From Irritation to Rest | Pastor Loren Covarrubias

Well, I want to open with the scripture that I shared with you

last week, and that's from Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

Now this week I put verse 18 over it as the heading because

in this the apostle Paul writing this letter is letting the

people know you have not come to the mountain you can touch.

Because in the Old Testament everything was literal.

There was a literal Mount Zion, there was a literal temple.

There was a literal Jerusalem. But in the New Testament, it is

a spiritual reality that we must walk in.

And that's why we put this display on that's always here as

we open our services, just to remind us why we call our church

Mount Zion and what it is that we should be endeavoring to

experience as we come here. You should know that you have

come to Mount Zion to the city of the living God.

It is the heavenly Jerusalem to innumerable company of angels,

to the General Assembly Church of the first born who are

registered in heaven, to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits

of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the Mediator of the new

Covenant, to the blood of sprinkling.

That speaks better things than that of able.

Now it's very important for us to understand.

He said you have come because he's talking about the reality.

When we come to church today, we have come to Mount Zion.

Now this verse isn't speaking just about our local church, but

our church is called Mount Zion because we absolutely believe

what the Bible says concerning the term Mount Zion in the Old

Testament. It says in the latter days of

time, the mountain of the Lord's house would be established on

top of the mountains. It will be exalted above the

hills and people are going to say, come and let us go to the

mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob.

He will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his path.

For out of Mount Zion shall go the law and the word of the Lord

from Jerusalem. Those are the scriptures the

Lord gave to me way back in 1977 as we're preparing to have a

local church and seeking the direction of God and everything

that we did both in the building, we should buy the name

that we should have and that's when the Lord inspired this to

me. Be prepared for the latter days

of time because I'm I'm going to do something awesome in the air.

Now going into the book of Hebrews chapter 12, we

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

understand there's not just a natural, but there's also a

spiritual dimension. And that's why he talks about

Mountain Zion in its spiritual reality that when we have come

to the House of God, how many know this is a meeting place

with God, that as we gather in the name of Jesus, that the

Bible says he's here in the midst of us literally

worshipping with us. I think that's just an awesome

thing that I should know and understand, but also recognizing

that he is here through the Word.

He's here through the altar calls.

God's presence is with us and we have a connection with heaven.

We have to understand that the heavens have been opened to us.

And I really believe there's a new reality that God wants to

show us in this time where we really understand and see

ourselves as being representatives of God here on

earth. The Kingdom of God, Jesus said,

is before you. And we have to understand there

is a present tense reality that God wants us to have concerning

heaven and also concerning His church.

And again, it is a spiritual reality.

When something's a spiritual reality, we have to fully

embrace it and we have to understand that it's not

something that you're just going to experience unless you

understand how important it is that you prepare yourself to

understand what's going to happen spiritually in this

particular case when you come to the House of God.

I don't know about you, but I came today to experience Jesus.

How about you, Church? Give Him a praise on that.

He is here and we are here to experience that spiritual

reality. Now, in order for us to have a

spiritual reality, we have to walk in the faith dimension.

That's why this Scripture again, what I shared last week.

But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way.

Do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, that is

to bring Christ down from above, or who will descend into the

abyss, that is to bring Christ from the dead.

But what does it say? The Word is near you.

It is in your mouth and in your heart.

That is what the Word of Faith which we preach.

And at Mount Zion we certainly preach the Word of Faith because

faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word.

And what happens is we can enter into a faith dimension.

Our father of the faith, Abraham, the Bible says,

believed in the God who called the things that were not as

though they were. In other words, even though he

was 100 years old, he received strength to have a child with

his wife who is 90 years of age. They had to understand there was

a spiritual dimension they could live in.

Amen. And when they grabbed hold of

that spiritual dimension, being strengthened in faith, she

conceived and ultimately bore a child.

And the Bible says that God had spoken to Abraham and said

through your seed, all the nations of the earth is going to

be blessed. It's going to be more multitude

than the sands of the sea. And we can all give testimony

that because now 4000 years later, if you can believe that,

we can look out there and see in our world today, literally

billions of people, whether it's through the Christian faith, did

the Jewish faith or even Muslims say Abraham is our father.

