Avoiding the Pitfall of Self-Pity

David began to what? He began to praise. And he encouraged, he reminded himself,

God is good. God is with me. I don't care what I see. I don't care what I hear. I don't even

care what I'm experiencing right now. I'm looking at the hate and anger in their faces.

They're ready to kill me. But Lord, you're good. And he began to praise. And he would not fall

into a spirit of self-pity. And God can work with that.

Welcome to the CityLight Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today, as we look into God's word

and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with CityLight Church,

feel free to visit us at citylightnyc.com, that's citylightnyc.com.

Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in

our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God,

that you are surrounded by his grace, and that he has a real hope and a future for you.

Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Welcome. God is really doing something wonderful at CityLight

Church. I've checked in with Pastor Mo numerous times because I want to make sure it's not just me.

And we've both agreed. God is doing something special, specifically in terms of people getting saved

and the kinds of people that are finding our church. So typically, a healthy church is winning

those who are far from Jesus who don't know the gospel who are lost.

But a large portion of those are those that are coming back to Jesus. Thank God for those.

And then if you actually look very few, the first time salvation. But God is bringing people from all

over who are getting saved for the very first time who are hearing the gospel for the first time.

And it's very special and very holy. And I realize some of you that are hearing my voice right now,

you might be thinking, hey, that's me. You just described me. I'm so glad you're here. And it's not

by accident that you're here. Jesus said no one can come to me unless the Father draws them.

He drew you. Even if you were up at 3M one night and Googled,

Jesus and I see church find God and I see whatever you Googled and somehow you landed here.

God did that and he opened up your heart and he's reaching out to you right now.

He's working on your heart so that you would say yes to Jesus so that you would give your life

to him, repent of your sins, receive total forgiveness of sins and everlasting eternal life.

So what a privilege that is. For me, I've been waiting, you know, we just celebrated 23 years

on March the 17th. Same Patrick's, it was Monday. I've been waiting 23 years to see it like this.

God's always been with us and he's blessed us and worked through us. But you know, we're in Queens.

And of course we get a lot of people from Manhattan, from Brooklyn, even from New Jersey, the country

of New Jersey, even from Long Island. But just in Queens, you know, there's 161 nations

represented in Queens. So it's really beautiful what the Lord is doing.

Pastor Moe was talking about, you know, growing out of this place. If you look around,

we've grown out of this place. So pray with us for that next place, for our own building.

I want to see a 600 cedar, six to 800. Go to two services with that and give the Lord something to

work with. Amen. Oh, God, I can preach now. See, I was just small talking until the conduit of

the anointing for my life came in. And now there it is. Usher's quickly.

So to those who are new and who are just coming in and even to some of the old-timers,

I just want to remind you that when you look and you see people who have gone astray, people who

have become either backslidden or outright heretical in their thinking and all the weirdnesses

that have infiltrated the church. You know, a lot of weirdnesses have infiltrated the church

in the last 10, 15 years. A lot of weirdnesses have infiltrated just American culture in general

in the last 10, 15 years. But when you look at it, you'll find a common denominator amongst all

the different weirdnesses and different people that have gone astray. You'll find one common

denominator. And that's this, that in some way they began to dismiss or dilute or flat out reject

the integrity and the authority of the Word of God. It's just a good book or it's God's Word,

but there's also some other stuff in there and I get to decide kind of like at a buffet.

I don't know, crab legs? Hmm. Some shrimp? Chicken. I can eat chicken. I can eat chicken at home.

And that's how they go about the Bible, picking and choosing.

If I gave you a glass of water and said this is from the glaciers of the Alps,

clear water, clean water, but I added just 1% arsenic to it.

Would you drink that glass of water? I hope the answer is no. If that book you call the Bible

is 99% God's Word, but it's even 1% man's Word, I would not base my soul on it. I would not

base my eternal destiny on a book like that. The Bible that you have, the Bible is God's Word to us.

It is inspired by God. It is infallible. There is no mistake in it. It is immutable. It's unchangeable.

You can hold up that Bible with confidence and say, thus say if the Lord.

And people have tried to discredit it, always failing. People have tried to knock it down.

It's withstood the test of time for thousands of years and is still the number one most read

and number one bestselling book. In all of human history, that's for a reason.

Kings have gone to that book to receive instructions.

So don't ignore certain parts of the Bible because they may make you uncomfortable or they're

inconvenient. You know, there's people they cut out a part of the Bible that they don't like.

Oh, this is too tough. This is a hard thing. I don't like that. Cut it out. Go to another chapter.

