Standing in the Day of Evil

Be evil.

Okay, want to say hello to Anton? That's Anton.

Hi Anton.

Hi, hello Anton.

I'll just ask if you're there.

Good to have you here.

Okay guys, here goes. Hey, is this love enough, man?

Okay.

All right, guys, we're talking about standing in the day of evil.

How do we stand in the day of evil?

And Ephesians 6, 13 talks about it, where it says that you may be able to

withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm.

It starts off saying, put on the armor of God, but then it goes on to say that

you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm.

So want to talk about how do we stand in the day of evil?

How do we stand in the day of evil?

And how do you define an evil day?

An evil day may be defined as a day when there's danger, when there's crisis,

when there's hostility, when there's persecution, when there are overwhelming

circumstances, when there's sickness, when there are delays, when there are

long terms you've taken, when there are obstacles in your path.

Or let's put it this way, a day that isn't filled with good things because he

fills our years with good days.

So any day that is not filled with good things from God is not a good day.

And yet God makes only good days.

Therefore, an evil day is a day when there is danger, when there's crisis,

when there's hostility, when there's persecution, when there's overwhelming

circumstances, when there's satanic attack, when there's sickness, when there

are delays, when there are long terms or obstacles.

On that day, how do you stand?

And so what we're going to do is we're going to look at Psalm 37.

Now Psalm 37 talks about what to do on days like that.

So if you go to Psalm 37, you just read from verse one to 15.

Psalm 37, one to 15.

Here's what it says.

Fret not yourself because of evil doers.

Be not envious of wrongdoers for they will soon fade away like the grass

and wither like a green earth.

Trust in the Lord and do good.

Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he'll give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will act.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the

noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who

carries out evil devices.

Refrain from anger for sake's sake.

Fret not yourself.

It tends only to evil.

For the evil doers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall

inherit the land.

In just a little while, the wicked will be normal.

Though you look carefully at his face, he will not be there.

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

The wicked plot against the righteous and gnashes his feet at him.

But the Lord laughs at the wicked for he sees that his day is coming.

The wicked draw the sword and bend their bow to bring down the poor and the

needy to slay those whose way is upright.

Their sword shall enter their own heart and their bow shall be broken.

So at the end of the day, when you look at Psalm 37, it's almost like the

environment around Psalm 37 is one of wickedness of people that are scheming

evil. And then in the middle from verse three to seven, David talks about ways

to stand in the day of evil.

Trust in the Lord, verse three.

Do good.

Dwell in the land.

Befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord.

Commit your way to the Lord.

Trust in him.

Be still before the Lord.

Rest in the Lord.

Wait patiently for him.

Fret not yourself over the one who prospers.

Refrain from anger.

Forsake wrath.

Fret not yourself.

It only tends to lead to evil.

So we're going to look at Psalm 37 from verses three to seven to see how to stand

in the day of evil.

Guys, the first thing we need to do in the middle of a day that is as such evil is

I'm trying to clear my throat.

Trust in the Lord.

See, Psalm 20 verse seven says some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but we

trust in the name of the Lord our God.

That's a song.

They are actually the worst fruit.

So that's what Psalm 20 verse seven says.

Guys, here's the thing.

When you're surrounded by evil, remember that the opposite of trust is what?

The opposite of trust is?

Sorry?

Suspicion?

Unbelief?

Distrust.

That's a smart one.

I thought of that.

Lack of trust.

Fear.

Guys, all that is true, but the opposite of trust really is...

We often think that the opposite of trust is doubt.

The opposite of trust is distrust, which is kind of true.

The opposite of trust, like Ruth so elaborately said, is lack of trust.

But at the end of the day, the opposite, and some say the opposite of trust is doubt

because whenever you think of faith, you think the opposite of faith is doubt.

And yet the opposite of trust really is self-reliance.

Because some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but we trust in the

name of the Lord our God.

So our problem with trust, guys, all of us will have doubt.

We'll come to doubt later.

But our problem with trust is not so much that we don't trust, is that very often we

go down to self-reliance.

And this happens to everybody, even the best.

So Saul, the King Saul, what happens to it?

At one point he needs to inquire of God.

So where does he go?

When everything else runs out, he goes to the witch of Endor.

You see it in 1 Samuel.

1 Samuel 28.

Don't follow Saul to the witch of Endor when you want to inquire of things of God.

Guys, here's the thing that happens to us.

When we inquire of God and don't hear an answer, we have our own little people in

Endor who help us figure out how to work things out.

We switch to self-reliance because we operate on deadlines.

So when we see that God doesn't seem to be doing things within a deadline, our usual

method is to go and find someone in Endor.

It doesn't have to be a witch.

Go and find someone in Endor who can give us some kind of an answer.

Because when we are inquiring of God, there seems to be relative silence.

So why not choose the next best answer?

You know why I can't tell you when I'll be going to Kenya?

