What's Around The Corner-Faith For The Future

A song carries a lot of weight when you begin

sickness. No more parting lyrics. No more sorrow.

No more pain. No more sickness. No more parting.

All the things that weigh heavy on the soul of

the believer today. And many of us in this room

are under that weight. You're feeling that burden.

One of those effects of life. Life has effects,

doesn't it? Amen. Thank you for being in the

house of the Lord today. So glad you've come

to experience the goodness of the Lord, and I'm

looking forward to it myself. Chapter 4, Philippians.

This letter written by an imprisoned apostle,

filled with joy and expectation. Amen. Chapter

4, verse 6. Well, we might as well read 4. Let's

start there. Rejoice in the Lord always, and

again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known

unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful

for nothing, but in everything by prayer and

supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests

be made known unto God, and the peace of God,

oh, which passes all understanding. Shall keep

your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. I

want to just kindly do one of those in that couple

verses right there. Just settle into it. And

see what the Lord has to say to us right here

today. And the thought I'm going to be preaching

on to you. Put it up there on the screen. I want

to read this to you. What's around the corner?

Faith. for the future. What's around the corner?

That's a lot of what the apostle is instructing

the church at Philippi. You don't know what's

around the corner, but here's what you got to

do, and here's how you're going to make it. I

mean, if we could see around the corner, wouldn't

life be a whole lot more simple? But we can.

I'll pray for you if you pray for me, and we'll

get out of here before we're one. Father, we

love you. We thank you for your goodness and

your mercy. Or maybe not. Holy Ghost, have your

way in this house. Touching every heart and every

mind. Let our ears be open to hear what the Spirit's

saying to the church today. For we know that

the dilemma of life, we all are facing something.

And I know that you understand that, sweet Lord,

because of the encouragement that the Spirit

gave last week. That you are with us and to trust

you. So help me today, Lord, to continue that

thought. what's around the corner, faith for

the future. In Jesus' name, the church said,

amen. You can be seated. It is true if we could

know, or let me say this. I'm going to say it

is true, but it may not be true. But we think

that it is true. If we just knew what was coming,

we would be better prepared for it. If we actually

knew what Thursday holds right here on Sunday,

if we knew some type of trouble was going to

meet us on Thursday, that we could prepare for

it. Well, that's just not the way we operate.

I mean, Jesus told us 2 ,000 years ago what was

coming, and we still act like it's a big surprise.

Hello? It's like... Duh, why is this happening?

Well, he said it was going to happen a long time

ago to get ready and get prepared for it. And

that's what the apostle is telling this church

at Philippi, these believers. And to you and

I this very day, rejoice in the Lord. And again,

I say rejoice, always, always rejoice. And that's

been a part of our focus on worship this morning.

On the mountains, I'm going to worship. In the

valley, I'm going to worship. Why? Because he's

the God of the mountains just like he is the

God of the valley. and the ridges in between

mountains and valleys, and just the pathway of

life. And there's so many unprecedented things

going on around us. We are truly living, I believe

fully with all my heart, we are living in the

last days. Amen. Just because of the way that

the Scripture unfolds and the things that I'm

seeing with my own two eyes, that just leads

me to believe, amen, that we are living in the

last days. But how long those days last? With

God, time is of no consequence. It's just only

a matter to me and you. Right? Time has no consequence

with God. When his will is fulfilled, then all

the sequence of events that have been laid out

will come to pass. Amen? But when we start to

look around today, if you were to do, don't do

it now, do it later. But if you were to just

do a little research and hit on the interweb

there and hit the Google, she'll tell you how

many earthquakes has happened in the last 24

hours. And those are the signs of the end time,

and they just keep getting more and more and

increasing and increasing. These are some of

the signs. The earth is moaning and groaning,

waiting for her day of redemption, amen, waiting

for again to be in the perfect image of her creation.

But sin has affected everything. It has infected

all of creation, the earth, the world, and everything

on it and everything in it has been affected

by sin. But there is a day coming, and what a

day. That grand and glorious day is going. to

be when all of these unprecedented events, I

don't know why we think they're unprecedented.

It's actually because they are happening and

not just warned. But we've had the warning. We've

had the encouragement. We've had the knowledge

to know, hey, the day of the Lord. This is real,

folks. Jesus was truly the Son of God. If folks

ain't figured it out now, they may never get

it. But there will be a day that they fully understand

that like the Roman soldiers that were put on

guard when the stone rose. Surely, oh, when he

died that day, when they pierced him, surely

this was the Son of God. And we had no clue.