So however we want to look at it, when God says he's going to

make you famous or make your name great, he is faithful to

his promise. Amen.

And so it's important that we would recognize that requires a

faith dimension to enter into the fullness of what God has for

us. And I put here heart to mouth

because of the Bible says if you believe in your heart and

confess with your mouth because it's very important that our

conversation is reflective. The Bible says the power of life

and death is in the tongue. So through our communication on

a regular basis, we keep alive our spiritual reality.

That should be our spiritual, spiritual reality and being born

again, our spiritual reality of what God wants us to experience

in his house and certainly in an ongoing basis in the reality he

wants each and every one of us to experience.

Now Mount Zion here represents the church.

It represents the gathering together of the people of God

because we collectively are the body of Christ.

And one of the reasons I know the Lord spoke that to me to

share it again with you last week is as darkness is covering

the earth and gross darkness, the people, God says to His

church, we need to arise and shine so that His glory can be

seen upon us. We're never going to be able to

arise and shine by faith unless we understand the reality of the

collective gathering and what we glean from one another.

So that when we leave the House of God, we leave with an

impartation that we can take with us.

But also there is an individual aspect to this that's important.

And that's why I often teach we are the bride of Christ, but we

are also the sons of God. There's our collective part and

there is our individual relationship that we can have

with God. So with that in mind, I want to

go to this next verse of scripture that I shared here

from Hebrews chapter 4. It says, For if Joshua had given

Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another

day. There remains there for a rest

for the people of God. For he who has entered his rest

has himself also ceased from his works, as God did from him.

That's why I put up there the personal place, because God

wants us all to come to a place of rest.

We're living in a time of conflict.

We're living in a time of anxiety, depression and upset.

Everywhere you turn, not only is that out there, but there's

somebody in every means of communication trying to rally

you to get excited and get into the conflict.

That's so much a part of our everyday life, and all of us

have a certain level of activity and involvement we do in this

world. But we should all remember that

no matter what our place in the world, we also need to operate

from a place of rest. God wants us to know His peace

that passes all understanding and enter into that place of

rest where we're not upset and in turmoil, but we're at peace

with ourselves. We're at peace with God and

truly church. We're at peace with the world in

which we live. And that's something that does

take a place of rest and it's what the Bible calls a Sabbath

rest. Now it uses the illustration of

God how that in the very beginning when he created the

heavens and the earth, after six days, the Bible says that he set

apart the 7th day and he ceased from his.

Now in this particular reference of Scripture in Hebrews, it's

reminding us he didn't just take a day off.

That's the way we would think of it because that's how our world

operates. Though the Bible says that on

the 7th they got seized from his labor.

And so whenever God asks his people to observe Sabbath, it's

not just to think about one day, but to do it in the

understanding that God in the very beginning not only created

the heavens and the earth, but the Bible says God has literally

said in motion solution history, which I love to call his story.

And that we who are called of God, the Bible says by grace we

have been saved through faith, that none of ourselves, it is

the gift of God, something God has given to us.

And that each and everyone of us were created for good works that

God has prepared ahead of time. And so it's so important that we

understand that we live a prepared life.

And so as we pursue God, we have to always be saying to him,

Lord, I want to come to that place to rest where I know that,

well, it's settled, you have spoken it, you are going to do

it. I just need to find that place

of rest that you have for me. Joshua's the leader of the

children of Israel. And his name means God is our

salvation. And it is the Hebrew name for

Jesus of the New covenant. So Jesus is our Joshua.

And he doesn't just want to take us into a physical land.

I mean, he wants to take us to that spiritual land which he

calls the Kingdom of God. The Bible says concerning the

Kingdom of God, it is righteousness, it is peace and

joy in the Holy Ghost. How many want to enter into the

Kingdom of God? Amen.

We got to do that now. It says they had the gospel in

the Old Testament. They knew who reigned in the

heavens and the earth, but they never entered into the rest.

And God says today, today, hear his voice.

This is a today day in God Church.