Because I can't figure out when I'm supposed to go.

So the best thing to do then is to find the cheapest ticket and cheapest day and fly.

But that's like going to Endor and finding someone in Endor who can tell me what to do.

Don't follow Saul to Endor.

Don't inquire outside of God.

Let God direct you to a place if he wants to.

But may you always remember that self-reliance is waiting in the wings to help you with this

factor called trust.

That's how it works.

Don't follow Abraham to Egypt.

I was fascinated at this.

The father of faith.

Go to Genesis 12.8.

I'm surprised I didn't see this all these years.

Genesis 12.8.

Derek, whenever you put water on the piano, make sure Chris doesn't see it.

Just be careful.

Whenever you put water on the piano, make sure Chris doesn't see it.

Just between you and I.

I hate him.

Yeah.

But she doesn't know about it, so it's okay.

It's all okay.

Genesis 12.8.

Genesis 12.8.

In 12.4, it says, God tells us to get up and leave.

And so Genesis 12.4 says, so Abraham went as the Lord had told him and Lot went with him.

Abraham was 75 years old when he departed from Herod.

And then look at Genesis 12.8.

He built an altar to the Lord and then he was supposed to go to Cainan because that's

where God is taking him.

From there, he moved to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent with Bethel

on the west and I.

Verse 9, and Abraham journeyed on still going towards Neger.

Now listen to verse 10.

Now there was a famine in the land, so Abraham went down to Egypt to sojourn there for the

famine was severe in the land.

He wasn't supposed to go to Egypt, guys.

He was heading a different way.

A famine hits the land.

Where does Abraham go?

Goes to Egypt.

Guess what happened there.

That's where he gets into complications with his wives and concubines.

And look at Genesis 13.1.

So jealous.

So Abraham went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had and locked with him

back into Neger.

Don't follow Abraham into Egypt.

That wasn't the route to Cainan.

But because there was a famine, he decides to take a detour.

And in the process in Egypt, stuff happens.

Stuff happens.

But he was supposed to and in Genesis 13.1 he goes back to Neger.

Don't follow Abraham to Egypt, as in guys, don't resort to a provision outside of what

God is saying.

Don't resort to a provision outside of what God is saying.

So easy sometimes in our desperation and the face of deadlines to resort to a provision

outside of what God is saying.

Don't follow Esau to the physicians.

In 2 Chronicles 16, you'll find that there was a king called Esau and he became really

diseased and the Bible says God was pretty cheesed off with him because instead of seeking

God first, he went to his physicians.

And there is this understanding that in those days, at least from a Jewish perspective,

most physicians that existed were pagan heathen occultists sometimes or physicians that practiced

pagan art.

And so here is King Esau, the king of Israel, now going to his physicians instead of going

to God.

Again, self-reliance kicks in where I should try not to seek my remedies outside of God.

In the day of evil, one of the things that Satan will prompt you to do is to go into

self-reliance to short circuit the situation and get out of the problem.

But it is in the day of evil when things are not working, when delays are happening, that

is when I need to stand and say, I will trust in the Lord and not in horses and chariots.

Guys, at the end of the day, what options do I really have?

I know God now.

I am stuck.

I have got to seek him.

So what is my option?

Very simple.

Hebrews chapter 11, 6.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

There are two sides to Hebrews chapter 11, 6.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

Without faith it is impossible to please him.

So what is Jacob's responsibility?

What is Marcus' responsibility?

I will trust you, O God, because I want to please you.

And what is God's responsibility?

Aha!

You are seeking me.

Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6b.

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

Because you have sought me, I will reward you, for I reward those who seek me diligently.

What option do we have?

We don't have any other choice.

And occasionally when we switch into self-reliance, then God has to send the Holy Spirit to clean

up.

In the day of evil, trust in the Lord.

Trust will always be demonstrated in risk, in persistence, in patience, in praise.

That is how you will know whether you are trusting in God.

Man, your deadline is looming.

Man, you may not even go this week.

Man, I don't know how this is going to work out.

And yet there is this persistence, there is this risk taking, there is this patience.

And then there is this ridiculous thing called praise that Abraham indulged in.

So it doesn't matter whether you are the one facing the evil, or whether it's the people

or situations around you that are causing this evil day to happen in your life.

This is our only option, guys.

Doubt will assail you.

Doubt is common to all man.

There is nobody who is immune to doubt.

So doubt will come.

How do we deal with doubt?

Normally we try to feel better.

Feeling better doesn't take doubt away.

The only way to get out of doubt is to go back into the world.

The only way to get out of doubt is to go back into the world.

Prayer does not heal doubt.

Ice cream does not take care of doubt.

I've tried all these things.

Even declarations don't take care of doubt.

Sometimes to make doubt go away, I'll walk on my balcony decreeing things.

And at that time doubt disappears.

But when I go back into the living room, it's back.

