Yes, good evening. Good evening, and God bless you. Yes, thank you so much. To see you jumping online, which is why a few months of returning to the Old Testament, we're going to turn into the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43 As we just turn to rest of the still it's really warm. Pray that you're okay. You're well hydrated wherever you are. Within the UK, you know, the weather is beautiful. What a beautiful evening. Let's just see what the Word of God has to say. Let's just gather around the scriptures just for these few moments, these few moments that were here 45 minutes or thereabout, sorry about that, let's turn to the book of Isaiah. What's really coming to my heart today, do not be afraid, do not be afraid, wherever you are, what is happening, this is just just resonated in my spirit, sitting in my heart this evening in my mind and my thinking. So let's turn do not do not be afraid, do not be afraid, you know, we're gonna look at a part of the text that talks about the waters, the river and the fire, you know, God is with you. When you walk through, it's really interesting scripture that we're looking at, looking at Israel as the nation. And then as you break that down, and you look through that, but I just want to read out just the first few verses of that. So turn to Isaiah 43. And then we'll just go in some other texts, we'll have a look as well going into Joshua, when we go into Daniel, chapter three, go into Exodus, as well, where we're see where we are at this moment. Don't be afraid, you know, it's very easy, isn't it to say don't be afraid. It's so easy within the church language between brothers and sisters and the cumin communication that we have with one another to say, Don't be afraid. It's easy to say that but actually, to put yourself into that position as the as the individual when when we're at a church, when we're walking, and we're working, and we're living our lives and we're doing whatever we're doing. It's easy within the framework. When we're online together. When we're praying together, we're being together, we're walking together, but when we're on our own, when we're in the workplace as a believer, or we're at home, or we're just out doing and walking the earth, whatever we may be doing. I find that that difficult, I find that a bit more. Or could be an honest I find sometimes being in a crowded area and try not be afraid and following the crowd and everything you know, you know, maybe I'm too honest, maybe but who knows. But the scripture says do not be afraid. And we've picked this up over the last few weeks. You know, fear is a very powerful instrument. Fear can be used very easily in certain contexts of life. But let's turn let's just see what it says you know, God is with you. Fear is a very real emotion. Can we use the word emotion? Is it the vehicle that the enemy uses fear? What is it and how is it? But Jesus mentions it many times in the New Testament, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid, do not be afraid. So we understand that it's part of the humans makeup. It's part of our makeup. It's part partly within us and around us. It's a very difficult issue to talk about fear because you will meet believers or you will meet churchgoers, you will meet people in the context of church where they say I'm never afraid, I never fear for and they start quoting all these these big biblical texts to us and, and you know what, sometimes you just want someone to be around you that's really real, and says, You know what, I go through the waters, and I worry, the streams are rising, and I'm worrying. I'm at work and I'm stretched, you know that that is a big encouragement. You know, sometimes we got to be careful of the people that are in our environment, the people that are around us, you know, because there can be so many false layers and bringing us into a false position. So it's really important that we make sure that the people that are around us are ones that will help us when the strings rise. You know, you can look into the New Testament very clearly where we have that that that gentleman that that person that could not move that was laying on the sickness bed, and he had the fall that carried him up and and tore the roof off and load him into the presence of Jesus. It's, it's all right. When people say don't worry, brother, I'll pray for you don't worry this and that it'll be okay. But it's easy to say all that and to text that and to and to produce that and to bring that but when you're the person going through it, when you're the one actually living it when you're the one going through the worries and the fears. You know, it can be very difficult to actually get yourself into a position of peace, you know, and that's that's where we are at this moment. God is a God of love. We clearly understand that he's a God of all data got a structure and there is a time in which we are that I should say is coming our way, where what we see happening now, it is clearly going to get stronger what is happening. So at this moment in time, I really need to make sure that I get myself in, in a foundational position of understanding what God's Word says, for the times in which we sit. You know, we find many places where the Bible talks about fear, where people get very fearful of life situations that disciple jumps out of the boat, Lord, if that's you call me, I'll come to you, I'll walk on the water. It's okay, beating the drum of I'm going to do it. Yeah, I can do it. But then actually, when it actually comes to it, when it actually almost brings it to production, making it pushing it into action, some people find it very difficult to actually to, to walk by faith. Now, who knows what the correct answer is that the way is Jesus. That's how we always point each other, we have to point each other to Jesus, He is your way he is that your Redeemer he is your God, he's your king. But each and every one of us deals with our faith walk very, very differently. And that is the beauty of being a believer in Christ Jesus, because