I don't like this. Jesus is asking for a lot. I don't like that part.

And then they have a real holy Bible, which is an unholy Bible full of holes in it from the

passages they cut out. Don't let that be you. It's either all the Word of God or it's not at all

the Word of God. And I know it's the Word of God because I did what the Word said and my whole

life was transformed. I've seen thousands of others. Their lives are transformed. But you might

say, oh, that's subjective. You're just saying that. But even if you just look at it from a logical

lens, a scientific lens, the Bible has more manuscripts flowing perfectly together, never

contradicting each other. Tens of thousands of Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew manuscripts that support

its authenticity, that support its the Word of God. More manuscripts than any other book or any

other quote unquote holy book in the world. Amen. This has nothing to do with my sermon,

but it has everything to do with my sermon. So I just wanted to say that. We need to be reminded

of that periodically because I come and you notice whenever anyone preaches from this pulpit,

they use a lot of scripture. That's not because we need filler material. God forbid we're just

up here yacking. It has to be from the Word of God. That is our plumb line. That is our standard.

Amen. And it's the Word of God that'll get you through. Good advice is not going to get you

through. Church hype is not going to get you through great musicians. They're not going to get you.

It's the Word. It's the seed, the incorruptible seed of God. When ingested by the human spirit,

it causes you to overcome. Amen. Amen. All right, let's begin.

We're beginning in first Kings chapter 19 and verse 1. What had just happened was Elijah the

1 Kings 19 · chapter mention

prophet had the greatest victory of his life. In fact, it was the highlight of his life.

Bell was a false God and he was actually drawing Hebrews who were faithful to Yahweh to him.

They were erecting altars to him and erecting idols.

And God had enough of it and he sent Elijah. Elijah actually said, choose this day who you will

serve. If bail is God, serve him. But if the Lord Yahweh is God, then fully serve him.

And so it was on the top of Mount Carmel, Elijah verses 450 prophets of bail.

And Elijah, this is so cool. I mean, if you just read what he says, it's like the lead actor

in a Hollywood blockbuster. He said, all right, you gather a sacrifice and I'll gather a sacrifice.

So put a bull. And the God who answers by fire, he is God. So the prophets of bail agreed.

They started in the morning doing their dances, wasn't working no fire. Then they started cutting

themselves. They started screaming. They started appealing no fire. Elijah actually starts mocking

them, which is where I get my biblical precedent to mock on Godly thoughts. If you've ever thought,

why are you just, he's mocking that thing? But it's like I'm Netflix and it's totally in the culture

and I'm mocking it as Elijah did. No, it's so, he actually starts telling the prophets of bail.

He says, hey, perhaps your God is deaf and can't hear you. Or perhaps he's on vacay.

He's on a long journey. And then he says, or maybe he's going to the bathroom.

That's in the scriptures. I got I got scriptural precedent to provoke and not be crass but

crassish at times. Then Elijah, Elijah has water poured on this bull. He offers up one prayer

to Yahweh God. Oh, fire comes down from heaven, consumes the sacrifice. It's a major victory for

all of Israel, a major victory personally for Elijah. They slaughter the 450 false prophets of

bail. And now we find ourselves in chapter 19, verse one. And they have

King Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had executed all the prophets with the

sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah. This is in the same 24 hour span.

Saying, so let the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life talking about Elijah as

the life of one of them, the prophets that have been killed by tomorrow about this time. In other

words, Queen Jezebel says, Elijah, you shane me, you made a mockery, I am going to kill you.

I'm not going to be preaching on the spirit of Jezebel.

It's a common, especially if you're penicast, if you're charismatic, you got 16 books on the spirit

of Jezebel. It is a real spirit. It is a spirit that a man can yield to and a woman can yield to.

I sometimes think we talk more about the spirit of Jezebel than we do about the spirit of Ahab.

There is a spirit of Ahab, which is I think sometimes even more destructive than the spirit of Jezebel.

A weak husband with no agency, just led by the nose, by his wife doing whatever,

rebelling, following the flesh just because she says, so why is it so quiet in here?

All right. Verse three.

Hallelujah.

I want to say this on the side. I've experienced a major breakthrough. I've shared it,

but there's new people all the time. A major breakthrough in every way, particularly financially.

I know, I give God all the glory, but if it wasn't for my wife and her posture and her support,

and the fact that she looks to me to lead, which sometimes for the first five seconds,

you know, is the pressure, but then it, yeah, but then you're empowered by the Lord to lead well.

