's my privilege to be able to bring you God's word tonight, and I don't go by feelings, we can't go by feelings.

It is a privilege, it is an honor.

I'm humbled to get to do this, and I don't feel in the least bit qualified, not even a little bit.

I feel like I'm so far out beyond any qualification or expertise that I might have.

But thank God for the Holy Ghost who helps us, and so that's my prayer tonight.

Holy Spirit, I thank you that You're our Helper, you're our Peace, you're our Guide, you remind us of things, you teach us things and you show us things to come.

Thank you, holy Spirit, that it's your word that's in my mouth tonight, not my own, and that God's word goes forth and it accomplishes everything for its intended purpose.

In Jesus' name, amen, Amen.

Well, I'm going to minister a message tonight that I titled Join the Resistance, you know it says that we should resist the devil and that he would flee from us.

In 1 Peter 5-8, it says Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

You ever notice that lions don't roar before they sneak up on their prey?

That gives you a little bit of a clue right there that he gives away his position.

He is a lot of fluff and bluster, he likes to make a lot of noise and he's looking for the easy prey, somebody that he can devour.

And so you know, don't be easy prey.

Make sure the person next to you is easier prey than you are.

It says Resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

And so there's a clue right there that there is sufferings in the world and that they're common to everyone.

You're not so special that you have a special set of sufferings, unique just to you and a surprise to God.

They're common around the world.

And as we take a glance in the world today, we see how things are deteriorating so rapidly, how this nation, our freedoms, have been flushed away so rapidly.

And there's just one thing after another after another, things that surprise you, things that shock you.

You know, who would have thought that we would have left Afghanistan and just bailed out like that?

You know, I don't think that we need to go occupy every part of this world with our forces, but you don't just bail out and leave our people behind and abandon your friends and go back on your word.

The Chinese Communist Party virus, as I'm going to call it, going forward.

I mean that thing was generated in China with our funds, funded by our government, and released into the world with a something that they call a vaccine, in advance of it being released.

And the whole thing has been based on one lie after another after another, and you haven't seen the extent of the lies yet, but they're unraveling and they're coming out and God's putting light on these lies and you're going to see more of this stuff being revealed.

But I wanted to give you some things that would help you and know what to expect and how to respond.

You have to be settled in your knowledge of the truth and the knowledge of your rights so that when trouble comes, you know just how to respond.

And so I go back to my CHL training, concealed handgun license training.

Now you don't have to have a CHL to carry a personal weapon anymore.

We have what's called permitless carry and some go so far as to call it constitutional carry.

But it is not constitutional carry.

It is still limited.

That way, that's okay.

I go back to the CHL training, and part of that training was to teach everybody the laws surrounding the use of owning and carrying, possessing a weapon, how to use it, when to use it when you're justified, when you're not, and to go through those scenarios, those real life scenarios, those real cases where people have used lethal force, and one where it was justified and another where it was not so that when you're faced with a situation where you've got to use lethal force or you think you might have to, you've already decided in your mind, you have it settled in your mind in advance what is the threshold when I'm going to use my personal weapon to protect me and my family, what is that point?

So you're not thinking about it in that moment.

You've already settled that when you went through the training.

When that moment comes, you respond.

It's not an emotional reaction, it's not a fearful reaction.

You already determined and you have it settled in your mind.

You know your rights, you know the laws surrounding it and you know what to do.

You know our constitutional amendments.

The first ten are called the Bill of Rights.

The first amendment says that Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or preventing the free exercise thereof, or preventing the free exercise of speech, or of the press, or of the right for people to peaceably assemble or petition the government for the redress of their grievances.

Those are five rights right there that most Americans don't know that they have and they can't quote them.

If you can't quote that and you don't know that, get to where you can have it settled on the inside of you now so that when those rights are confronted, somebody is trying to take it away, it's settled on the inside and you say no, I will not comply, I'm going to resist that evil.

Have it settled.

Then there's the second amendment, which protects the first amendment, and it says that a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

So know your rights, have it settled in advance.

I encourage people and this message is not about personal weapons or shooting people or carrying a weapon, it's not about any of that I encourage you that if you want to carry, go through a CHL training.

You don't have to, but it's good training to know and have those scenarios settled in your mind in advance.

You don't have to to carry, but it's good to get that training and it's good to be proficient, and so you must have it wholly settled and be completely convinced.

I have these rights, I will not give them up.

And I want to talk about the same concept as it pertains to God's word tonight.

I want you to know your rights and be clear on what salvation covers and what it doesn't.