The only way doubt goes is when I go back into the world

because it's the word that chases doubt and establishes faith.

Romans 10, 17.

Faith comes by hearing.

And hearing by the word.

So how is that different than your balcony decree, is it?

Is there any scripture on the balcony?

Sometimes it's more like a chant than an understanding.

I want to understand the word and cataglymps of the Father.

It's one thing to repeat the words of the Father.

It's another thing to see Him in the words.

You can see that with husbands sometimes.

Husbands will be telling someone else of how wonderful their wives are,

how wonderfully they cook, how beautiful they are, all this stuff.

And you can see that the words are coming out like a fountain,

but there's no heart in it.

I want to see God in the words I speak, even if those words are from Him.

That's when you know it's real.

So how do you manifest the coming from the heart if it's not faith?

What we did this morning.

What we did this morning.

How did we start worship?

I turned off my mic and I said, let's begin to tell God who we think He is.

And if you did so, at some point you'd have realized,

oh, Shatsa, I actually believe what I'm saying.

He is actually good.

He's good.

He's good.

I actually believe what I'm saying.

He is actually good.

He's brilliant.

He's wise.

He treats me like a son.

He treats me like his own son.

His grace is there to pick me up from every failure.

His truth is there to steady me to walk again.

And slowly you realize this is true of Him.

I want to say this early.

I would have said it later.

Guys, sometimes our struggle is not with sin.

Our struggle is with character flaws that we have.

And these character flaws have not been transformed by the Spirit of God.

So it's not sin we are struggling with.

It's deep character weaknesses that keep repeating themselves.

We never make accurate moral choices because of that.

So, for instance, if I have a deep character flaw that makes it impossible for me to see the Father as kind and good and fatherly,

the sin I will struggle with continuously will be hairiness, sadness, inability to get out of my situations, inability to trust God.

I may have faith, but I won't be able to trust God.

I struggle with the sin of distrust.

And why am I struggling with the sin of distrust?

Because I have a deep-rooted character flaw.

And what is that character flaw?

This weakness of not being able to see God as Father.

So what do I need to do?

Take my character flaw and say, Father, here I am.

I am not able to see you as good.

I struggle to see you as a father.

Spirit of God, work with this character flaw.

Change it so that I won't have to fight with certain sins.

Some of us are in bondage to pornography or lust or sexual sin.

Why?

Because at some point when things don't begin to work well, when the spouse gets angry or the boss gets angry,

finances are short.

It's like a trigger that goes off and you resort back to the computer and watch porn on it.

Your struggle is not really with porn.

It's with a deeper character flaw.

This is not cycle babble.

I would say bring certain areas of our lives where there are strong weaknesses and say,

Father, I'm tired of this sin.

It doesn't seem to go.

But here is the flaw, Father.

I've got a problem here.

That's how you work with it.

Otherwise, it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter how many people come and talk to your own mother.

Matt and Marcus are young.

If they find their character flaws right now, imagine what can happen to them when they grow up.

And if they don't find it, you can send a hundred youth pastors to them.

They'll sit and listen to the youth pastors and take what the youth pastors say.

And the next day back in school, they'll be different.

Why? Because the character flaw hasn't been healed.

And they grow up into men.

What a shame.

Yeah.

Guys, doubt affirms that God...

Doubt affirms belief in God, but questions God's ability and character.

Strange thing about doubt is it affirms its belief in God,

but then questions God's character and ability.

It affirms belief in God, and then questions God's ability.

But what doubt does?

But what is even more dangerous is self-reliance, because it's very subtle.

It's very subtle.

So trust in the Lord. That's the first thing you do.

In the day of evil, the first thing you do is trust in the Lord.

In the day of evil, the first thing you do is trust in the Lord.

And the greatest opposition to you will come from self-reliance,

because there will be deadlines to meet, and we are so scared of deadlines

that God has to do something, otherwise I will have to do something farther.

Especially if you work for someone else.

Yes. If you work for someone else, if a bank is behind you,

if a project has to be completed, if decisions have to be made,

and you begin to panic and you take it into your own hands,

you either go with Saul to Endo, or you go with Abraham to Egypt,

or you go with Esau to a cult position.

I'm not saying that's the kind of extreme you go to, but we end up being self-reliant.

The next thing that needs to happen on the day of evil is trust in the Lord.

The second one is do good. Do good. In the day of evil, do good.

In the day of evil, do good.

Now what do I mean by the day of evil, do good?

Guys, Romans 12, 21 says this,

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

It doesn't sing it, but it says it.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

You'll find that in the day of evil, when things are breaking down around you,

you'll find that in crisis or when confronted by evil,

there is a tendency to be overcome by evil.

Now what do I mean by that? You'll find that you're becoming scrappy,

you're becoming angry, you're becoming irritated, you're becoming malicious, you're fretting.