I would, I would still be in a windowless basement in 1217 through. Amen. So I want to give honor

where honors do. Amen.

Verse four. Oh, I'm sorry. Verse three, we didn't read. Forgive me. And when he saw that,

this is Elijah, right? Less than a day after the victory of his life, he arose and ran for his life.

There was something so terrifying about this woman and I won't get into that, but there is

a spirit of Jezebel that's so intimidating that this major man of God at the height of his ministry

heard that she wants to execute him and he runs for the hills. He arose and ran for his life and

went to bear Shiba, which belongs to Judah and left his servants there. But he himself went

today's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he

might die. What? He went literally from the mountaintop. He went from the mountaintop to a self-pity

fest and becoming suicidal in less than a day. He came and sat down under a broom tree and

there he prayed that he might die and he said it is enough. Now, Lord, take my life where I am no

better than my fathers, which is a lie. His fathers were in rebellion. He was the premier prophet

of Israel. So he was better. But when you wallow in self-pity, it distorts your perception. It

distorts your reality. And you can be mighty, but in an old angel under a broom tree eventually

in a cave, doubting everything and wishing death upon yourself. Verse five, then as he lay and

slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, arise and eat.

This is Old Testament Uber Eats, right now, sent from the Lord. Then he looked and there by his

head was a cake from an angel. That's angel food cake delivered by heavenly Uber Eats, baked on

coals and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and he lay down again. You know he's depressed,

right? You know he's wallowing in self-pity. I remember reading the account of in Columbia,

what was his name? Escobar. And in Pablo Escobar, in his final days, they said all he was doing was

eating big bowls of pot. He was sleeping on the ground. He was hiding. They were after him. He was

eating big bowls of pasta. Then you just turn around and sleep, wake up, continue eating from the

bowl. It reminded me of his verse anyway. He eats and just goes right back to sleep. Elijah

acting like Pablo on the run. Not good. Not good. Verse seven. Did I read six?

Yeah, he did the Pablo. Then verse seven. And the angel of the Lord came back the second time and

touched him and said, arise and eat because the journey is too great for you. So he arose in

eight and drank and he went in the strength of that food. This was supernatural food. Forget

about your power bar. He ate this angel food cake and he went on the strength of that one meal

40 days and 40 nights and ran as far as horrib the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave.

So he's still having this pity party. That's what a cave symbolizes in the Bible. The wilderness

is a place of questioning, of searching. You have your needs met, but not your wants, but the cave,

you don't want to be in the cave. Everybody will be in the wilderness, but you'd get to decide whether

you go into the cave or not. He went into a cave and spent the night in the place and behold,

the word of the Lord came to him and said to him, what are you doing here, Elijah? What are you

doing? Full of self pity and hiding in a cave. So he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord

God of hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars and

killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and they seek to take my life. Then the Lord

said, get out and stand, get out of the cave. Some of you, you've been in a cave and by the

anointing of God, God is going to break you out of that thing. Go out and stand on the mountain

before the Lord and behold, the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains

and broke the rocks and pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.

And after the wind and earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, you know, sometimes

we look so much for the spectacular, we miss the supernatural. People are looking to encounter

God or hear from him in this spectacular way, but he's coming to you in a way that's just as

supernatural. It may not be outwardly spectacular, but he's ministering to you on the inside and

speaking to you by the still small voice. But the Lord was not in the earthquake and after the

earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still small voice.

So it was when Elijah heard it, he found the Lord in the still small voice. When he heard it,

that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave, suddenly

a voice came to him and said, what are you doing here, Elijah? I've heard that voice. I've heard

that voice when I allowed self pity to take a hold of me when my circumstances were overwhelming

to me. And it's kind of like you're sinking, you're sinking. And the Lord would shock me out of it,

thank God, what are you doing here? You don't belong here in that place. And he said, I have been very

zealous. I think it did that reverse thing again. It's the what? I should have read it before I

put it up there, thank you. Did we do that in the first service also? Did they warn you that when

you do media, how challenging and difficult it would be? They didn't warn you, welcome.

Well, you're doing great so far. And this is like the best version of me. You should have seen

me like 10 years ago. What are you going back here? That's the work of the Holy Spirit. We're all growing,

we're all getting better. I knew that if I could treat the media team as they ought to be treated with

dignity and respect all the time, the Lord would visit our church and give us breakthrough. Amen. It's

been a long, long ride. I've been very zealous for the things coming in with his resume again. I've

been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts because the children of Israel have forsaken

your covenant toward down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. So now a second

time says, I alone am left and they seek to take my life. Then the Lord said to him, go return

on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, anoint has ael is king over Syria.

