Running with Horses - Part 3

So, let's sing Happy Birthday to Caleb.

So if Caleb can stand because we don't know who Caleb is.

Ah!

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday dear Caleb.

Yay!

Happy birthday to you.

Cool.

How old?

Really?

Gosh.

I was 20 in 1985.

Okay.

Moving on.

Jeremiah 12-5.

Jeremiah 12-5.

Jeremiah 12-5.

We've been...

Was Derek's preaching okay last week?

Yeah, sounds pretty bad, eh?

Okay, moving on.

Jeremiah 12-5.

It says...

So this is part three.

Jeremiah 12-5.

If you have raised with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with

horses or how can you run with horses?

If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage when the Jordan is flooded?

If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the tickets of the Jordan or when

the Jordan is flooded?

So that was Jeremiah 12-5.

And so the question being, and we said this before, that running with horses is not natural.

Running with horses is not natural.

Everything about it is supernatural.

Running with horses is not natural.

Everything about it is supernatural.

What is unnatural is that...

Is when Christians or when you and I do not have an appetite for the impossible, that's

unnatural.

Why?

Because your God is supernatural.

Just remember that equation.

It's important that we remember that equation.

Running with horses is not natural.

Everything about it is supernatural.

What is unnatural is when you and I do not have an appetite for the impossible.

Why?

Because our God is supernatural and not to have an appetite for the impossible shows

you the gap between me and God.

And we said when we started that most of us don't live with an appetite for the impossible.

If anything, the impossible becomes a challenge and it's like, ah shucks, not again.

And everybody in Hebrews 11 went, ah shucks, praise God again.

Very odd the way they reacted and the way we react.

And so that's where we started.

And so here it talks about how if you have raced with men on foot and they have worn

you out, how are you going to run with the horses?

As in if the natural and the demands of the natural are beginning to wear you out, how

are you going to handle the supernatural?

How are you going to run with the horses?

Or the other part says, if you have gotten weary running on plain ground, as in in natural

circumstances, how are you going to handle it when the Jordan is flooded?

Because once it gets flooded, how are you going to cross over?

And strangely enough, there was a bunch of guys in the Old Testament who actually fit

this bill.

They were called the Gadites.

If you go to 1 Chronicles 12, you'll read about them.

You'll read about guys who actually fit Jeremiah 12.5, the Jeremiah 12.5 description.

So if you go to 1 Chronicles 12, 1 Chronicles 12, Chronicles is before Nehemiah, after Kings.

1 Chronicles 12, and you go to verse 15, 14 and 8.

15, 14 and 8, you'll find out about the Gadites.

So 1 Chronicles 12, 15, here's what it says, starting at verse 15, and then I'll go to

14 and then to 8.

The Gadites were the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing

all its banks.

Remember what Jeremiah said?

And now here are the Gadites who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing

all its banks.

And they put to flight everyone living in the valleys to the east and to the west.

Then go to verse 14.

These Gadites were army commanders.

The least was a match for a hundred and the greatest for a thousand.

Now remember, this is not, while the Bible does indulge in hyperbole, in situations like

this, it's not saying that they could not.

It was that there were times when one man would stand in the middle of a lentil field

with a sword in his hand and he would actually slay 300 people.

So these are not exaggerations.

We know that when we look at the mighty three or the mighty 30, that they actually did that.

So this isn't some kind of exaggerated version that 1 Chronicles is coming up with.

But these guys were warriors who had the ability to sometimes, one man could take care of a

hundred and ten could take care of a thousand.

These were those kind of men.

That's how God raised them.

And so they do qualify for the Jeremiah 12.5 kind of people.

And then go to verse 8.

And in verse 8 it says,

And so what does it take to run with the horses?

I'd suggest that we look at some of the ways the Gaddaids behaved and figure out what it

takes to run with the horses because they seem to qualify.

So the first thing we need to look at is that this idea of the majority of one, the majority

As in, how is it that a people are able to match a hundred?

The least of them, the least of them could battle a hundred.

And the greatest of them could take on a thousand.

How?

It's because of this idea called the majority of one.

Samson did that.

What would he do?

He'd go pick up a jawbone.

And with a jawbone he'd slay 300 Philistines.

How's that possible?

Very simple.

Proceeding all these verses, you'll hear the simple verse saying,

The idea of running with horses is almost impossible if I'm not able or do not have

the capacity to receive into my life the Spirit of God to the point that he gets to do whatever

he wants through me.

Whatever he wants.

This is what we talked about yesterday when we said double portion is not twice the Spirit.

It is twice the capacity to increase or become twice as much you are in terms of being able

to receive the Spirit.

That's how this works.

Every time Samson did it, every time one of David's men did it.

Every time anybody in the Bible did something it was because suddenly the Holy Spirit would

come and dwell upon them.

He was in present then 24-7.

Now he is.

And we should actually be in a position to at command jump into this.

That's how in this present date people are able to go and open doors.

To dig up ancient wells.

That's how it works.

And it's absolutely possible.

I assure you, you will.

And I say you, it's both a corporate view and an individual view for anyone who is willing.

I assure you, we will.

Any questions on that before we go on?