each one of us, although we are called and chosen, and God is with us, and we, we read the Word and we see that all of us are still individuals, we are clear. Clearly individuals, we are sons and daughters of the living God. So each and every one of us experience fair a different level, faith at a different level, we walk very differently. interpretation and the Scripture can can be different. You know, that's why the Bible says Come let us reason together while we speak the word. Look at the word, we read the word. So when we're in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 53, it's, it's speaking about three major powerful elements of life. It's talking about the waters, it's talking about the river, it's talking about the fire, now we can find and we'll pull a reference to see what the scripture is referring to. But if we was to turn to Isaiah, chapter 43, you can read on and I pray that you do read on and you get the revelation or knowledge and God gives you peace through the Scripture tonight, but I just want to keep it very simple. And keep it very easy without over engineering it and overthinking it and trying to work stuff out. Sometimes we can, or I can try and work things out and try and place it here now. And sometimes I gotta say, Lord, I see what it says in the book of Matthew chapter seven, Lord, that if I build upon the rock, when the streams calm, and the wind and the rain beats against the house, when I build on the rock, when I'm when I'm living in certain times, in perilous times, I will be able to stand because I'm building on the word. So the way that that I need to move forward is to build upon the rock. And we understand through scripture, that our God is the rock, he is the Redeemer, he is our foundation. So I need to build I need to stand I need to build my life on and around, I need to I need to build it and trust God, it's about trusting God, just trust in Him. But we all we all know the word what trust means. But we all may look at it very slightly different. It's easy, isn't it? For me to say, just trust God, it's easy, isn't it? For the preachers and the teacher to go, God loves you trust them in your circumstances, you know, but it's actually put in, putting that into into into our motion putting that into a being where the where the trust that I have in him rises up above the fear above the worry above the doubt. It's okay to worry, it's okay to be fearful. But what's not okay is for the worry and the fear to absolutely control me so much I, I almost lose focus of what the purpose and the understanding of my life is, are all of us go through worry. All of us goes through fearful moments, all of us goes through joyful moments, we're all at different journeys and different levels of our faith, walk with Christ our, our understanding where we sit and what we understand. And I just want to try and just guide us and as we are together, because we are together. We are walking together. We're in the UK together with obviously with your you're in here within the UK tonight. Thanks be to God, if you live here, we're coming under a government that has completely lost all understanding of the the press of life. So we are finding ourselves, we got a really lean, we really got to lean into the Scripture, because we can't seem to look anymore. And when I say look to guidance, because the Bible talks about godly governance, and it doesn't mention politicians, it talks about them as ministers. So they have a responsibility over each and every one of us. But then suddenly, when we see the flakiness and everything that we're seeing, I gotta maybe not put so much weight on that maybe you might be saying, well, I've never done that in the first place. Or Thanks be to God, whatever that may be, but we can't help let our eyes just land on what we see and what our ears hear around us. We we can't help that you know, and obviously the best way to do that is not to follow the news, and to not to listen to what's going on. But that's easier said than done. But each and every one of us has got our own press on life. But trust is very interesting. Faith is a very interesting word. You know. So where do I sit tonight? Lord, I need you like never before. I've got to trust you, Lord, as we go through the waters, as we go through the rivers as we go through the fires when it mentions the fire, and it talks about the rivers and it talks about the waters. Let's let's read this together. Let's see where we sit, you know, put your own comments up online, talk to one another online uses as a time to communicate and to discuss the scriptures as I as I believe God is using me as a voice piece tonight, just to bring the scripture to me and to you, and just to look and say, God, what are you saying through this? The Bible mentions fair a lot 365 times, we get that we see that we understand. Now, Isaiah 43, I'm going to pick it up in verse two. I'm gonna see what it says in verse two, we go straight to verse two, you probably read that yourself. Sorry, verse one, the back into verse one, it says, Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name, you are mine, a love that way that that the writer presents that when you pass through the waters, number one, I will be with you when you pass through the rivers. Number two, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire. You will not be burn, the flames will not set you ablaze for I am verse three of Isaiah 43. For I am Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. And it goes on it says I give Egypt for your ransom and it presses on. But let's just hold it there just just a moment. Let's just just pull so the Bible is clearly speaking to me tonight very clearly about three major elements that could give me issues in life. It talks about water, I could drown. It talks about rivers, I could get swept away. It talks about something that is really dead deadly, which is fire. So when it talks about these elements, it's telling us that when we walk through when Israel will walk through is referring