And you shall anoint, Jay, who the son of Nim she is king over Israel and Elijah the son of

Shafath of Abel, Mahola, you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall be that whoever escapes

the sword of has ael, Jay, who will kill him and whoever escapes the sword of Jay, who Elijah

will kill. Now remember, Elijah kept saying, I'm the only one left. I'm poor me. I'm the only one

left. Here's the word of the Lord. It shall be that whoever and whoever escapes the sword, Jay,

who will kill. Yet I have reserved 7,000. You're not the only one, Elijah. Yet I have reserved 7,000

in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to bail and every mouth that has not kissed them.

What happened here to Elijah? He gave place to a very, very dangerous spirit. It is a spirit.

It's not often talked about. If I were to say list 5 things that can really derail you as a

Christian, that could really mess you up, you would list 5 things. I promise you this wouldn't be

on the list, but this I would put in the top 3 and it's the spirit of self-pity. Hence our

sermon title for today because I pity the fool that gives place to the spirit of self-pity.

Self-pity, it seems harmless. It seems like something to just indulge in. I know that spirit well.

You know how I know it? I know it because it comes in sweet and soft. It comes in with a warm

embrace and you yield to the spirit of self-pity. You tell yourself you're not going to dwell with it,

but you kind of entertain it. You dance with it a little bit. You lean into its embrace and it

messes you up every time. The spirit of self-pity, it actually is like a magnet for curses

and it reflects the blessings of God. Why? Because in order to receive from heaven,

you need two ingredients. Number one, you need faith. Everything you receive from the Lord,

you receive by faith. You also need hope. Hope is important. Hope is future tense. You've got to

keep hope alive. You've got to always have hope. Corinthians says these three remain faith, hope,

and love. Hope is in the future tense. Faith is in the present tense. Faith says I have it now.

But self-pity cannot exist in the same room as faith and hope. It cannot. And so while it seems

like this innocent sin, you know what I like in it too? A McDonald's combo meal.

So comforting at first, right? You smell it. Reminds you of your childhood. Seems like it's going

to be satisfied. Next thing, you know, you're all messed up and hiding in the cave on the floor. Amen.

It'll rob you. Do not give place to it. You've ever been on a farm? New Yorkers? At least three of you.

I know you've been on a farm. Everybody is seeing a cow pie. Everybody's seen manure. Everybody's

seeing a hoard of flies around. That's what self-pity is like. You draw the demonic and you draw

a curse of things to you like cow pie to flies. Amen. And flies to cow pie.

Is anybody offended here? Should I say bovine, excrement, or something? What's happening?

Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus.

You know why I'm preaching this? Because I've fought it. And I've experienced it. And it's

the quiet sin. And just last week for the first time, I said we just celebrated 23 years.

For the first time, I had a member who actually had enough self-awareness and enough humility.

First time in my ministry life that somebody came and said, I feel the spirit of self-pity and I'm

concerned I'm giving place to it. They recognized it. And then I thought I've known so many that

were under that spirit, never ever recognized it. And then when you would tell them that they were

giving place to self-pity, they would get upset and say, oh, you don't have compassion. You don't

have love. Don't you know, I'm going to need a hug and here you are telling me I need to come

out of self-pity. Beware of self-pity. It is like bad breath. You're the last one to know you have it.

And it's designed to rob you to cause you to sulk. Contrast David. David to Elijah. David,

he got a prophetic word that he would be king and right on schedule. It's not just that it was

postponed. The exact opposite began to happen. You ever get a prophetic word and exact

any prophetic word that I got that was worth its weight? Actually, the exact opposite started to

happen. And because the word will be tested. The opposite starts happening and you've got to keep

your chin up in your eyes on Jesus. Lord, I don't care what I see in the natural. I don't care what

I hear in the natural. Let God be true in every man, Elijah. Amen. Let your word be true.

That's what happened to David. He was promised to be king. The then prophet of the day came and

said, you're anointed to be king. The exact opposite starts happening. Instead of the palace

and the kingship, he ends up running around the wilderness and hiding for years and years being

chased by a maniacal king of Israel. At one point, right at Ziklag, all of his men turn on him because

all of their stuff was stolen and the women and their children were stolen. And his very closest

men took up stones to throw at David. And you know what it says? David encouraged himself in the Lord.