Okay.

So if you go to Isaiah 60 verse 22, you see that again.

Isaiah 60:22

Isaiah 60 verse 22.

Isaiah 60:22

If you read it from the message, it calls the least of them the runt.

Isaiah 60 verse 22.

Isaiah 60:22

It says, the runt will become a great tribe.

The weakling become a strong nation.

I am God.

At the right time, I'll make it happen.

I love statements like that.

The runt will become a great tribe.

The weakling become a strong nation.

And then, how do you know this will happen?

Because I am God and I'll make it happen at the right time.

Let's look at the NIV.

The least of you will become a thousand.

The smallest a mighty nation.

I am the Lord.

In its time, I will do this swiftly.

And if you think this is going to happen with somebody else, then that's an absurd way to leave.

Every promise that is given in the scriptures should be something you desire, that you long for, that you see it in your days.

Lord, I have seen, I've heard of your...

Don't remember the song?

I have heard of your deeds, I stand in awe of your...

Nope, okay, moving on.

So, where there is a desire to see again what happened in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Because remember guys, as the river begins to flow further from the throne, what happens? It increases in depth.

And so we are not supposed to be stuck in the New Testament church, we are supposed to be stuck in the church that waits for us tomorrow.

Greater than what happened in the New Testament.

We can look back at that as a reference point, but that is not the limit.

We go further than that.

So, when it comes to the majority of one, you'll find that whenever a people took upon themselves

the task of accomplishing anything

through natural means

striving, help

they at best did better than most humans.

So if you go to Isaiah 30 verse 15, you'll see this working out.

Isaiah 30:15

Isaiah 30 verse 15.

Isaiah 30:15

Isaiah 30 verse 15.

Isaiah 30:15

I was talking to somebody about this earlier today.

Isaiah 30 verse 15.

Isaiah 30:15

Oh, let's go to verse 16.

Isaiah 30 verse 16.

Isaiah 30:16

You said, no we will flee on horses, therefore you will flee.

You said, we will ride off on swift horses, therefore your pursuers will be swift.

Go back to verse 12.

Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says.

Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression, depended on deceit,

sin will become for you like a high wall cracked and bulging.

He goes on to say before that, that when Israel needed help, go to verse two, or verse one.

War to the obstinate children declares the Lord, to those who carry out plans that are not mine,

forming an alliance but not by my spirit, heaping sin upon sin,

who go down to Egypt without consulting me, who look for help to Pharaoh's protection,

to Egypt's shade for refuge.

Every time I begin to depend on any other primary source other than God first,

it's a recipe for at best doing better than average or at worst making huge mistakes that will cost me.

It doesn't matter in which area, is it your job, is it sickness, is it finances.

Any area where my primary source is not God or He's not the first person I turn to,

it doesn't matter whether it's preaching, whether it's worship, whether it's church,

whether it's putting things together, any area where my first call or cry is not to God

and my primary source is not to God, it's a recipe for two things.

Either I'll average out or do slightly better than average or two, it'll be disastrous.

The opposite of faith is not doubt, the opposite of faith is self-reliance.

The opposite of faith is not doubt, the opposite of faith is self-reliance.

Every time I'm self-reliant or reliant on someone else before I turn to Him and cry out to Him,

it's a recipe for either disaster or for doing just above average.

And therefore in Isaiah 30 verse 15, here's what God says.

Isaiah 30:15

God says, in returning and rest is your salvation.

In quietness and strength you will find relief.

And so at the end of the day, when you are confused,

go from wrestling and confusion to this place of rest, to a place of resolution.

Three stages, eh?

Every time you're confused and we have confusion every day,

every time I'm confused, I go wrestling, confusion,

to a place of rest,

to a place of resolution, where God resolves things.

This is the progression.

What we do is we go from wrestling, confusion to two places.

Help from natural resources or prayer.

While this seems good, the place we need to go to is this place called rest.

And what is rest? Rest is seizing from striving.

How do we, what does rest look like in the Bible?

Rest is seizing from striving.

Self-effort.

Sweating it out.

Machinations.

Exertion.

Warring thoughts.

It's to seize or desist from all striving

and instead get into a place

where I only do exactly what I am directed by God.

Which is why you can't enter into rest

without, one, hearing, and two, obeying the word

because you actually believe it.

It's in Hebrews 4.

Yep?

Because that's where we normally go.

What do children do when they are in trouble?

They immediately call out to their parents, help.

And that's nice when they are children.

But as children grow up, you expect them not to go that route.

You expect them to have learned how to find other ways

to deal with the situation they are in.

So while help is a nice thing,

let that be as you grow older,

something that happens after you have tried everything else

the Lord has taught you.

Rest is a place where you come into this place

where there's no striving, there's no self-effort.

On one hand, you are childlike.

On the other hand, you're not childish.

You're childlike in resting in the goodness of the Father

and knowing that I am not going to do a thing more

than what I am being directed to do.

Not a thing more.

Not one iota more.

Even if it means that I am not able to provide for myself

not one iota more,

because that's what he has asked me to do

and I will not do anything else.

If the brook dries up, I'll have to wait

till he tells me to go to the woman

who has very little oil and flour.