to Israel. But what I love it says do not do not fear. So we look at Israel as the nation. We see what God is speaking through the book of Isaiah, we see this about Israel and the progression of Israel. But when we break these texts down, what do we find we find individuals in these nations so God is speaking collectively to to the to the master the crowd, but then also he's talking to the nation and he's talking to the individual when you walk through a nation as itself cannot walk because it is a nation so so then suddenly it becomes very personalized and it breaks it through. The only way and the only way that we can walk is if we're human beings we walk through our life we're on a walk through and whatever you go through, I pray tonight that you will realize that God is with you in the waters the times of waters in in the flood stages of life when everything is coming against you. And then if you choose to go up to the book of Matthew chapter seven, around about verse 25 It talks about the rains come the streams rose the wind beat against that house but when I build upon the rock when I build upon the rock, I will hold it when the storms come when the issues arise you know when the streams are rising when the rain came down and the wind blew but I was able the house was able to stand because I built upon the rock and then it gives us that other tax very clearly that if he was to build on sand when the same storm the same rain fell the same stream rose you're gonna get washed away and it says if you build on sand you're gonna fall with a great crash and it's really important that I build right I build right as a believer I build right what do you mean build right? I read right I pray right? I walk right? So I build in the Bible makes it very clear it says carry on or build on the foundation that you want to talk on. Now. It talks about foundations foundations are extremely important. The foundation is something of the structure of the house that we do not see it is below the ground. So it is important that I build in a secret place the foundation is critical for the house. The foundation is as potent than any other part of the house because without a strong foundation the house might look pretty, it might stay there for a little while but without building upon concrete upon the rock without putting a proper strip foundation and without having a proper base to come off from the house will fall. It's really important that I build on Jesus I build on the wall Uh I build on God I, I build it, I've got to keep this really simple, you know, religion, calm causes complications and all this stuff. And I've just got I just got to trust in Jesus. See, I've said that again. I've just got to trust in Jesus. Well, how do I get to that position, I trust him through the Word through what he has said and what your spoken, and what he has presented me as to me as a human being, as a son or a daughter as the living child that I am walking with him see, now, the Scripture is very clear in this in this point, it says, Do not fear, for I have redeemed you very clear redemption, and redeem the you have been redeemed I have been redeemed. So when we look at this text, we can look at this that God is saving Israel is drawing Israel is protecting Israel. And then we break that further down take the go further into the text, we see that what is Israel made up of not just as a nation, as a flag, but a made up as individual individuals and people and and all types of ages and all different areas of the press of life. So is referring nation break that down again, to someone that believes the children of God, you are a child of the living God, and God will provide now when we look at what it says about the waters, you might want to turn to the Book of Exodus, if you turn to the Book of Exodus. And if you go to chapter 14. Now go to Exodus chapter 14, I've marked this because of the fair places quite a few places we need to turn to just to get an idea what it means about water. So if we were to turn to Exodus, chapter 14, and the verse 21, if we turn there, it says, Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. And all that night, the Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind and turned it in a dry ground, the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground. So back in a book of Isaiah 43, it says, Do not fear for if or I am going to redeem you, I have summoned you by name, you are mine. That is such a powerful statement. Now who is saying this, this is God, God is making a very clear, a very positive spoken word over the chosen, and over a nation, and over the Israelites and over Israel, he says, Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Now we pull back, we go back and we look at Exodus, because this is what it says when Moses stretched out his hand over the sea or that night the Lord drove back the sea back with an East strong wind and turned it to dry ground. You may be looking at a flood stage issue in your life, you may be looking at the Red Sea scenario and thinking, Lord, how am I going to get to the promise that you have promised, it is not up to us to make the miracles happen. No one can make a miracle happen. God uses us as an instrument and God chooses. But the church and religion will tell us, give us 5000 pound and I'll make you an evangelist, I'll turn you into a healer, I'll do this, I'll do that when God gives the gifts. God gives the gifts. God allows the gifts God gives the gifts. So what's really, really important is is that God is the miracle worker, and we are his instrument, and he will use who he's going to use. And he will do whatever he's going to do. The scripture says His ways are higher than our ways his thoughts are far beyond our thoughts. So God is going to do what God is going to do. God is going to use who he is going to use. He's not going to wait for ministries, to sign people up and put people in the positions that they think that they should be in God is working in his ways, and his Marvels to perform God. We cannot