Sermon
Prophetic Conference 2016 (Sunday AM) - Pastor Danny Bonilla (May 29, 2016) | Life Bible Church
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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the word of the Lord and he would tell me stories.
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Danny was always in some of those stories. So
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it was a privilege to get to meet him years later.
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And we've had him out several times. Every time
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we do, I just feel like our relationship gets
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stronger. And I so appreciate his wife, Giselle,
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is a wonderful lady, has a prophetic song of
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the Lord gift. And Danny is a man that hears
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from the Lord and has many grace gifts. But I
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want you to give him a Life Bible welcome this
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morning as he opens the Word and brings the Word
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of the Lord this morning. Praise the Lord. Amen.
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You may be seated. Thank you for your love. I
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really feel at home. Every time I come, our relationship
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grows stronger. I feel I'm more connected to
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this church than ever. And to see the wonderful
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things that God has done. I visit churches around
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the world. And truly to tell you that this is
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probably one of the greatest places that I've
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been to. You are a great church. I don't know
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if you know how awesome this house is. But it's
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an incredible church, probably one of the greatest
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churches in America. And I don't say that lightly.
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I say that because you have everything that a
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church needs to please the Lord and to minister
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to the world that we live in. So can you give
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the Lord a big hand for the wonderful church
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that you are? Amen. Thank you, Lord. And with
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that, of course, would you honor the man and
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woman of God that God has chosen to raise this
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church together with the leadership team for
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the leaders of this house who lead this church
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into the future. Give them a big hand. Would
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you? Every one of the great men of God, I've
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watched them handle the word, handle themselves
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in the house of God. They do it with such honor.
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and integrity. And I just love what's happening
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in this place. It looked like worship was never
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going to stop today as we just went on and on.
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And I so appreciate that you're not in a rush
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to just sing a few songs. You know, I heard a
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pastor once say, we don't worship in our church,
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we just sing. And I think they're missing some
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of the greatest moments of God. It's not just
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about singing. You don't want to go sing, join
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some singing club. But when you come to church,
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you come to worship him. Can you say amen? We've
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come and we've had a great time. How many of
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you enjoyed worship? Give it up for the musicians,
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singers of the house of God. Amazing. Amazing.
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I couldn't help it to get videos of it and stuff.
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I want to take it back home, show everybody.
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It's an amazing time, an amazing church. Presence
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of God is in this place. And I know it hasn't
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happened by coincidence. It's taken a lot of
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labor, a lot of tears, a lot of people who have
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pioneered this work from years back, believing
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God with the pastors that God would raise...
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a significant church, a church that would make
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a difference in Harrisburg. And God decided to
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take a boy that grew up in a Mennonite family
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and raise him up generations deep into ministry
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in this land. And God has raised your pastor
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to lead this church together with some fine leaders,
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like I said before, to raise a church that's
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a flagship church. To see the beautiful building
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you're in that... It's a labor of your love,
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a sacrifice of your giving in the house of God.
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This is probably one of the most beautiful buildings
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I've ever been in. Not only is it beautiful in
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its structure, but it sits in a beautiful place
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right by the bend of a river. Not many churches
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have that kind of view outside. And outside of
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your prayer room, what a beautiful place to pray.
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But even in the prayer room, what a gorgeous
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presence of God. So I'm delighted to come. I
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can't wait for my wife to come back with me.
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She sends her love. And by the way, I was with
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Louie a week ago. And he also sends his love,
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Louie Hernandez, who's a good friend of your
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pastor's. And also a man of God who I have respected
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over the years. We've walked together for 43
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years. I've been saved for 43 years. I've walked
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with Frank DiMaggio for 42 years. So we are linked
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together. We're a family. And God has put us
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together. But I can't help but to think of all
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the labor that has gone in to building this wonderful
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church. the pioneers, the people who have been
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here for over a decade, laboring, some of them
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from the very inception of this church, that
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are here, that have labored, others that have
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gone on to be with the Lord, whose families are
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here. Would you give the Lord a big hand for
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those who have labored throughout the years to
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come to this place? Thank you, Lord, for faithful
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people. All week I've been talking about prophetic
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intercessory prayer. Prophetic intercessors.
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Last night I spoke about prophetic intercessors
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or warriors or valley warriors. And I talked
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about how prophetic intercessors have got to
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learn how to fight in a valley. Anybody can fight
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on the mountaintop when you've got the home advantage.