He is who he said he was. Why? Because the darkness.

swept over, and the earth's quaking because of

his voice. And truly, this is the Son of God.

Then the stone rose, and everything he said came

to be. Amen. why we think they're so unprecedented.

All of Matthew 24 and Daniel and Revelation,

all that stuff's going to come to pass. So, you

know, just be prepared, amen, and be ready for

it. But all the things that are happening in

crisis that arise in our life, the words of today

usher in reality that truly life is difficult

and it grows more difficult. But for the child

of God, there is, amen, there is a relief in

the midst of the reality. And when we can't see,

see around the corner, we know who is holding

around the corner. God awaits you and I are there.

Amen. He is waiting at that point. Whatever corner

of life twists for you, God is already there

waiting for you. Not only is he there waiting

for you, he's walking with you as you approach

every single day. I don't know about you, but

it really excites me to know that God is waiting,

but yet God is with me. There is no place in

time where God is not. My Lord. That ought to

cause somebody who's looking at the reality of

natural events and give you a hope that carries

you into the future with faith, trusting, and

knowing that no matter what's around, it does

not matter what's around the corner. God is around

the corner. It doesn't matter the crisis of life.

It doesn't matter the events of life. Just trust

in God. And all the crisis that is going on and

all the things that the church is having to function

in and to work around and how we make our way

through the realm of the normal and just the

events of life. When we think about this passage,

it's really a command for us, but one that is

very difficult to obey at times. It's difficult

to rejoice always because you don't always feel

like rejoicing. But I don't know who needs this

this morning, but take it from me. You're rejoicing.

the Lord in the Lord and to the Lord has nothing

to do with how you feel. It matters about who

he is. It has nothing to do with how I feel.

There's days I know that you feel like me. I

really don't feel like rejoicing in the Lord.

But when I begin to rejoice in the Lord and the

help of the Lord shows up and the grace of the

Lord enters my life, it puts a smile on my face

that no matter the crisis or what's awaiting

me around the next bend of life, I know God's

going to be there. So I rejoice. Oh, that don't

mean I don't pray because I follow the example.

Oh, but I try not to be anxious for anything.

I try not to worry and fret. But sometimes it's

just a fact and the reality of my humanity and

the fallen nature that I'm trying to be lifted

in by his grace. I worry anyway and I fret anyway.

But I have found when I begin to rejoice, there's

no room for worry. There's no place for fretting.

There's no place for doubt. Because when I begin

to rejoice in the Lord and I call out on his

name, name. His help shows up like he's moving

on my life this very second. And when my help

shows up, the encouragement shows up and it gives

me the grace and the strength. That's how we

go around every corner of life. So, faith for

the future. We don't know what's around the corners,

but we take faith into every turn. Hello? We

take faith into every turn. Why? Because first

of all, we face the future with the facts. And

the fact is we have confidence in God. Confidence

for the believer equals to the assurance that

we have in every promise that is made. And that

assurance is based upon the promise of his word.

Amen? Now, it gives us a little bit of ground

to stand on when we know exactly what confidence

means. It's a feeling of trust, but it's more

than that. It's a feeling of reliability, but

it's more that you have confidence. There was

a day when I didn't have, but today I've got

confidence when I go out this morning and I crawl

up in that old Jimmy Dale C and I turn the switch,

it's going to crank. It's going to take me where

I need to go. I have full confidence. There's

been a day that I've got in vehicles that I've

owned that I turned the switch and didn't have

a lot of confidence anything was about to happen.

I'll show you where my confidence lied in those

days. I always parked on a hill with a scotch.

How many knows what a scotch is? I always had

a scotch in the back of that old piece of junk

I drove, and I always parked on a slant. And

I put the scotch under the wheel. And when you're

by yourself, it's quite a trick to knock the

scotch, get the scotch in the truck and get her

farred. But if you do it three or four times,

you kindly get good at it, amen. And all you

need and all that old truck needed was just a

little bit of nudge. Put her up in second, pop

that clutch. And I had confidence when I got

her to turn over that I'd get to where I was.

It wasn't about getting there. It was about getting

started. And that's the way it is. every day

of your life. It ain't about what's around the

corner. It's about getting up today and getting

started. And I've got full confidence in the

grace and the glory of God that enables me and

strengthens me. Well, hallelujah. Some of you

have never had an experience with a manual shift.

