[Music] JERRY: Hello everyone, I'm
Jerry Savelle. Thank you for joining me today. I pray that as
you watch and listen to the lesson that we're going to be
sharing with you, that it's going to help you learn how to
stand your ground. The Bible says from the writings of the
apostle Paul, having done all to stand stand therefore. In other
words, the attitude is don't ever give up. You know, we all
go through adversity from time to time, and I'm going to be
talking to you once again today, this is part two of how do you
respond to adversity? Now read last week on the broadcast from
Proverbs chapter 24 and verse 10. And it says if thou faint in
the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Notice he
says, if you faint in a day of adversity, your strength is
small. Well, the Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our
strength. So joy comes, or strength comes from joy. So you
could say it this way. If you faint in the day of adversity,
it's because you've lost your joy. Your joy has diminished. So
how do you get your joy back? Well, fellowship with Jesus.
Fellowship with the Word of God. Don't ever run from God when
you're in trouble, don't ever run from his word when you're in
trouble, stay close to God, stay full of his Word, stay full of
joy, and you can overcome any attack Satan brings against you.
I'm taking you back into the service where we're talking
about this. So watch now, and I'll be back
in just a few moments. If possible, take notes.
You're going to enjoy it. JERRY: My Bible says happy
is the people whose God is the Lord. I've said many
times based on what the apostle Paul said in
Ephesians. He says that that the only people on the planet that
have a right to be unhappy are people that don't know God, and
don't have a covenant. Well, we know God. Lift your hands if you
know God. Lift your hands if you have a covenant, then you're no
longer entitled to be unhappy, put a smile on your face and
say, thanks, I needed that. Amen. Now I think you would
agree that this pandemic that we're experiencing here in our
state, our nation, all over the world would certainly come under
these definitions, they fit. And please understand I am not
endeavoring to make light of this pandemic because it is
serious. It's taking lives. A lot of people are hurting
because of it. A lot of people have lost their jobs. A lot of
people are, are existing, barely on what they've got left in
savings. Some are even having to take their retirement funds and
live on them. Some people are having to move, sell their homes
and move into a rented home or something. And some people are
even having to live in shelters. This is serious and I'm not, I'm
not making little of it, but if God did not provide a way for us
to overcome it, then what kind of God would he be? My Bible
says he's a good God. My Bible says he's not only good, but
he's the author of good. What kind of God- I wouldn't serve
him. What kind of God would sit around in luxury and watch his
people suffer? Amen. I mean, you have heard his Gates are carved
out of one Pearl, streets are paved with gold. You ever read
the description of throne room? What kind of God would live in
that kind of atmosphere and pay no attention when his children
are suffering? It's not the God I serve. Amen, my God is a good
God. Look at your neighbor say my God is a good God. Now is
anyone interested in here today as to what the Bible says about
how to face adversity, anybody interested, or would you rather
watch CNN? That's the problem with a lot of people right now,
they're watching CNN too much. And I can't find anywhere in the
Bible where it says faith comes by hearing by CNN. No faith does
not come by watching CNN, fear commeth, dread commeth, worry
commeth. That's what, that's what come up when you watch CNN
day in and day out. Amen. I'm not watching that stuff. Got
enough trouble as it is. Don't need newspeople telling me
more's coming. I'm depending on God, I'm trusting him.
Hallelujah. Somebody said, and how's that turning out for you,
Brother Jerry? Oh, marvelous, marvelous glory to God. Amen.