David recognized this in Psalm 27. He said, Stop fretting, forsake wrath,

because on the day of evil, there's this tendency to begin to be overcome by evil.

You'll find that every time.

You'll find that every time.

What happens then is it's an attempt by the enemy to see if you can be unequally yoke.

It is an attempt by the enemy to see if you can be unequally yoke.

Hey, it's on the day of evil that you need to be yoke with God.

But irritation, anger, intimidation, fretting, malice,

give Satan more to work with than the Holy Spirit.

It gives Satan more to work with than the Holy Spirit.

And his attempt is, can I get Jacob to be unequally yoke with me in this crisis?

Because that will prevent his ascent.

His ascent out of the pit will be slowed down because he is so fretful, angry, irritated,

intimidated and malicious in the day of evil that he can't even think straight.

I have more to work with in his life than the Holy Spirit right now.

I have more to work with in his life than the Holy Spirit right now.

What an old trick this is, man.

I've been falling for it every time.

Our spouses know how to leave us alone when you're going through a crisis.

That's when you need your spouse the most, but that's when they stay away the most.

Why? Because they know how irritable you are.

I don't know, this is only me and my spouse, but it happens to you guys too.

Because all of you look like it's not real.

You can't overcome when you're anxious, angry or intimidated.

You're giving the enemy more to work with than the Holy Spirit.

David does something exceptional in the middle of a severe crisis in 1 Samuel 30, verse 11.

1 Samuel 30:11

So here's what's happened in 1 Samuel 30, verse 11.

1 Samuel 30:11

David has a whole bunch of riffraff around him, 400 of them, and their families.

They're in a place called Ziklag. David decides, I've got to go and fight.

So he goes out to fight, and this group of guys called the Amalekites come,

and they take David and his two wives and the children, take everybody's families, and they go off.

David comes back and the whole city is burned, and his family and children are missing.

The men watch as stone and say, we followed you, look what's happened to us.

And so they go after the Amalekites, because God says go.

And he's going, and they find an Egyptian, an Egyptian slave who's been left there by one of his Amalekite masters.

And look at what David does. He's in the middle of a crisis.

Kids are gone, wives are gone, the people are willing to stone him.

And in the middle of the crisis, he finds his Egyptian and they bring him to David, and this is what David says.

Man am I speaking fast. This is what David says.

David says, now that doesn't work either.

So this is what David says. David says, feed him something.

So they bring bread to him, and he eats a lot of bread.

Then he says, give him some raisins too. So he eats some raisins.

Then he says, guy looks down, give him some water.

And now the guy, he's a servant of an Amalekite, that's as low as you can go.

And he's an Egyptian. And so after the guy is fed and has thirsted his slave,

he is now revived because he hasn't eaten for three days.

And after all that is done, David says, hey, can you help us? Tell us where the Amalekites have gone.

And the guy now says, I can help you, but please don't take my life.

I'm thinking to myself, in most movies, you beat up the guy and talk to him, cut off his fingers to get the truth out.

Or what about him if you are American?

Erase that page.

Erase, erase, erase. My name as usual is Jason.

And so, and my last name is Dirk.

That's it.

Okay, so here's what happens. It's almost close to do it.

Oops.

Anyways, so what happens is he shows tremendous kindness to a guy in the middle of a crisis.

It doesn't look like it was a ploy. It was just the way David was.

Too good in the middle of evil.

Because in the day of evil, we have a tendency to do exactly the opposite.

And it doesn't help.

It slows down your ascent from the pit that you are stuck in.

Any questions before we go?

No, I didn't mean you. Any questions before we go?

I heard Diana say something.

Okay, next one.

In the day of evil, dwell in the land.

In the day of evil, dwell in the land.

In the day of evil, dwell in the land.

As in, guys, whatever God has already told you before and during the time that you are stuck in this bad situation,

be established and fixed in what God has told you.

Be established and fixed in what God has told you.

Because very often, what happens in the day of evil is we start looking for greener pastures.

Because we think if we can somehow get out of this situation, go somewhere else, everything will be okay.

Abraham did that. He went to Egypt.

Elimelech did that. Elimelech was in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem means the house of bread.

And so where does he go? He goes to Moab.

And that's where Ruth and Naomi and all that happens.

The guy dies there. Leaves the house of bread to go somewhere else. Why?

Because when a famine came, he didn't necessarily seek what to do. He leaves.

One of the things we do in the day of evil is we try to find the greenest pasture next door so we can jump into it and we think everything will be solved.

It doesn't get solved, guys.

Dwell and be established in what God has already told you.

Instead of looking for a safer and better place.

Guys, the safest and the most dangerous place is wherever the Holy Spirit is asking you to be.

It's safe for you and it's dangerous for the enemy.

The safest and the most dangerous place in the world is wherever the Spirit of God is asking you to be.

Which is why it is important that I find out when God wants me to leave on a trip and when to come back.