And so in Isaiah 53, verse 5, it says that he was wounded for our transgressions and he was bruised for our iniquities Transgressions and iniquities.

Isaiah 53:5

He paid a price for both of those.

That was our rebellion and sin that he took on himself, and he paid the price for that.

And then it says the chastisement of our peace, or our shalom, was upon him.

In other words, he had unshalom so that we could have shalom.

Shalom has a definition.

It is peace, prosperity and health, all wrapped up in one word right there.

So he had unshalom so that we could have shalom, peace, prosperity and health.

We have a right to that, and by his stripes we were healed.

So we've got a right to health, and in case we don't enforce that right, we've also got a right to healing, and so you're covered.

Either way, you've got rights to all of those things rights to peace, prosperity and health, and right to not have to pay the penalty for the sin that you commit in this life, because you've received the forgiveness of Jesus and it's already been paid for and so know your rights.

Jesus said in John 16, 33, he said In me you may have peace, but in the world you'll have tribulation.

In me you may have peace, in the world, you have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

And he didn't say that post resurrection, he said that before he was resurrected.

He said that as a man, not as a resurrected being.

He said that as one of us.

And so the connotation being hey, guys, there's going to be some trouble, but I've overcome this, I've shown you how to do it, I can do this, you can do it too, because you and I are just alike.

I'm a man, you're a man, we're a people, and these are people problems, and we can overcome this stuff.

And that word tribulation there means pressure, oppression, stress, anguish, adversity, affliction, crushing, squeezing, distress.

Y'all don't run out of here.

This is not a run around the church message right now, but the Bible said Jesus said as written in red, he said You're going to have pressure, oppression, stress, anxiety, adversity, affliction, crushing, squeezing.

You're going to have that in this world, but I've overcome it, so you can too.

In other words, you can get past it.

You don't have to camp out there.

If you're going through hell, don't stop, keep going.

In Revelation, in the context of the seven churches, it talks about the overcoming church, in particular the church of Philadelphia, the overcoming church.

Jesus was giving warnings about churches.

All those churches are here today, in this present time.

They exist in the world today.

But to the overcoming church he gave commendation.

To overcome means to subdue, to conquer, to overcome, to prevail, to get a victory, which means that there's a fight to get that.

It means there's a war, a battle, a struggle.

You've got to do some hand-to-hand combat to overcome.

It's not handed to you on a silver platter.

There is stuff we've got to do and sometimes it's going to get ugly, but we have got to do it to overcome.

But we can.

Jude warned us in three and four.

He said I was going to write to you and tell you some other stuff, but I have such an urgency on the inside of me I had to tell you this first.

He said fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to you, not just a little bit.

Fight with every fiber of your being.

Don't lose this faith that's been entrusted to you.

Don't lose what's been put on the inside of you.

Fight with everything you've got, don't lose it.

And so, if we're going to be the overcoming church like Philadelphia, we're going to have to suit up, put our armor on, get our sword out, our shield out, and we're going to have to use it.

We're going to have to cut some people up not people, but demonic powers You're going to have to defend, and we're going to have to occupy some tough places and contend for the faith.

Hebrews 10.35 and 36 warns us not to cast away our confidence, which has great reward.

There's a great reward.

That goes with contending.

There's a great reward.

But then he says that you have need of endurance, that after you have done the will of God you may receive the reward.

And so we've got stuff we've got to do on our side, and so I want to.

We started out here in 1 Peter 5, verse 8, and so now I'm going to go on to 10.

1 Peter 5:8

It says but may the God of grace who has called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while.

That's not what you want to hear.

After you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you, and to him be glory and dominion forever.

Amen.

After you have suffered a while.

In other words, christians are going to have some on the job training and thankfully not all training is on the job.

I mean, we've got a Bible full of good practice, policy, procedure, technique.

We've got a Bible full of good stuff that can help us be successful, but there is some on the job training that goes with this.

Thank God we've got a pastor that can speak from life experiences and minister God's word, so that we don't have to go through all of the trouble that's available for you to go through.

You can pass up some of the trouble, that is an option.

But there is some training that happens on the job and I wanted to know how long is a while?

I looked it up in the Hebrew there and that word thankfully said somewhat, almost brief a season, the short, small while.

So it doesn't have to be a long time that you go through trouble.

In other words, you come up on trouble and you engage trouble.

You've already settled it back here what you're going to do, how you're going to respond and what level of force you're going to meet the trouble with.

When you run into it and you respond to it, you defeat the trouble, overcome, get on the other side of it and really the while after you have suffered a while.