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But in the valley where the plain, everything
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is right there. You're meeting the enemy face
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to face. You're not in a strategic place of advantage,
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but you're in the valley. is where God makes
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heroes in the valley is where God builds churches
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like this one in the valley is with people who
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know and have learned how to war in the valley
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is the place that God raises these prophetic
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intercessors who know that God is about to do
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something great and who understand that if they're
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in the valley it's just for a little time because
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every valley is a prophecy of another mountaintop
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every valley in your life announces that there's
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another mountain another mountain to be scaled
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get through the valley fight your way out of
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the valley but get to the place where God wants
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to take you to another high place in him where
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he's going to show you things you've never seen
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and where you're going to be able to enjoy everything
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that he has prepared for you I believe that God
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wants to reward warriors who learn how to fight
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in the valley This church is here because of
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people who didn't give up. They didn't throw
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the towel in when things got tough. When things
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were opposite to what they heard. When the prophecies
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weren't coming to pass quick enough. When they
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heard promises from God, but things didn't happen
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the way the prophet said. It took longer. It
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seemed like when the prophet spoke it, it was
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about to happen. But then it went into a time
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of delay. And they stood their ground. They fought
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through the valleys. They believed God. And here
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you are. in a tremendous moment in God, a tremendous
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time. I want to encourage you not to make light
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of this church, not to make light of what God
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has done in your midst, not to make light of
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all the beautiful things. We sang that awesome
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song about there's a man sitting on the throne
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and all eyes are on him. There's a man sitting
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on the throne and all the songs about him. It's
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amazing. This beautiful Jesus with the work that
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he has done. Can you give the Lord a big hand
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for what he's done in your life? What he's done
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with your life. Come on. Give him praise. He's
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done awesome things in your life. And I believe
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that God is a rewarder of people. He rewards
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those who seek him. And in successory ministry
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is all about seeking God. So this morning I'd
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like to carry on with that message. Because people
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who begin to seek God. Learn the heartbeat of
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God. They spend so much time with the Lord that
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they begin to think like him. They begin to see
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what he sees. They begin to speak like he speaks.
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Part of intercessory ministry is being able to
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capture the heartbeat of God. Being able to capture
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the very thoughts of God and know his way, his
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plan. Not just his miracles, but know the ways
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of the Lord. Well, in Hebrews chapter 11, verse
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6, there's a scripture. That says, and without
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faith it is impossible to please God. Because
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anyone who comes to him must believe. Somebody
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say, you've got to believe. Look at your neighbor
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and say, you must believe. Come on, you're in
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church this morning. You came here seeking God.
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You must believe that he exists. And that he
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rewards those who earnestly seek him. He rewards
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those who earnestly seek him. You must believe
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that he exists. He's alive. And not only is he
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alive, but he rewards. Somebody say, he rewards.
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Look at your neighbor and help me prophesy to
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them today. Say, he's coming with your reward.
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Your labor's not in vain. God's going to reward
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you. God's going to reward you for all your earnest
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seeking, for you spending time separating your
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weekend. To be with the Lord. Even this morning.
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You could be doing something else. A holiday
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weekend. You could have skipped all together.
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But you're here. And you're earnestly seeking
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God. It just showed in your worship. That you
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were lost in the presence of God. And you were
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enjoying his presence. This church is a God seeking
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church. A God loving church. Give the Lord another
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hand. For a loving church that loves him back.
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But you've got to believe and get this in your
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spirit that he exists and that he rewards. Those
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who earnestly seek him. If you become a God seeker.
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God will reward you. God will reward you for
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every sacrifice. Everything you do. To get close
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to him. And to look for him. And to draw near
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to him. God will reward you. Oh the enemy wants
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to make it impossible. For us to get close to
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God. He tries to block our way. In every way
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he can. But God is waiting for a people. Who
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will break through every barrier. Reach him and
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get close to him and will not let the enemy rob
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them of their reward. There is a reward for the
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God seeker. There is a reward for those who seek
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the Lord. All through the scriptures even the
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prophet Isaiah in chapter 40 verse 10. Isaiah
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40 verse 10 says see the sovereign Lord comes
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with power. And he rules with a mighty arm. See
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his reward is with him. And his recompense accompanies
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him. His reward is with him. And his recompense
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accompanies him. Isaiah. Again in Isaiah 62.
