Eternal Rewards Pt. 8

This is Ronald Hopkins, and thank you for joining the Life Center Church.

All right, let's jump right back into this.

Over the last several weeks, we've been really talking about this eternal rewards.

And I don't know about you, but this is really giving me a different perspective on this thing that we live called life.

Because we're not supposed to just live on this earth, we're supposed to live forever.

And so this is part eight, and I want to definitely encourage you because every message really is building on top of the other.

So we've been talking about living for eternity.

So let's go back to Colossians chapter two.

If you're a first-time visitor, we're honored that you came out today.

We believe that the Lord will shake you up today.

Colossians chapter 2, verse, chapter 3, verse number 2, it says, set your affection on things that are above, not on the earth.

Colossians 2 · chapter mention

The amplifier says, set your mind and keep focus, habitually, on the things above.

And then it tells you what to set your mind and what we should be focused in on.

Notice, setting our mind, and really where our focus should be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth.

Notice how the Amplified describes the things that are on the earth.

They only have temporary value.

So your clothes have temporary value.

The jewelry that we wear has temporary value.

The homes that we live in have temporary value.

The vehicles that we drive, everything that man has made is only temporal.

And our focus, our mind should be in a continual state of I should be thinking about the things that are of heaven, the things that are above, the things that will never think about that.

They'll never fade away.

The heavenly things are forever.

And so last week we began talking about the tribulation.

This is what happens once the church, and let me clarify the church, those that are born again.

So those that have are born again, and for those individuals that have accepted Jesus into their heart, the church is now raptured up, caught up, snatched away in the nick of time, and these are the things that we've been reading will be happening on the earth.

Yeah.

You said, let's go.

Okay.

So the first three and a half years, we know the tribulation will last seven years.

And so the first three and a half years, we saw that the Antichrist has risen.

We saw in Daniel chapter 9 that he establishes a covenant.

Daniel 9 · chapter mention

Many biblical historians and those who study for a living, the revelation of Jesus believes that that covenant is with Israel.

He makes a peace treaty with Israel.

We saw in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse number 9, that he will begin mass deception.

2 Thessalonians 2 · chapter mention

And the Bible says that he will do lying, miracles, signs, and wonders, and he will be infused by Satan himself.

And then we saw that in heaven, as we are there, the Lamb, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, will begin to open up the seals or the scrolls because as we sang the song, he is the only one that has paid the price.

He is the one that shed his blood for us, and he is the one that takes away the sins of the world, so he is qualified.

He's the only person in heaven right now that has a physical body.

So the Lord Jesus Christ is the one that is holding back, and he is the one that will be releasing these judgments.

So we left off in Revelation chapter 6, and at the end of Revelations chapter 6, it asks one question.

Revelation 6 · chapter mention Revelation 6 · chapter mention

Because we looked at the beginning of these judgments, and John, who's being used by the Spirit of God or Holy Spirit, asks this question.

Who will be able to stand?

Now, point number one.

Salvation is available to all.

This free gift, it is available to everybody on the face of the planet.

Salvation is free, and it's a gift.

Believe it or not, there are people who don't want a free gift.

I like free stuff.

Yesterday, Noelle, many of you all know we have two children.

One goes to Madonna, plays basketball there, which is Nick, and then Noelle goes to Wayne State.

And we were talking yesterday because yesterday was homecoming.

And she was saying the reason why I actually want to go, Dad, is not because of the game, because they haven't been winning.

She said, the reason why I'm going is because I want the free gift that they're giving out.

Salvation is a free gift.

Then that can be mind-boggling to a person.

Because many of you, you should be born again.

That was Dan, that was Char, Rondale.

Many of you should be born again.

So you have accepted that free gift, and your destiny is already secure.

If you don't apostasy, deliberately walk away.

So go to Revelation chapter seven, because Revelation chapter seven will then answer the question in Revelation chapter six.

See, it's important that we understand not to take scriptures out of context.

Because you can take a scripture out of context and cause people to be fooled and be deceived.