That while is relative to how long you want to be in trouble it can be this long or if you can camp out and it can be a really long time, so that while there is entirely up to you.

In this morning, in church this morning, pastor read out of 1 Corinthians, chapter 10.

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

In verse 5, it says but with most of them, god was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness, and it was talking about the Israelites.

And it says now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they lusted.

In other words, they made some mistakes and we can learn from their mistakes and we don't have to have our bodies scattered in the wilderness.

We can learn from this, we can learn from history and we should learn from history, learn from the Bible.

Now these things happen to them as examples, as they were written for our admission upon the ends of the ages that have come.

Therefore, in verse 12, therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

This is an asterisk underline highlight warning from God Take heed.

If you think you've arrived, take heed lest you fall.

It says no temptation has taken you, but such as is common to man.

But God is faithful, who will not send trouble to you beyond what you can handle.

It doesn't say he'll send the trouble.

It says in this world you'll have trouble, but I'm not going to send it.

It says but God is faithful, who will not allow you to undergo trouble, to be tempted beyond what you're able, but will, with that temptation, also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it or endure it or get on the other side of it.

And so God's going to show you the out out of trouble.

You can look in his word and recognize when this trouble comes.

Here's how I avoid it, here's how I avoid it, here's how I get out of it.

And when you're at your wit's end, in the middle of it, you just cry out to God.

And he is faithful and will not allow you.

When you think it's more, he said no, I will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you're able.

I'm going to show you the escape route.

Look over here.

I've got a way out for you.

And so, getting back to 1 Peter 5, verse 10, it talks about perfect, established, strengthened and subtle Perfect.

1 Peter 5:10

Let's get a picture of what these words are In the Hebrew.

Perfect means complete, thoroughly repair, fit, frame, mend, prepare and restore.

That's perfect.

And then establish is to set fast, to turn resolutely in a certain direction, steadfastly set.

And so you got those two words together.

He's going to perfect.

In other words, he's going to, if there's something that needs repair, he's going to repair it.

He's going to outfit you with what you need.

He's going to frame it up and mend and restore anything that's been taken away.

And then he's going to establish you and he's going to cause you to turn resolutely in a certain direction and set you steadfastly so that you're not likely to bend or move or turn or go the other way.

You're planted, and to strengthen is to strengthen in spiritual knowledge and power, and to settle is to lay a basis or foundation to ground and settle.

And so this is a picture of God has fixed you whatever's wrong, restored you whatever was missing, planted your feet in 25 feet of concrete, strengthened with steel and girders and concrete frame and poured more concrete around you and more steel all the way around you and through you and faced you in the direction you need to go, so that when trouble comes, you can say I will not be moved, I cannot be moved, I've got way too much concrete around my ankles to be moved.

That's what perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you is.

Is he's going to put you in a condition where nothing can come against you and cause you to turn tail and run or cave under the pressure or be squeezed or crushed or any of that.

What if I fail?

No problem, repent, run to God, not away, it's easy.

What if I get it wrong?

Get back up, repent, run to God, not away.

What if I fail again?

Repeat, lather, rinse, repeat.

Jesus said it this way Repent and send, no more, not a hard thing.

And so tonight I want to look at three Bible examples.

So that was the intro, right there.

Remember the title of the message tonight?

What was it again?

What do we call this?

Oh yeah, join the resistance.

And so that was to get you ready to hear the message about join the resistance.

I'm going to look in Daniel, chapter one and we're going to go, and we're going to skip chapter two and jump into chapter three, and it's a lot of verses and so I'm not going to read them all, I'm going to paraphrase some and we're going to skip some and we're going to read some.

Daniel, chapter one, verse one in the third year of the reign of Jerichoam, king of Judah, nebed Kenezer, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Jerusalem was taken over.

There's trouble.

Then the king instructed his master, unik, to bring some of the children of Israel, some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles he wanted, the best looking ones, the most fit, the gifted, the talented, the smart, the cream of the crop that they might come and learn the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

And they were going to serve that king.

And he wanted the best of the best.

And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and the wine which he drank and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.

And it says in verse six now, from among those of the sons of Judah were four guys Daniel, hananiah, meshael and Azariah.

How many of you remembered here in those names we're fond of hearing.

We know Daniel and we've heard of Shadrach, meshach and Abednego and those are the common names that we hear.

But they've got Hebrew names.

They were Daniel, hananiah, meshael and Azariah, and to them the chief priests of the Unix gave names.

He gave Daniel Belshazzar to Hananiah.