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Verse 11. The Lord has made proclamation. To
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the ends of the earth. This has gone all over
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the earth. Say to the daughter of Zion. See your
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savior comes. Your savior comes. Look at somebody
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and say he's coming. He's coming to see his reward
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is with him and his recompense accompanies him.
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He's coming with your reward. He's coming with
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your recompense. You're going to reward it up
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for your good works. You're going to reward it
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for seeking God, for laboring. God is looking
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at your labor. He's watched you labor over the
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years. He's watched you shed the tears. He's
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watched you get through those valleys. And God
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will not leave you without a reward. He's a faithful
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God. He keeps his word. He's coming. And I'm
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not just talking about the second coming. He's
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coming again. He's coming for a church without
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spot and wrinkle. But I'm talking about a God
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who's coming now. I believe that he's coming
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with rewards now. Before he comes, he's coming.
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to you. He's coming to your house. He's coming
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to your family. Look at somebody and say, He's
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coming to you. He wants to reward you for your
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faith. He wants to reward you for your tenacity.
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He wants to reward you for not giving up. He
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wants to reward you for not quitting. He wants
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to reward you for not letting discouragement
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talk you out of your destiny. Come on. Somebody
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say, He's coming with my reward. Hallelujah.
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I believe God for his recompense. I've been serving
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and walking with the Lord for 43 years. I can't
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help every time I think about the reward of the
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Lord. He's bountifully filled me with rewards.
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I look at my family when we sit across a table
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and have dinner with all my grandkids, eight
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grandkids, two daughters, two wonderful son -in
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-laws. I can't help but to weep every time we
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pray. Thinking about his recompense and his reward.
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Where would my life be without his love? Where
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would my life be if I would have quit in the
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hard times? Where would it be? I would have missed
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out on everything that God had for me. Had I
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not believed that he exists and that he is a
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rewarder of them that seek him. Sometimes we
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take what's around us for granted. Sometimes
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we look at what we have. The enemy tries to depreciate
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the value of what we have. But what you have
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today is more than what you had in the past.
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And you've got to give him thanks and praise.
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Go ahead, give him another praise because he's
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worthy of it. Hallelujah. God rewards the faithful.
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God rewards people who... Learn how to stay in
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his will. How to be able to discern his time.
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And be able how to seek his face. And I believe
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that I'm standing before church that's come through
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a long journey. And the journey that lies ahead
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is even greater than what you've experienced
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in the past. Thank God for all that has happened.
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But there's more. Look at somebody and say there's
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more. And there's more rewards. Look at them
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again and say, he's coming to reward you. Come
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on, make it personal. He's coming to reward you.
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Point your little finger at somebody and say,
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he's coming to reward you. He's coming to reward
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you. Amen. Listen, I believe God wants to do
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something great. I believe he wants to reward
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his church. And I want to talk to you about...
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that are mentioned in the Old Testament. It's
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one of the tribes of Israel named after one of
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the sons of Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons. One of
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his sons was Issachar. He was the ninth son born
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to him. He was the fifth son of Leah, the ninth
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son of Jacob, Issachar. Issachar, his name is
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pronounced Yissachar. He's the ninth of the 12
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sons of Jacob. And one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
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He's the progenitor of the tribe of Israel. It's
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called after him. The tribe of Issachar. And
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it says that the Bible teaches that they were
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a prophetic tribe. They were great leaders. They
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were great warriors. And they knew how to fight
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in the valley. Whenever there was a fight in
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the valley. It was Issachar who ran to take the
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front lines. Because they knew. Valley warfare.
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They knew how to fight in the valley. They led
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their families. The Bible speaks this about them.
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They led their families well and they valued
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their promise. In Judges chapter 5 verse 8 listen
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to some of the things that are said about Issachar
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in the scriptures and we'll try to bring this
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home. In Judges chapter 5 verse 8 God chose new
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leaders in a time and this verse refers to the
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time of Deborah. Deborah's a judge in Israel.
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She's the first woman to be ruling Israel. Before
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there were ever kings, there were judges. And
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now for the first time, there's a woman judge.
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Her name is Deborah. She's a prophetess. And
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the Bible says in Judges chapter 5, verse 8,
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God chose new leaders when war came to the city
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gates. But not a shield or spear was seen among
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40 ,000 in Israel. 40 ,000 men turned away from
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the battle because there was a woman. That God
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had chose to lead them. Because of a new leadership.