You need to get one. Need to introduce each year

into what a manual shift is. In the floor, anywhere

you can get them. Clutch it. Sometimes you got

to do that in life. You just got to clutch it.

Remember being so poor, couldn't afford gas,

so you stopped at the top of the mountain, you

clutched her and throwed her up in neutral and

let her roll, baby. Save gas. I'd even cut the

thing off because I had confidence when I got

toward the bottom. In third, I could pop the

clutch with the switch on. We'd go on down the

road. Oh, pastor, you're just saying that stuff.

As God is my witness, I stand before you today

and affirm the tale I just told you. Yeah, I've

done it. It brings a new measure of faith. We

face the future and what's around the corner

with confidence. Moses in his closing address

in Deuteronomy 31 to God's people says this,

and the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee,

he will be with you. Look where the onus is at.

It's not Joshua who's going to be stepping up.

I'm obviously not going. Moses is saying my trip

ends here today. He will not fail thee, neither

forsake thee, fear not, neither be dismayed.

Now that word dismayed means discouraged, demoralized,

downcast, depressed, perturbed, discombobulated,

whatever you want. It means don't get dissed

in any way. Don't get kicked out of joint. Don't

be dismayed. God has made a promise. And he made

it and reassured it after Moses is dead. In Joshua

1, the man of God, Joshua, the minister that

washed the hands of Moses, the man of God, God

appeared to him and said, as I was with Moses,

so will I be with you. And he said, be strong

and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Amen.

Because you have this confidence. If I was with

Moses, I'm going to be with you. Somebody needs

to hear that. morning. There are no respecter

of a person in the kingdom of heaven. There's

no big eyes or little you. I know people's pride

lift them up. But you're no lower down than I

am. And I'm no higher up than you are. We are

all in the same position. He's no respecter.

And if he's with you, then he's with me. And

if he's with me, then he's with you. He's with

us all. My God, take confidence in knowing God

is with you. Don't be discombobulated. Just because

you get around the corner and there's something

there. Man, Cameron had his first little run

with the ditch the other day. As a new driver,

everybody's got to go in one at some point. He

swerved amidst some living creature in the road

and ended up in my ditch. And I had failed to

give him the instruction that I gave his aunt,

uncle, and mama. And so I gave it to him the

other day. I said, we don't swerve. You break.

You don't lock it up. You break. I said, we don't

swerve for snakes, possums, rabbits, coons, squirrels,

deer. Maybe a cow, depending on how big. Or a

horse if they're running up and down. But don't

swerve. I said, I hate it. I've squashed them

in this world, but I am not. Hit no ditch. You

got time for one little funny tale, I'll tell

you. Don't take this out of my preaching time.

I had been to a dentist in Nashville. Now, God's

good. He provides, right? But this goes back

to some of that support time that you couldn't

go to the real dentist. You know what I'm saying?

Our little old church we pastored, there was

19 when we went there, and it was up to about

45 or 50 by this time. But, man, I had to go

to the dentist. And the health department, Spencer,

Tennessee, had done some dental work. But what

I had to do, now, look, people, you don't want

to go to the health department, Spencer. Let

me know where Spencer's at. That's not where

you want to go for dental work. But when you've

got confidence in God, you get an appointment

that's free anywhere you can get it. Hello? So

they referred me to the dental school in Nashville.

Yeah, you're right. So on my way back, I was

in some more kind of hurting, you know what I'm

saying? And we're just real close to the house,

and somebody's dog. Now, I know there's a lot

of dog lovers, but I don't swerve for dogs. I'm

sorry. Mine or anybody else's. I'm not putting

myself or anybody with me in that kind of danger.

You do you. Take the ditch. You do you. But anyway,

I mean, I'm hurting. I'm just trying to get home

and take some of that pain medicine they give

me. And I was within two miles of the parsonage.

And I'm leaned over, got one hand on the wheel,

holding my jaw like this. And one of the neighbor's

dogs come out. And son, I thunk rolled that thing.

It went, yeah. And I'm sorry. Just, I'm me. So,

and this is not on my preach time. So, I go on

by, right? And I have to pass a church member's

house. To get to mine. And they heard it. And

saw it. And they didn't recognize my truck. So

when I went by. And they flipped me off. It made

me mad. So. In the painful state that I was in.