He gave Shadrach to Meshael, meshach and Azariah.

He gave Abednego.

The heathen culture of that day said you don't get to be called by your God-given Hebrew names.

We're going to rename you with our cultural names from our heathen culture.

We're going to call you something different.

You know we've got a culture out there that wants to call us something different.

They want to call us haters.

They want to call us bigots.

They want to say everything that's right is wrong and everything that's wrong is right.

They want to turn it upside down.

There's a canceled culture out there that wants to cancel Christianity and they want to call us something different.

And so here is the same thing.

There was a canceled culture.

They wanted to cancel out the God culture of Israel and give them heathen names, and they did.

Daniel means God is my judge.

They didn't want that being repeated.

Hannah and I.

It means God is gracious.

They didn't want that repeated.

Michele means like God.

Azariah means God has helped.

They didn't want those names repeated in their culture.

They wanted to stifle God out of that culture, Just like today they want to stifle God out of our culture, out of our government, out of our schools.

They want to close our churches.

But Daniel purposed in his heart in verse 8 that he would not defile himself with a portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank.

Therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

He went to the chief of the eunuchs and he said I'd like to have a religious exemption, please.

You know we have a religious exemption letter for anyone who needs it.

You can email the office and Claire will set you up with a letter from this church with our pastor's signature on it.

And that's not the end of the trouble, that's the beginning.

There's a fight that goes with that.

It will also give you some documentation that outlines what to expect in that fight and the steps you need to take and the stand that you need to take and how far you need to dig your heels in the firm of the concrete and the steel and the more concrete and the foundation and the established strength and subtle all that.

Yeah, we've got some materials that will help you with that.

But Daniel asked for a religious exemption.

Now God had brought Daniel into favor and goodwill with the chief of the eunuchs.

Thank God for favor.

God will wrap you around with favor as a shield when you're being pressured and squeezed to do something that you don't have peace over and you're starting to.

I can't turn tail and run.

I have to face the direction God planted me.

I'm going to face this way.

I'm going to keep going.

God will give you favor and it'll be a shield to you.

It's a defense to you.

And Daniel had that.

And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel in verse 10, I fear my Lord, the king, who has appointed your food and drink, for why should he see your face as looking worse than the young men who are your age?

Then you would endanger my head before the king.

If I don't do this, if I give you a religious exemption, I'm going to lose my head.

If I give you a religious exemption, I'm going to lose my job.

Daniel said okay, we'll just do a quick test.

We'll do this for 10 days and you serve everybody else, this other stuff over here.

But we're going to serve you, serve us, what we want over here, and after 10 days, if you see a notable difference in the negative, we'll go back and do what you said.

And he said, okay, we'll do that.

But after 10 days, daniel, meshach, chadrach and Bedinigo those guys, hananiah, meshahel and Azariah they were looking better.

They looked better than before and better than all of the others, and so they got their religious exemption.

We'll come back to that religious exemption a little bit later.

The king looked them over and he found them 10 times better, 10 times smarter, in every way.

They were 10 times better than all of the best in his kingdom.

Chapter 3, nebed Kednezer made an image of gold.

And Nebed Kednezer gathered all the important people out of his kingdom for a big dedication ceremony and they were going to have live music and bands and they were going to do this big, big show.

And when the music played, everyone was to bow down to this golden image.

And in verse 6, and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the burning fiery furnace.

And when that time came, the Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jewish men.

And they said Shadrach, meshach and Bedinigo.

These men, o king, have not paid due regard to you and they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.

And they said Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace and he will deliver us from your hand, o king.

But even if not, be it known to you, o king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up.

Now I want to clear something up here.

It says he will deliver us from your hand, o king, he will.

They knew that God would deliver them.

They had complete faith.

It was settled a long time ago for them.

We're not going to serve any other god.

We're not going to worship any handmade image of anybody else.

We serve the one true God, and Him only will we worship and Our God will save us.

But even if he didn't, were they doubting?

No, they were saying even if that condition weren't true, even if God wouldn't save us, we don't count our lives that important to surrender our position of the one true God we would gladly give our lives than to bow down before that image.

We will not be moved, we will not bend to this, but Our God will save.

And so what happened?

Verse 21, these men were bound on their coats, their trousers and their turbans and their other garments and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Therefore, because of the king's command it was urgent and the furnace was exceedingly hot the flame of the fire killed those men which brought Shadrach, meshach and Abednego to the entrance.

The flames came out and killed the ones that were throwing them in there Shadrach, meshach and Abednego.