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Because of someone who was thinking different.
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Of someone who was prophetic. She was a prophetic
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counselor. Intercessor. She was a woman who understood
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the heart of God. Deborah. And as she stood up
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to take her place. When their enemies had eroded
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their city. When the streets were no longer populated,
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people were taking sidewinder roads to get to
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where they were going because the main roads
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were dangerous. And they were living in dangerous
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times. It was a time of great change. God raised
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Deborah as a mother in Israel. God raised Deborah
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as a woman who understood the heart of God. God
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raised Deborah as a woman who knew how to seek
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God and get the answers she needed. And in a
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time of great trouble God raised her. And behind
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her stood a tribe. This tribe of Issachar. Tribe
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of Issachar weren't those who ran home and said
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we're not going to respect this leader. We're
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not going to stand behind her. We're going home.
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We're not going to fight. We'd rather have somebody
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else lead than her. And that's what happened.
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That's why the scripture records that among Israel
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there were 40 ,000. Shields missing. People went
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home. They didn't want to fight. 40 ,000 is a
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big number of warriors when you're in trouble.
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But listen, God has people. God has people even
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when others quit. People who won't quit. People
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who will discern the time. People who will know
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that God's up to something great. It was a moment
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that God would change the course of history and
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bring a great deliverance to Israel. But people
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who were so caught up in their legalistic point
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of view could not see Deborah. They could not
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understand that it was a time for change. A time
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for a new strategy. A time for new leaders to
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arise with a passion. And Deborah had that passion.
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And behind her was this tribe Issachar. They
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were with Deborah. They were in the Old Testament.
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They were through. They were the people who also
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helped David decades later. Helped David to arrive
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at the throne when it was time to bring David
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to his throne. Issachar. In 1 Chronicles 12,
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verse 32, listen to what it says again about
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Issachar. From Issachar, men who understood the
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times and knew what Israel should do. 200 chiefs
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with all their relatives under their command.
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200 chiefs with all their relatives under their
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command. Let me read that one more time. From
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Issachar, men who understood the times. They
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had an understanding of the times and knew what
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Israel should do. They had an understanding of
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what they needed to do as a people. And there
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were 200 chiefs of them in that time with all
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their relatives under their command. These were
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guys, and of all the tribes of Israel, these
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were men that stood out because their families
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followed them. Their families, they had their
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relatives under their command. Everybody lined
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up in the family. It's an awesome thing to be
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able to take a stand. But when you can take a
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stand with your whole family. And your children
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are standing with you. And I so thank God for
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the families that I've seen worshiping in this
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place. They're together. How many can thank God
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that your family's together? How many can thank
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God that God preserves families? And that we
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have a legacy to pass on. I'm so proud of my
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son -in -laws. I have two wonderful son -in -laws.
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One is an architect. The other one is a technician
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for audiovisual in a big way. And both of them
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have served by my side. I'm the only father they
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have known. One of them came to the Lord when
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he was 14 in a funeral service. I was preaching
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a funeral service in my church. It was the mother
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of his friend. And when he came to the funeral,
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he gave his life to Christ. came down the altar,
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took out his 9mm, put it on the altar, and gave
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his life to Christ. That was in Harlem, New York.
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He had a drug point that he used to run at the
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age of 14. His father had been put in jail many
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years before for murder. He never met his father.
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But God had a hand on him. And God had a purpose
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for his life. He's a great son -in -law, a great
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father, and a great son to me. The other one...
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Was in England studying. And he came. Was picked
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up by his brother who had just gotten saved.
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And our church at the airport brought him straight
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to a street service. Our first street service
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in Harlem, New York. As we started our church.
