<i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> >> WELCOME TO<i> GOSPEL TRUTH</i> WITH ANDREW WOMMACK, A TEACHING MINISTRY
THAT FOCUSES ON GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL >> LOVE AND GRACE. >> SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE WAS EXPLAINING WAS JUST SO SIMPLE, BUT IT WAS TRUTH >> THAT JUST HIT RIGHT HOME. >> HE'S CHANGED MY LIFE; HE'S CHANGED MY WALK. I HAVE A HUNGER FOR GOD NOW THAT I'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE, AND THIS IS JUST >> THE BEGINNING. >> AND NOW, HERE'S ANDREW. WELCOME TO A SPECIAL EDITION OF <i>THE GOSPEL TRUTH.</i> AGAIN, TODAY I’M GOING TO BE PLAYING A TEACHING THAT I GAVE IN PHOENIX ARIZONA DURING OUR GOSPEL TRUTH CONFERENCE IN JANUARY OF 2021, AND I’M TALKING ABOUT <i>HOW TO STAY POSITIVE</i> <i>IN A NEGATIVE WORLD.</i> WE DEFINITELY ARE LIVING IN A NEGATIVE WORLD WHERE ALL OF THE BAD THINGS ARE BEING AMPLIFIED AND THE GOOD THINGS ARE BEING DIMINISHED, AND YOU NEED THIS TEACHING. I THINK IT’LL REALLY HELP YOU AND I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS SO GOOD THAT I WANTED TO PUT IT ON OUR PROGRAM, SO WATCH THIS. AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM, WE’LL COME ON AND
SHARE WITH YOU ABOUT HOW YOU CAN RECEIVE THIS TEACHING THAT WILL HELP YOU STAY POSITIVE IN A NEGATIVE WORLD. SO I WANT TO CONTINUE MINISTERING ON <i>HOW TO STAY POSITIVE</i> <i>IN A NEGATIVE WORLD.</i> HOW MANY OF YOU ARE HERE THIS MORNING THAT WERE NOT HERE LAST NIGHT AND DID NOT HEAR MY MESSAGE LAST NIGHT? COULD I SEE YOUR HAND IF THERE'S PEOPLE HERE FIRST TIME? OKAY, I ONLY SEE A FEW HANDS, SO MOST OF YOU WERE HERE. IF YOU MISSED THAT, YOU CAN GET THE TEACHING, IT'S OUT THERE, BUT REAL QUICKLY, I USED MATTHEW, CHAPTER 24, WHERE JESUS SAID, BECAUSE INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND, THE LOVE OF MANY SHALL WAX COLD, AND THE WORD, MANY, THERE IS ACTUALLY, MOST. THAT'S WHAT THE AMPLIFIED AND THE NIV SAY. AND SO BECAUSE OF EVIL TIMES AND THINGS GOING AROUND, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE EXCEPTION, IT'S GOING TO BE THE NORMAL. IT'S GOING TO BE THE RULE THAT CHRISTIANS, BELIEVER'S HEARTS ARE GOING TO WAX COLD. THEIR LOVE WILL WAX COLD FOR THE LORD. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A PLAN TO OVERCOME THIS. YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD THE STATEMENT, I'M SURE YOU HAVE, ABOUT IF YOU...IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN NOT TO FAIL, THEN YOU ARE PLANNING TO FAIL. AND SO YOU...THIS IS WHAT JESUS SAID WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND WE ARE LIVING IN PERILOUS TIMES, WHAT I WANT TO ILLUSTRATE TODAY, TO GO TO THE WORD OF GOD AND LOOK FOR EXAMPLES, AND FROM THOSE THINGS TAKE TRUTHS OUT OF THESE PEOPLE'S EX... LIVES THAT ILLUSTRATE HOW WE KEEP
OURSELF ENCOURAGED IN NEGATIVE TIMES. AND SO ANYWAY, THAT'S WHAT I STARTED TALKING ABOUT LAST NIGHT. AND WHAT I WANT TO DO IS SHARE WITH YOU, AND I'M GOING TO SHARE REAL SIMPLY. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'M GOING TO... THE MAIN POINT I'M TRYING TO GET ACROSS, BUT THE NUMBER ONE WAY THAT I ENCOURAGE MYSELF IS THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. THE WORD OF GOD HAS TO BECOME DOMINANT. AND LET ME SAY IT THIS WAY, THAT IF YOU ARE A PERSON THAT YOUR LOVE IS WAXING COLD BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, IT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE MORE PLUGGED IN TO THE WORLD THAN YOU ARE PLUGGED INTO THE WORD OF GOD. AND AGAIN, DENNIS SAID A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WENT RIGHT ALONG WITH THAT THIS MORNING. I BELIEVE THAT JUST AS DENNIS WAS SAYING, THIS IS A DIVINELY ORDERED MEETING. IT'S TIMELY, AND MAN, THIS IS GOING TO ENCOURAGE YOU AND STUFF. SO I JUST WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME THINGS HERE ABOUT HOW TO
ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD. LET'S LOOK OVER HERE IN 1 SAMUEL, CHAPTER 30, TO DAVID, AND YOU KNOW, AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO MINISTER ON, YOU COULD LITERALLY GO TO NEARLY EVERY MAJOR BIBLE CHARACTER IN SCRIPTURE AND YOU CAN PICK THINGS FROM THEIR LIFE BECAUSE EVERY ONE OF THEM EXPERIENCED ADVERSITY, THINGS THAT WOULD HAVE DESTROYED THEM, DISCOURAGED THEM, AND THE SCRIPTURE JUST SHOWS US HOW TO OVERCOME THIS. YOU KNOW, OVER IN 1 CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 10, VERSES 6 AND 12, I BELIEVE IT IS, AND THOSE VERSES IN BETWEEN, IT SAYS, ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE RECORDED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WERE RECORDED FOR OUR LEARNING SO THAT WE THROUGH THEM MIGHT LEARN NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED, NOT TO HAVE THESE PROBLEMS, AND LEARN HOW TO DO CERTAIN THINGS. SO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE WRITTEN HERE IN THE WORD OF GOD ARE FOR OUR BENEFIT, AND I PROMISE YOU, ANYTHING YOU ARE FACING, SOMEONE IN THE WORD OF GOD HAS FACED THINGS THAT WERE AS BAD OR WORSE AND THE SCRIPTURE SHOWS YOU HOW THEY OVERCAME IT, AND THE REASON IT'S RECORDED IS FOR YOUR BENEFIT. SO THIS IS HOW YOU ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD AND KEEP FROM
BECOMING NEGATIVE WHEN EVERYTHING AROUND YOU IS...IS BAD. HERE IN 1 SAMUEL, CHAPTER 30, AND IF I HAD TIME, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO WHAT DENNIS DID, THAT WAS GREAT TO GO BACK AND TO SHOW HOW GIDEON WAS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS SO DIFFERENT IN HIS DAY FROM WHAT HIS NATION HAD ENCOUNTERED. BOY, THAT APPLIES TO US. WE CAN GO BACK AND SHOW WHAT
DAVID WENT THROUGH BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN ANOINTED TO BE KING AND I'VE TRIED TO NAIL DOWN THE EXACT YEARS. THE CLOSEST I CAN COME IS JUST AN ESTIMATION, BUT MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE HE WAS ABOUT 17 WHEN SAMUEL ANOINTED HIM TO BE KING, AND OVER HERE IN 2 SAMUEL, CHAPTER 5, WHEN HE FINALLY BECAME KING, HE WAS 30 YEARS OLD. SO IT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 23...I...I MEAN, 13 YEARS THAT HE HAD BEEN ANOINTED TO BE KING, AND YET EVERYTHING IN HIS LIFE WENT WRONG. I MEAN, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GETTING FURTHER AND FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY. PLUS, I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ALL OF THESE DETAILS, BUT DAVID HAD TO FLEE FOR HIS LIFE FROM HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, SAUL. SAUL HAD TAKEN HIS WIFE, MICHAL, AWAY FROM HIM AND GIVEN HER TO ANOTHER MAN JUST TO HURT DAVID. THINK ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, I HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH MY DADDY-IN-LAW, BUT HE DIDN'T TAKE MY WIFE AND GIVE HER TO ANOTHER MAN. JUST THINK OF HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT YOU. AND THEN SAUL TRIED TO KILL DAVID MULTIPLE TIMES, AND PEOPLE...HE HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO KILL SAUL, AND AT THAT DAY THIS IS THE WAY THAT KINGDOMS CHANGED HAND. THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN ORDERLY TRANSITION FROM ONE GOVERNMENT LEADER TO ANOTHER. I MEAN, THE WAY YOU BECAME KING WAS TO KILL THE PREVIOUS KING AND TAKE OVER ALL THEIR ASSETS, AND PEOPLE ENCOURAGED HIM TO DO IT. NOBODY WOULD HAVE BLAMED HIM. IT WAS THE WAY KINGDOMS CHANGED HANDS. PLUS, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SELF-DEFENSE. SAUL WAS TRYING TO KILL HIM. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VENGEANCE FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT SAUL HAD DONE TO HIM. NOBODY WOULD