anticipate how God is going to work. What we have to try and understand is through prophecy is through biblical interpretation, what to expect and what to see in the times in which we live. Jesus said very clearly, at the Mount, he said look out for the signals. Look out for the signs. So with biblical interpretation, with biblical prophecy with the Word of God, with prayer with seeking God and seeking the Kingdom of God and reading His word, I can get an understanding of where we sit, but I cannot anticipate what God is going to do. I have a overview. I have an understanding through the word because the word Word is prophesied and is what to expect at this time? Well, what time are you referring to? I have to find where we sit within the Biblical calendar of Scripture and say God, are we in this area? Are we at this time? Lord? Are we at this stage? Lord? Have the writers on the on the horses load up the horses? Come out Lord, Revelation, Lord, where are we sitting farther? What particular point in Revelation? Are we at farther? Where are we, regarding governments? Where are we regarding money markets? Where are we regarding one world order? Whereabouts are we it's important for me that I do not fall asleep on the edge of the Garden of Gethsemane, I've got to be alert, I've got to be like a watchman on the wall, I've got to be alert. And I've got to be spiritually connected to the Word of God. So when I look at this, and I bring this interpretation, I see very clearly that God is speaking to Israel, God is speaking to the nation. But then he says, when you go through as a nation, when you go through as individuals, as you go through as my children, I will be with you. When it looks very bleak. When you look at that red. See, when you look at that crossing, I will make a way where there is no way. So when we come to the book of Exodus, chapter 14, verse 21, it says, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. And all that night the Lord drove back, it is the Lord that drove it is the Lord that will drive it is the Lord that will produce the miracle. It is the Lord that will do the signs and the wonders. It is the Lord that will do the miraculous it is the Lord, that will make a way it is God that will show us the way, nobody else when God said to the Israelites, when there was in the desert, wandering around. He said, prepare yourself, because I'm going to exit you out of this place out of the wilderness. But you need to be very alert, you need to listen and obey. And be very careful to what I'm telling you. Because when you come out of this position, you have never come this way before you have never walked this way before. So instruction is really, really important that I come under instruction, and I go by instruction, I go by the word of God. Hebrews chapter 12, verse two, keep my eyes on Jesus, keep my eyes on Jesus, the author, the perfecter of my faith, he will make a way he will park the seas, you we will not drown. So as I look at that text in Isaiah 43, he says, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Then he says, When you pass through the rivers, what are you referring to? Let's turn to the book of Joshua. When we go to Joshua, we get a glimmer of what is happening. Let's go to Joshua. Go to chapter three. Let's go to chapter three of Joshua. And I believe we are in verse 1414. Joshua, chapter three, it says, when the people broke camp, to cross the Jordan, the priests Karen, the Ark of Covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at for flood stage during the harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carry the ark reach the Jordan, and their feet touched the water's edge, the water will upstream be stopped and it will start flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away. Now. So when I go through, when I go through the trials, when I go through the tribulations, you know, you might be looking at a Jericho, you might be looking at a Goliath, you might be looking at a river that's gotta be crossed. And we are using these as picture form interpretations. So when we look at this, we are looking very clearly how God works. So you might, and you have had a word from God, and God has given you a promise, but what you see between yourself or myself and the Promised Land, I see a Jordan River experience. I'm thinking to myself, right, God, you have promised me that better days are ahead. But at this moment, Lord, I've got to get from this side of the Jordan, to that side of the Jordan. But Lord, I know that you have spoken to me, you have given me a word. Now Lord, I'm going to sit in faith, I'm going to be still know that you are God. Now God has made it very clear for the Scripture. When you go through the waters, I will be with you. When you go through the rivers you will not be swept away. God piled up the sea. God kept the rivers back. Now, if we, if we look at the word, that word fire, what what are you referring to? Now this fire, we know fire is such a powerful element. You know, water is we've looked at two different issues and in two different areas. We've looked at water and we've looked at Rivers. We looked at the waters where it was impossible to cross. I can't get over there. You The only way this is going to happen is if God makes a way where there is no way. So if he was to turn to the book of Daniel, Daniel chapter three, you're probably pretty familiar with this text that we're going to look at. So in Isaiah 43, let's just have a quick recap before we go back. So also what I should say is go into Daniel chapter three, I'm just trying to be very steady our speak tonight, I'm just taking my time tonight. I really believe God is carrying you. I believe God is making a way for you. I believe that there are many weary with the stress of life at this moment, I believe that you are looking at a river Jordan, many are looking at the Red Sea. And many are in this position of Daniel chapter three. Where there are elements of government there are elements of policies, trying to get us to bow down