I hit my driveway. And did a big Yui. And went

back. Pulled in. And I said excuse me. I saw

the wave, and I told them, I don't break for

dogs. Get the thing out the road. Now back to

preaching. That's just purely had to get it off

of my mind because it just popped up, and it's

a point. Cameron, we don't swerve for critters.

We don't take ditches. For critters. So when

you get discombobulated, there's two more points,

by the way. Now then, how'd you like to be sound

man up here in front of y 'all? He was shaking,

trying to put them batteries in. He never has

that much trouble putting the battery in. He

said, Lord, help us. Woo! Confidence for what's

around the corner. We don't become discombobulated

because God is on our side. His word is already

the confidence that we have. The promise that

he's given is already belonging to you and I.

I will go with you. Moses said, he's going. He's

going to do this. He's going to do that. Not

me. He, he, he. In reference to God and to God

alone. And do not be fearful and do not be dismayed.

Again, discouraged, demoralized. Sometimes there's

things that are around the corner that actually

demoralize us. It sucks all of the life out of

you. Amen. Every ounce of faith seemingly gets

drained. at one crisis that you don't see coming

and you get around a corner and you get blindsided

by it. Proverbs 3, 26 declares, For the Lord

shall be thy confidence and shall keep your foot

from being taken. The reason that Paul in this

Philippian jail could be an encouragement to

those who are around him and whom this letter

is addressed is because he can declare to be

anxious for nothing in reference to 1 and 6 of

that earlier letter that he's written here in

chapter 1. confident of this very thing that

he which hath begun a good work in you will perform

it until the day of Jesus Christ. That's the

reason he could tell them to be anxious for nothing

but to pray and to rejoice always and that's

the reason a little bit later on he could declare

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens

me. The reason he can say all of that is because

in the sixth verse of the first chapter he says

this is my confidence that he that begun a good

work in me is able to complete it. Somebody needs

to hear that today. Let all hell come. down around

you and come down on you and rise up in front

of you. It does not matter because you are able

to have the same confidence that he that begun

a good work in you is also able to complete it.

See, we forget who we serve because of the crisis

of life. We get demoralized. we get diminished

in our faith and we can't even hardly pray but

if we can find a way to rejoice in the midst

of the valleys in the midst of the darkness and

not be worrisome and fearsome and be anxious

but just trust in him the confidence that he

gives he's not brought you this far to leave

you I mean I don't know what we think sometimes

I think we start believing the lie that gets

fed to us from the enemy Oh, God don't love you.

I mean, I don't understand you. I don't understand

myself if I begin to believe that. I don't understand

that. I know better than that. The devil's the

liar, not God. He doesn't even possess the ability

to lie. And he said that he wouldn't leave me.

He's told you he will not forsake you. He has

declared to us all that I will go with you even

all the way to the end of the age. Either he

is God's son who was raised from the dead and

his promises are sure or he's not. And if he

is, as we've already discussed that he is, and

that being that he is, then let your confidence

be in him. He saved you. He redeemed you. He

will not forsake you. Yes, you may have to walk

through some dark times. Yes, you may have to

fight your way through the wilderness. Yes, there's

a devil waiting around every corner that needs

slapped in the mouth and told to get behind you.

Every which way you go. It is there, but rejoice

because greater is he that's in you than he that

is in this world. Let your confidence be in him.

You face the future with confidence. See, part

of our problem with confidence is God because

most of us don't have enough confidence in ourself.

Oh, I know how we think about ourselves sometimes.

Oh, I'm not worthy. Well, yes, you are. Well,

I'm nothing. No, you're not. You're something.

You're someone. Well, who am I, pastor? For God

so loved the world. I've already told you he's

not a respecter. If he died for me, he died for

you. Get a little more self -assurance. In the

confidence that you have knowing farewell that

it's not your strength but his that enables you

to go every day. Therefore rejoice. While we

are often overwhelmed with frustration, doubt,

fear, the church should take comfort in knowing

1 John 5, 14 and this is the confidence that

we have in him. If we ask anything according

to his will, he hears us. Now, be careful with

how you pray and what you ask for. About 87 .6

% of what we ask for is not his will. So don't

get discombobulated, disjointed when you don't

get it. Because the correlation is his will.

And his will is different than mine and yours.