Or people can take scriptures out of context and it can lead to legalism.

And then now you can be off and you think that you're off, but you're actually wrong because you haven't studied the context.

When you study the Bible, anything from Genesis to Revelation, you must understand the context behind what Holy Spirit wanted us to know.

Other than that, you can take one scripture out and confuse the entire body.

And that's what's happening in the body of Christ.

There's a lot of confusion that's happening because we don't understand context.

Context is key in having an understanding.

And all you're getting, get an understanding.

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge, not a lack of reading the word.

We read the word all of the time.

Or we should read the word is we must understand the context.

Who is he talking to?

Because sometimes we don't realize that when we read the scripture, he's not even talking to believers.

He's talking to the Jews.

He can be talking to people who are called Gentiles.

And if we don't understand the context, we can be confused.

For example, divorce.

You can be confused on the subject of divorce when you don't understand the context.

Because you can be living according to the law.

Jesus did away with the law.

So you must understand, even scriptures like this, women aren't called to preach.

What's the context?

You take that one scripture, and now people are confused, and now people are building doctrine off of that.

Well, if women weren't called to preach, then what was Deborah?

Come on now, sir.

The first evangelist wasn't a man.

So if you don't understand context, you can be confused.

You have to understand context.

So you all understand that I will never take things out of context to get you confused because ultimately I am going to stand before God on that beam of seat and give an account based upon me teaching the scripture accurately.

So that there'll be no confusion at the life's in the church, because I'm going to give you in the mouth of two or three witnesses, let every word be established, and provide the proper context so that there is no confusion.

And so you have believers arguing with each other because of their confusion.

There's a lot of stuff that's happening in the body of Christ that the Lord is not pleased about.

So Revelation chapter 7, verse number 1, it says, and after these things, what things?

Revelation 7 · chapter mention

We already looked at these things.

I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth.

Now let me say this before we get started.

This is John is not saying that the earth is flat.

You actually have people that believe that the earth is flat.

And you have believers that are teaching that.

That the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

So notice the scripture says the four winds are being restrained by angels.

The four winds.

North, east, south, and west.

And what's coming from the north, coming from the east, coming from the south, coming from the west, in its proper context are judgments.

The destructive judgments are being held back by four angels.

Now I want you to get a picture of this because the angels are holding back these destructive judgments that the Lamb of God is releasing.

Even judgment cannot happen until God gives the command.

So when God gives the command, there is nothing that anybody can do to stop it.

So put that first graphic up, Tina.

He is holding back the judgments that we're about to read.

So the question is, why are these four angels holding back judgment?

If you keep it in its proper context, the scripture will tell you.

And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given, watch this, to hurt the earth and the sea.

Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees.

Here's why they're holding back judgment.

Till we have sealed the service of God in their foreheads.

So the angels in the four corners of the earth are holding back these destructive judgments until those that have been assigned will receive a mark in their forehead.

So God knows those who belong to him.

Watch this.

And I heard the number of them which were sealed.

And they that were sealed were a hundred and forty-four thousand.

Again, if you keep it in its proper context, you won't have misunderstanding where religions will say that the a hundred and forty-four thousand.

Again, if you keep it in its proper context, there should be no misunderstanding.

And so you don't have to run away from the conversation if you have understanding.

Let's read it together.

Watch this.

And they were sealed.

A hundred and forty-four thousand of all.

Again, this is where the misunderstanding comes from because people focus in on the number.

Read the rest of it.

Of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

So judgment is being held back so that the Jews can be saved.

Remember, the church is wrapped it up.

We're not here.

God immediately turns his heart back to the nation of Israel.

And the Bible says a hundred and forty-four Jewish servants from the tribe of Israel are sealed, protected, set apart, and anointed by God to not only minister to the Jewish nation, but minister to all of the people that are still here that will have an opportunity to get born again.

See, I want you to understand that salvation is still available to all.

And although the church is raptured up, people will still have the opportunity to receive the mercy of God, the grace of God, the love of God, and to get to a place where they won't spend eternity separated from God.