Like right then and there. Doesn't mean he go up real hard and went, no, right then and their

David began to what? He began to praise. And he encouraged, he reminded himself, God is good. God

is with me. I don't care what I see. I don't care what I hear. I don't even care what I'm

experiencing right now. I'm looking at the hate and anger in their faces. They're ready to kill me.

But Lord, you're good. And he began to praise and he would not fall into a spirit of self-pity. And

God can work with that. He came in on that and turned that whole situation around. Amen. Hallelujah.

Oh, it's a little bit tougher in the second service. First service we were roaring, but that's

good. That means that God is coming in and adjusting some hearts. Because anybody who's given

over to the spirit of self-pity actually it's an addiction. It's even an addiction on a biochemical

level. Because you secrete some dopamine when you start feeling pity for yourself. The only

problem is you gotta keep pitting yourself more and more and more to get the same hit. Kind of

like crack. So right now people are like, I'll take my drugs away. Shit, hands off my pipe. I'm

coming for your pipe. I've shared this story before, but sometimes I wonder if you can really

appreciate it. You gotta step into my shoes. I'm 16 years old when I got saved.

26 year old when I planted city light church. I didn't even know that there was such a thing as

church planting with other churches supporting you and sponsoring you. My pastor didn't know that.

I come from a stream where the idea is if you're qualified to make it, you can make it.

I don't necessarily 100% agree with that, but that's the road God took me down. Because we've

supported other churches and if someone else wants to plan will help, but I'm grateful for that.

But I began with nothing. No help. We were broke. Broke, do you know our first projector? Like

right now we have projectors. Our first projector, do you remember, and you have to be I think like

35 and older to remember this? The overhead projectors? That's how we did the words for the songs.

And some of you remember Nova? She was with us for over 20 years. We have the Nova. She was the

one who would write out the lyrics and then she'd be switching those sheets mid-service from song to

song. And I remember the price. I went to Staples and it was $139 and I was like, wow, the expenses.

So then, now, I believe I'm called, the church is not growing. I'm really, really broke.

And then I do what all the pastors do, what every pastor has to do, which is going to a bunch of

pastors meetings. This is kind of a joke because I don't do that anymore. I stopped like 10 years

ago. I was delivered. If you want to be in the ministry, you don't go to pastors meetings. All they

do is they meet. They eat cheap chicken. It's cheap chicken because they get these events catered,

but it's like the lowest tier of catering. So it's always cheap chicken and then iceberg lettuce

that's like translucent. And I would meet other pastors. And here I am feeling like less than a

zero. And there's this parade of other young pastors who are coming in with funding and support

from their denomination or from some large 10,000-member church in Texas that sent them out to NYC.

You know, this was post 9-11. So every church wanted to do something for NYC. So I have nothing.

Now, they're coming in and they have everything. They have a salary. I didn't have a salary.

We started in 02. I didn't get a salary till 06. They have a salary. Their kids are going to

private school. They have a three-bedroom apartment. Pretty boys dressed immaculate from head to toe,

looking like wealth. And I'm like, feeling like a loser. So what? I know you would like to hear that

I just immediately looked up and went, Lord, hallelujah. No! I went back. I'm living in a windowless

basement 20-feet by 80-feet that I'm sharing with the church. I went back and it was my cave.

And I ended up, oh, Lord, it just doesn't seem fair. They got it so easy. And they just seem

like they're so happy. And here I am. They're staying away by the thousands. I'm preaching to empty seats.

I'm eating ramen noodles every night. Where are you, Lord? And he would thank God. He would,

what are you doing here? Just like he said to Elijah in the cave, what are you doing here? And then

I would hear in those times of prayer. Listen, if you're in a difficult spot, be sensitive to the

still small voice and to the images that God puts in your spirit. I was in that place

king of loserville. I would go, Lord, and I didn't even have words. Just Lord, I just need to be

with you right now because I feel like I'm going to die. That spirit of self-pity is not to be messed

with. Satan comes and he just tries to smash you in. And I would hear deep in my spirit,

if you will just not quit, I will make it all up to you. If you will just not quit. And then once

I was in this state and I went to pray and I saw like a three-second long movie. You'd call it

a vision. I'm moving image three seconds long and it was me on a mountain top. And I'm dancing.

And I'm not like contemporary American dancing. I'm old school Hebrew dancing. Like I'm letting it

rip. Like twirling about like as David danced. And my face is glowing. I got a smile from

ear to ear and you exactly what the Lord was saying. Victory. Success. I will bless you. Just

hang on. Hallelujah. And I was because of what I've been preparing all this week. I was just

reminiscing with the Lord. Lord, look what you've done. On paper, we should have crashed. On paper

right now, I should be saying, would you like fries with that? That's what it looked like on

paper. But God who then came through, who blessed, who overblessed, he will turn that thing around

as long as you get out of the self pity. Amen. Hallelujah. Take a look at my guy, Nick Vuyichich.