HAVE BLAMED DAVID, AND YET DAVID REFUSED TO DO THIS AND SAID, I'LL NEVER LIFT UP MY HAND AGAINST GOD'S ANOINTED, AND SO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE FOLLOWING HIM, THERE WAS 600 MEN WHO CAME TO HIM AND THEY WERE LIVING A LIFE THAT THEY WERE STRUGGLING. THEY WERE... THERE'S AN EXAMPLE WHERE THEY HAD TO GO TO A GUY NAMED NABAL, IT WAS ABIGAIL'S HUSBAND, AND THEY WENT TO HIM AND HE RIDICULED THEM AND DAVID WAS GOING TO GO AND KILL HIM AND TAKE ALL OF THIS STUFF, AND INSTEAD, ABIGAIL CAME AND BROUGHT HIM AN OFFERING, BUT THEY WERE STRUGGLING TO GET THEIR NEEDS MET AND JUST ON AND ON, AND THEY COULD HAVE LOOKED AT DAVID AND SAID, IT'S YOUR FAULT, YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO KILL SAUL TWICE, YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN OVER THE KINGDOM. SO THEY WERE STRUGGLING. HE INVADED THE AMALEKITES AND FOUGHT AGAINST THEM AND HE KILLED EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THESE TOWNS AND TOOK ALL OF THEIR POSSESSIONS SO THAT NOBODY WOULD KNOW WHO DID IT, AND THEN FINALLY, RIGHT HERE IN THE 30TH CHAPTER, YOU FIND WHERE ALL OF THE PHILISTINES WERE AMASSED TO GO FIGHT THE NATION OF ISRAEL, AND DAVID TOOK HIS 600 MEN, AND THEY WERE GOING TO FIGHT WITH THE PHILISTINES ON THE PHILISTINE'S SIDE AGAINST ISRAEL. NOW PERSONALLY, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT DAVID WAS PROBABLY GOING TO DO THAT, BUT HE WAS GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS TO KEEP UP THIS RUSE BECAUSE HE WAS LIVING IN THE PHILISTINE'S LAND AND HE WAS LOOKING LIKE HE WAS BEING LOYAL TO THEM, AND SO HE TOOK ALL OF HIS MEN AND LEFT HIS TOWN OF ZIKLAG UNPROTECTED. AND THE AMALEKITES, I BELIEVE, HAD FIGURED OUT THAT HE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS INVADING THE LAND, AND SO THE AMALEKITES CAME AND INVADED ZIKLAG, BURNT THE TOWN, TOOK ALL OF THEIR POSSESSIONS, ALL OF THEIR WIVES, ALL OF THEIR CHILDREN, AND THE REASON I BRING ALL OF THIS HISTORY OUT IS TO SAY THAT NOT ONLY HAD
DAVID SUFFERED BECAUSE HE WAS THE ANOINTED KING AND HE WAS FOLLOWING THE LORD, BUT DID YOU KNOW HE HAD SUFFERED BECAUSE OF HIS OWN DECISIONS NOT TO EXALT HIMSELF, AND INVADING THE AMALEKITES, HE OCCASIONED THEM RETALIATING AND COMING BACK TO HIM. SO IT WASN'T ONLY ALL OF THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT HE HAD DONE THAT HE WAS SUFFERING FOR. YOU KNOW, WHEN
YOU'RE PERSECUTED FOR DOING WHAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU MAKE MISTAKES AND BRING THINGS ON YOURSELVES, THAT'S A LITTLE HARDER TO DEAL WITH. SO ALL OF THESE THINGS ENTER IN AND HERE IN 1 SAMUEL, CHAPTER 30, WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO ZIKLAG, THE TOWN WAS BURNED, ALL OF THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN WERE GONE. THEY HAD LOST EVERYTHING, AND FOR 13 YEARS, IT HAD JUST BEEN ONE NEGATIVE THING AFTER ANOTHER. IT LOOKED LIKE THAT THE PROMISES THAT GOD HAD MADE TO DAVID WOULD NEVER COME TO PASS, AND SO LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN ALL OF THIS CAME TO PASS. IN VERSE 3, SO DAVID AND HIS MEN CAME TO THE CITY, AND, BEHOLD, IT WAS BURNED WITH FIRE; AND THEIR WIVES, AND THEIR SONS, AND THEIR DAUGHTERS, WERE TAKEN CAPTIVES. THEN DAVID AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH HIM LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE AND WEPT, UNTIL THEY HAD NO MORE POWER TO WEEP. BOY, THAT'S REALLY DESCRIPTIVE. DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN ONLY WEEP SO MUCH AND YOU CAN LITERALLY GET TO A PLACE TO WHERE YOU ARE JUST EMOTIONALLY SPENT AND YOU'VE GOT NOTHING LEFT. THIS IS WHAT THIS IS DESCRIBING. DAVID AND HIS MEN WEPT UNTIL THEY HAD NO MORE POWER TO WEEP, AND THEN LOOK IN