So although the church is raptured up, people will still.

You're talking about a merciful God.

You're talking about a loving God.

People will still be given the opportunity to get saved.

Okay, let me show it to you.

Go to Romans chapter 11.

Romans 11 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 11.

Romans 11 · chapter mention

We serve an awesome God.

A merciful God who will give you chance after chance after chance after chance to get your life right.

Romans chapter 11, verse number 25 says, I want you to understand this mystery.

Romans 11 · chapter mention

Dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves.

Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts.

But this will last only, here it goes, until the full number of Gentiles come to Christ.

And so, not some, the Bible says, all Israel will be saved.

As the scripture says, the one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness, and this is my covenant with them.

Then I will take away their sins.

Now let's go back to Revelation chapter 7.

Revelation 7 · chapter mention

Verse number nine says, and after this, this is John says, I beheld, and Lord great multitude, which no man could number, of all the nations, kindred, people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hand, and they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitted upon the throne unto the Lamb.

Notice I just showed you from the scripture that these a hundred and forty-four servants of God have a God-given assignment to minister not only to the nation of Israel, but according to what we just see in Revelation chapter 7, John just said he saw a great multitude that no man could number.

Revelation 7 · chapter mention

So there were nations, there were kindred, there were all different kinds of people before the throne.

So not only are they ministering to the Jewish people, they're ministering to everybody else who's been left behind.

Because remember, the church is gone.

But I do want you to understand something.

Although there's a pause in judgment, because remember, we started off, and I showed you how the angels are holding back judgment.

There's a pause.

But it's gonna pick back up.

So they will have the opportunity to get born again.

But then the judgments will start back.

Now verse number seven says this because this will begin the first trumpet.

The first angel sounded.

And watch this.

And there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth.

And a third part of the trees was burnt up.

And all the green grass was burnt up.

Now let's show this first graphic, Tina, because when it says one third of the trees were burnt up, if you just think about it, one of three trees will be burnt up.

It's not just a forest fire, folks.

So there's a destruction of the grass, there's a destruction of trees, and when you have a destruction of grass and trees, it's going to affect the food.

It's going to affect the animals.

It's going to affect the oxygen.

Remember, the church is no longer here.

The church is not holding back judgment now.

There's no light in the earth.

The Antichrist is moving.

He's deceiving.

He's fooling.

He's tricking.

He's getting people to come into an alliance with him.

While all of that is happening, all of this is happening as well.

So think about it.

If the animals are being affected, if the climate is being affected, there is economic disruption that's now happening.

You think the price of food is high now.

And what's happening is that man at this point has been dependent upon creation.

They will no longer have to be dependent upon those things because those things that they have depended upon will now be destroyed.

Land and vegetation is being destroyed right before their eyes.

Verse number eight.

And the second angel sounded.

And as it were, a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea.

And the third part of the sea, notice the third part, one third of the sea became blood.

And the third part of the creatures that were in the sea, all that shrimp y'all like to eat, all that seafood, it will now experience contamination.

They died.

And the third part of the ships, ships, their businesses were destroyed.

So you no longer had the opportunity to have fresh food coming from the water because the water was now contaminated with blood.

So there is a collapse in the marine ecosystem.

And the ability to sustain life as we know it, it started to no longer exist.

So that means the food supply, the transportation.

We lived in Boston.

And there was, and it is, I won't say there was.

You talk about some of the best seafood there is because it's not what they're doing in the store.

They're getting it right from the water.

So the system that depended upon sea life is now about to die.

Show that graphic.

Want to give you visual pictures of this so that you understand what is going to happen.

Verse number ten says, and the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp.

And it, the star from heaven, fell upon the third of the rivers now.

So now we had the sea, and now we're about to have rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters.

The ocean is now destroyed.

International trade no longer exists.

You think there's a fight right now about international trade in the waters?

There's blood now in the water that contaminates everything in it.

And everything that's in it is now dead.

Verse number eleven says, and the name of the star is called wormwood.

So there is no longer fresh water.