Because I want to be in the safest and the most dangerous place in the world, which is where?

Safe place in God and dangerous place because the enemy is now scared because I'm operating exactly as God is telling me to.

In the day of evil, make sure that you dwell in the land, that you don't.

פהację ע sober kion uma이죠?

Great.

Linka knit

say that again. The more evil the day, the more evil the day, the more you feed of the

work. Because what else is going to sustain you? And the more evil the day, the more you

acknowledge the Father's love for you. And so Matt will ask, so does that mean that we

just say, Father you love me, Father you love me, Father you love me? And Jacob will answer,

that's not what we do. We will acknowledge the Father's goodness out of all the world.

Says. Those are the days when I really need God as a Father Matt. And I need to realize

it because he's always been Father to me. And the other thing guys, in the day of evil,

dwell in the land by finding people who won't feed your lament, who won't feed and molly

coddle your flaws, who won't feed your fears, who won't feed your fainthlessness. Be careful

now, sometimes people call you because they know that if they talk to you, you'll give

them bucket loads of sympathy and nothing else. And if you sense that that's what they're

calling you, keep the call short because everybody wants sympathy during a hard time. But may

your words instead be reymah and ruwah inspired, as in the word of God and the spirit of God

inspired. May they not feed someone else's fainthlessness and lament. What good is it?

You show sympathy and give them self pity, what good is it good to do? You're going to

be best friends. That's about it. But you're a really bad best friend. Any questions before

we go? Any comments? Any disagreements? Next one. On the day of evil, delight in the Lord.

In a church I go happy too. There's this pastor, when people get very quiet he gets them to

do this exercise which I'm not going to do with you, but it really works. And he says

there's a joy of the Lord, I'm not very sure of this. So he goes, just follow after me and

he says ha ha. And the whole church will go ha ha. Then he goes ha ha ha. Oh come on

louder, ha ha ha. Then he goes ha ha ha ha ha ha. And the only guy who doesn't do it is

Marcus and I. Marcus is sitting there with that scum on his face saying so now you're

making me do it. That's exactly how I felt. Anyway. So we won't do that. Delight in the

Lord. Guys on the day of evil there's nothing as powerful as aligning your heart with the

controller of the universe. On the day of evil there's nothing as powerful as aligning your

heart with the controller of the universe. With the controller of the universe. Because

one of the things I do, whenever I have difficult circumstances guys this is something I always

do. My quest is father can I see your heart on this matter so that I can adjust my way

of thinking and jump into your desire. Always do this. Whenever heart turns against me,

be it my own fault or the fault of somebody else or just some kind of an enemy ploy or

whatever the reason be. In the middle of a very difficult situation my question will

be father can I see your heart on this matter. Because if I see your heart on this matter

I can adjust my thinking and I can jump into your desire. I can make your desire mine and

then I'll be open, willing, able, available to do whatever needs to be done. So on the

day of evil begin to delight in the Lord as in I want to catch your desire. I want to

see what you think about the situation and adjust my thinking so that I can jump into

your desire. Because delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

How? When I jump into his desires who can stop him from accomplishing what he wants?

Guys I heard this line quoted by somebody in such a brilliant line. All the great men

and women I've ever known the guy said. All the great men and women I've ever known had

one thing in common. They all lived like much loved children. They all lived like much loved

children. All the great men and women I have ever known had this one thing in common. They

all lived like much loved children. Wow. They all lived like much loved children. Wow. You

live like much loved child. That's called delighting in your father. And sometimes if you're not

able to delight in your father unless it's clinical depression which sometimes makes it

very difficult. If you find delighting in the Lord difficult maybe like I said earlier

it's a character weakness of stronghold where you're unable to relish the father as good.

Maybe you need to take that to the father and say help me oh God. You know guys I want to

say this to you. The Holy Spirit is willing to teach you directly. But the Holy Spirit

uses people to teach us because usually we are either too thick headed stubborn or stiff

neck to get it straight from him. So he has to send someone in skinny. The Spirit of God

can teach you. It's a combination isn't it? It is a combination but he will always try

to teach you. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit will teach you. So there is some truth

to say oh I don't need any human teacher the Spirit of God will teach me. That's one part.

While the church has people to teach you. So that's the second part. And then there's a third part.

Because I don't seem to catch my own mistakes. Because I have blind spots. Because I am

stubborn. God has to send someone with skin on them to teach you the very things that he's trying to

teach you invisibly. What's a blind spot? Something that everybody else knows about you

but you. I have got multiple blind spots. At least you guys do. Next one. Commit your way.

Commit your way. In the day of evil commit your way. As in in the day of evil when you are

under pressure to come up with solutions. Come up with answers. That's when you have to hand over

your direction and your journey and your habits to God. Father I am under tremendous pressure.