If the ravens stop, I'll have to wait.

That is the very definition of rest.

When you are in trouble,

you go for rest.

While prayer will immediately cry,

I need food, please help me, I'm hungry.

That's good, but that's not the best.

Go for rest before you go for

this thing called help.

No, I'm saying our usual tendency is to cry out to God for help

and not find the help that God has already taught us to practice.

Yeah.

But the point is

instead of crying out for help, learn how to walk in.

Rest.

Rest is the solution, guys.

Rest allows you to walk in the supernatural

because now you refuse to do anything natural.

You refuse to provide for yourself

any other way.

Rest is so supernatural that you don't even use

the power you have from God.

What do you think Jesus is doing in Luke chapter 4

Luke 4 · chapter mention

when he goes into this place called rest

when he refuses to turn

stone into bread.

He had the power to, which is why the devil is saying

you can turn stone into bread.

But he is into such deep rest

as in such leaning back

on only what the father commands.

He won't even use

legitimate power

to change things to his advantage.

How crazy is that?

He isn't even using the power he has

legitimately, divinely

to take care of his needs.

That's just nuts.

People would say he should have used his common sense.

He didn't.

His common sense would have dictated

you're hungry, 40 days is a lot,

eat something, turn the stones into bread.

Refuses to.

This is why Hebrews chapter 4 says

Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

labor to enter into rest.

It's not natural. Labor.

You have to strive to stop striving.

Crazy, eh?

But these are the people that end up doing

supernatural things. These are the people

that end up building an ark for ages

not having seen rain ever. These are the people

that go around the city till the walls

fall.

I'm not a believer. I'm just right.

God, that's why he's God.

And I'm not.

I actually agree with you.

It's counterintuitive.

Let me give you an example.

The question was

Jacob, what does that look like?

I was going to talk about this at the end

but as usual, Dilna makes me talk things.

I just like doing this to you, Dilna.

It's unfortunate you're in the same age bracket

as I am. There I go and do it again.

So this was, so I had this opportunity

to practice rest when I was

away in India visiting my mom.

So I go in there and she's got

a catheter and then a tube up her nose

and then a tube in her hands and

has a tube in her hand.

So I go in there and she's got a catheter

in her hands and had a stroke and she's lying there.

And I've seen this happen to my dad

and it wasn't a pleasant experience

and I'm seeing her right now. I'm thinking

what do I do? So even before I get there

my question to God, and I wrote this down

that's why I'm reading it, I'll tell you.

My question was

I've got it in my notes.

My question was, Father

what's your take on Amma?

What is your take on Amma, Lord?

That I may walk rightly.

Look at the question. The question isn't

Oh God heal her, oh God help.

It's what's your take on Amma, oh God?

So that I may walk rightly.

Rightly where? Rightly for whom?

For whom? For Him.

How do I walk this rightly? Because if I walk

rightly for Him, I'll walk rightly for everybody.

So the question I'm asking

as I'm flying in is

what's your take, oh God?

What's your take on Amma, Lord, that I may walk rightly?

What's my expectation?

And then that was my only question

and the first thing I hear is, listen.

Keep dreaming forward.

Every day I'll tell you what to do

and when I tell you to do it, pray that

establish that as a baseline and dream forward.

So

given that

I almost failed zoology in my undergrad

I had nothing to do with medicine.

So the first day I'm asking the Lord, Father

so what do you want to do today?

And the first thing

he says is

I want you to pray for her

swallowing and this is day two.

I want you to pray that she begins to swallow

and I want you to pray that her left arm

that is immobile because of the stroke

starts moving. And so

I go tell my brother-in-law who's a doctor

that this is what God is saying

so you're willing to pray this

and he says, yep, let's do that.

So he and I begin to pray this.

That evening

they do a swallow test on her.

So in the morning she can't swallow, she's being fed through tubes.

Because if she swallows water

or swallows anything that's solid

it goes down the wrong gullet and then you'll have to aspirate her

because it goes into the lungs.

And so this is what we pray. In the evening the doctors come to do a swallow test.

And they test it.

And her swallowing begins to come back.

And her left arm

I've got pictures, eh?

Because I would take video shots of this.

Her left arm begins to move.

This is just seven days old.

I go to the window

because I didn't want anyone to see me cry.

I'm thinking to myself

how do you do this? How do you say something in the morning?

How do you just do this?

How?

Understanding their weeping. I remember texting a few people saying

I must have started swallowing.

The next day I thought okay so now we

perhaps have to deal with

bladder movement and bowel movement.

Instead I'm asking God and God is saying

just pray, this is day three

just pray for core strengthening.

I don't even know what core strengthening.

I didn't know I had a core.

So I begin to pray for core strengthening.

And I didn't realize that

when one suffers a stroke and has

the left side not working well

that even getting out of a chair is difficult.

You sit on the chair, it's impossible to get up.

The next day the physio comes

and they have her get out of the chair

and she's using her arms and pulling herself up.

What do I know about this?

The fourth day was

pray for the bowel and the bladder movement

to now become natural.

And that is when we started. It took two days

but the catheter got removed.