VERSE 4. IT SAYS, THEN DAVID AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH HIM LIFTED UP THEIR VOICE AND WEPT, UNTIL THEY HAD NO MORE POWER TO WEEP. AND DAVID'S TWO WIVES WERE TAKEN CAPTIVE, AHINOAM THE JEZREELITESS, AND ABIGAIL THE WIFE OF NABAL, THAT'S THE GUY I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF, NABAL THE CARMELITE. HE DIED, AND SO DAVID MARRIED HIS WIFE, ABIGAIL. AND IN VERSE 6, IT SAYS, AND DAVID WAS GREATLY DISTRESSED; FOR THE PEOPLE SPOKE OF STONING HIM, BECAUSE THE SOUL OF ALL THE PEOPLE WAS GRIEVED, EVERY MAN FOR HIS SONS AND FOR HIS DAUGHTERS. SO ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE, FOR 13 YEARS, DAVID HAD JUST BEEN PERSECUTED, HAD HAD TO RUN FOR HIS LIFE, HAD HAD PEOPLE BETRAY HIM, HAD DONE ALL OF THESE THINGS. HE EVEN HAD TO ACT LIKE HE WAS CRAZY ONE TIME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY...THEY BELIEVED...YOU KNOW, LIKE THE AMERICAN INDIANS BELIEVE THAT IF YOU KILLED A PERSON WHO WAS MENTALLY UNSTABLE, THAT THOSE DEMONS WOULD COME OUT OF THEM AND INTO YOU, AND APPARENTLY IT WAS A SIMILAR THING. DAVID WAS...THE KING OF THE PHILISTINES LOOKED AT HIM AND THOUGHT, THIS IS THE ONE THAT THEY'VE BEEN SINGING SONGS ABOUT, THAT SAUL HAS SLAIN HIS THOUSANDS AND DAVID HIS TEN THOUSANDS, AND HE BEGAN TO EYE HIM, IS WHAT THE SCRIPTURE SAID... AND THINK THAT DAVID COULD BE A THREAT TO HIS KINGDOM. AND SO THE WAY DAVID ESCAPED THAT, HE ACTED LIKE HE WAS CRAZY AND HE LET HIS SPIT RUN OFF OF HIS BEARD AND SCRIBBLED ON THE WALL AND ACTED LIKE A CRAZY MAN. AND FINALLY, THE KING SAYS, MAN, THIS GUY COULDN'T BE A THREAT TO US, AND THEY JUST LET HIM GO, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD BE HUMILIATING TO HAVE TO DO THINGS LIKE THIS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE. DAVID HAD BEEN THROUGH TERRIBLE THINGS FOR 13 YEARS, AND FINALLY, HERE'S THE 600 GUYS THAT HE HAD BEEN PROTECTING THEM. HE'S THE ONE THAT PRO... PROVIDED FOR THEM. HE HAD DONE ALL OF THESE THINGS FOR THEM, AND BECAUSE THEY HAD SEEN THEIR CITY BURNED AND THEIR WIVES AND CHILDREN TAKEN CAPTIVE, THEY WERE GOING TO KILL DAVID, AND DAVID...YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO QUIT AND JUST GIVE UP, LIKE HOW MUCH AM I EXPECTED TO TAKE? AND REMEMBER THE CONTEXT OF WHY I'M BRINGING THIS OUT IS THIS IS<i> HOW TO STAY POSITIVE</i> <i>IN A NEGATIVE WORLD.</i> DAVID WAS IN A VERY NEGATIVE SITUATION. EVERYTHING IN HIS LIFE FOR 13 YEARS HAD GONE WRONG, AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS JUST GETTING WORSE INSTEAD OF BETTER. AND SO THE PEOPLE SPOKE OF STONING HIM. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT TIME TO GRIPE, TO COMPLAIN, TO QUIT, TO GIVE UP, TO DO SOMETHING. BUT LOOK AT THE LAST PHRASE IN THIS 6TH VERSE, IT SAYS, BUT DAVID ENCOURAGED HIMSELF IN THE LORD HIS GOD. MAN, THIS IS SO POWERFUL. DID YOU KNOW MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO ENCOURAGE THEMSELF
IN THE LORD. THEY DEPEND UPON OTHER PEOPLE. AND AGAIN, OTHER PEOPLE CAN BE A PART OF GOD ENCOURAGING US. I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. IT'S GREAT TO COME TO A MEETING LIKE THIS AND YOU KNOW, GET ENCOURAGED AND BUILT UP, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS ISN'T A PART OF IT. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER, EDIFY ONE ANOTHER DAILY, WHILE IT IS CALLED TO DAY; LEST WE BE HARDENED THROUGH THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN, HEBREWS, CHAPTER 3. SO THAT IS A PART OF IT, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, YOU CAN'T JUST ALWAYS DEPEND ON A CONFERENCE. YOU CAN'T ALWAYS DEPEND UPON ANOTHER PERSON. YOU CAN'T ALWAYS RUN TO SOMEBODY ELSE TO HAVE THEM PRAY FOR YOU. YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD. AND AGAIN, I'M SAYING THIS IN A WAY OF JUST PRAISING GOD AND THANKING GOD, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S NOW BEEN 53 YEARS SINCE THE LORD CHANGED MY LIFE, AND I CAN TRUTHFULLY SAY THAT IN THE LAST, AT LEAST 50 YEARS, I HAVEN'T BEEN DISCOURAGED OR DEPRESSED EVEN THOUGH I'VE HAD LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO BE THAT BECAUSE I'VE LEARNED HOW TO ENCOURAGE MYSELF IN THE LORD, AND THIS IS WHAT IS MISSING IN SO MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES. THEY ARE DEPENDENT UPON OTHER PEOPLE, AND I'M TELLING YOU, YOU...THERE'S NOBODY THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE FOR YOU THE WAY THAT THE LORD IS THERE FOR YOU. THE HOLY SPIRIT SPECIFICALLY IS GIVEN TO ENCOURAGE YOU AND TO BUILD YOU UP. YOU KNOW, IT SAYS, IN JUDE, CHAPTER 1, VERSE 20, BUT YOU BELOVED, BUILDING UP YOURSELVES ON YOUR MOST HOLY FAITH, PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST, VERSE 21, KEEP YOURSELVES IN THE LOVE OF GOD. YOU CAN BUILD YOURSELF UP PRAYING IN TONGUES. IF YOU HAVE THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, I HAVE COMPASSION FOR YOU, BUT I DON'T HAVE SYMPATHY FOR YOU IF YOU'RE BEING DEFEATED BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE GREATEST GIFT THAT GOD EVER GAVE US, AND WHEN YOU PRAY IN TONGUES, IT'S JUST LIKE FLIPPING A SWITCH AND TURNING ON THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST, AND IF YOU'RE DISCOURAGED, IT'S BECAUSE YOU AREN'T USING WHAT YOU'VE GOT. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS CALLED THE COMFORTER. HE'S THE...THE ENCOURAGER. THAT'S THE REASON THAT GOD GAVE HIM TO US IS TO ENCOURAGE US AND TO BUILD US UP, AND SO YOU NEED TO START USING WHAT WE'VE GOT. WE'VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO ENCOURAGE OURSELF IN THE LORD OUR GOD, AND LET ME JUST REMIND YOU THAT I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE TIME TO TURN OVER THERE, BUT IN THIS BATTLE, THAT THEY...THEY WENT AND THEY GOT BACK ALL OF THEIR WIVES, ALL OF THEIR CHILDREN, PLUS EVERYTHING THEY HAD LOST, AND THEN ALL OF THE SPOIL OF THE AMALEKITES. THEY ACTUALLY CAME OUT BETTER, AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS, DAVID BECAME THE KING OF ISRAEL, AND THE THING THAT HE HAD BEEN BELIEVING FOR FOR 13 YEARS CAME TO PASS IN JUST A MATTER OF HOURS. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU REACH A PLACE TO WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE, I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE, I HAVE REACHED MY LIMIT, WELL THEN, 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13, WILL KICK IN FOR YOU, AND THAT SAYS THAT THERE IS NO TEMPTATION TAKEN YOU BUT SUCH AS IS COMMON TO MAN: BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL, WHO WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE; BUT WILL WITH THE TEMPTATION MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT. WHEN YOU REACH
THAT PLACE WHERE I CAN'T STAND IT ANOTHER MINUTE, THEN STAND TWO, AND IF NOTHING ELSE, 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13, GOD WON'T LET YOU GO BEYOND YOUR LIMIT. WHEN YOU REACH
A PLACE TO WHERE YOU'VE WEPT UNTIL YOU CAN'T WEEP ANYMORE AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S THE DARKEST, THEN THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU JUST KEEP STANDING, GOD IS GOING TO BREAK THROUGH FOR YOU. SO DAVID WAS RIGHT AT THE BREAKING POINT, AND IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF HOURS UNTIL HIS VISION AND HIS DREAMS BEGAN TO COME TO PASS. IT'S THE SAME FOR YOU. WHEN IT FEELS LIKE YOU CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE, GOD'S GOT A WAY TO ENCOURAGE YOU. SO HOW WAS IT THAT DAVID ENCOURAGED HIMSELF IN THE LORD? IN VERSE 7, IT SAYS, AND DAVID SAID TO ABIATHAR THE PRIEST, AHIMELECH'S SON, I PRAY THEE, BRING ME HITHER THE EPHOD. AND HE BROUGHT