I've got 20 pieces of advice. 40 documents to finish. And I have to get it done by this Madam

under tremendous pressure. But this is when I choose to hand over. Commit as to roll over. Or to

hand over my habits, my journey and my direction to you right now. And you do that sincerely.

A strange thing happens guys. The steps of a righteous man are ordered by God. Commit your ways to the

Lord and he will establish them. Sometimes that committing is the one hands free genuine act that

sometimes changes everything for you. Even if you don't hear what he's going to tell you. He now knows

that boy this boy is desperate and yet he comes running to me and commits hands over rolls over things

into my hands. Saying here's my journey, here's my direction. I'm under tremendous pressure but you are

God and you are Father. So here it is. And God says good you committed it to my hands. I will establish it.

And I will make sure Jacob that your steps righteous man will be ordered by me. But the thing is often

because we don't commit things necessarily to the Lord because of the pressure on us. We plan without God.

We plan without God. We plan without God. And here's what happens when you plan without God. If you plan

without God you plan with all the evil things that may happen in mind. As in, oh shucks we better take

care of this because what if he does that. We better take care of this because what if I miss that plane.

We better take care of this because what if I miss my luggage. We better take care of this. You think of

every evil thing that can happen and you're like a lawyer planning things. So that's one way you plan when you plan

without God. And the second thing you do is you plan for a rainy day. If God fails, if Jacob fails, if the Holy Spirit

fails, if my brother and sister fail then at least I have a plan B. And both things happen when you don't plan

with God. Plan without God and you will have to plan taking into account all the evil that can happen and you will have

to plan taking into account plan B's just in case God doesn't show. I would suggest to you that the way to go if Jesus is

your sample is no plan B's. Illogical, unreasonable, absolutely. But then there's nothing practical about the Bible.

And yet it's absolutely practical. The only thing that will keep you from the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the

greatest factor in your planning. This is why guys I keep going back to this one instance because it's so fresh right up to this

morning. Well the only way I can not worry about a trip to Kenya and Cape Town and back in eight days in the amount of money

that I need to spend. The only way I can not worry about it is if God is the major and only factor in my planning. Because if

he is not then I will have to plan taking into consideration all the eventualities and all the plan B's because I'm not sure if God is in it.

And then you're not being a much loved child. And then I'm not being a much loved child. Then I'm sweating and fuming. In the day of evil commit

your way. Two more. Ha! We can put five more. In the day of evil, do you still have that beast little plaque in your house?

It is? In the day of evil, rest in the Lord. Rest in the Lord. Guys please understand rest is not suppressing your emotions. And some of us are very good at that.

We know how to suppress our emotions but on the outside people will think you're totally like this really calm cool dude. But in actuality we could boil potatoes inside of you because you're like a pressure cooker.

That's not rest. You do boil potatoes in pressure cookers right? Okay you boil rice. We can boil rice inside of you because you're that pent up. But on the outside you're this un-calmed, the Lord's calmness is upon me.

The Lord's calmness is upon me but not inside you. Inside it's hot as hell. So that's not the rest I'm talking about. Neither is rest living in denial where you're like an ostrich. I've done that many times.

The best way to be at rest is don't open anything. Just put your head in the sand. Don't open any letters that come. Don't answer any calls. Don't open the mail. Everything will go away. And the blooming guys don't go away. They call the next day too.

Till one day a sheriff landed up at my door. That scared the heck out of me. That's the story from another generation. So coming back to what we're talking about.

Rest is living in denial when your reality may actually include goliaths. It may include waves. It may include mountains like finances. It may include problems. It may include insecurities.

Rest does not deny it. Nor does rest pretend to be calm when you're seizing insight. But here's the thing about rest. On the day of evil, I am called to sit at a banqueting table in the presence of my enemies under his protective hospitality.

Knowing that he is my father and that what he has said and done will be enough and that I can trust him to get me through this situation. The odd thing about Psalm 23 is he doesn't say I prepare a banqueting table for you so that you can sit and eat with me.

He says I prepare a banqueting table for you in the presence of my enemies. As in they're all around you Jacob and right when they're looking at you and trying to knock the door down, I have set a banqueting table for you where you can sit with me.

And as in the ancient Near East, when a guest would come to your house, it doesn't matter how many enemies are at the door. You are under my protective hospitality and I would rather give my children and my family away to the evil people outside rather than give you away because I'm protecting you.

That's the kind of protective hospitality God is talking about. So in the midst of the evil date, one of the things that's so good to do like we've been saying before is to sit at God's banqueting table.

What does that look like? It looks like Bill Hybill looks at this way. He's the pastor of Billow Creek. He says that at least 15, if you're a hard working person, so I'm not talking about Jason or me.

Actually Jason works hard. So I'm not talking about me. So if you're a hard working person, will you find a chair and 15 minutes in that chair every day for the rest of your life because that's where your banqueting table begins.

What is it about your present schedule? Let me actually read it out as it is guys because this might actually help some of us here because we are super busy. Let me read it as is.