We started going to the washroom on our own.

Why am I getting so personal about this story?

Because this is how we know these things work

even though it's counterintuitive.

The fifth day was

can the palsy that had affected her left side

and the face was drooping

begin to disappear?

And it began to disappear.

The problem now is her tongue muscles

have almost lost muscle memory

and she's not able to still

use her tongue the way she wants to.

And so I left on the sixth day

and every day I asked the Lord, Father what do you want to do today?

This is how rest works.

You only do what you're asked to.

You don't go with expert opinion.

Expert opinion comes in second.

It's not that you don't care for it

but it comes in second.

First is the one who created all things

and has all power.

The core strength thing

she had a stroke.

The blood clot disappeared.

I'm not kidding you.

These are not suppositions of a pastor who's imagining.

Because my brother-in-law is a doc

he showed me the things that needed to be seen.

The clot disappeared so that was taken care of.

Then she starts getting up, walking with help

and the physio says she's walking on her own strength

but they needed two people beside them.

By the fourth day she's holding the table

and walking around the table.

By the fifth day she doesn't need the table

and she wants to walk towards the gate of her house.

The sixth day she got discharged

from the hospital.

The sixth day she was home.

This has nothing to do with you and I.

This is God at work.

None of us.

I definitely can't claim anything.

It was not my faith, it was nothing.

It was just a simple prayer based on what he said.

It wasn't even faith guys.

There was no exertion of faith.

It was let us pray this because

this is what he's saying.

I wish I could say it was great faith.

It wasn't.

And so we'd establish a baseline every day

and say now let's move on.

So what's her present situation?

Over the last two days my brother in-law told me

that she's getting a little lazy

and she's not working as hard.

But praise God my sister landed there today

and she is a drill sergeant.

Things will be back on track.

It's not because of her involvement

or my involvement but at the end of the day

may the grace of God carry her

as many days that she needs to be carried.

And it is

I think one of the most important things that you can take from this story

is the first question.

Father,

how do you want me to approach this

so that I can walk with you rightly?

That is the best part of this story.

That is the best part of the story

because you want to walk with him rightly.

The rest will take care of it.

And you can only ask that question

if you actually believe he's a good father.

Pardon?

He's still good.

That's a crazy thing.

His goodness doesn't change because of me.

Because he's a good father

I can now begin to have an interaction with a good father.

But if I don't interact with a good father

a good father doesn't become bad.

He still is good.

We all as kids realize that.

Some days our parents were really good.

Other days they were really sucky.

But

that was your perception of him.

That was your perception.

They were still good.

Rest is the antidote guys.

Nothing like rest to reverse a situation.

Nothing like rest to reverse a situation.

And when you're scared

when you don't do anything

and when you're scared

God will send help your way to encourage your heart

saying hey you're on the right track.

Gideon was scared.

He asked to go into rest.

And his rest was worse than ours.

He's got 30,000 people and God says whittle it down to 300.

Now he's got 300 people.

And he's supposed to go out with them.

He was scared.

What did God do?

Send him down near the enemy's camp and he hears people whispering saying

you know we're really scared of these Israelites

because they're going to come and they're going to treat us like bread.

They're going to eat us up.

He gets so thrilled with it that he comes back and says

we'll go with 300.

Practice rest and God will encourage you

when your heart is afraid.

It's a very cool way to live.

Why? Because God shows up like crazy.

In everything, hey?

Please don't think this is to do with finances or healing.

It's a way of life.

That's why we have this thing called Sabbath.

To seize from exertion.

To desist from exertion.

And what's a Sabbath like today?

27.

24-7.

It says thereafter

that David

let's look at 1 Chronicles 12-8.

1 Chronicles 12-8.

It says some Gadites

defected to David at his stronghold in the wilderness.

They were brave warriors ready for battle

able to handle shield and spear.

Their faces were the face of lions

and they were swift as gazelles in the mountain.

So, one, they defected to David.

Just so you remember, don't forget this part.

We can only seize from exertion

warring thoughts or desist from

striving if we are in a place

where we do exactly

what we are directed by God.

But to do what we are directed by God

we can't go there unless

we

learn how to hear

and it's a continuous process

and we learn how to obey the word

and actually believe it.

Faith in what is written.

This is why we must continue

to press into

hearing both the written word

and hearing the Father in conversation.

Both.

It's an essential.

You cannot do Christian life without this.

You cannot do Christian life without this.

And don't go into that funk

where you say, but I tried and I don't hear God.

That's exactly how you started learning languages.

You didn't quit.

So don't go into that funk.

It's a continuous process.

Ten years from now you'll be so much better

than you are today.

One year from now you'll be so much better than you are today.

So we continually hear and believe.

Hear and believe.

In fact in Hebrews chapter 4 it says,

Hebrews 4 · chapter mention

they did not enter into my rest because they heard

but they did not believe.

So hearing the voice of the Father

and hearing the word of God

and believing it is the way into rest

and it's impossible to enter into rest without these two things.

So what choice do we have?

These are the essentials of Christianity.

And that's how we became believers.

How does one become a believer?