They were bound, they fell down into the midst of the fire and King Nebed Kednezer was astonished and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors did we not cast three men into the fire?

And the answer said true, oh king.

He said look, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire and they're not hurt.

And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

How did he know that was the Son of God?

Had he ever seen the Son of God?

Had the Son of God been revealed?

Son of God has yet to come down to earth.

This is Old Testament.

But he recognized him as being.

That was the Son of God and the fire with them.

If you're willing to double down on it, if you're willing to take it to the uttermost, to the very end, the Lord of the armies of heaven is willing to walk through the fire with you.

He's willing.

But he wasn't in the fire saying, okay, come on boys, come on in here, fire is hot, it's just nice he wasn't in there.

They had to prove themselves out and then they found out who was with them.

If you're willing, he's willing.

Getting back to that letter, the religious exemption we have an example of someone who received the letter that Claire wrote and all the material that went along with that, and this person's company.

She's in the medical industry and this person's company pushed back and pushed back pretty hard.

It wasn't going to give her a religious exemption.

Their attorneys look at stuff like this and they say no, and you've got to push back more, you've got to double down on this, you're going to lose your head, you're going to lose your job, you're not going to give you a religious exemption and you've got to be willing to say I will not bend, I will not bow down.

They're looking to see how you respond to that pressure.

And the reason is, is because there's a legal difference between preference and belief.

If you believe something, if it is your core belief, they can't challenge it.

But if it's your preference, I prefer not to bow down to that golden image.

I prefer to not take a vaccine against the Chinese Communist Party virus.

I prefer not to do that.

They're going to say well, you can prefer not all day long, but we're not going to let you stick around here.

There's the door.

But if you say, oh, king, I will not bow down, I don't care if I lose my job, I don't care if I lose my life, I will not bend to your godlessness, I will not bend to the anti-Christ spirit in this world.

I cannot do it.

And you lay it all on the line.

Then the Lord of the Armies of Heaven is willing to come alongside and walk through that fire with you.

And then they're going to be like we were going to fire one, but I see two.

And the second is like the form of the Son of God.

And we're not about to confront the Son of God on this one.

You can have your job and, by the way, here's a special office for you and a pay raise, because your favor wraps you around like a shield.

And so this person that we gave the religious exemption letter doubled down, tripled down on it and said I will not bend.

And they did not lose their job and they have their religious exemption.

Now I think it's silly that we have to have a religious exemption because we still got the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We've got some protected rights and the government cannot and should not ever coerce anyone to put anything in their body that they're not comfortable doing.

That is completely wrong.

That is a matter of personal choice.

Remember the my body, my choice argument.

I don't hear much of that anymore.

That was true with abortion, but now it's not true with this other thing.

But that is not freedom.

In fact, the government can't coerce and they recognize that they can't do that, and so now they're using big businesses to do that.

Well, if you want to be able to buy and sell and trade in our store, you're going to have to show us your papers.

That's what's coming If we let it, if we don't push back, if we don't double down and triple down on this, if we don't put our shoulder down and lean into it and say we will not bend, o King.

We're going to have more of this, but we're charged to occupy until he comes.

We are the restraining power of the Antichrist spirit, according to 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2.

2 Thessalonians 2 · chapter mention

Until we are taken out of the way, our job is to resist, and so join that resistance, please.

Second example Daniel, chapter 6, enter King Darius In verse 6,.

Daniel 6 · chapter mention

So these governors and satraps throng before the King and said thus to him King Darius, live forever, and all the governors of the kingdoms and the administrators and satraps and counselors and advisors have consulted together to establish a royal statute, to make a firm decree that whoever petitions any god or man for 30 days except you, o King, shall be cast into the lion's den.

Now O King established the decree and signed the writing so that it cannot be changed according to the law of Medes and the Persians, which does not alter.

In other words, once it's written, it's done and it can't be undone.

Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

These advisors come and build him up and make this thing.

They had other plans.

When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home.

So Daniel knew there was this executive order that says you can't worship anyone else except this king for this 30 day period.

The executive order came and said you've got to shut down your business, your place of worship, you have to shut down your life for a certain period of time until we flatten the curve on this.

And it can't be undone.

It's an executive order.

And when we knew that the executive order was signed by King Abbott, we said we will not comply, we will resist and we will be open on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.

And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home and in his upper room, in his innermost closet, whispering very quietly, and in his upper room, with the windows wide open towards Jerusalem, he knelt on his knees, not once, not twice, but three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before his God.

And he didn't do it quietly.

The window was open for the world to see.

He was unashamed and unafraid.