HITHER THE EPHOD TO DAVID, AND THE EPHOD WAS A GARMENT THAT THE PRIEST WORE, AND THEY USED THIS TO INQUIRE OF THE LORD. I DON'T TOTALLY UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WORKED, BUT HE INQUIRED OF THE LORD THROUGH THIS EPHOD AND SAID, SHOULD I PURSUE THE AMALEKITES; WILL I RECOVER ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LOST? AND THE LORD SAID, YES, YOU WILL RECOVER IT ALL, AND SO PURSUE THEM. SO WHAT HE DID, HE TURNED TO THE LORD AND LOOKED TO GOD FOR WISDOM AND DIRECTION. AND SO HERE'S THE POINT THAT I'M WANTING TO MAKE IS THAT WHEN YOU ARE FIGHTING THE NEGATIVISM OF ALL OF THE INIQUITY THAT'S ABOUNDING AND THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, HOW IS IT THAT YOU ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD? YOU TURN TO THE WORD OF GOD. JUST EXACTLY WHAT DENNIS WAS DOING TODAY, TURNING OVER THERE TO THE EXAMPLE OF GIDEON, AND HOW DID GIDEON DEAL WITH THE TERRIBLE SITUATION HE WAS IN? HIS SITUATION WAS MUCH WORSE THAN WHAT WE'RE IN. MAN, GIDEON DIDN'T HAVE A CONSTITUTION THAT WAS BEING VIOLATED. YOU KNOW, WE'VE STILL GOT A LOT OF GODLY PEOPLE IN THIS NATION. IT'S MY PERSONAL OPINION, I CAN'T VERIFY THIS BECAUSE YOU...ALL YOU HEAR IS THE BAD NEWS WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE MEDIA STUFF, BUT IT'S MY OPINION THAT AMERICA PROBABLY HAS MORE TURNED-ON BELIEVERS SEEKING GOD TODAY THAN WE HAVE EVER HAD IN THE HISTORY OF THIS WORLD. I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A GREAT MOVE OF GOD. I COULD GIVE YOU SOME STATISTICS. BILLY AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS, BUT OUR MINISTRY IS JUST EXPLODING AND PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING AT A GREATER RATE. VAN AND REGINA SMITH DOWN HERE IN ATLANTA TOLD ME THAT IT'S THE BEST YEAR THAT THEY'VE EVER HAD. YOU SEE ASHLEY AND CARLIE, AND I'M SURE DENNIS WOULD SAY THE SAME THING, AND PEOPLE ARE JUST TURNING TO THE LORD. WE'RE SEEING GREAT THINGS. IT'S SIMILAR TO ELIJAH WHEN HE SAID, LORD, I'M THE ONLY ONE LEFT, AND GOD TOLD HIM, I'VE GOT 7,000 THAT HAVEN'T BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL. MAN, I BELIEVE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HERE IN THIS NATION, AND THERE'S GOOD THINGS GOING ON, BUT SEE, YOU'VE GOT TO
ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD AND YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK TO GOD, AND THE WAY THAT I DO THIS PRIMARILY, IT'S... IT'S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, YES, BUT THE WAY I HAVE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. IT'S NOT THE ONLY WAY, BUT IT IS THE DOMINANT WAY. IT'S THE FOUNDATION. I KNOW WHO GOD IS BECAUSE OF THE WAY HE REVEALED HIMSELF IN THE WORD OF GOD. I USED...I WAS RAISED UP TO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS THE ONE THAT KILLED MY FATHER WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD AND THAT THAT WAS GOD'S WILL, AND I WAS TOLD THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND THAT NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT HIS CONTROL. DID YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THAT A LOT RIGHT NOW IN THIS NATION. I'VE ALREADY HEARD SOME CHRISTIAN LEADERS SAYING, WELL, WE KNOW THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN, AND SO IT MUST BE GOD'S WILL THE WAY THAT THE NATION IS GOING AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN CONTROL. MAN, TURN OVER TO HOSEA, CHAPTER 8, I BELIEVE IT'S VERSE 4, AND GOD SAID THAT YOU HAVE SET UP KINGS, BUT NOT BY ME. YOU'VE ESTABLISHES PRI...PRINCES, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. THAT SHOWS YOU THAT GOD DOESN'T JUST PICK AND CHOOSE WHO GOES IN