By hearing that Jesus Christ

came down to the earth

so that he could remove the hostility

between God and man

by taking upon him

every wrong thing that you and I

have done will do.

So that you don't have to pay

the penalty for it.

He takes it upon himself and he says

now that I have paid the price

if you choose to

you can be mine.

And what is required for that?

First an acknowledgement that I have wronged

God and man.

Or I have wronged God

because God is perfect.

That I am not

and I have wronged God.

That's step one.

Because if you don't acknowledge sin

you don't need a savior.

One of the hardest things for humans to do

is to acknowledge that we

have sinned.

That's the hardest thing to do, eh?

Because to say that

is to really come to a place

where you admit your bankruptcy.

Admitting bankruptcy

is one of the hardest things for humans to do.

Because we can't admit

our bankruptcy that we

are not good people as the world

says. We have thoughts

ways and actions that are continuously

against a holy God.

Once I admit my bankruptcy

I need a savior.

Once I need a savior

he comes into my life.

Once he comes into my life

I get saved. Once I get saved

I re-enter the relationship

that one should have with God

which is that of a father and a son

and a father and a daughter. Who makes it possible?

Christ. By doing what?

By removing the hostility and the sin

that we have to pay a price for.

Crazy.

So

they defected to David.

One of the things

if you want to run with horses

run with horses

one of the things required

is to

shed

misplaced loyalties

allegiances

to

to

to clan

culture

laban

remember the

Abraham story, Jacob story

to

marry

as Jesus did when he said who is my mother

who is my brother. To Saul

Jonathan and Michael couldn't

but sometimes we get stuck.

So to shed

misplaced loyalties and allegiances

that's the first step to running with horses

because it will require

that we break free

from

loyalties

that

are old

stale

or affect

progress.

People do this

every day in the world.

You start

learning piano from me

and then you realize that he doesn't know much piano

so you move on to Sheldon.

You don't say

ah but Jacob's such a sweet guy

he gives me coffee every time I come

and play piano. I won't help you

with piano playing. It will just get you hyper.

So you move on to Sheldon.

We've got no problems

doing that. But when it comes to

moving with God we have misplaced loyalties

and allegiances. So they defected to David.

Where did they defect to?

They defected into the stronghold

in the wilderness.

Stronghold in the wilderness.

David had this ability

to find places in the wilderness

and he did this for years together

when Saul was after him.

Where he'd find this formation of caves

and he'd go in there and it would almost be like a fortress

that would be hard to access

but he'd always find

in that formation

a spring that brought in living water

or water that would give life.

He'd get into these strongholds

and he'd begin to operate from there.

That's where he goes eh?

And that's why Saul

found it so difficult to follow him

and ends up in one of those caves

where David could almost have had him.

And David spares his life.

So he would find these

rock fortresses

that were supplied by a spring.

Water was plenty.

I do that every time you find yourself

in a wilderness eh?

Every time you find yourself in a dry place

find your spot

find your spot with God

where in the midst of everything

that's turning upside down

you have this safe place where

there's a continuous source

of living water.

Practice it, create it

form it, it'll keep you safe.

Guys, always learn to nip things in the bud.

Whenever you see trouble beginning to brew

don't wait for it to get bigger.

As soon as it begins to brew

find your spot.

Don't let it grow bigger

because then it gets out of hand.

Find it early.

Find it early.

You see trouble coming?

They don't wait for the cyclone to hit

before they nail boards

to their windows, man.

The warning comes in early.

They were brave warriors.

They defected to David's

in his stronghold in the wilderness.

And they were brave warriors.

How did they get to be brave warriors?

This is so cool.

Who are they? They're the Gadites.

Where did the Gadites get land

on the eastern end

of the Jordan?

Why?

Because they said, can we have this land

because we have a lot of cattle.

Can we settle here?

So they get land on the eastern side of the Jordan.

They were a frontier town.

Who were their neighbors?

The brutal Ammonites.

Amorites.

Sorry, Ammonites.

So what did they have to do?

They had to learn

to fight.

So much so

that in Genesis 49

Genesis 49:19

verse 19

Jacob prophesies on them

and says,

God will be

the great warrior

and the great warrior.

And they say,

God will be

raided

but they

will

raid

their raider's

heels.

As in, they'll attack them

even as the enemy is retreating.

They learned how to fight

because of where they lived.

And Jacob prophesies that.

It's almost 400 years before it happens.

That God

will be attacked, will be raided,

but they in turn will raid

their raider's heels. As in, they'll

destroy them on their retreat.

The only time we learn to fight is

when we have circumstances that are negative.

Otherwise, we don't need to fight.

Go to Judges chapter 3, verse 1-5,

Judges 3:1–5

you see it there. Judges chapter 3.

Judges 3 · chapter mention

I know you've read this before,

look how brilliant it is. Judges chapter 3,

Judges 3:1–5

verse 1-5.

Judges 3.

Let me read an IV

and then I'll see if the message says anything different.

These are the nations the Lord left

to do what? To test all those

Israelites. What kind of Israelites?

Who had not experienced

any of the wars in Canaan.

Why did he do this?

Verse 2. He did this only

to teach warfare to the descendants

of the Israelites who had no

previous battle experience. How

nuts is that?