to foreign gods. So this is where fire comes in, to the to the conversation and the text that we are looking at. So just to just to recap, a quick recap, Isaiah 43, from verse one, and it says, Do not fear I for I have redeemed you and I have summoned you by name You are mine. When you pass through the waters, the book of Exodus, we clearly see that I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, Joshua chapter three, we see that they will not sweep you or take you away. When you walk through the fire. You will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze. If we were to go into the book of Daniel, and we read about them three powerful young men Miss Shaq, shamrock and Bendigo. Not sure if I got the pronounciation quite right. My, my, my lips are tired, my voice is tired. It's been a long day. But when we go to Daniel chapter three, and we pick it up in verse 13, it says furious with rage, King Nebuchadnezzar, he summoned Shamrock, Meshach and Abednego. Now, when we look at this text, we we probably get an overview and understanding. We may have heard this preach. Goodness knows how many times we may have done a study on this. But we clearly understand a particular point, a particular time in the day, what we find very clearly is that meshack shamrock and Bendigo was not going to bow down to what the Kings requirement was. So this king, we understand this king, he says when when the music plays the liar when the flute, when you hear this music, I want you to stop doing what you're doing. And I want you to bow down and to worship foreign gods, this government that we serve this government that we walk with this government that are out there, I really believe and now I'm probably being a little I've got to be a bit careful how I say things. But you know what I'm saying policies that have come out situations that are around us are trying to get Christians to bow down to foreign gods. Now, it is very difficult not to bow down to a foreign god, that whatever way you look at it, sometimes we get caught in materialism. Sometimes we get caught in the social network, sometimes we get caught in work, sometimes we get caught in different layers of life, and will amongst them layers, there are foreign gods, there are many foreign gods around us. And we need to be very careful that we don't get caught, that we actually be strong. And we trust the that word has come up again, trust, it is very easy to say, I've just got to trust God but you're not living my life. You're not walking through the valley of Baqarah. At the moment with me you're you're not coming through the rivers because what I see around me I see the river Jordan there. And if I was to turn to the left, I see Jericho there. And if I were to turn to the right over there, I see the see the Red Sea. So Wherever I look, I see a wall I see a river that is for flood stage. And if I turn to my right, I see a sea that is impossible to cross. So you might be I might be a brother or sister that is looking at many elements of life and thinking God, you have promised me so much through the word of God. Now Lord helped me through my faith, walk my my press as a believer as a son or a daughter of the living God helped me Lord, to exercise this faith to bring this faith into a physical move. It is so easy to say The just shall live by faith. Yes, brother. Yes, Sister, you go by faith. Yeah, everything will be okay. But when you when we really analyze life, when we really look at life when we really try and capture life, and when we are living in times when which we are living families, we are all being stretched in many, many areas of life. Now that might be with the fuel crisis that might be with the issues for Universal Credit when you look at the government, you know, the towers of About a fall in the elite is falling, the structures are falling, the systems of industry are grinding to a halt. So I have to go by faith. Because if I live by what I see and what I present what I look at in front of me, if I live by perception, if I look, if I allow my eyes to lock on to the system of life, I will find that I will be in a very fearful position very quickly, if I allow my ears to lock on to what I see, and I take in what I hear, I will be in a in a fearful position. So, what I got to be careful of is that I what I see and hear, I do not allow that to affect the spiritual mean, you know, we hear lots of people, there are lots of people that, that bounce around the Christian community saying, God is wonderful. Yeah, I'm following God, all things are wonderful, or great and wonderful, everything's rosy, everything is wonderful and blessed and highly favored. Hallelujah, given the praise, and on your holy roller skates, and all that sort of stuff. But when you really look at real life, bringing children up, come walking into retirement at this time in life, you know, being in the workplace, maybe being a single parent family, being in a marriage, that is really hard being in a relationships that are tough, being in a culture that is that is really drawing you and really stressing you being in an environment being in a certain postcode that has certain demands on your life, you know, what is really important is that we surround ourselves with brothers and sisters that will say, I will I will carry you and what do you mean by I will carry you in the New Testament, we read very clearly that there was four that lifted up each corner of that their friends, position of their bed, and they carried him to the presence of Jesus, they looked at the house, the house was filled, they couldn't get him through the door, they couldn't get him through the window. So what did they do, they went up to the top floor, and they went onto the top of the roof, and they tore open up, they tore the roof open, and they lowered their friend into the presence of the living God, Jesus Christ. I want to surround myself, with sisters or brothers, whoever that may be, that will lower me into the presence of Jesus, when I am weary, when I can't get off of