I want you to really think about that.

You can't go to the store and buy bottled water anymore.

You cannot now turn on your faucet and have fresh water.

Because now all the water is contaminated.

You realize your body is made up of 70% water?

So being able to hydrate your body the way it should be is no longer.

See, little stuff that we take for granted right now, you don't realize, and thank God we won't be here.

Come out.

Little things right now that we take for granted won't be available for people.

So you have no water.

You can't wash up.

No boil, no cooking.

Can't brush your teeth.

I mean, you can brush your teeth, but I use water.

I use water and you can't get clean.

See, we don't even drink water, we drink pop and we drink all kinds of stuff.

Imagine not having water, period.

And if you turn on your water, blood is coming out.

Can you imagine a smell?

The odor.

Because there's no water.

You think about it.

Right now it's a little drizzle, and that little drizzle helps everything grow on the ground.

The vegetation.

Those things are not able to grow properly.

So how are you going to eat?

You have no crops to eat.

So now the ability to even eat is now taken away because you don't have the proper food to nourish your body.

So now can you understand why the enemy has raised up the Antichrist to be able to solve these problems?

Wormwood means bitter, judgment, and poison.

So the rivers will be affected, the oceans will be affected, and every aspect of water that we know is being affected.

Verse 12 says, And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten.

And the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars.

So as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night the same way.

And I beheld and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound.

So what John was saying was, it's getting ready to get worse than what you just read.

But verse 12 says, a third part of the sun was smitten, a third part of the moon, a third part of the stars was smitten, and the third part of them was darkened.

Put that graphic up because now what you will see is that the sun and the moon and the stars that we have the opportunity to experience that provides light and darkness, they won't have that opportunity because daylight is reduced.

Can you imagine waking up in the morning and it stays dark all day?

So the earth is now experiencing the absence of light.

We know that the believers who represent light are no longer here, but now what we're seeing is that there will be an absence of the physical light that we know.

You know what happens when it's dark.

It's almost like people lose their mind.

Just dark all day long.

You can't even see.

Revelation chapter nine.

Because it jumps right to the fifth trumpet.

And the fifth angel sounded.

And I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth.

Unto him was given the key to the bottomless pit.

And he opened the bottomless pit.

He opened it.

And there rose smoke out of the pit, as a smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke pit.

Notice it says to him, This is the person.

So when this bottomless pit, this bottomless pit, when you define it in the Greek, it means the abyss.

And the abyss is a place of torment.

Verse three says, and there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth.

And unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass, neither any green thing, don't touch the trees.

Watch this.

But only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

And to them it was given that they should not kill them.

But these that didn't have the seal of God in their foreheads, they'll be tortured five months.

And the Bible says that their torture was that of a scorpion when they strike people.

So they would be tortured.

Those, remember, the 144 is now on the earth.

They're ministering to people, they're getting people saved.

And because they're getting people saved, there's a mark that's on their forehead that they now belong to God.

For those who don't belong to God, these demonic creatures are released from the abyss and now are allowed to run rapid to now strike those who don't belong to God.

Watch verse number six.

And in those days, they're gonna seek out death.

They're gonna want to die because of the pain.

Because of the torture, the physical torment and the mental torment.

It's gonna be so tough, they will have to want the desire to die.

But death is gonna pass right over them.

Notice the Bible says death is gonna flee from them.

They're gonna cry out to die, and they will not be able to die.

Watch verse number seven, because I'm gonna show you the graphic.

And the shape of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle.

And on their heads were, as it were, crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men, and they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions, and they had breastplates, as it were, breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

And they had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails, and their power was to hurt men for five months.

So the graphic of these demonic beings trying to tell you, folks playing around with their salvation.

See, let me let me give you some wisdom.

Cuz Tina had a post up on last week, and that what we talked about about you losing, can you lose your salvation?

And someone said on the post that they deliberately walked away from God.

Now let me help you understand something.

If I'm reading this, I don't gamble.

But I'm not about to gamble with my eternity.