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And that day he bowed his knees and gave his
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life to Christ. From that moment on, he's been
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one of the great worshipers of our church. Sitting
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at the front aisle, always in the front of our
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church from that day on, after he gave his life
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to Christ, dancing before the Lord and worshiping
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before the Lord as a young man. And now over
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the years, he's walked with me for over 30 years,
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been one of my disciples. The only thing that
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has changed is that he's not alone in the front
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aisle. Now he's got all his kids with him. All
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five kids and his wife, they're all dancing before
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him. the Lord. And so I thank God for the example
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of great man. Come on, give it up for fathers
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who will pass on their faith. Well, the tribe
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of Issachar was that kind of a tribe. They cared
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about family. They cared about those that God
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had brought into their lineage. They were under
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their command. They not only were good fighters,
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but they were good rulers. They ruled well their
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families. In Judges chapter 5, Verses 15, listen
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to what it says in the time of Deborah. Judges
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5, 15 says, the princes of Issachar were with
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Deborah. They were with Deborah. Yes, Issachar
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was with Barak. Set under his command into what?
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The valley. They were with Deborah, they were
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with Barak, who was a commanding officer, sent
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under his command into the valley. So these were
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great chiefs, but they knew how to respect authority.
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These were men under authority, under the authority
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of Barak. Barak said, go into the valley. Matter
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of fact, another translation, and one of the
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Spanish translations says they were on the heels
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of Deborah. They were right behind her. Deborah
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was leading, and they were the front line protection.
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They were those that were ready volunteers. the
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front line. We'll be right there. We know how
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to do this. We fight. We've been trained in the
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valley. Last night I talked about being trained
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in the valley and how God trains all of us through
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the valley. The valley is to God work on our
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character. The mountaintops he works on our vision.
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He works on showing us our destiny and the things
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that he wants to do. But in the valley God works
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on our characters and reveals our weakness so
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we can correct them. How many can give the Lord
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a hand for the valley that's made you who you
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are today? Well, it says the princes of Issachar
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were with Deborah. Yes, Issachar was with Barak,
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sent under his command into the valley. In the
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district of Reuben, there was much searching
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of heart. Scripture goes on to talk a little
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bit more about the other tribes. But this part,
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in the district of Reuben, there was much searching
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of heart. There's a lot of talk. but no action.
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And in the house of God, sometimes there's a
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lot of people who talk a lot, but they put no
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action to their talk. There are good critics.
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Some people become experts. They have a gift
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of criticism. Nothing makes them happy. You can't
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please them. They'll criticize the gold dust
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of the streets of heaven when they get there.
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They want to pick on everything that's wrong.
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But never value what's right. Never value what
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God's done for them. And the reality is that
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the root of that problem is an ungrateful spirit.
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So every time you think about criticizing, check
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your heart before you open your mouth to criticize.
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It happens in every church and I'm not picking
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on you. I've had a great time. And I want to
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believe I'm talking for somebody you need to
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give this CD to. God's a good God. He loves this
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church. And he's done great things for this church.
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But the pessimist is always looking at what's
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missing. While the people who look at life the
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way God looks at it always look at it with a
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grateful heart. God, you've done so much. I was
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so lost. And now I'm found. I was blind. I could
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not see, but now I can see. What amazing grace.
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What mercy you've had with me. Because you know
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that you and I don't deserve anything. Somehow
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the mercy and the grace of God went to work in
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our lives. He forgave us and he blessed us. Oh,
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thank God for his mercy and his grace. Can you
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say amen? It's been so wonderful. They work together
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to bring us to the place that God wants. Well,
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the tribe of Issachar, in the midst of people
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who were talking and searching their hearts,
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listen, they don't have time to talk. There's
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work to be done. The Bible says they went out
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to war. While everybody else was talking about
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what was going on, they were engaged in action.
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In 1 Chronicles 7, verse 5, it says this, the
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relatives who were fighting men. Somebody say
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fighting men. Not wimps. But fighting men. Not
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cowards. But fighting men. Not people who had
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character defects. These were men who had built
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character. Trained to fight. To take the pain.
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To fight in the wilderness. To fight in the plains.
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The relatives who were fighting men. Belonging
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to all the clans of Issachar. As listed in their
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genealogy. Were 87 ,000 in all. This was not
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a little tribe. They multiplied and every single
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one of them, the fighting men. Think about it.
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This was the clan of fighting men. Everybody
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who grew up, grew up as a fighter, was trained
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in the desert, was trained in the wilderness.