Say it to yourself today I'm going to enter into that rest

because that's what the Bible says.

He designates a certain day and that's a today day that we must

recognize and enter into. Having said that, it goes on to

say, and again in this place, they shall not enter my rest.

Since therefore it remains that some must enter and those to

whom it was first preached did not enter.

Why? Because of disobedience.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says today, if you will, what,

sit with me, hear his voice. So we have to understand, of

course, that not everybody will enter into this place God has.

But the key for all of us is to hear the voice of God.

And sometimes people think, well, I'm not one of those

people that's super spiritual. I don't hear the voice of God

And you might think just other people do.

If you're a Christian, you have heard the voice of God.

And I like to remind people that because Jesus, my sheep know my

voice and another, they will not follow.

He doesn't say some, He doesn't say now and then.

You're a Christian because God called your name.

He chose you now it might not have happened like out of

heaven. A voice said hey, it's time to

get saved. But the circumstances that

worked in your life made you aware of something and really

hearing the voice of God is just as simple as that is when you

come to the House of God, when you hear servants when you hear

teaching. Hopefully when you have a

personal time of prayer, you just let yourself listen to God

so that you can be aware that there's something He wants you

to know both in the world but also in your individual life,

that we would hear the voice of God.

Now look what this next verse of Scripture says.

Now do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, the day of

trial in the wilderness, where your father's tested me, tried

me, and saw my works. 40 years. Therefore I was angry that

generation and said they always go astray in their heart and

they have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath they

shall not enter my rest. Well, what's the problem they

had? Now the Bible tells us that when

we read the Old Testament, it was written for our example.

So we should be able to look back there sometimes and see

what people did right and unfortunately sometimes what

they did wrong. Now, what happened to the

children of Israel that says that they refused to hear the

voice of God in the time they were in the wilderness?

They rebelled. Now, when I was growing up in

church, I learned from and read in the King James Version of the

Bible and the Word there is provocation and actually in some

ways it's a better word. Most of us know that when the

Bible is written, obviously it wasn't written in English.

So sometimes we can go back to both Hebrew and also Greek,

depend if we're talking Old Testament New, and get a little

bit of amplification upon what it is that God is speaking.

And the Bible also wants us to understand there's something

deeper that we go when we do that.

But the word in the original here speaks about something that

has become bitter along the road or alongside of us.

In other words, the day of provocation means you got

irritated. Anybody out there get irritated?

How do you know in life you get irritated?

Come on here and Amen. Yes, because I should hear

Amens, because we all get irritated from time to time,

right? Well, that's what happened to

the children of Israel. Rebellion was the outward

expression of that, but that came from the fact that they

became bitter along the way in their walk with God.

And I believe it's very important for us when we read

the Bible, just like the children of Israel, not to be

high minded, the Bible says and think that couldn't happen to

us. Because when I look back there,

I don't think how could they not do that?

Because I look back and I say, well, they can do that because

they're just like us. Because of their irritation,

they had heart estrangement. And I used the word estrangement

just so you'd say, well, what's that?

Think for a minute. It means that when your heart is

separated from your actions that you're involved in.

And sometimes our heart gets disconnected in our relationship

with God. Sometimes our heart gets

disconnected in our relationships with people.

And we have to understand that one of the ways that happens is

we get irritated along the way. Now, when you read the Bible,

just like in reading this particular reference, you think,

how could the children of Israel have seen all the miracles that

they saw and still rebell against God?

They were slaves in Egypt and the Lord sent Moses to deliver

them. Now, the Pharaoh didn't want to

let go of his slaves because they were building his pyramids

and whatever else he wanted them to build.

And so he wasn't just going to let go easily.

And so the Bible says that through Moses, God put 10

plagues upon the country so that finally the Pharaoh would say,

get out of here, I want to let you go.

But those plagues were miraculous things that happened

as they began to leave the country.

The Bible says that they look back behind them and all of a

sudden they realize, hey, the pharaoh and his armies are

chasing us. How many know that would be a

terrible thought to think about. And so the Bible tells us that

they were in distress. Moses was in distress.