He knew the decree was written, that it couldn't be undone, and he said I'm going to go do what is my custom.

It says that he did this.

He prayed and gave thanks before his God, as his custom was since his early days.

He said I've been doing this all my life.

I'm not about to stop now, I will not be moved.

So the king gave the command verse 16.

And they brought Daniel and cast him into the lion's den.

But the king spoke to Daniel.

The king was kind of in a tight spot.

Daniel was one of his favorite people, his right-hand men.

He looked for every way to go around his own words, his own orders, but they held his feet to the fire.

They said, king, you can't undo this.

You signed it.

Once it's done, it's done.

So he was reluctant, but he had no other choice as according to their law and he couldn't back down.

So he gave the command to cast Daniel into the lion's den and he spoke to Daniel saying your God, whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.

King Abbott kind of said something similar.

He said we can't shut churches down.

Actually it was Ken Paxton, the attorney general, who had to revise the explanation of the executive order.

He had to say actually that executive order didn't mean what you thought it meant.

What it really means is this over here, and churches can't be shut down because the constitutional right.

See, if we didn't assert our rights, we would lose our rights.

You will never keep your rights by defending your rights.

A defense is on your heels.

A defense is where you pull back.

You were on offense and you pull back.

It's a short-lifting, it's a temporary condition where you're retooling, re-outfitting, healing up, fixing up, getting put back together, regrouping, and then you go back out on offense.

But we've lost so much ground as a nation and the church has done that.

Remember the devil walking about as a roaring lion, that devil.

There is a picture of religion.

Religion kills and religion has killed this nation Because churches were accustomed to doing one thing and speaking on certain issues.

They had a custom, a long custom, of doing this.

Churches did pastors, they shaped the culture and when the culture pushed back and said that's offensive to us and started calling the church names, and the church pulled back a little bit more and a little bit more and a little bit more and we lost more and more ground and incrementally we've lost ground.

For a couple of hundred years the IRS has been a tool used against churches.

The 501c3 is a hammer against churches.

Pastors are afraid we're going to lose this 501c3 and God doesn't understand what a 501c3 is.

Can you imagine a pastor standing before God at the end of his life giving an account for the job that he's done?

Pastors will give an account and God will be saying why didn't you tell them about these things?

And the pastor is going to say well, god, you don't understand, I can't talk on those issues.

Those are political issues and you see, we have this thing called a 501c3 letter and it ensures there are donors get a tax deduction benefit for their donation when they give it to the church.

As long as I don't say things that violate this letter over here and he's going to be like what's a 501c3 letter?

Depart from me.

I never knew you Pastors are going to give an account for this.

You're confronted with somebody who thinks that transgendering their children is OK and you tell that person what are you doing?

And they say well, my kindergartner told me that he was really a girl.

Listen to your kids when they talk to you.

That is not parenting.

I'm not making this up.

I heard mom give testimony about how she let her kindergarten boy declare that he was really a girl and she said, ok, and she bought him dresses instead of shorts and jeans and let him grow his hair down.

And then that boy, at midnight in Austin, gave testimony that he didn't write about how he was a girl now and the church didn't say that that was wrong.

The churches didn't confront that.

And so we have more and more of this that should have been confronted and settled a long time ago.

Instead, we back away from this and we back away and we give up ground and we concede.

We've got to assert the truth, we've got to assert our rights.

Never defend God's word, only declare God's word.

He confirms his word with signs following.

Your job is to speak and declare, and so Daniel did what was his custom.

He didn't violate his custom and the king recognized your God, whom you serve.

He will deliver you.

And then the stone was brought and laid at the mouth of the den and the king sealed it with his own signet ring In verse 20,.

And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel.

And the king spoke, saying Daniel, daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually.

Notice there's a continually serve.

There's no intermittent serving God.

There wasn't serving God as long as the cancel culture didn't push too hard or squeeze me too much or give me too much trouble.

It was continually.

Has that God been able to deliver you from the lions?

And Daniel said to the king, oh, king, live forever, I'm OK, good buddy.

And the king gave the command and they brought those men who accused Daniel and cast them into the lion's den and their children and their wives.

And the lions overpowered them and broke their bones to pieces before they even hit the ground.

Let's look at a New Testament example, acts 3, verse 1,.

Acts 3:1

Now, peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour, and a certain lame man from his mother's womb was carried, whom they lay daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask for alms from those who entered the temple.

And seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple and ask for alms and fixing his eyes on them, on him, with John, and Peter said look at us.

So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.