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We're going to fight our way through this. We're
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the fighting tribe. We're the tribe that knows
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the heart of God. We can discern the time and
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know what... Israel should do. We got a prophetic
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sense about us. But we're not just prophetic
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people who won't engage in action. We're prophetic
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but we'll also make war to protect the destiny
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that we see ahead. To protect the legacy of our
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family. They multiplied in their list and in
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their genealogy 87 ,000 fighting men stood at
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one time or another through the course of the
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history of Israel. Fighting men. Men who are
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ready to pay a price. Men who have been trained
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in the valley. Like I said before, anybody can
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fight at the mountaintop. But when you can fight
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in the valley, you prove you're a fighter. When
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you can fight when the chips are down. When you
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can fight when you're discouraged. When you can
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fight when everything is opposite to you. When
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things are not going the way you were. When you
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can still worship God through the tears of suffering
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and pain in your life. When your hands can still
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go up even though you're heavy burdened. And
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your hands can go up before God. Oh, I know it
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costs you. But that's why it's called the sacrifice
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of praise. It's when you press in. You don't
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feel like worshiping everything and you say,
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don't do it. Why should you worship? But you
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break through that feeling. You break through
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that sense and say, no, he's still worthy. If
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he slays me, he's worthy of worship. Come on,
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somebody give it up for God. He's worthy. He's
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worthy. I don't care what you're going through.
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You might be going through the most difficult
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time in your life. God is still worthy of your
-
praise. God is still worthy of your worship.
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He still should receive honor and praise from
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you. Give somebody a high five and say, He's
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still worthy. I don't care what it is that is
-
happening in your life. God is worthy. You can
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lose your house, lose your job, lose your health,
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but with your last breath, you've got to be able
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to thank him and praise him. Had a number of
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people while I pastored that taught me a whole
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lot. As I taught them the ways of the Lord, they
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taught me that they were obedient to the gospel,
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even to the point of death. They came into my
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church sick because of sin. They had engaged
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in... They had contracted AIDS. One lady had
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contracted AIDS. And she was a godly worshiper,
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part of our worship team. And got so sick at
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the end of her life, she was in a hospital. We
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sent teams to minister to her. And the very day
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that she passed, I talked to her. I was away
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to travel. I got to talk to her. She said, Pastor,
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don't worry about me. I'm good. A few hours later,
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she would pass. But the ladies that were with
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her in the room from our church said that she
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said, get me out of bed. And with a frail little
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body being consumed by AIDS, she raised her hands
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and began to worship God. The ladies held her
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hands up and she began to sing to the Lord. And
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then when she could no more, she sat in a bed.
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And as she sat in a bed, she started raising
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her hands again to worship the Lord. And there
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she went. In the midst of worship. Had an elder
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who fought cancer. For 10 years by my side. He
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was my administrative elder. So faithful. A mighty
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man of God. We prayed for his cancer. We believed
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God. We did everything we could do. The cancer
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ate away at him. We've seen many people heal
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from cancer. But he didn't get healed. And I
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watched. Him at his deathbed. And the doctors
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told him, after being rushed to the emergency
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room for one last time, the doctor said, you
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have about two hours to live. We called all of
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our staff and many people in our church who loved
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him showed up at the hospital. And they made
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lines to hug him for one last time. Love on him
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and minister to him. Kids who loved him because
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he just loved everybody in the church. And we
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stood there, all of our team. Of elders. Twelve
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couples. Were all there. With him. The doctors
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finally lied him down. When the time was almost
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up. And he looked at me and said. Pastor. Don't
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let me die. Lying down. Take me out of this bed.
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And help me stand. You've taught me. That after
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doing all. Stand. So we took him out of the bed.
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His wife. a few of my elders, and we held him
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in our arms and we worshiped together. And while
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we were worshiping, he went to be with the Lord.
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What? That was a man that would have been considered
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part of the Issachar tribe. Issachar. Issachar
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means he brings a reward. He brings a recompense.
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That man was a reward for my life. I taught him
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how to live. He taught me how to die. He taught
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me how to die standing up before God after doing
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all. In front of his kids, in front of his family,
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he stood up and said, I'm not going out lying
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down. That's an Issachar man. I'm going to fight
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in the valley. I'm going through a dark valley,
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the valley of shadow and death, but I'm going
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to fight my way out of this valley. And he did.
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Would you give the Lord a hand for those who
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are rewarding the house of God? In closing, let
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me give you one of the first mentions of the
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tribe of Issachar is when his father, Jacob,
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Gathers all his 12 children. And prophetically
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begins to speak about their destiny. And he makes
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mention to each one of his children. About their
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destiny. And Genesis chapter 49. Verses 14 and
Genesis 49 chapter mention
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15. Genesis 49. Listen to what it says. This
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is the prophecy his father gave him. Issachar.