You have a will for your own life. I will that

I have everything I want. Poof. God says, no.

But I'll supply you need. Part of our problem

is what we want most of the time ain't what we

need. Moving right along. You look around the

corner and you face. The future with, it ain't

even 12. You face the future with that courage

that we discussed already. Paul had more than

one crisis in his life. He turned a blind corner

more than one time, didn't he? But he was more

than just able to cope. Sometimes we just try

to cope. You know, the Holy Ghost is not just

a coping mechanism. My Lord. But it's that peace

that passes all understanding is how we cope.

That's your coping mechanism. He's already provided

it for you. It's that hope that we have in him.

The confidence that I have in him, that's how

I cope. The power of the Holy Ghost enables me

to be victorious, not just cope. And somebody

needs to rise up and do more than just cope with

your crisis. You need to rise up and take the

authority that's been given to you as a blood

-bought, born -again, hopefully spirit -filled

child of God and exercise the authority and the

power that he's given you to claim the victory

that he's already won. Verse 20, chapter 1 there,

it said, According to my earnest expectation

and my hope, with all boldness, Christ shall

be magnified in my body. How are we at doing

some of that stuff? Or we got the hee -haw syndrome,

woe is me, um, despair. If it wasn't for bad

luck, I'd have no luck at all. I don't have luck.

I'm sorry. And neither do you. You can believe

all you want to in a look. Got nothing to do

with luck. It has all to do with the two forces

that are trying to invade your life. That's what

it's all about. You either got the devil coming

against you or God going for you. And matter

of fact, both of those happen in your life simultaneously

daily. The old adage is true. If the devil ain't

after you, he's already got you. And so you don't

have to mess with you. So if there's one thing

I'm assured of, he don't have me. Because he

sure don't leave me alone. He's relentless in

his pursuit. Amen. And somebody said, well, once

you get saved, you don't have to face the devil

anymore. I said, what salvation do you have?

That ain't the one I signed up and got. That's

not the one I've stepped into. That's not the

Christ that I've accepted. That's not the sin

that's been purged from my life. This relationship

that I have puts a target on my back. Why? Because

the devil knows his end, and he wants everyone

else to join him in that end, and therefore he

does everything that he can to see that you follow

him in that pursuit. Man, wouldn't it be nice

if he's that way? One little trip to the altar.

You good? It's a straight road, no corners. Road

I'm traveling, the book says it's narrow. And

few there be that find it. Probably like the

tail of the dragon. That's the road I'm on. That's

the one I'm riding in life. Whoa, there's another

curve. Whoa, there's another curve. When's this

thing going straight now? 11 miles ahead. When's

this life going to get straight? When's things

going to get easier? What a day that will be

when my Jesus eyes. That's when it's going to

get simpler. That's when it's going to get easier.

But what I have learned as I condition my faith

for the future, my faith in God leads me every

time I turn around a corner, I look down and

say, oh, it's you again. I don't get so discombobulated

as I used to. It's a little harder for him to

demoralize me now than before. Huh? Yeah, I'm

thinking, my God. What else? Hello? Come on,

somebody. What else? What else? I have confidence

in whatever the else may end up being, that God

will not forsake me in that either. 2 Timothy

2 .16, and at first answer, this is Paul. writing

to the young evangelist, the young Pastor Timothy,

that son of the faith, at my first answer, no

man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I

pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

Paul's finally made it through one of those trials

and to one of those trials, but he had no supporters

with him. Nobody went to trial with him. No one

stood by him and affirmed his testimony in Christ

being the Son of God. He didn't see that coming

around the corner. Or he wouldn't have written

this just this way to Timothy. Timothy, I got

there and I was all alone. Come on now. Have

you ever showed up there and you thought you'd

have some help? You thought somebody said, well,

I'll be there. I'll be there. What time? And

you get there, and it's you. Huh? Paul said,

Timothy, when I got there, I had no one stood

with me. And I pray that God, these evidently

were some good old faithful brothers. Because

he's praying for them. I pray God don't hold

it to their charge. My Lord, I'm praying that

same prayer, Lord. I hope you don't hold my negligence

somewhere along the way against me. But it wasn't

a man he needed around that corner. Look at this,

verse 17. Notwithstanding. You can read one of

them new versions if you want to, but I just

like this old stuff right here. Notwithstanding.

The Lord stood with me and he strengthened me.