Because you only have one shot to get this right while you're on the earth.

Once you make that choice, or you don't make that choice, your eternal destiny is sealed.

I'm not gambling with eternity, and I'm not walking away from God.

No, no, verse number eleven says, and they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is a Badon.

Not Mike Baddon.

Look at Mike, Mike, like I see Mike look up like what?

But in Greek, the tongue had this name, Apollyon.

Notice the Bible says they have a king.

Destruction and destroyer.

That's his name, that's his mission, that's his assignment.

And verse number twelve says, and woe, one woe is past.

And behold, there come two woes, more after.

So something's worse coming after this.

You think that's bad.

Verse 13 says, and the sixth angel sounded.

And I heard a voice from four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had a trumpet, loose the four angels which are bound in the great river of okay.

Tina, you don't have the scripture.

Um I just want to show this to you so you have an understanding.

Let me read verse number 15 so you understand.

And it says, the four angels were loosed, who were prepared for an hour and a day, and a month, and a year.

Notice why to slay the third part of men.

Says, loose the four angels which were bound in the great river of Ephrates.

So, to help you understand, go to Jude chapter one.

Because these angels were bound.

They were bound for a reason.

And the reason why they were bound was because they rebelled against God.

So the Lord bound them up until a certain time.

Jude chapter one, verse number six says, and I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of God's authority, the authority that God gave them, but left the place where they belong.

God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.

And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand.

Whoo! And I heard the number of them.

So notice from the scripture, not my opinion, the scripture, that these angels were bound until judgment.

Then they're gonna be loosed.

Revelations, if you go back there, verse number 17 says, and thus I saw the horsemen in the vision, and them that sat on them having breastplates of fire.

I'm gonna show you how they look.

And the heads of the horses were the heads of lions, and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

By these three was a third part of men killed by fire, by the smoke, and by the brimstone was issued out of their mouths, for their power is in their mouth.

That's a word right there.

Come on.

If they have power in their mouth, sir, why do you have your mouth closed?

That's so good.

How come you're not declaring the word?

Come on, come on, come on.

Your confession of faith.

They had power in their mouth and in their tails, for their tails were like unto serpents.

And the tails had heads.

And with them, they do hurt people.

Show that graphic for me.

Now this is something that's very interesting that you're gonna see in verse number twenty.

Because all these plagues are being released.

And all these trumpets are being sounded.

Watch this.

Verse 20 says, And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues.

Yet they repented not.

Let me reread that again so you understand.

So the plagues that they're talking about is the fire, the brimstone, and the smoke.

So just to think that you can be burned by fire, that you can die because now you're burnt up.

And they're seeing this.

And the Bible says the rest of the men, because remember, it's one-third, one of every three, will experience this.

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet they repented not of the works of their hand.

That they should not worship devils, idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which neither can see nor hear, nor walk.

Verse number 21 says, Neither repented they of their murders.

I'm going to read it from a different translation.

They neither repented of their murders, nor their sorceries, nor of their fornication, or their thefts.

Listen to this.

The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues, they did not repent even then of the works of their hands, so as to cease worshiping and paying homage to the demons and to the idols of gold, of silver, of bronze, and stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.

They did not repent of their murders, nor of the sorceries.

Listen to this from the amplified.

And it defines sorceries, drugs, so they didn't repent for smoking weed.

It defines smoking weed as sorcery.

Intoxication, getting drunk.

It's sorcery, or it's a form of witchcraft.

Nor of their sexual immorality.

They just having sex, not married to their spouse, and just just wowing out.

So becomes a heart issue.

Let me give you the last trumpet.

Revelation chapter 11.

Revelation 11 · chapter mention

This is trumpet number seven.

And the second woe is past, verse number 14 says, and the second woe is passed, and behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

Verse 15 says, and the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever.

And ever.

And the four and twenty elders, which we've already read and already talked about, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces and they worship God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which are, and was, and are to come.

Why?

Because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and you have reigned.