What kind of God is this?

Who wants you

to be able to war.

Why? Because in his nature, he is

a divine warrior too.

The only opportunity we have

to learn these skills

is when things are not

going well.

Am I asking you to invite

bad things into your life? No. But am I asking

you to look at every negative situation

in your life as an opportunity

for God to show muscle? Yes.

It's the only

way we learn how

to respond like him

and war like him. It's odd.

Our battle is not against flesh

and blood.

That's a part of the war.

How do we respond like him?

By showing kindness, by being

compassionate.

These are the only opportunities

we have. We will not get these opportunities in

heaven. It's

only here on earth that you get to become like Christ.

There you instantly become like him.

And he sometimes

does not

create situations for you where you

are not going to be able to do this.

But he looks at every situation that's happening

and says, Jacob,

how do you want to deal with this?

Can I come into this

as comforter? Can I come into this

as rescuer? Can I come into this

as fighter?

He will tell you how he wants to enter

a situation. And once he does,

you begin to change into who he is.

In your present situation,

whatever it is,

loneliness,

ickness,

videoconcurrencies, sickness,

confusion. The first question you ask him is,

Father, how do you want to enter this

situation? What form are you entering

the situation as?

What we always want is please rescue.

Please provide.

But why not ask him,

how do you want to enter this situation?

What form are you taking?

It's notgesthasura,

it's not whatever will be will be.

I'll get out if I die so I'll die no I'm not being job what I'm saying is oh God

how do you want to enter this situation it's an active seeking of his nature his

will his form into that situation so that you can measure up accordingly it

involves work involves searching the mind of God once you know that you are

now able to shape yourself and your response based on how he wants to be

yes it's work but that's how you know the mind of Christ there's no other way to

know the mind of God and if you're married my god you got such an advantage

two of you seeking it if you're not married you've got even a bigger

advantage because you got the rest of us they just have to each other all the

single people sorry that just came out by mistake we'll forget that we'll just

go back to see over generations out of necessity got Gad transformed into a

tribe that was killed in the art of war that was killed in the art of war and

God will sometimes place you in situations where you're doing everything

godly and he sends you a situation because he knows that in the future

you'll have to deal with something that will set a whole lot of people free hear

me again please this is this is so cool God while you're doing things that you

he has asked you to do like he says to David hey David can you shepherd your

father's sheep so David says yep and he takes his sheep out with his guitar and

he sings and writes songs and takes care of the sheep he's a good shepherd and

then knowing what awaits David while he's taking care of sheep along comes a

lion what does David do catches the lion which tries to take a sheep smites it

pulls the lamb out of the lion's mouth rescues it he does the same thing to the

bear he knows how to handle lion and bear now that he knows how to handle

lion and bear along comes Goliath but this is a battle he is ready for he

doesn't say oh lord have you noticed he never wrote a psalm saying why did thou

send it me a lion no his psalms say I smote the lion and the bear what can

this uncircumcised Philistine do to me sometimes the things that God sends our

ways is not to destroy us but to prepare us to set a whole lot of other people

who would be destroyed if you were not ready these are opportunities guys it's

it's like a complete change of perspective a based on the one fact that

he is good and so he deals with the lion he deals with the bear and now he's able

to deal with Goliath and because he deals with a group with Goliath an entire

nation benefits but the boy learned it shepherding God's sheep enjoy this

process he wants people a metal METTLE caliber but you have to train with the

lion and the sheep now you can see why a lion and the bear you now you can see

why he was so skilled with using two things well the rod and the staff the

rod to beat away predatory animals the staff to keep the sheep safe this is who

God is the divine warrior on one hand has the ability to provoke hostilities

against predators and then he has the ability to hook and bring sheep closer

himself with the staff the rod and the staff everyone here is supposed to be

like that if you believe in Christ because if we are supposed to be ones

that take after his image the rod and the stuff it's not one or the other you

take one or the other you'll have sheep that are pampered that get eaten after

being pampered or you'll have sheep that are protected they'll die starving

because you don't feed them

brave warriors ready for battle a ready for battle and you can't be neutral in

this you be neutral in this you'll suffocate what will suffocate you

dullness if you go gung-ho and are an untrained enthusiastic warrior you'll

get strangled and if you're going it alone you'll get crippled so what's the

best way learn how to fight with others together so that we learn how to wield

rod and stuff their faces were like faces of lions they had faces that were

faces of lions all day that that someone should describe a people can you imagine

someone coming to this church and saying I came here on Sunday June the 30th and

I looked around and all of them had faces of lions the only one that I can

see like that is Jobin like you got a main dawn is trying but it's not getting

there but but the thing is how does one describe someone like that faces of

lions but these guys actually looked like that like they had a fierceness

about them and which brings in this idea that if you want to run with the horses

you have to learn how to cultivate the Matthew 11 12 kind of violence it's a

what kind of violence is this initially it's a violence that'll elbow others to

God you know if you see these documentaries or news reports where

people have been starving for longer there it's in a war-thorn area and you

see food coming down through parachutes and stuff like that what happens people

elbow people out of the way to get to that life-giving food why would someone

call a whole tribe ones that have a face like a lion it talks about an aggression