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As he spoke about the character of Issachar.
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Issachar is a raw bone donkey. Lying down among
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the sheep pens. When he sees how good is his
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resting place and how pleasant is his land, he
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will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit
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to forced labor. Some, I don't know how they've
-
got to the conclusion, but have interpreted this
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to be a problem with Issachar's ambition. And
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that he couldn't decide to serve God. Well, I
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don't see that anywhere in the scripture. And
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I think it's not correct. I think we need to
-
look at it again. Sometimes reading a few different
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translations can help us. Here's another translation.
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Another translation that speaks about Issachar.
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Issachar is a strong... Well, here's the King
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James. Issachar is a strong ass couching down
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between two burdens. And he saw that rest was
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good and that the land, it was pleasant and bowed
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his shoulder to bear and became a servant unto
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tribute. He became a servant unto tribute, unto
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honor. It wasn't a dishonorable thing that he
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did. Listen, let's examine this again. Another
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translation says that he was a strong donkey.
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Not a weak donkey. Issachar is a strong bone
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donkey, actually. And it says that he was lying
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between two burdens. He had two burdens. His
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sacks were two. Two burdens were put on him.
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And these two burdens were on him. But then he
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looks around and he saw that his resting place
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was good. That rest was good and that the land.
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Was pleasant. So he bowed his shoulder. To bear
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the burden. And became a band of slaves. Or a
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servant unto tribute. Can I share with you. That
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I believe this is the character. Of these. Prophetic
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intercessors. That are warriors. That have been
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trained in the desert. Comes the time. Because.
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They understand that they have a. They carry
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two burdens. And I think this is the challenge
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of every Christian man, every leader in the kingdom
-
of God. You will have two burdens. I've done
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it all of my life. I've carried two burdens.
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If I were to have one alone, I would be unbalanced.
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And I've watched many ministers be unbalanced
-
in their lifetime. Not being able to carry the
-
full burden. But when God builds strength into
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you. And I'm talking about character in your
-
structure of your life. It's structure. That
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bone structure in your life. God structures your
-
life and he brings character into your life.
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You're able to carry the burden. You'll lie down
-
between two burdens. And when you get up, you're
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going to carry those two burdens. And I believe
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the two burdens that we carry are both the kingdom
-
of God and the family. Just like the tribe of
-
Issachar. You've got to be able to know that
-
you've been chosen to expand the kingdom and
-
to grow the kingdom of God, but you can't go
-
there alone. You've got to arrive at the future
-
with your relatives. You've got to arrive there
-
with those that God has given you. What good
-
would it be for me to arrive at my future without
-
my grandkids? If I can't take my grandkids, something's
-
wrong. If I choose my ministry above my family,
-
I've disqualified myself. If I can't rule my
-
family, then I disqualify myself for the call
-
of God. But we've got a bunch of people who are
-
not concerned. I'm telling you that there's a
-
double burden that each one of us has to carry.
-
It's the burden of the kingdom of God and the
-
family of God. And we've got to carry the weight.
-
We've got to be a band. balanced, strong donkey
-
that says, I can carry this load. I'm ready to
-
take it. My kids are going to make it. My wife's
-
going to make it. We're going to make it to the
-
future. Can you say amen? And I like how this
-
closes. I like this prophecy. It says that when
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he saw that his resting place or his rest was
-
good, that resting place, I want to interpret
-
that to be the house of the Lord. is where all
-
of us have found rest. How many have found rest
-
in the house of God? When you find out, when
-
you look around and say, wait a minute, this
-
is an awesome church. My kids have found the
-
Lord here. I found the Lord. My marriage got
-
better. My marriage is getting better. For some
-
of you who are still working on it. And we could
-
all work on a better marriage. Can you say amen?
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And God's, when you find out, it's a good resting
-
place. Man, God has blessed me. When he saw how
-
good his resting place was and that the land
-
around him was pleasant. I don't know, but you
-
need to take another look at Harrisburg. You
-
need to take a look at Harrisburg as God looks
-
at it and say, this is a pleasant land. This
-
is a land that God brought me to. I don't know
-
where you came from. Some of you maybe grew up
-
here, but others were transported here, but God
-
put limitations on you. You're here by the will
-
of God. I need you to look at this land with
-
a whole other outlook, with a different perspective
-
and say, this is the place God has planted me
-
and my family. We're going to serve the Lord.