Now I'm going to read it again. Proverbs 24:10. If thou faint in
the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Now let me
give you some other words that are synonymous with the word
strength. Uh, I'm sorry with the word small. Number one,
inferior, diminished, division, and even substandard. So let me
read that scripture with these other words that are synonymous
with the word small, if thou faint in the day of adversity,
thy strength is inferior. Your strength is diminished,
deficient, and substandard. And what does the Bible tell us as
to where our strength comes from now? Nehemiah 8:10, the joy of
the Lord is our strength. Say that with me, the joy of the
Lord is our strength. Say it again. The joy of the Lord is
our strength. So if that's true, and it is, then could Solomon be
telling us here that if we faint in the day of adversity, then
it's because our joy has been diminished, and our joy has
become deficient, and our joy has become substandard. I think
we've just answered the question. Amen. If you look
around today, there's a lot of Christians that either have no
joy or it is diminished. And I don't think they realize how
important their joy is to victory success. Back in 1981,
uh, we had a board meeting. All of our board of directors came
in from all over the nation. We had our business meeting, went
over all the, the, uh, accomplishments of the year in
the ministry and what our vision was for the coming year and so
forth, gave them the financial statements and all that. And
then when the meeting was over with we all had a meal together,
some fellowship, some of them, uh, were staying in our home,
others staying in hotels. But we had everybody come to our home
that night. We continued our fellowship and, and then, uh,
those that were staying in hotels left, and finally it was
nearly one o'clock in the morning before I got to bed. And
I had to get up the next morning and fly to Tulsa to preach with
Kenneth Hagin at Rhema. And so I was tired. I mean, we'd had a
long weekend and I was ready for bed. I laid down. Carolyn was
already in bed. I laid down and the moment my head hit the
pillow I heard these words "If Satan can't steal your joy, he
can't keep you goods." I said out loud, not now, Lord. I'm
tired. I closed my eyes again. He said if Satan can't steal
your joy he can't keep your goods. I said, Lord, that's
wonderful. I'll study that tomorrow. I closed my eyes. He
said, if Satan can't steal your joy he can't keep your goods. I
said, okay, I got up. Carolyn said, when I got up, I woke her
up. She said, where are you going? I said to my study. She
said, why? It's one o'clock in the morning. I said, the Lord
said something to me and I got to go pray it out. She said,
you're leaving at seven o'clock in the morning. I said, I know,
but I got to do this. So I went to my study and began to pray it
out. Well, once I began to pray it out and the Lord began to
share with me about the force of joy, the power of joy, I got so
excited I could not go to sleep. I could hardly wait to go to
Tulsa. And I preached it for the first time at Rhema. And then I
preached it shortly after that in Brother Copeland's believer's
convention. And I preached it every day about if Satan can't
steal your joy he can't keep your goods. And then from that
we put it in a little book "If Satan can't steal your joy, he
can't keep your goods." This book has gone around the world.
At the time of this printing, uh, there, there was a quarter
of a million copies out. Then they started printing it in
different languages. It's been reprinted at least 10, maybe 15
times. I've written over 80 books, and this is still one of
my best selling books. And everywhere I go, people, at
least one person will say to me, Brother Jerry, that book or that
message on if Satan can't steal your joy he can't keep your good
changed my life. Amen. Up until that time, I did not know about
the power of joy. In fact, I was, um, when I'd go to a
meeting, if I wasn't speaking, I really was not into the praise
and worship. I mean, I would sing and all, but I was ready
for the word. You know, particularly if it was a great
man of faith. Get off the platform, let the man come in.
I'm just being honest. Sorry. I've changed, hallelujah, I've
changed. And I just had the attitude all this singing it's
not going to do me any good. I need the Word, I want to Word.
Amen. You know, get off the stage, we want the Word. I was
invited to speak in Muskogee, Oklahoma at a full gospel
businessman's regional convention. And myself and
Charles Capps and Vicki Jamison and a man named Bill Bezanski
were the speakers. And I'd heard of Bill Bezanski cause he was a,
a regular to a lot of the full gospel businessman meeting, but
I'd never met him. So, uh, Demos Shakarian, who was the founder
of full gospel businessman was there and they had all of us
speakers on a stage and a table set up. Cause they had, it was a
banquet meal as well. And we're all setting on the stage and all
the audiences out in front of us like you are. So Charles Capps
is sitting next to me and Vicki Jamison. No, I'm sorry. Uh,
Vicky Jameson on the other side of Charles and then Damos
Shakaian cause I was speaking that night and, and he was
sitting next to me. He was going to introduce me. And so, uh,
this Bill Bezanski, he was only going to be there for one. Uh,
he was, he was going to be there that day for a service and he
was going to be in the service that night, but I hadn't heard
him yet. I was preparing for the service while he was speaking
that afternoon. So I wasn't in the meeting. So I don't know
Bill Bezanski from Adam. And so we're sitting on the platform
there and they're doing the praise and the worship and
everybody's singing and there's a big crowd there and I'm
looking and finally through the door back there, a guy come in
and he's dancing and he's pulling people out in the isle
dance with him and he'd dance with them and twirl them around
everything, you know? And then he he'd leave them alone and
he'd go get somebody else. And he did that all the way to the
platform. And I'm thinking eventually some usher is going
to set this nut down. That's what I thought, but they didn't.