a violence we need this violence at different levels the first level is when

God is about to distribute something can you have the same violence that will

cause you to elbow people out of the way because it is something he has for you

and you want to get to it at that time you don't choose politeness thing you

first it is yours it is yours for the taking run for it a hungry a hungry

desire for those things sometimes when you know that an invitation that is

is is resonating with your spirit then don't stay run

it only displays your firstbornness they only increases your capacity

Matthew 11 12 the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by

force how else are we supposed to be violent furious love in prayer have you

seen the movie hacks or ridge that is furious love that is violence that is

loving furious love that rescues the guy keeps going back he knows his life is

in jeopardy but he will not quit quit one after the other 25 people 30 people

35 people the whole place is exploding but he says one more oh god one more oh

god and he keeps going back he rescues 38 of them what is he he's he he works

for the medical core what is he in real life he's a pacifist he doesn't believe

in war but he keeps going back I highly recommend that movie hacks or ridge

hacks or ridge yeah I hope that's not the only thing you take from this

teaching but it's a great movie it's furious love there's a there's a it

refuses to settle down we are talking about a violence that the Spirit of God

gives you which which makes it impossible for you to stop short you

would rather die trying than not try it's a violence because of the violence

because of the adversary you face Satan who is evil who is evil and just great

evil it's a violence that then keeps you safe from lukewarmness if you don't have

this kind of aggression that begins to build into your life and it's not the

aggression that you think of in terms of the world but the another word that God

uses for it is zeal the zeal that possesses you to begin to do what God

wants you to do where he cloaks himself he robs himself in zeal the Bible says

if you don't have that lukewarmness is usually a few days away

in first Samuel 11 verse 6 talks about that that it talks about how the Spirit

1 Samuel 11:6

of God came upon Saul and Saul became angry that's what the words say John

John 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2 after Jesus begins to clear the temple it says the zeal of the Lord

shall accomplish it and the last bit last point I want to make is it says

the Gadites were swift as gazelles on the mountain in Habakkuk 3 19 it says he

makes my feet like deer's feet and I tread on the heights in Psalm 18 34 it

says we were designed like deer to scale high places when the going gets tough

so what am I supposed to do I need to consider my circumstances and the

difficult circumstances that I'm undergoing and then discover the

sure-footedness that I have in the word and in the goodness of the Father so

that he can help me scale new heights guys I was reading up on like sometimes

when you drive to Banff you see these mountain goat I mean they got this much

space to stand on it but they have this amazing ability to use their two toes

and back they're called dew claws to have all four legs in one spot that's how

they manage they don't need they don't need space for two legs and two front

and two back legs they they have the ability to put all four legs in one spot

and they begin to climb one of the things God gives us especially in

difficult situations is hey Jacob I know you're in a difficult situation but can

you get sure-footedness in two things one do you really believe I'm your

father and I'm good good so we got that sorted out now do you really are you

really able to believe the promise I'm gonna give you either from the written

word or from what I say to you or both can you really believe that good

now you got all four feet on places that no man has any business walking on and

I'll take you to new heights these are the ones that end up then doing things

that are supernatural it's not normal not normal I've got a video of a of a

that's scaling a damn it's a fascinating video you begin to scale vertical cliffs

unafraid undeterred by seemingly impassable terrain you begin to scale

vertical cliffs unafraid undeterred by seemingly impassable terrain

supernatural unto supernatural strength supernatural strength how do you

cultivate this and after that we can watch the video how do you cultivate

this three things guys how do you cultivate the ability to be sure-footed

when the cliff that you are facing is literally vertical how do you cultivate

the ability to supernaturally scale vertical cliffs unafraid undeterred one

intense attentiveness in the midst of what you're going through second instant

commitment to whatever is asked of you by God

and third an awareness of your impossible circumstances you're not an

ostrich you're not denying what's happening

intense attentiveness it's a I think the first step is the most important some of

you may not have fees to pay for the next course or the next semester or the

next rent some of you may have struggled with a physical condition some of you

may have struggled with relationships some of you may have struggled with

confusion whatever it be the first thing I try and if I'm not able to do it get

two others that you trust intense attentiveness father before this sours

or decays more hi if I'm not able we'll get two others who'll help me but I'll

go into this place called intense attentiveness where my attention is

drawn not by the things that are swirling around me because I'm drowning

anyways but I begin to intensely pay attention to you and every time it wavers

I'll come back to you doesn't matter how many times it'll happen I'll keep coming

back to you intense attentiveness second now that I'm paying attention Oh God I

know because you are the father that you say you and because you're good and you

love me like crazy as much as you love Jesus I know that you will reply when

you respond I'll instantly commit to whatever you ask I'll instantly commit I

won't delay I won't try to reason it out I won't try to doubt I'll do nothing of

that I'll instantly commit meanwhile Oh God I also am aware of my impossible

circumstances I'm not an ostrich I know this is going on I know that is going

wrong but I'll keep asking you and every time I fail I get up again and start

again every time I feel what happens one day Emmanuel comes through that door and