THERE. I'M GOING TO SAY THIS REAL QUICK AND I'M OVER, ALRIGHT. I AM NOT GOING TO STAY ON THIS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS LAST ELECTION WAS RIGGED. I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS STOLEN. I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS ACCURATE, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE PERSON THAT WAS PUT IN IS THE PERSON THAT...THAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WANTED IN. GOD DIDN'T SOVEREIGNLY PUT THIS AND MAKE ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN. THIS HAPPENED
BECAUSE OF PEOPLE. AND SO ANYWAY, HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF ENCOURAGED? MAN, I TURN TO THE WORD OF GOD. AND SEE, IF YOU HAVE A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE WORD OF GOD AND THINK, WELL, GOD JUST SOVEREIGNLY DOES EVERYTHING, WELL THEN, YOU AREN'T GOING TO UNDERSTAND AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE DISCOURAGED, THINKING, GOD, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR EVER-LOVING MIND PUTTING IN PEOPLE WHO ARE KILLING BABIES AND WANT TO DO ALL OF THIS STUFF AND DEFUND THE POLICE AND ANARCHY AND THEY ARE GOING TO LOOSE ALL OF THIS STUFF? GOD, WHAT ARE YOU UP TO? GOD'S NOT THE ONE WHO DID THIS. SEE, YOU NEED TO KNOW GOD THROUGH THE WORD, AND THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT TRY AND HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD OUTSIDE OF THE WORD. TO ME, THERE IS NO CONFLICT BETWEEN THIS. MAN, AS I STUDY THE WORD, AS I READ ABOUT GIDEON AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH HIM, MAN, I...THAT'S GOD SPEAKING TO ME. GOD HAS SPOKEN THOSE EXACT THINGS TO ME ABOUT I'M A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR WHEN THERE'S NOTHING IN MY LIFE THAT PROVES IT. AND YET...AND GOD SPEAKS TO ME. MAN, THIS IS HOW I HAVE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. THE WAY I ENCOURAGE MYSELF IN THE LORD IS THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. AND AGAIN, WE'RE PREACHING TO THE CHOIR IN SOME DEGREE BECAUSE YOU ARE THE FANATICS THAT COME OUT ON A FRIDAY MORNING TO A CONFERENCE LIKE THIS, BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT THE AVERAGE CHRISTIAN DOES NOT SPEND MUCH TIME IN THE WORD OF GOD? THEY SPEND MORE TIME IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR TV THAN THEY DO IN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IF YOU...IF YOU ARE INFLUENCED MORE BY THE WORLD, IF THAT...IF YOU SPEND MORE TIME LISTENING TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY THAN WHAT THE WORD OF GOD HAS TO SAY, YOU AREN'T GOING TO BE ENCOURAGED. YOU WILL BE DISCOURAGED IN NEGATIVE TIMES. YOUR LOVE WILL GROW COLD. AND SOME PEOPLE SAY, WELL, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF QUALITY...I...QUANTITY TIME, BUT I HAVE QUALITY TIME. THAT WON'T WORK. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE QUANTITY TIME. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE MORE TIME IN THE WORD OF GOD THAN YOU HAVE IN THE WORLD. <i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> >> TODAY YOU SAW A PORTION OF ANDREW'S TEACHING TITLED, <i>HOW TO STAY POSITIVE</i> <i>IN A NEGATIVE WORLD</i> RECORDED LIVE FROM THE PHOENIX GOSPEL TRUTH CONFERENCE >> IN 2021. THIS PRODUCT THAT WE'RE OFFERING ON <i>HOW TO STAY POSITIVE</i> <i>IN A NEGATIVE WORLD</i> IS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED. I CAN GUARANTEE YOU WE NEED TO GUARD OUR HEARTS AGAINST THIS, OR OUR LOVE WILL WAX COLD. SO I'VE GOT DVDs THAT WERE TAKEN FROM THE CONFERENCE