What would your schedule look like if God was in charge of it?

This applies to me too. It doesn't matter if you're busy or retired. What would your schedule look like if God was in charge of it? Is your current arrangement of time working for you?

What would your schedule look like if God was in charge of it? Is your current arrangement of time working for you?

And here's the third one which really caught me. Your schedule is less about what you need to get done. It's more about who you need to become.

Your schedule is less about what you need to get done. It's more about who you need to become.

Your schedule is less about what you need to get done. It is more about who you need to become.

When you look at it in that way you'll suddenly find that the way we allocate time is pretty messed up.

Your schedule is less about what you need to get done. It's more about who you need to become.

Love that line.

So this guy suggests that you start with a chair. 15 minutes on a chair or table or whatever you want to sit on.

Your back-witting chair or back-witting table. That's where you start. Where it becomes a habit.

But during times of crisis you have this place that you go to and in the middle of an evil day you sit down and say,

Father, I won't survive this day if I don't put my legs up and just spend some time either feeding on your word or recognizing your love.

Because I won't survive this day. This day will swallow me up.

So if you're going through times like that right now, if you really look at your lives over the last two months, the one thing missing is the back-witting table.

Because the pressures on you are so intense. So intense.

Yet he says, I prepared a table for you in the presence of your enemies.

Look forward to the back-witting table in the day of evil. Because it's in the presence of your enemies.

The enemies are confounded by it.

Guys, rest is the cleanest, strongest illustration that what God said or what God did for you is working well and you don't need to tinker with it.

Rest is the clearest and strongest illustration that what God is saying or what God is doing is working perfectly.

And I don't need to add or tinker with it.

Delight to illustrate this in your life. Jesus did this.

In a boat, carpenter amongst sailors, both being tossed to and fro, large waves, large wind.

Rest is the clearest and the strongest indication that illustrates that his father said row across, his father said go to sleep.

And rest is the clearest indication that what God said and what God is doing is working well.

And Jesus does not have to tinker with it. He doesn't have to mess with the waves, grab a pillow and go to sleep.

Show me a man who is at rest in crisis and I will show you a man who knows God.

Not a man who is pent up inside, inside and out when he is at rest.

I know men who are calm on the outside but are steamed up inside. Why? Because I have been there. I have done that. I do that every now and then.

Show me a man who is at rest and I will show you a man who knows God in the middle of crisis.

Satan's intent guys is to draw you out of rest into insecurity and flailing.

I got up at 5.30 this morning insecure and flailing. I need to know when I have to go to Kenya. How come you are not telling me?

I don't wake up at 5.30 for anything.

And so I remember after that walking in my balcony and saying father so not at rest.

This has become so important to me that it has drawn me out of my rest and I am flailing around because I don't know what to do.

It's grabbing me. I have got to stop this.

So I shut down the computer, stopped checking things, shut it down and said you will have to do something because I refuse to step out of rest.

You will have to show me what to do. I refuse to step out of rest. I refuse to step out of rest.

Can I just tell a quick story? Sure.

March 25th the three year old upstairs stuffed something down the toilet and the water, the toilet overflowed and water went down my wall.

And as you all know a year and a half, almost two years I had a flood in my apartment.

So I came home, walked in the door, took off my shoes and my hallway is mushy.

And I am thinking okay Lord what is going on.

I looked in the kitchen, my kitchen is fine, bathroom is fine so I know it is not mine.

So I went in the hallway and the hallway was all wet.

So I said okay. I phoned and said there is a problem, I don't know where it is.

And it has come into my hallway.

But I was totally at rest and they came and the young boy who came, it was his first flood.

So he actually opened up my entire outside of the apartment, the entire wall.

I said gee I have never seen a wall open quite that much.

Anyhow long story short when they came, you know I had new carpeting.

But Mara had thrown up quite a bit on the carpet.

They came in and the boy came in and he was late.

So he said to me I don't want you to be mad.

And I said believe me I am not mad, don't worry about it, I am here all day.

And he said I will clean your whole hallway.

He said just take the rug off.

So he cleaned the whole hallway.

And I also was having trouble with my kitchen tap.

And the boy who came to do the outside wall, he said the head guy said you get in there and you fix Joan's tap immediately.

I don't want you to leave today.

So I got the whole hallway clean.

But there was one other thing I have got to mention.

They didn't redo the wall for a month.

And I said Lord could you have them come back and put that wall.

A week later again they hadn't come.

And I said Lord could you please bring those workmen back.

Third week I am sitting there going Lord could you please bring them.

And I went oh Father forgive me.

What am I doing?

What am I doing here?

And I just prayed the little foxes.

I said take the little foxes, tie their tails together.

And I declared those workmen will come and fix that wall.

Next morning I woke up and I hear the guys out there.

And the man says you get the crew in here and you fix this wall.

And the next day it was done.