But not only that, they come to a stopping point because in

front of them is the Red Sea. Now what are we going to do?

Pharaoh's after us with an army, the Red Seas in front of us.

We're goners now. But Moses listened to God and

God said, now take that rod that you have in your hands, stretch

it over the Red Sea. And when he did it, it parted

and they crossed over on dry land.

That's amazing. How many of you think that if

you were there and you saw the Red Sea part like that, you'd

never complain again. I'm news for you, you probably

would. Just like they did when they

went over the Red Sea and they went through the wilderness.

There were times when they didn't have food and God sent

them food. There were times when they

wanted bread. God made a supernatural

provision for them to have bread and he also made a supernatural

provision for them to have meat to eat because that was their

second complaint. We don't just want to eat meat.

Now all of these miracles are happening and the Bible says

they didn't have faith to enter into the promised land because

when they got there, they were, they saw giants in the land and

said we can't fight against those giants.

And because of that, they didn't get to go into the promised

land. Now eventually Joshua LED them

into the promised land, but even in the promised land they were

never happy. They were never satisfied.

And because of that they were always in rebellion and

ultimately they lost the promised land.

So the Lord says to his people, now don't be like that.

Don't think that if you take possession of something that's

going to make you happy, because what's going to make you happy

is not what's happening on the outside, it's what's going to

happen on the inside. And this week as I was

contemplating, as the Lord was speaking to me, he he made me

think about the story of the children of Israel.

And I thought specifically about how that they were caught

between the Pharaoh and the Red Sea and what they were going to

do. Now, yes, there was a miraculous

event that occurred, but if you were to ask one of the people

that were in the situation because of the outcome, how they

became rebellious, they would probably say, it's easy for you

to say we should be happy because of that miracle.

But do you know what I went through?

Even as it pertained to the plagues that came upon the

Egyptians when God delivered them?

Do you know that the children of Israel went through three of the

plagues directly? The rest, they only saw what

happened. But the first plague that

happened was the Red Sea, or, excuse me, the Nile River became

blood, and so their water became blood too.

How do you know that? Would he give them something to

complain about? And then the Bible says that God

sent a plague of frogs. The plague of frogs hit them as

well. And so they wake up one day and

their house is filled with frogs.

How many ladies would get excited about that?

I know I wouldn't be. I often told the story how when

I was a kid, one of our neighbors were from Kentucky and

they actually went to a church where they handled snakes.

And I said I wouldn't even go to church that handled frogs

because reptiles are yookie to me.

So you wake up in the morning, you see all these frogs.

I'd have to call somebody to come take them out of my house.

I wouldn't be just throwing them on myself.

I'm sure there were a few people that said, oh, good frog legs,

but most of them didn't. The third thing was lice.

Who wants to get lice? It hit everybody in the land.

Now the fourth one was flies, and they were spared the flies.

Thank God we were delivered from the flies.

I learned about flies the hard way because when we went to

Cuba, the first time we went, I think it was the month where the

flies are king, because there were flies everywhere.

You'd be sitting there and look up at the ceiling and it would

be all kinds of flies covering it, and sometimes they'd fall in

your hair and you go. Isn't that a weird feeling?

Has that ever happened to you? Even at the old church we used

to get in the certain time of the year, what they called

Custer flies, and we had that same problem for a few weeks of

the year. But anyway, that was something

that was always happening. And it wasn't just them falling

your hair. Of course, I would watch them

cooking as he flies, landing on the food as they were preparing

dinner for me. And I'm like, oh, God, please

help me. Anytime I ate it, I always took

things from the bottom hoping they would be safer.

I could kind of pretend, well, the flies didn't land on this.

Well, they probably did when they were on the bottom, when

they were not having something over them.

And the passer down there, he recognized that we were being

bothered by the flies. He said, oh, we have a joke

about that. He says, you know, we always say

in America, if you had a family land on your cake you just

bought at the bakery and a guy caught in the cake, you just

throw the cake away and buy a new one because you're rich

there. And then she said, but in

Russia, they wouldn't be like that because the Russians had

taken care of Cuba. So they saw them as kind of

mediocre wealthy. And they said what they would do

is they would just slice a part of the cake where the fly was

caught and they'd just throw away the peas.