And Peter said silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

So he went walking and leaping and praising God In chapter 4, now, as they spoke to the people.

The priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them.

Peter and John, they're having a revival now this man's healed, and now they're having a revival.

And the priest and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees, the political leaders of the day, the governmental officials, the rulers, the leaders, came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus, the resurrection from the dead, and laid hands on them and took them into custody until the next day, for it was already evening.

However, many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of men came to be about 5,000.

There's fruit when you don't back down, when you just declare God's goodness, when you just declare who he is, even though the other side is trying to shut you up.

You just get a little bit louder now, a little bit louder now.

You all sing it, verse 7,.

And when they had set them in the midst, they asked by what power or what name have you done this?

And Peter, being filled with the Holy Spirit, don't try to do this without being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Don't try to double down against the devil, against your adversaries, against the political leaders of the day against the arresting forces.

Don't try to do this by yourself.

Do it under the unction, the leading and the fulfillment and the filling of the Holy Spirit.

And Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers of the people and elders of Israel if we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made, well, let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ, unless they be confused, he added of Nazareth, whom you crucified.

Now he's getting ugly, now he's causing offense, now he's accusing them of some stuff.

He didn't just answer their question, he didn't just defend the gospel.

They didn't shy away from it and say well, gosh, we came into the temple and we were just going to church and there was this guy and he was asking for alms, and I checked my pockets and we didn't have anything, and so all we did was say a little quiet, little prayer.

We just prayed for him a little bit and the next thing, you know, he's jumping around causing a ruckus and disturbing the whole place.

They didn't make excuses.

They said in the name of Jesus Christ, of Nazareth.

And not only that, but this is the guy whom you crucified and God raised from the dead by him.

This man stands here before you whole.

This is the stone that was rejected.

Now he's quoting scriptures on him.

This was the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given by which men must be saved.

They got real bold.

They were on offense.

They started asserting the truth.

They started declaring God's word and asserting their rights and not backing down.

They started backing these other guys down.

How far are you willing to take this?

How much are you willing to resist?

Are you willing to resist and back up a little bit?

Are you willing to take some ground that's been lost?

Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived they had been uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and they realized that they had been with Jesus and seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

This guy has been around for a long time.

We see him every day.

He's shriveled up.

We can't stand.

He's been begging for alms forever and now he's standing with us.

We got nothing to say.

God will shut the mouths of those lions If you're willing to double down on it, if you're willing to speak and do his word and let God perform it and confirm his word with signs following like a lame man being healed, jumping around causing a ruckus, and give you opportunity before the religious leaders and the political leaders of the day.

God'll give you opportunity, are you willing?

But when they had commanded them to go outside the council, they conferred among themselves, saying what shall we do with these men?

For indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Israel and we cannot deny it.

But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them.

Peter and John, get ready, we're gonna severely threaten you.

Okay, bring it what you got.

So they called them and commanded them that they should speak no further, a teaching the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered and said to them whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God you judge.

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

So when they had further threatened them.

So Peter and John pushed and they got some pushback and they resisted.

And Now they're getting threatened.

And they resisted some more and now they're getting severe threatenings coming back.

And when they pushed back even more, they were let go.

They got their exemption, they got their freedom because they pushed back even more and Jesus was while willing to walk through that fire with them.

They doubled down on it.

It wasn't their preference, it was their firmly held belief and they staked their lives on it.

I'm gonna turn over to math and to Matthew, chapter 10, verse 16.

Matthew 10:16

Jesus warned of persecutions.

He said behold, I send you out a sheep in the midst of wolves.

Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, but beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you and their synagogues.

You'll be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak, for it will be given for you in that hour what you should speak, for it is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father who speaks in you.

Thank God for the Holy Ghost.

Don't try to do this without the Holy Spirit.

I Am not bragging, I'm reporting.

I have come prepared with my notes, with my case laid out in the most convincing manner, certain that if people would hear my words, they're gonna change their position on some issue and Fall on the right side of this.

And I came prepared to present my words, my outline, and tell them and give them the what for.

And when I got there, I couldn't say any of that and I had to just take my notes and Fold them up and put them back in my pocket and walk up to the microphone and let the Holy Ghost help me and his words came out and they were cutting words.

And now the people on the other side are responsible for the truth that they heard.

They can fall on the right side of that or they can fall on the wrong side of that, but they will not be able to stand before God in heaven and say I never heard the gospel, because God will replay that image right there and they say no, remember when you sat on this committee and James stood before you and you heard the gospel, you heard the truth and you denied it.