If anybody's last name ends with an itch, you know that for my neck of the woods, he is he

Serbian, currently living in Australia. He actually did a huge crusade and filled up a stadium. He

went to Serbia. He went into Montenegro. Christian, born again. If anybody could have yielded to the

spirit of self pity, it's evangelist Nick Vuyichich. Instead, he decided to allow his life to glorify

God and he praised Jesus. Some of you you're doing fine and Satan whispered to you, you'll never get

married. Look at him. Look at his wife. Look at his kids. Nothing is too hard for our great God,

hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.

Social media, that can augment self pity. You ever go on social media and there's people who they're

not looking for a solution, they're just complaining for the sake of complaining. It's really like

passing gas and then leaving the room. Leaving like six other friends in there. Was that you? Who

was that? And they're gone. You know, I just want to enjoy scrolling Facebook and seeing what my

aunt had for lunch that day. And instead you come across somebody's like complaint list. They don't

want a solution. They don't want advice. They're wallowing in self pity and just want to just want to

dive down into this miserable echo chamber and have other people join them because misery loves

company. Don't play with this thing. Resist. And let me just for some of you warn you, I don't mean

to be tacky, but some of you you need to hear it because you're still you're just seeing my

lips move. You don't know what I'm saying. I know what I'm talking about. I was miserable.

And then I was lonely and God brought me this angel and gave us two healthy kids. And then he blessed

me. And when I say he blessed me, I don't mean the church gave me increases and raises. I invested

and I got into Bitcoin. What I thought I was coming into late looks like it was still early.

And he transformed my life. And by the way, the my back is coming in two weeks. Those Germans

slow down. Amen. The Germans, you know, known for their efficiency. They lagged a little bit or

demand is real high coming a month late. But in two weeks. Hallelujah. What I'm saying, why I say

that is he promised he'd make it up to me. And he made it up to me. And a lot of those guys that

came in with six figure in some cases, seven figure funding. I don't revel in this, but it's a

reality. They're nowhere to be found. They're not around. They blew in, blew up and blew out.

Their churches are gone. And a few of them that were left as soon as COVID hit back to Texas,

back to Florida. Gonzo. The Lord made it up to me. Why am I saying this? Because he's going to make

it up to you. He'll make it up to you. If you keep hanging on, just don't quit. Quitting is a

permanent solution to a temporary problem. Well, let's look at Psalm 34 verses one through four.

Thank you, Jesus. I was raised in a church

where I got saved. 1992, Bedstuy, Brooklyn. Bishop Jones was my pastor and the church was a

cool J.C. C-O-O-L-J.C. Church of our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic faith. I'm grateful for

that church. I got baptized in the Holy Spirit at that church. I got saved at that church. I got

water. I was discipled at that church. Some of you I'm telling you today, they're very, very

strict. It's a hole that you wouldn't like that church. You'd call them uptight. Woman have to

wear a head covering. Get the chandeliers out your ears. That kind of stuff. Yeah. No pants for

the ladies. But I will say this. They knew how to praise God. A lot of churches today

they know how to laser and mirror and fog God to all the height. They don't know how to praise God.

But over there there'd be two drummers and one cowbell and the whole place you were up to praise.

500 people. Hallelujah. I mean, it was just like pastor would be preaching and say, Hallelujah.

Oh, 500 people. Hallelujah. People twirling and dancing and then you how to praise God and what

that helped me was I remember one time I came in with my sulking sulking and right away the usher

lady, one of the mothers of the church and they would ask you this question, have you been praising

the Lord today? No, actually, I haven't. I've been reveling in self-pity and enjoying feeling

miserable. The key to changing your life is praising the Lord. You got to praise him.

If Nick Vuechich can praise him, you can praise him. The lie is always that you're different,

that your situation is too dire. Oh, poor me. Oh, this always happens to me. If you agree with that

spirit, if you open yourself up to it, you make a contract with a covenant with it. Now you're

tied to it. You're yoked together with it and it just brings more misery to your life.

Snap out of it for your own sake. Say, first let me start. Let me start with salvation. Thank you

Jesus that I am saved. There are people that are going to spend eternity in hell. I didn't do

anything to deserve to get saved, but I said yes. And even you touched my heart and opened my heart

so that I even could say yes to everlasting life. Thank you for that. Thank you for a new day.