And then he started coming up on the stage. I thought they're
going to let him up here. I thought he, you know, full
gospel businessmen back in those days drew a lot of weird people.
In fact, in that very same meeting, there was a guy they
called the Birdman. Anybody ever hear of the Birdman? The
Birdman, He would come to the full gospel businessman's
meetings and he would stand out in the streets and do songs in a
bird tweet. In fact, that morning in our hotel. How many
of you remember Russ Taff with the Imperials. Russ was working
for me then, And I got up that morning to shave and shower. And
when I got out of the shower, I was standing there in the mirror
and I heard this bird outside singing the star Spangled
banner. I called Russ. I said, you hear that bird? He said,
yeah. I said, he's, he's tweeting the star Spangled
banner. I said, Russ, go catch that bird. We can make millions
off of him. So Russ went outside and it was the birdman. That's
the first time we ever heard of the Birdman. And he would come
into the full gospel businessmen meetings and Demos would get all
over him. Cause he just interrupted the whole meeting
and he'd come through there and he'd start whistling these crazy
songs. And he sounded just like a bird. And he did this all over
the country. And Demos, he in fact, Demos stood up that that
night and said, Birdman, I told you if you ever do this again
I'm not going to let you in another meeting. Now sit down
and shut up. (Whistling like a bird) Now, I don't know what
that was in bird language and I don't think it was appropriate.
So there were weird people that came. Flaky people would come.
So I'm thinking this guy is one of those flakes. So he comes up
on the stage and the president of that chapter was sitting on
the end and the music is still playing and everything. And the
president of that chapter is sitting on the end and this guy
grabs his arm and starts dancing with him on the stage. Then he
let go of him and he went to the next person and he danced with
them. And I'm kind of looking out the corner of my eye. And
Charles Capps is next to me. Now, Charles was the most
conservative guy you ever met in your life. He was born with a
crew cut and he went to heaven with a crew cut. Charles used to
say, I'm like God, I changeth not. Charles did not dance.
Charles did not even sing. In fact, the first time Brother
Copeland invited Phill Driscoll to a believer's convention in
Charlotte, North Carolina. Now Phill had long hair, but he was
bald on the front. I'll never forget what Charles said, Phil,
if you're watching this, I'm sorry. But I got to tell it.
When Brother Copeland introduced Phill, he'd come out there with
that trumpet and man, I'd never heard anybody play a trumpet
like him. When he walked out there though Charles said, my
God look what the dog's drug in. And he played that trumpet so
loud. And it was, I mean, it was amazing. Charles got up, I
didn't know where he was going, but he got up and he went to the
restroom and put toilet paper in his ears. That's that's how
conservative Charles was, he never, he never smiled. He
never, he never got into it. He just stood there like this.
Well, Charles is next. I'm looking over here like this and
that, that guy grabbed Charles' arm went to dancing with him.
Charles never moved. He stayed at the table and this arm's
doing this. Charles never moved. He just kept looking straight
forward. Finally, the guy gave up on him and now I'm next. I
thought oh man, there went my arm. You know, I though, I don't
want to, I don't want to look like a fool, you know? And, and
look like, you know, I'm not in with the program. So I dance
with him and much to my surprise, the joy of the Lord
hit me, turns out this nut was Bill Bezanski. And Bill and I
became closest to friends. Oh, we traveled together all over
the world, Bill and B his wife. We loved each other. We just, we
just had a marvelous time. And I told Bill and I'd told it at his
funeral, his home going. I said, Bill Bezanski is responsible for
Jerry Savelle having joy. He taught me the power of joy. And
you coupled joy and faith together, that's an unbeatable
team. Amen. When you have the joy of the Lord and you're not
afraid to express it, amen, you have the joy of the Lord. Man,
I've had the joy of the Lord hit me in meetings and I dance like
a wild man. Sometimes because I'm proud of my Cherokee
heritage, I sound like a wild Indian. Mostly in my study and
you know, but boy, I get to dance around like a wild Indian.