IN PHOENIX. I'VE GOT CDs WHERE IT'S THE AUDIO TEACHING OF THAT AND THIS IS JUST MY TEACHING ON HOW TO STAY POSITIVE. BUT THEN WE HAVE THESE CDs, DVDs, AND A USB THAT IS THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE AND I HAD DENNIS BURKE WITH ME WHO TAUGHT THREE MESSAGES WITH MY FOUR MESSAGES. YOU COULD GET THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE, AND SO WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE WAYS FOR YOU TO GET THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE OR JUST MY TEACHING ON <i>HOW TO STAY POSITIVE</i> <i>IN A NEGATIVE WORLD.</i> LISTEN TO OUR ANNOUNCER AS HE GIVES YOU ALL OF THE DETAILS. >> THIS COMPLETE TEACHING IS AVAILABLE AS A CD OR DVD ALBUM. EACH OF THESE
VALUABLE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR A GIFT OF ANY AMOUNT WHEN YOU CONTACT US. THIS ENTIRE SERIES IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR AUDIO DOWNLOAD ABSOLUTELY FREE FROM OUR WEB SITE AT AWMI.NET. ALSO AVAILABLE TODAY IS THE ENTIRE 2021 PHOENIX GOSPEL
TRUTH CONFERENCE WHICH INCLUDES SESSIONS FROM ANDREW AS WELL AS DENNIS BURKE. THIS ENTIRE CONFERENCE IS AVAILABLE AS A CD OR DVD ALBUM, OR ON A USB FLASH DRIVE. EACH OF THESE
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ON YOUR SCREEN. WE APPRECIATE YOUR GENEROSITY AND HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU >> TODAY. <i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> >> IF YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS BEEN TELLING YOU TO COME TO CHARIS BIBLE COLLEGE, CAMPUS DAYS IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY >> TO SEE WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE. <i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> > ALL IT TAKES IS ONE WORD FROM GOD TO TOTALLY, TOTALLY, TOTALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE. DID YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A DESIRE TO BE HERE, YOU'VE ALREADY GOT A WORD FROM GOD. <i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> IF GOD HAS SPOKEN TO YOU, YOU'VE DELIGHTED YOURSELF IN THE LORD, HE'S GIVEN YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART, > THEN YOU START MOVING. <i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> >> AT CHARIS BIBLE COLLEGE, ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE ARE DISCOVERING GOD’S LOVE AND THE PURPOSE
HE HAS FOR THEM. IF GOD IS CALLING YOU, >> COME TO CAMPUS DAYS! <i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> YOU KNOW, THE LORD HAS GIVEN ME A HUGE VISION AND WE'VE BEEN BLESSED UP TO THIS POINT, BUT I'VE STILL GOT SO MUCH THAT GOD'S LEADING ME TO DO. I'M BELIEVING GOD FOR 10,000 NEW PARTNERS. WE'VE ALREADY GOT OVER $120 MILLION WORTH OF BUILDINGS IN JUST THE LAST NINE YEARS, BUT I'VE GOT AT LEAST A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS' WORTH, MAYBE 200 MILLION DOLLARS' WORTH OF BUILDINGS STILL IN MY HEART FOR OUR STUDENTS, FOR AN ACTIVITY CENTER, WE'VE GOT A NEW
STUDENT HOUSING THAT WE'VE GOT A PRELIMINARY DRAWING OF THAT IS SHOWING YOU A LITTLE IDEA OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE. THIS ONE WOULD HOUSE ABOUT 120 PEOPLE. OUR OTHERS ARE GOING TO BE SMALLER WITH MAYBE SOMEWHERE AROUND 40 PEOPLE PER DORM, BUT WE NEED THIS STUDENT HOUSING, AND WE NEED PEOPLE TO BECOME PARTNERS. I'M BELIEVING FOR 10,000 NEW PARTNERS. I WOULD ASK YOU TO PRAY ABOUT IT AND IF THE LORD SAYS SO, JOIN WITH US AND HELP US CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES THROUGH CHARIS BIBLE COLLEGE. <i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> <i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> >> IF GOD IS WITH US, >> WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? >> WE ARE NOT ALONE. >> HE WILL HELP US TO FACE NERO. >> LET HIM AMONG YOU WHO IS WITHOUT SIN, LET HIM >> THROW THE FIRST STONE. >> TO ALL PERSONS SUSPECTED OF FOLLOWING THE RELIGIOUS SECT KNOWN AS CHRISTIANITY >> WILL BE THROWN TO THE LIONS. <i>♪ MUSIC ♪</i> [END]