he walks in like Samson takes the gates on his back and walks away one day

Rachel comes through that door and she turns things around because she has gone

through this enough times to know that she can now rescue 20 or 30 other people

at the end of the day guys every circumstance that you go through is for

the benefit of someone else one year down the line just remember that every

circumstance that you go through be it from the devil be through our own

mistakes be through the nature of the fallen world be through persecution be

in a trial be the testing I've given you five different scenarios be from the

devil be from your own failure or mistake or sin be because of a trial

imposed on you because of someone else's mistake be it's satanic weights and

adversary attacking you be the fallen nature of the world or be it

persecution every circumstance is this magnificent opportunity for you to see

how God enters it and begin to work with him why so that you learn today what can

help 20 other people tomorrow we are being prepared for others this is the

only organization in the world that exists for the benefit of others this

club called Christianity exists for the benefit of others and so when you're

getting prepared today it is so that tomorrow you can help someone in

in Abu Dhabi yeah on that note we'll end you want to play the video we started

with Abu Dhabi and we landed we ended with Abu Dhabi what's this say it's I

took the sound off but you get the hang of it and then we'll break bread

love it without these minerals the bones won't grow muscles won't function

movement and coordination can falter

that's crazy it's not just the mother that goes up now the kid follows that's

a training party where we learn from others that have gone this route before

us

you

you

salt that helps them grow makes their bones strong

look at that a can we have a few of us do this I want to show you this because we

were designed for this you were designed for this please believe it

because this is what he's saying you were designed for this

people who finally begin to run with horses because they know how to work

with a God who's supernatural let's break bread that's where we usually live

we'll get there guys we'll get there

we break bread because we want to remember Christ's sacrifice for us

before he went to the cross he sat with his disciples and he said that my body

is going to be broken as payment for your sins for the sins of the world my

body is going to be broken as you break this bread remember that my body was

broken for your forgiveness and then he took the cup and he said I'm gonna

write a new agreement with you the agreement before was God is holy you are

not the new agreement is I'm paying for your sins you can come to me I will not

abandon you I'll introduce you to my father so you can be his son and

daughter I'll live in you that's a new agreement and he signs that agreement

with his blood

everyone got it

thanks

so in eating and drinking we are remembering what he did for us say and

it's not a somber occasion it's actually an occasion where we do smile and talk

and are happy that he did this for us it's not a funeral because he ain't dead

yeah so

once everyone's gotten it

hey so what are the benefits of his death you occasionally shout it out so

what are the benefits of his death to you you'll have to shout it out

righteousness benefit of his death anyone else what are the benefits of

his death access yeah access to God himself that's just nuts healing

relationship what else eternal life doesn't end here sorry presence yeah

presence is restored that which was lost in Eden has now been restored what else

forgiveness of my sins yesterday today tomorrow which is nuts what else sorry

adventure you get to go on adventures with God what else I have a father what

else sorry exuberant Wow what else family deliverance my god I needed to

be delivered from things probably still do from a few more what else

yeah the end to my sinful self what else there's still tons to go guys peace

peace that surpasses all understanding more healing fullness joy don't care

about me repeating it shout these are the benefits of his death we are not

talking about a dead man we are talking about a man who is alive who is in this

room who is Christ who is King who is God who is Lord of heaven and earth who

is present in our lives and in our midst right now are we saying this to him a

acknowledging the benefits of his death anything else making things new I love

that receiving the Spirit of God himself sonship rest hope people like Caleb get

born he was born 20 years ago saved the guy behind you who else anything else

participation in his life he's given us divine promises so that we may

participate in his life the word victory in different circumstances climbing up

Steve walls like this because he makes it possible living with the supernatural

God beyond natural means sorry go at John John protection pardon the body of

Christ

inheritance victory over the gates of hell relationship sorry sorry freedom

okay grace my god tons of it a justice sorry boldness wholeness and boldness

anymore abundant provision new spirit absolutely strong strong arms of God

victory what rest sorry stories yeah written by God this is nuts we could go

on and on it's still not exhausted crazy a this is the God we serve this is the

God we sing to so on the night he was betrayed he took bread he broke it he

thanks and he said this is my body which I'm breaking for you sacrifice he

sacrificed and so as you eat it remember what he did a and remember the benefits

of his death that we just shouted out every day we get to enjoy this every day

eat well he can run at a funeral no in the same way after supper and now the

because he drank the cup already freedom from guilt so true don't beat yourself

up yeah could someone give that with another cup if you have one you're okay

okay so in this in the same way after supper he took the cup and he said guys

this is my blood with which I sign a new agreement a new covenant with you that's

what he said yeah that I will never leave you I will never forsake you I

will never leave you I will never forsake you my father and your father is

good yeah so let's raise our glasses to him who is magnificent Christ the Lord

and King we thank you father for your son we raise the glasses to him we honor

him we bless him and we remember what he did for us as we drink now in Jesus name

then if you need prayer there'll be people up front here to pray for you if

you need prayer for anything otherwise Judah do you want to lead us in a

closing song no okay no closing song see you next Sunday or whenever the church

meets I don't think quest and pursuit are meeting tomorrow and day after so

you