-
We're going to take this city. We're going to
-
believe that we can touch this city, heal this
-
city, restore this city. We're going to believe
-
that God will use us to touch the families of
-
this city. Are you ready to take another look?
-
Come on, look at your neighbor and say, take
-
another look at your resting place. Take another
-
look at your church. Take another look at the
-
land that God brought you to. And then, if you
-
understand how beautiful and how lovely God has
-
been with you and how amazing He is, you won't
-
have problems. You won't have a problem in doing
-
the same thing that Issachar did. He said after
-
he saw how good his resting place was and how
-
pleasant his land was, he bowed his shoulder
-
to labor. He said, put on the weight because
-
this is worth. This is worth the work that I've
-
got to do. This land, this church, this place
-
that God has brought me to is worth all the labor.
-
God has rewarded you and he's going to reward
-
you even more. And I believe that God is looking
-
for people who will roll their sleeves and say
-
there is much work yet to be done. I'm not just
-
going to be satisfied with what I see. I know
-
this land is pleasant. I'm ready to pay the price.
-
I'm ready to work. I'm ready. I'm not going to
-
do this alone. I'm going to do it for my family's
-
sake. I'm going to do it for the sake of the
-
families of this city. But Lord, count me in.
-
I want in on the tribe of Issachar. Is there
-
anybody here that would respond to the call of
-
God? I believe the Holy Spirit is awakening a
-
new charge in this church to bow your shoulder
-
and say, I'll take arm to load. I'll go to work.
-
I'll labor in the kingdom of God. I want to labor
-
for the house of the Lord. I want to labor. I
-
know that my labor will not be in vain. For some
-
of you who have labored long, the word of the
-
Lord to you. Don't stop laboring now. There's
-
a scripture in 1 Corinthians 15. Let me close
-
with this. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 58. Therefore,
-
my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Somebody
-
say stand. Stand firm. Let nothing move you.
-
Look at your neighbor and say, let nothing move
-
you. Don't let gossip move you out of the church.
-
Don't let your critics move you. You got to outlive
-
your critics. Don't let anything move you. Always
-
give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord
-
because you know that your labor in the Lord
-
is not in vain. All the pain, all the tears,
-
all the sorrow, all the energy you put in, all
-
the finances that you've given have not been
-
in vain. He's coming with your reward. If you
-
received this word today, would you just give
-
God a praise right where you're at and just say
-
thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Some of you
-
need to just even make it, take it a little step
-
further. Maybe it's your first time and you've
-
not. been active in the church you haven't been
-
labored you haven't been part of the workforce
-
of this house you're not part of the praying
-
team you're not part of the worship team but
-
you've got talents and you've got gifts and you've
-
got things that God has blessed you with there's
-
so much to be grateful for maybe God's calling
-
you to become part of something that's going
-
to bring change to a city change to your family
-
if you know that you can do more would you get
-
out of your seat and meet me here at the altar
-
And say, I want to be of the tribe of Issachar.
-
I want to sign up. Where do I sign up for the
-
tribe of Issachar? Count me in. I want my family
-
changed. I want to see the glory of God. I'm
-
believing God. And all my work went down in vain.
-
I don't care how many tears you've cried. Listen,
-
I'm here to tell you. I know you've been hurt.
-
You've been disappointed. But God will reward
-
you. It's worth every pain you've gone through.
-
Every let down you have been through. Step out
-
in God. Step out. Step. into what God has for
-
you. Let the Lord know, God, I thank you for
-
every valley experience. I thank you for the
-
valley where you trained me. I'm not the same
-
person. There's something. Make the valley count
-
for your life. Come. Come out of your seat. Come.
-
There's room in this place. And I know you young
-
people and old people and people who have been
-
through much. Get out and say, count me in. I
-
want to be of that tribe. want to bring a reward.
-
There's a reward in your house that God wants
-
to bring. There's a reward in your life. There
-
are gifts and talents that God wants to bless
-
this church with. Do not put them to work. Step
-
out and say, God, today I make a commitment.
-
Today I want to get involved. Today I want to
-
draw close to you. Today I want to seek you more
-
than ever. Or call us at 541 -995 -8282