Amen.

So please come.

One of the things that happens with rest guys is you do in five years what would have otherwise taken you 35 years.

That's the other thing that happens with rest.

Things get accelerated because you are refusing to take things into your own hands.

So God does in five years what would have taken you 35 years.

The reason I took off my mic is I have been shoveling so loud that the mic has been off all this time and no one realized it.

So nothing is being taped except what's being taped on video.

Because the mic is off Matt.

Just so you know.

They had a house and they turned it on.

No it is on.

The batteries are dead.

So I don't know when they will die.

But I have been shouting my heart out thinking I am not loud enough.

So now I know.

Guys Satan's intent is to draw me out of rest into insecurity and flaming.

So try not to.

Here is the thing.

Let me end the whole thing on rest like this.

When external circumstances jettison rest from your life.

Then those same external circumstances will frustrate your relationship with the father.

Think of that.

When external circumstances jettison rest out of your life.

And the external circumstances can be anything.

It can be a problem with your spouse.

It can be a problem at work.

Some of us lose rest just because of the threat of fear.

Some of us can lose rest because of the threat of fear.

As in this could happen because it happened to my neighbor and you begin to panic.

When external circumstances jettison rest from your life.

Then those very circumstances begin to frustrate your relationship with the father.

And the day of evil gets worse.

Because the day of evil gets worse.

And the day of evil gets worse.

Because the day of evil is meant to do exactly that.

Bring you out of rest into flailing and insecurity and shortcuts.

If you are the son of God, what was Satan trying to do?

Bring Jesus out of the rest of his place in the Father.

Bow before me and I will give you all the kingdoms.

What was Satan trying to do?

Lure him out to get to a goal quickly.

Coming out of the rest that he had in his Father.

Which perhaps would be in the cross.

And it did.

And finally, same, this message was a good one to take.

I've got it on my little...

Great, if you can give this to Chantal or Wayne and see if they can do something with it.

I downloaded it on my computer. They can download it on the computer.

Yeah, because this would be very worth listening to again.

Recommended by the preacher himself.

Shameless, but true.

Wait on the Lord.

That's the final one. Wait on the Lord.

Guys, I know you've heard this before.

The whole idea of wait in the Bible, whenever the word wait is used in Psalms by David,

it's the same kind of waiting when your wife has been away for a long while.

And she's finally landed.

Her plane is at the airport and you're standing there near the arrival.

And you're craning your neck looking out for her.

Even if you don't mean it, you better do it.

So the point being, the point being, wait carries in it eager anticipation where the neck is crammed out looking for.

That's the kind of wait when God says wait.

That's the kind of wait we're talking about.

And so in Psalm 37, we see that in the day of evil, wait on the Lord as in wait with eager expectations,

because notice that delay is not denial.

Delay is not denial.

So often we think delay is denial.

Delay is not denial.

Hebrews 10, 36.

It says, with patience and in some versions with perseverance, continue therein,

as in continue doing the will of God and you will inherit the promise.

That's what it says.

As you continue therein, if you have to catch a few foxes that are spoiling your own mind,

so be it.

Catch those foxes, tie their tails together, set their tails on fire, and send them into the enemy's feet.

Send them to Boston.

What?

Oh, they beat us two years ago.

Something still happened about moving.

Guys, in Psalm 37 it says, for evil doers shall be cut off, but, I couldn't say Toronto, but I did,

for evil doers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth.

Guys, have you noticed in this entire thing about the evil day,

nowhere does it say, on the evil day, attack the enemy.

Because there's good charismatics at bed costals and baptist costals.

Our reaction to anything that is evil is, we're going to take up handle possessions, bind up, cast out, and all this stuff.

And yet throughout this entire thing, there is a place for that.

I'm not denying it.

But throughout this entire thing, have you noticed, David is surrounded by evil, surrounded by the wicked.

Bows are being drawn, spears are being held, and through it all, David does not talk about attacking the enemy.

He talks about all these things that are very possible to do.

Notice how attacking the enemy is not part of this equation.

This is how it works, guys.

I pray, God, that either Joan or Wayne makes this available so you can go listen to it a few times.

Because this happens to us, eh? Jesus said this.

In the world, there will be trouble.

But take heart, for I have overcome the world.

And in the day of evil, you have to have these things ready in your holster to pull out and start shooting.

These things work.

God is for you.

Can you say that? God is for me. God is for you.

God is for you.

Yeah, say it a couple of times. Let's try this.

No harm will come if you try these exercises.

At least I'm not telling you to turn to the person when you're right and say, God loves you.

God is for you.

God is for you.

No, you have to say, God is for me.

God is for you.

He is for you.

Young man, he is for you. He is for you. He is for me.

God is for me.

He is not against me. He is not neutral. He is for me.

God is for me.

Questions, comments, otherwise we are done.

Tell you all soon, Wednesday.

Raneeta and...