He said, now, as Cubans, if we saw a family land on our cake,

we'd go, oh, good, we get meat today.

Sounded funny at the time, but it wasn't funny as I was

thinking about the food. So I'd be glad if I was the Jews

and I could at least say, oh, thank God, we don't have to do

the fly thing. But all these kinds of things

that happened would have been an irritation to them.

You know what I'm talking about. And even though a miracle

happened through the process, you still have to go through

this event. When they wanted me to eat, the

Lord sent quails from heaven. They were cared with the wind.

Now I know I would be there thinking, why didn't God send

chickens? He could have sent any kind of

food. I eat chicken almost every day.

Some days it's Margarita chicken, Fiesta lime chicken,

popeye's chicken, Hallelujah rotisserie chicken.

I wouldn't want to eat quail. I know it's a bird, but I've

tried duck before and it don't taste like chicken.

How we know life can be irritating.

Now in the case of the children of Israel, a miracle would come

to lift them out of the circumstance, and that was

always a marvelous thing. But what the Bible says is what

happened to them is slow but sure.

Every time something happened, it irritated their heart and

what it would do is kind of like build up some scar tissue along

the way. And so after a while, their

hearts were hardened and they could not hear the voice of God

because you have to have a soft heart to hear the voice of God.

The same thing could happen our human relationships.

We can go through things and we can say, well, I'm married, I'm

going to just keep on going. And we keep on keeping on.

But sometimes over time, our heart becomes hardened and we're

going through the motions, but we don't have the emotional

connection where the Bible talks about us having love.

It's kind of like the story I remember reading once about a

man went to a wedding anniversary for a couple.

They're 50 years old. So he's like, well, I'm going to

find out this 50 year anniversary and, and he said,

I'm going to look for the the great key to this happy

marriage. They've been married for 50

years. And he said to the woman, now

how have you stayed 50 years married to the same man?

Well, we just ignore each other basically he said I didn't get

the key to understanding that day.

But you see that's what happens sometimes as we do that in our

relationships and God says he wants us to love the Lord our

God with all of our heart and also he wants us to love our

neighbor as ourselves or of course any people.

That's why this scripture says keep your heart with all

diligent for out of its spring. What the issues of life.

Now the word keep there is literally the same commandment

was given when God plays Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

He said you can enjoy the garden, but you got to garden,

cultivate it. You have to work with your

garden if you want to get what you need to get out of it.

And if you really want to experience love, which is what

we all want to experience, we have to understand how important

it is that we've recognized well, it's a heartfelt

experience. And so we have to look at us,

our heart, as a stewardship God has given to us.

And how are we going to manage our heart so that we're not just

building up scar tissue, if you would, emotionally, so that we

become hardened and insensitive in our relationships with each

other or insensitive with our relationship with God.

It works the same. I put up your harvest time

because sooner or later, if you allow something to happen,

you're going to have to pay the price for the seeds that you

have sown. And I also believe that's very

important for us to note that from another perspective here at

the church, because God wants us to know this is harvest time,

says the Lord. And so we have to be very

careful because the world is being very, very divided.

And they want us all to be filled with animosity.

But you have to know some of those people that even

Christians will try to get you to have animosity toward.

God says be careful because that's going to be the harvest.

And when they come in the House of God, how many know you got to

be ready to receive them? I said, how many know you got to

be ready to receive them in harvest time?

So we got to keep our heart and be prepared.

Now this is a key factor here and that is it.

God made known his ways to Moses, His acts to the children

of Israel. Now church, that's a big

difference, actions versus what I'll call motivations.

The children of Israel saw what God did.

They saw part of that miracle signs and wonders.

It was amazing what they saw, but they never were real

familiar with God himself, and so they didn't understand his

motivations, and with that they didn't understand his ways.

Now, Moses was different. He had a very close connection

to God. So when the children of Israel

would get all upset and complain, he would go to God.