I Pray to God that they don't.

They have another opportunity.

I pray to God that they have a chance to repent Because if they don't, they'll be held to pay.

In verse 21 it says now brother will deliver up brother to death and father his child and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

It's fixing to get real.

It's fixing to get real troublesome people we're in these days, we're in the end times where these things are happening more and more and beginning to happen.

People are delivering each other up and and reporting each other for non-compliance, for resisting.

Family members are delivering each other up and verse 22 and you'll be hated by all.

For my name's sake, we're being hated for his name's sake.

The God of this world hates the Jesus in you.

I've given you this quote before.

I'll give it to you again.

Antonio Gramsci, italian Marxist philosopher, about a hundred years ago, said that socialism Is the precise religion that must overwhelm Christianity.

And it'll happen through infiltration into schools and to universities, into churches, into churches, into churches, transforming the culture.

It's already been done.

There's a lot of woke churches out there that are preaching another gospel or leaving out whole pages out of the Bible, and they're gonna stand before God and say God, you don't understand, I couldn't use.

I couldn't say those words in the Bible.

They were offensive, god.

They would have called me a bigot.

They would have called me a hater.

Depart from me.

I never knew you.

You'll be hated for my name's sake.

But he who endures to the end will be saved.

He who endures to the end will be saved.

We can be saved from that fire if you're willing to push through all the way to the end, if you're willing to double down on it.

But, god, you don't understand.

If I say those things, I'll lose my job.

You're putting your life, your eternal life, in the balance with your job.

God, you don't understand.

I have to have that job.

I have a house payment to make.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

It doesn't say seek first your job, seek first pleasing your boss, seek first your government.

It doesn't say any of that.

We need to put God first in every aspect of our life.

We need to have it settled a long time ago so that when trouble confronts us, we are steadfast, immovable in concrete, fortified with steel, set in the direction to face the direction that God has set us in, so that we cannot possibly turn the other way.

We will not bend, okay.

We will not bend our knee, okay.

Our God will save us, he will.

Our God will save us, he will.

But even if he didn't, I don't care about my life enough to worship something false.

Even if he didn't save me, I'm not gonna count my life that valuable.

This life is short.

Hell is hot.

Heaven is real.

Eternity is a long, long time.

We're gonna have some on-the-job training.

We're gonna make some mistakes.

God's gonna give you a way of escape.

You're gonna get back up, say God, I blew it.

I missed that one.

I'm sorry, I repent.

I'm turning around, I'm back, I'm back in position.

I'm ready to take another crack at this one.

I'm going further this time and we're gonna get it better and better.

We're being strengthened, we're being fortified, we're being settled and perfected.

Paul wrote about all kinds of troubles and tribulations.

He said none of these things move me.

I'm not being moved off my mark.

Revelation 12 11 says that they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.

The blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony.

And they love, not their lives into the death.

Are you willing to put it all on the line.

I'm not.

This is not a suicide mission, it really isn't.

Abraham put his son on the line and the angel of God stopped him and said I've got a ram caught over here and that will do touch not the lad.

Gave him a way of escape, but Abraham, on his side, was willing to go all the way, Daniel was willing to go all the way, shadrach Meshach Abednego went all the way and the Lord of the armies of heaven was willing to get in the fire with him.

It's not a suicide mission as long as it's a belief on your side.

Do you believe or do you prefer?

Is it a preference or a belief?

People are gonna push you until they know, oh, they're serious about this.

This is real for them.

There might actually be a harvest to be had in a scenario like that, when people recognize how sincere you are about your belief, how far you're willing to take it.

I will not back down.

I serve the one true God and he will save.

And you might find a crowd of raucous people around you, leaping and dancing and shouting and praising God.

In the end, you might be able to get your boss saved.

You might be able to turn your company around because you took a stand that nobody else is willing to take.

It is not a suicide mission.

And so I have these three simple points.

Number one Resist, do not comply.

You ready for the second one?

Number two resist, do not comply.

You want to take a guess at what?

The third one is Resist, do not comply.

You do that, and You're not alone.

The Lord of the armies of heaven is at your side.

The Lord is my helper.

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

Well, I hope that gave you something to stand on tonight.

Have it settled so that when trouble comes, you know how to respond.

You're not contemplating it, you're not having to think about it.

You know, I decided a long time ago when somebody comes through my front door who doesn't belong in my house, I'm gonna use appropriate force.

I Settled it a long time ago.

When the God of this world comes knocking on my door Telling me to bend my knee, I will not comply.

I will resist, resist, resist, don't comply.