Look, what does that mean? There comes a point

in life when you turn so many corners and there's

so many obstacles and the enemy faces you in

so many of them. It comes a point when you really

don't care if anybody stands with you because

you know God's going to be with you. I hope he

don't hold it to their charge. Notwithstanding,

I still was not by myself. The Lord stood by

me. Come on, my God. The next crisis of your

life, if you've got that confidence, the Lord.

And what do you do? You take great courage. All

of a sudden, You get your backbone back. You

get your shoulders up. Why? Because you know

that your God's bigger than they got. And he's

standing with you. He's on your side. Amen. And

you know that you're not. The Lord stood with

me. And he strengthened. Courage. Isaiah 41 .10,

fear thou not. I'm just trying to give us some

courage. Fear thou not, for I am with thee. This

is the Lord speaking. Be not dismayed. Don't

make me go through that list again. For I am

thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yes, I will

help thee. I will uphold thee with the right

hand of my righteousness. Psalm 31, 24. Be of

good courage. He shall strengthen your heart.

All you that hope in the Lord. How many is hoping

in the Lord this morning? Be of good courage.

Psalm 27, 14. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage.

And he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I

say, on the Lord. Sometimes that's what we need.

We need that peace that passes all understanding

to strengthen our heart so that we can continue

to wait on the Lord. Because the old songwriter

penned it right. He's always on time. He may

not come when you want him to, but he'll always

be on time. My Lord, he's never late. He's never

early. He shows up right when you need him. So

don't panic. Don't be dismayed in all that that

entails. You face what's around the corner with

the faith for the future. You have to diminish

fear. Okay? You can't let fear reign in your

life. Are you hearing me? Well, how do I do that?

Well, get in your Bible. Do your little word

search. Be not afraid. Fear not. In any way you

can. Type it in. You're going to come up with

it. In the King James Version, you'll come up

with 365 correlating verses that will encourage

you not to be afraid. What's that matter? That's

one for every day. And you don't even have to

do a do -overs except on leap year. Pick your

favorite and read it on the 29th of February

every seven years. The Lord did that on purpose.

It was intentional. It wasn't a typo. It's not

an error. He wanted you to know that every day

that you live, you don't have to be afraid. You

don't have to live in fear. Rational fear. Fear

is something that presents clear and present

danger. There are those things out there. That's

rational, right? It's real. Irrational fear.

It's a type of fear that individuals experience

that really have no necessary basis behind it.

Like being afraid of me. There's folks that won't

even approach me. They'll go through a mediary.

I said, why didn't they just come? Well, they

was afraid to. Lord, I'm your pastor. I'm not

going to kill you, skin you, and eat you. Come

by and talk to me. Share your heart. Some answers

you may like, some you may not. Now, if that's

what you're afraid of, then just keep going through

your mediator. But it is an irrational fear.

Now, my children, for them it was rational. Imagine

the fear. It's the fear that you feel when you're

thinking of something in the future that worries

or scares you. And the odds are very slim that

it actually comes to pass anyway. We imagine

things. And we make Mount Everest out of molehills.

How many of you have ever stepped on a molehill

in the yard? Kind of sinks down, don't it? Somehow

in the crisis of life, you have to refuse to

allow it to paralyze you. Fear halts faith, feeds

doubt, resists by all means necessary the urge

to panic, but have a calculated response through

faith. to everything that you get coming around

the corner. Psalm is said in 56 and 3, what time

I am afraid, I will trust in thee. That's those

rational moments. But you don't panic. You trust

in the Lord. You take courage in the Lord. You

have confidence in the Lord. It doesn't mean

that negative things won't happen in our life.

It means when they do, that God will be there

with us and for us. Doesn't always mean that

he's going to do it the way you tell him to do

it. But it does mean that his will will be fulfilled

in our life. You do realize that's what prayer

is. It's not changing God, it's bending our will

to his. God has promised faith for the future

of his people. Jeremiah 29 and 11, For I know

the thoughts that I think towards you, saith

the Lord, thoughts of peace, not of evil, to

give you an expected end. God has an expectation

for you. Paul had an earnest expectation that

we read just a while ago in Philippians 1. He

had an expectation of the work that God began

in him. He was able. To complete it. We have

this. This understanding. This expected end.

In case you haven't read it, it's a big city.