Thank you that my story hasn't been written. Thank you that you can do anything. Anything,

you can change my life. Boom like this. And I open myself to that Lord. Oh, God, you're so

God. I'm getting. Hallelujah. You got to praise him. I hope your eyes are open to that pity.

And you'll find there are some people they want pity. They'll actually start conversations and

angle them in a way to get. Oh, and then they're trying to get that same hit like from the initial

hit. Are you giving me pity? I'm hungry. Can you have a little more? And we teach our kids.

No, you're not going to you're not going to you're not going to

sell yourself pity. And like moms have to be careful because moms are so compassionate. And

there's there's so much empathy. You know, sympathies. I know how you feel. Empathies. I feel how

you feel. They'll go right in there. But if you're not careful, every time you feed a kid a cookie,

when they have a little boo boo, they're going to grow up to be man children who just want pity.

Every time they get hurt, well, I scuffed my knee. I don't get to go to school today. I want

ice cream on the couch because that's great. My knee as an adult. Are you getting this?

Silence just means they're either processing it or they're like, wow, he's totally describing

my life or my sister's life or something. There's two girls in this church. Their parents are

actually here in the front row. Erica's girl, just raise your hand Erica, your girl Lauren.

And then where did your wife go? She's in the front. She's there's just something. Wherever she is,

may you be blessed. And you don't have to please don't get up. Go under the power you go. In Jesus' name.

And the changs who raised Kate, I immediately took notice of their daughters because we have

such young kids and their daughters are so just beautiful outwardly, but on the inside.

They're walk with the Lord is incredible. And what's what really what I realized right when I met

them, they don't even smell like the world at all. They're like aliens, but in the best possible.

Not weird Christians, but they don't even look like the world smell like there's not that yuck

of the world on them. They're amazing. They're respectful. They're anointed. They're gifted. They're

beautiful. It's just glorious God radiating out of them. So I, you know, I come by eye. In fact,

I remember one time, you know, I was going to we were doing that life group that you think and

your daughter didn't show up. And I just said to she okay and you were like, I'm going to you were

going to get on her because you were just concerned maybe she was slacking in a little bit of way.

So what I learned was in order to produce these kinds of adults, you cannot

cuddle, you cannot allow them to wallow and self-pity. These parents, they surround with a lot of

love, surround with a lot of affirmation, and also they don't play. They don't play.

There is a standard and I'm going to love you. I'm going to give you everything you need,

but I don't know why this is the quietest it's been, but this is what this is what culture needs to

hear. This is why if you, if you have a whole nation of man children, no one your country will go

downhill. But you get, you get girls to grow up into women and boys to grow up into men. Amen.

And then they put the Lord first, you actually get prosperous, fruitful families multiplying

and it goes into the city, it goes into the state, it goes into the whole nation. Amen.

All right, Psalms 341. Hey, did you put what the Bible says, how the Bible announces it because it's,

I like it. Because here's David, the happiness of those who trust in God, David, the guy who didn't

yield to self-pity. Before, before he, the other instance I mentioned where he encouraged

himself in the Lord, he was on the run and he ends up face to face with the king of gath.

You know who the king of gath is? That's Goliath's king, king of Bimilek. And he knows he's toast

or as my son would say he's cooked. So he pretends to be insane. This is the future king.

He pretends to be insane. He starts drooling, scratching at the dirt, eating the grass,

acting like an imbecile. So they think he's crazy and he escapes. Where does he escape to? You

guessed it, a cave, the basement of 1217 Street. He escapes to the cave. And then you know who he

draws to himself? They later became his 400 mighty men. He draws the most discouraged,

most destitute and most indebted men. Later they were called David's 400 mighty men. Right now

they were David's 400 bombs. So David is at a low point in his life surrounded by 400 bombs. He

himself is King Bum. And he writes these beautiful words. And this is why he receives such

promotion from the Lord. This is why we're talking about him today. It's a heart attitude like this.

He says, I will bless the Lord at all times. At all times. Do you know what's different

between your praise now and your praise once you get to heaven? You have an opportunity to offer

unique gift to God only on this side of heaven. Because once you get to heaven, you will praise him.

You will worship him. But guess what? It'll be easy. You won't have distractions. You won't have

this flesh to contend with. You won't have annoying thoughts and annoying thoughts. You'll be in

heaven. But on earth you do have all those challenges, hurdles, obstacles. And when you still

go hallelujah anyhow, it's extra sweet in the ears of God. Hallelujah. I will bless the Lord

at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast

and the Lord worship team. Come on up. The humble shall hear of it and be glad. O magnify the Lord

with me and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he heard me by the way.