And I noticed Brother Copeland does live- sometimes when we
were together in meetings and were in prayer together. He's
over here. Amen, I got joy today. Thank God. Thank God that
Bill, Bill Bezanski came into my life. I got joy. I got joy like
a river, hallelujah, and I'm not afraid to express it. Glory be
to God. Come on. You need some joy today. Hallelujah. Glory to
God. Amen. Now once again, if thou faint in the day of
adversity, you could say it this way, it's because your joy is
small. Strength comes from joy. Amen. Your strength, your joy is
small. It's been diminished. I like to tell the devil all the
time, I still got my joy. Practice that, I still got my
joy. Tell the devil I still got my joy. Hallelujah. And
sometimes boy, I'm telling you there, there came a time one
time, a really serious attack on our ministry. And I wished I'd
never written that book. Because boy, I'm telling you he was
after my joy and he almost got it, but I was right in the
middle of it, and I heard the Lord. I heard the Holy Spirit
say on the inside of me, you better get a grip on this. If he
steals your joy, it will be easier to steal it the next
time. Amen. Alright, now you could say you can either respond
to adversity the Bible way or you can respond to it the way
most people respond. And most people have already resolved in
their minds there's no way I can overcome this. There's no way I
can win. There's no way that I'll ever get over this. No,
that's not the way believers think, that's not the way
believers talk or it shouldn't be amen. You might be thinking,
but how can I maintain my joy in the midst of all of this? Well,
let's, let's look at what David had to say about it. Psalm 16
verse 11 says thou will show me the path of life in the
presence- in thy presence is fullness of joy. In thy presence
is fullness of joy. And at the right hand, there are pleasures
forevermore. Now notice joy comes from being in the presence
of God. Now I want you to ask yourself right now. You don't
have to say it out loud, but ask yourself right now, how much
quality time over the last five, six months have I spent in the
presence of God? Now for some Christians, it'd be easier for
them to answer how much time have I spent in
front of a television set? ANNOUNCER: Why does so many born
again Christians never realize their full potential and live
defeated lives? Do you know what to do when hardships
and challenges arise? In today's special offer
the how to respond to adversity package, you
will receive Jerry Savelle's four-part CD series
"breaking through the impossible," and his popular
book, "the force of joy," and his reason book "the faithful
shall flourish." In this package Jerry teaches how to be
persistent in faith, why God can be trusted, and one of the
fastest ways to see a breakthrough. In the midst of
adversity, you can respond in faith in confidence. Knowing
what God has promised is on the way. Don't delay call or go
online now to Jerrysavelle.org and request your copy of the how
to respond to adversity special package, don't fall for the trap
of discouragement and doubt. Order today to experience God's
breakthrough power in your life. JERRY: I want to thank you once
again for joining me today. And I want to ask you this question
before we leave the air. Was your faith inspired? Did you
hear something that helped you today? If you did, then I want
you to contact me and let me know. I want to know that this
broadcast is blessing your life, that it's helping you in your
walk with God. And most importantly, it's teaching you
how to live in victory because that's what God wants. This is
the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. God
intends for you and I to live in victory. He wants you to learn
how to respond to adversity in a very positive way and stand on
the Word of God and refuse to give up and just simply wait
until the breakthrough comes. And trust me, if you will do
that, the breakthrough will come. I know I've been living
this way now for 51 years, coming up 52 years, and God has
never let me down. And he won't let you down either. Now, before
I leave the air, let me remind you this will be the first
lifetime actually, that we will be offering this special package
four CDs on breaking through the impossible, this little book,
the faithful shall flourish. When you're faithful to the Word
of God, you're faithful to God. You can count on it, God will
see you through. And then this powerful little book, the force
of joy. This is one of the greatest things I've ever
learned. Learning how to tap into the joy of the Lord and the
power that it will produce in your life. All the ordering
information is on the screen right now, contact us, we'll be
happy to send it to you just as quickly as we possibly can.
And be sure to join me again next week as we
began a new lesson and I look forward to talking
to you then, so have a good week and remember your
faith will overcome the world.