And because his heart was sensitive, God would speak to

him and through his faith there would be a miraculous provision

for the children of Israel. Now, sometimes he got provoked

with the children of Israel and he's like God, I know they're

complaining again, but what are we going to do?

Because they understood his responsibility in the situation.

But it's important for us to recognize that when you get to

know God in a personal sense, which is why we're talking about

the heart, while we're talking about that personal connection

with him, you begin to know not just the acts of God, but you

begin to see God's ways again. In Proverbs 23, it says, My son,

give me what your heart, because then let your eyes what observe

my ways. Now I'm not just talking about

his activity or his actions. He's talking about having a

prepared heart so you can perceive not just the what's,

but the whys of God's behavior in our life and church.

I truly believe that we can do that.

I remember several years ago the Lord spoke the story to me about

Moses and preaching about it from time to time.

But Numbers Chapter 11, there was a time when his brother and

Numbers 11 · chapter mention

his sister were complaining about him and literally God

stuck up for him from heaven said, hey, what are you doing

talking about my friend Moses? He said there's a lot of

prophets and they get dreams and they get visions and they kind

of know what I'm doing. But Moses knows me, and because

he knows me, he knows what I'm doing.

He knew the ways of God. Why?

Because he knew God. And if we're confused about

what's happening in our life, don't try to figure it out from

your human perception, but go to God, in your heart of love

towards him, and say, God, let me observe your way in this,

because Lord, there's a whole lot more going on than just

meets the eye. Lord, I want to know your way,

the psalmist said. And the psalmist David, he had a

heart for God like Moses, he said, I'm going to meditate on

your precepts and I'm going to contemplate your ways.

I will delight myself in your statutes.

I will not forget your word. Now that would be the Scripture,

but it also be something that God is speaking.

But whether you're going by the Scriptures or going by something

you feel God has spoken to you, it's a very important that you

spend time in contemplation or meditation.

Few weeks back I was talking about how we need to meditate

and using the illustration of why God has given us the Holy

Spirit. Because the Bible says that when

even we pray in tongues, that that's God's provision for us to

hear His voice. And when we pray in the Spirit

that we build ourselves up in the most holy faith.

That's why we have our new beginner class, because we want

you to get every part of what God has for you.

Because church, it's not just one thing and it's not just

about being safe because some people will get saved.

Obviously that's step one. But then you don't give God your

heart fully and you kind of become hardened in your heart.

You stay faithful, perhaps to what you believe you're supposed

to be faithful to, but you miss the dynamic of that personal,

loving relationship with God. And I love the Lord with all my

heart, and I know that God loves me.

And because of that, when I go through things that I don't

understand, I know there is a secret place in the Most High

that I can get into where I can listen to His voice.

But again, as with all of us, we have to be very careful along

the way, lest we also harden our hearts and miss the thing that

God has for us. He said in Isaiah 55, For my

thoughts or not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says

the Lord. For as the heavens are higher

than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my

thoughts than your thoughts, says the Lord.

It's so important for us to know, hey, God doesn't think the

way we think and God's ways are higher.

And I think that's important to say because I believe God's

calling this higher in the mountain.

If you would, I believe that God's saying to every single one

of us, if you feel like things are a little hard right now,

that's because I'm taking you up the mountain says the Lord keep

your destiny before you. Because in that Mount Zion

scripture of Isaiah chapter 2, he says, and he will not only

Isaiah 2 · chapter mention

teach us of his word, but he will teach us of his ways.

And I believe that we're living in a very critical time where we

need to know God's ways. Can you say men to that church?

It is so important that we know that with God there is indeed a

higher way, and He's calling us to that higher way even now.

Now this is important to understand here in Exodus

Exodus 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13, it says that it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the

people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of

the Philistines, although it was near.

For God said, lest perhaps the people change their minds when

they see war and return to Egypt.

So God led the people around by the Wilder wilderness of the Red

Sea and the children, Israel went up in orderly ranks out of

the land of Egypt. Now God is your father, and

that's why the Bible says, you know you have a father.

And if you have a father, he's going to chasten you.