When he wrote this, the Lord hadn't heard him yet. But he wrote it in the past tense. You know

who else did that? You'll see this throughout the Bible. Jonah, when he was swallowed, I did a great

study on Jonah this week. Just for fun. Because it was his whole atheist thing. How could a whale swallow

up? Man. And they're thinking of Shamu at SeaWorld. You know that original Hebrew word, first of all,

in the Old Testament doesn't say, well, it says great fish. And that word in the Hebrew is more

akin to sea monster. And it says that God had prepared a great sea creature to swallow Jonah.

Do you know what that word prepared means? It's more akin to created. So this is where people

are. I don't believe in the whole Bible. I do really believe that Jonah got swallowed. Yes.

Because you're thinking that Shamu, the orca swallow the person and that's impossible. And you

actually look at the scriptures and is it too outlandish to believe that God created for that one

soul moment in time for that purpose a giant sea creature to swallow Jonah. And actually,

the language is pretty clear and pretty strong to that point. But Jonah, anyway, back to Jonah,

Rabbi Trill. Jonah, while in the monster's belly, he said, I cried unto the Lord and he heard me.

There is a past tense to God's word. See, if what you want from the Lord is always in the future,

guess what'll always stay? He'll always stay in the future. So I keep chasing, you know, carrot on

a stick. Faith says, I have it now. I have it now. You're believing for healing? By his stripes,

I was healed. You're believing for blessing Ephesians 1, 3. I have been blessed, past tense,

blessed did did did with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah.

I sought the Lord. He's in a cave. Nothing's changed. But he knows if he releases his faith,

it's as good as done. I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.

Can I get a hallelujah? Now listen, yeah.

I took a plane flying less than once. Once. I jumped out of a plane too once.

The reason why I didn't continue flying lessons was back then. It was too expensive.

Then when the kiddies were born, I just thought I had a Harley too. The moment she showed me the

little stick victor was coming. She's pregnant. I was like, we're going to rid of the Harley.

It wasn't fear. I just want to minimize. Anyway, another thing. Like, you know what? Life is,

I have enough risks, enough things that can take me out. I don't need a motorcycle story or

skydiving story. But anyway, on a plane, there's this thing called an attitude meter.

It's a positive attitude when the tip of the nose is above the horizon and then you ascend.

And it's a negative attitude when it's below the horizon and then the plane descends.

So the attitude determines the altitude. So it is with us. This isn't a cute, like,

thing you would find in an inspirational poster in target. But truly, your attitude

determines your altitude. You carve a path into your future with the thoughts that you think.

Show that verse from Proverbs, please. This was not invented by some new age guru, new age mystic,

positive, mental affirmation guy. They all stole it from the Bible. The Bible says as a man

think it in his heart. So is he? That's why Satan wants you think if thing pour me.

So this day decide what you're going to be think if thing. And dream with God.

Dream with him. Let him fill you. Let him inspire you.

Spend time with him and he'll whisper, sweet nothings with the still small voice

and show you what he has prepared for you. So you can get your faith behind it. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Here's what we're going to do right now. We're going to worship an honor

of the Lord with our tithes and offerings. Let's do that. The giving information is going to be

on the screens to my left and to my right. Give with a glad heart. And then we're just going to

praise him for a little bit. Because praise is what breaks the back of self-pity.

You know, when you when you it's a real funny spirit. And you know me, I don't just throw

out the word spirit. Because to some Pentecostal Charismatics, everything's a spirit. This

monitor goes off. It's the technology spirit is after me today. Electricity demons, you know. But

self-pity self self-pity really is a spirit. And it makes you a low vibration person.

You ever you ever hang with someone and then like you leave them after half an hour and you

feel like the life was just sucked out of you. They soul-snatched you. When you're given over

to self-pity that you're a giant black hole of vortex just sucking the life from people.

Whatever you said back there, amen. Amen.

Let's pray. Father in the name of Jesus, I thank you that you come. Even now with your

anointing, say this church in Jesus name, I renounce self-pity. You are a good God. And you are

good to me. Fill me with your strength. Fill me with your joy. I believe you're still at work

in my life. And I believe the best is yet to come. And my end will be better than my beginning.

In Jesus name, amen. Hallelujah.

That you have been reminded how much God loves you. And that you are surrounded by grace.

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