It's coming down. It has beautiful walls. Gate

of Pearl. There's no light in that city. For

Jesus is going to be there. Take confidence in

that. Take courage in that. Sing the old hymn,

I shall not be moved. Like a tree planted by

the water, I shall not be moved. Stand with me,

I'm going to quit. Jeremiah 33 and 3, Brother

Ken's favorite verse. His life verse. Call unto

me and I will answer thee and show thee great

and mighty things which thou knowest not. As

believers, as children of God, we turn to the

word of God for our take on the future and the

expectation that we have. God has promised us

a future based on the return of his son. John

14, let not your hearts be troubled. Jesus speaking,

it's in red. You believe in God, believe also

in me, for in my Father's house there are many

mansions. And I'm going to prepare a place for

you that where I am there you may be also. That's

what I'm expecting. Nothing less. Amen? My expectation

is that there is a robe of righteousness that

he'll put on me. That's my expectation. I don't

know about you, but when I go somewhere, if it's

on a menu and it's supposed to come with it,

I want it. Hello? You advertise that. I want

that. I may not eat it, but I'm paying for it.

Hello? No, it's not hold the pickles or hold

the onion. Somebody else might want the onion.

Put it on the side. Paid for an onion. It's the

future. I don't know what's around the next corner

of life's road that we're traveling. You don't

either. But I'm not going to be in fear of taking

the turn. Don't be afraid to go around the corner.

Because one sure thing awaits you around the

corner, and that's God. Child of God, he's there

waiting on you. Just get on around there. Hebrews

11 and 7, by faith Noah being warned. This is

where that rational fear comes in. Being warned

of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear.

Revere all reverence. Prepared an ark for the

saving of his family. Matthew 8, 26, and he said

unto them, why are you fearful? Oh, you have

little faith. And I'm about to tell you why they

were fearful. Then he arose and rebuked the winds

and the sea. And there was a great calm. For

them, what they were seeing was very rational.

They were fishermen. They knew what high waves

would do to their little boat. But they hadn't

fully comprehended the confidence they could

have in the man that was in the boat with them.

But let me tell you something. If he's in your

boat and you feel like you're about to go down

and only one time he stands up and rebukes it

and it calms, honey, you good from every storm

after that. He's with me. Why are you so fearful?

That would be an irrational fear with Jesus in

the boat. Because he created the waves and the

winds. And as fierce as it was before, it was

even more calm when he said, be still. I mean,

the sail quit flopping. And probably for their

doubt, they had to paddle ashore. It was calm.

There was no wind. One of my favorite phrases

of scripture, and it shall come to pass. That's

one of my favorite. It may not seem like it now,

but this too shall pass. As you minimize fear,

diminish fear, maximize your faith. One man said,

faith is not faith until it's all you're holding

on to. C .S. Lewis said, faith is holding on

to something your reason has accepted in spite

of your changing moods. That'll have to sink

in. You'll have to think about that one. Faith

is the next step you take after reason forsakes

you. Huh? That was my quote there. Jude 1 .20

says, But you, beloved, building up yourselves

on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy

Ghost. Strengthen yourself. Romans 1 .17, The

just shall live by faith. 10, 17, faith cometh

by hearing, hearing by the word of God. Hebrews

11, 1, now faith is a substance of things hoped

for and the evidence of things not seen. Luke

18, 27, the things which are impossible with

men are possible with God, which leads you to

the sixth verse in that 11th chapter of Hebrews.

Without faith it is impossible to please him,

for he that cometh to God must believe that he

is and that he is a rewarder of them. That diligently

seek him. You don't know what's around the corner.

Bring the lily belt and come right on down. Sister

Dolores, come stand in. What was that little

fella's name? Tatum. I can't get a hold of that.

Little eight -month -old. They found a, how big

was it? About the size of an orange. Found a...

Tumor in it, a little eight -month -old. Neuroblastoma.

So they're trying to figure out exactly where

that's at. Little Lily's got some surgery coming

up here in a few days. Amen. We're going to pray

for her. I think the Lord's already doing the

work. She's already doing more than they said

she's supposed to be doing. Hey, baby. So God's

at work. Now, for the rest of you, if you've

turned a corner and you've just got blindsided

and you need help today and the Lord's helped

you with his word, come on down. I just want

to pray over you. I want to pray for you. It

doesn't matter what's going on in your life.

It doesn't matter how small, insignificant it

may seem that you think to others, but it has

become a mountain before you because the enemy

has caused it to rise up.