And if you're without chastisement, you're not a true

son. Now, when it uses the word

chasten, it doesn't mean discipline necessarily.

There can be an aspect to that, but it really has to do with

disciplined training or learning.

And in order for that to happen, you have to have confidence your

father loves you. So here's the children of

Israel. They had no map to get to the

promised land. They didn't know what it was all

about. They didn't know when God took

them the longer way, and they didn't know why even then.

So it wasn't like he told them all of this because they

wouldn't have comprehended it, but because God loved them.

God had a path for them that was for their good.

Now, in this particular case, it was longer than they would have

thought that it needed to be. How many know?

God takes a lot longer than you think it should be, and we don't

understand. It's because God has a bigger

purpose, because we have to understand with God you can't be

in a hurry because God's not in a hurry.

He takes his time. And the Bible says that God

builds line upon line, precept upon precept, what here little

and there little. And God does a little bit of a

time. And it isn't just because he

wants to rub our nerves the wrong way is because he knows

that in order to do it right, it has to be done in a certain way

and then by a certain procedure. And it's always about us.

When the Lord performed the 10 plagues upon Egypt, it wasn't

just to shake them up so that the children of Israel go.

Every one of the 10 plagues represented 1 of the gods of

Egypt. So he was making a mockery of

the gods of Egypt so that when his people came out, not only

would they be get delivered, but they you would know Egypt's gods

aren't going to protect you. Unfortunately, one of those gods

which God had sent a plague upon the cattle was the golden calf.

They didn't learn that lesson because there came a time when

they built a golden calf and when God took him to the Red

Sea, it wasn't just to irritate them.

Don't you understand that when they look back there and saw the

Pharaoh over their shoulder, if you would, that God knew that

would bother them. So what did he do?

He had a plan to open up the Red Sea so he could swallow the

Pharaoh in his armies. See, God had this bigger plan

because in the long run, he didn't want them looking over

their shoulder. Maybe they were for a while

because they're like, wow, look what's happening to us now, But

God was going to get rid of the Pharaoh.

And that's what's God's pattern throughout all of the things

that happened in church. We have to understand if God is

for us, who can be against us, Amen.

And so line upon line, give the Lord a praise on that.

God was faithful to all that He had promised that he would do.

He said be careful. Heed the commandment and the

law, which Moses, the servant of God commands you to what?

Love the Lord your God to walk in all of his ways.

We think about commandments. Oh, this is, I'm not supposed to

do this. I'm not supposed to do that.

Yes, that's the part of it. But do you see the bigger

picture? That we would love God and also

walk in His ways? Because that's not just

something that's easy to see, but it's something He has for us

that's so far above us to keep His commandments told, fasting

Him, and to serve him. With what?

All your heart, with all your soul.

So Joshua blessed them, sent them away, and they went to

their tents. I'm going to ask everyone to

just bow your heads, close your eyes for just a moment.

Because I believe with everything within me that God is

here in a very special way and that God is saying it's time to

prepare for the days which are to come.

Know about the open heaven and know about the rest that I have

for you, says the Lord. My ways are not your ways.

My thoughts are not your thoughts, But I can bring you to

a place of spiritual understanding.

I can give you spiritual wisdom, but it means you have to take

this journey beyond yourself. And if you're willing, God is

able to do that, which he says he would do today if you will

hear his voice and deal with the hardness of your heart.

Maybe you've been in a time where you have hardened your

heart and so it's making you kind of callous towards people,

making you kind of callous towards God.

Maybe there's something missing because your heart has become

hardened. Today if you will hear his

voice, say, God, I'm going to give you my heart all over

again. Soften my heart, let me have a

sensitive heart towards you and towards the people that are in

my life. Lord, give me a sensitive heart

for the harvest. The multitudes of people out

there that they're going their own way.

But Lord, now you're calling us to receive them and to bless

them as never before. Father, I ask that would be upon

each and everyone of us in Jesus mighty name, Amen.

This is Pastor Lorne Coverbius from Mount Zion Church.

We thank you for joining us today and invite you to connect

with our church family by visiting mountzion.org and

following us on social media. God bless you.