And the nations were angry, and wrath is to come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou wouldest give a reward unto you would reward the servants and the prophets and the saints, and to them that fear thy name, great and small, and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

And the temple of God was open in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of the testament, and there were lightnings and voices and thunderings and an earthquake and a great hail.

Now, the seventh trumpet, as we just read, it announces that heaven already knows the outcome.

Heaven already knows the outcome.

The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.

And the reality is this: the rule and the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is certain and it is undeniable.

The question is will you rule and will you reign with him?

Yes, sir.

That is the question.

Because his ruling, his dominion is undeniable.

Will you be with him?

Or will you get so caught up to believe that you have a chance?

Because we already looked at it, no man knows the hour.

What if you left out of here today and a rapture happened?

Would you go up?

Yes.

Would you go down?

No, sir.

Or will you still be here?

To experience what we've just been reading.

Because we haven't even talked about the mark of the beast.

And we haven't even talked about yet the same plagues that happened when we read in the Old Testament.

They coming right back.

Read your Bible.

Read your Bible.

See, I have a responsibility to get you ready.

And I have a responsibility to show you the things that will happen while the people are still here.

But God's heart and God's desire is that nobody is left.

Can I say something real quick?

Yeah.

I pray that this information, because now that you are able to see it with your eyes, that it stirs something up on the inside of you to have compassion for your neighbors, to have compassion for your co-workers.

That you sit by every single day.

And you know they don't know Jesus.

You know that they don't.

But now to see the reality of what they could potentially face if they do not receive Him as Lord, that should stir us up unto good works, to be able to live the life before them and also to share their faith.

And guess what?

You don't even have to do the heavy lifting.

Invite them to church and let Pastor and I do the heavy lifting.

So I hope that that stirs your faith.

Folks, we are living for a kingdom that is eternal.

And a kingdom that will never end.

I don't know if our minds can actually comprehend that.

Your spirit understands it.

It'll never end.

We're going to live forever with him.

On the earth.

And the earth will be in a different state.

We serve an awesome and amazing Father.

So let's go ahead and lift up our hands today and thank the Lord for his grace and for his mercy.

Father, you are a faithful Father.

You are a covenant-keeping father, one who is forever watching over his word.

Thank you that you loved us so much that you saw our future with you.

That you were willing to send Jesus to the earth to be separated temporarily from you so that he can shed his blood and he can snatch us from the very pit of Hades.

Thank you for that, Father.

Now where every head is bowed and every eye is closed in prayer.

If you're not born again, you know what I would do if I wasn't saved?

We never ever want to take this for granted.

If you're not born again, you're not sure that you're born again.

Go ahead and let your hand in there, allow me to pray with and for you.

It's between you and the Lord.

And guess what?

I showed you today the Lord knows those who will make that choice.

And the thing about God is that He will deal with you and talk to you about getting yourself right.

Because there will be a time that people won't have the opportunity.

If you're in here today or you're online and you're out of fellowship, at one time you were walking with the Lord, but for some other reason, you just got off the track.

We all miss it from time to time.

The goal is not to stay off the track, but to get back on.

Let's just call it what it is.

The Bible says it's sin.

Sin means to miss the mark.

You're still God's son, you're still God's daughter, but something has come between you and your relationship with Him.

That can be a person, that can be a thing.

And we've seen from the scripture, they made a decision to put those things before God.

And anything that you put before God becomes an idol.

So if that's you today and you're out of fellowship, you want to get that right, it's just real simple.

You just acknowledge what you've done wrong.

God says, I'm faithful, I'm just, I'll forgive you.

And then you make a decision to go in a totally different direction.

If that's you, go ahead, lift your hand in there, we'll pray with and for you today.

And then my last invitation is maybe you're here and you say, Pastor, yes, I'm born again.

I'm sure that I'm in right standing with God.

I know that heaven is my home and I'm walking according to the word.

But I'm struggling.

God didn't save us to struggle.

He's given us power.

That person is the Holy Spirit, that dudamis, that dynamite, that explosive power that separates us from everybody else.