that sick bed, when I'm worried I can't get out, I can't make a move forward. What we've got to be careful of is the people that surround us, because people that surround us will influence our life, they will influence for Christ, or they will influence for the enemy. So we got to make sure that we know the characters that are around us. Are you for us? Are you for or against us? Will you carry me when I'm tired? Will you put your arm around me when I'm wearing now we see very, very clearly the scriptures in which we are looking at that God will be with us. He will be with us when we look at the scenario and the biblical interpretation of what we have just read in Isaiah 43, where it says God will be with you when you walk through the waters, God will be with you and he will park the rivers, the rivers will not sweep your way. Isaiah 43 Verse one to verse two. And it says when you walk through the fire, the flames will not burn you. There are many people in the flames of life. There are many people in the book of Matthew chapter seven, that a building on the rock and they fill the torrent beating at their front door they fill the streams rising, what do you mean by the streams rising? We are living in times when we are at almost full flood stage. We cannot rely on government we cannot rely on structures. We cannot mat rely on man made systems. It is now that we have to operate and we have to walk by faith but isn't it easy to say The just shall live by faith? Help me Lord to live by faith? How do I live by faith? Faith comes from hearing hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of God. It is not through denominations it is not through me it is not through pastors it is not through leaders. Please do not follow me. Follow Jesus please do not follow this denomination. Yes it's okay to walk together to encourage one another to pray for one another. You know and obviously pastors and leaders and eldership teams have their biblical position but I cannot put my full weight my full stretch my my everything on a human being. I've got to put everything that I have in Jesus I have to put everything that I've got within my inner most been my DNA, my bone structure, my life, everything that I've got, I've got to do what that that New Testament decides Apple did, sitting around the table at communion time with Christ, He leaned into Jesus, I really believe that we are living at a time, when we've got to lean into Jesus, now is a time to lean into Christ. Now, as we look at this text, we are looking at me Shaq, Shamrock, and Bendigo. They said to the king, king, Nebuchadnezzar, whatever you decide to do to us, all is well with us. If you read that text, it's a long text. So if he was to read, Daniel, chapter three from verse 13, and if he was to pick it up and go all the way through, it says in verse 16, let me back up. Let me back up a bit. It says, verse 15, it says, when you hear the sound of the hole in the flute, the the liar, the heart, the pipe, and all kinds of music. If you are ready to fall down to the ground and worship, the image I have made see the governments are making images, the governments are making idols, the governments are making ivory towers, the business world are making ivory towers, the elite are living and stay in, in ivory towers. But we have seen very clearly that through COVID, the ivory towers are very empty, there is nothing worse than climbing the greasy pole of the world of what we call success, and working your way all the way through your career, time and climbing up and thinking when I get to the top, when I get that, that office that when I look over London, I will be at rest, you know what that the higher the ladder, the more empty it becomes, the more lonely it becomes, the more stressful it becomes. It's very interesting in in the Old Testament where it talks about the Tower of Babel, where they was building they was building they was building let us build a name for ourselves. Businesses are building names for themselves. Politicians, preachers and teachers, you know, are building names for themselves, I cannot build a name for myself, because we have the greatest name in heaven on earth, and that the name of Jesus every knee shall bow on the roof and that we are through the roof, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. But when we look at that text, the king says, when you hear the music, when you hear the sound, this is what I want you to do. If you are ready to fall to the ground and worship the image, I am made very good, but if you do not worship it, now, we are living in, in in a society in a culture within the UK, where the governments are trying to sweep Christianity out of every layer of life. You will find it very difficult to find policies and programs and structure that support Christianity, you will really have to look hard and fast and find somewhere amongst the pagan nest, the humanist the the the atheist lies and layers that we see before us. Now shamrock me shack and bendy co made this really clear. We will not fall down to what you want us to do. We will not bow down to any foreign gods. So when it talks about fire, in Isaiah, we see what we what we are referring to when you walk through the fire. I will be with you. When you walk through the waters, the rivers, I will be with you. When you go through the fire, you will not be burned, you will not be caught ablaze. What does the text say further down, not one hair, they did not smell of fire. They did not actually get caught alight in any way shape, or form. When we understand the text and when we look at this text, and when you break this text down. This is such a powerful text, Michelle shamrock and Abednego said Listen here, whatever happens, all is well. But we will not be bowing down whether you follow us in the fire. It's God's will if we survive, it's God's will. If we are taken it's God's will. But what ever happens, our God is with us. But what is clear, we will not bow down we will not bow down and worship foreign Gods got to be so careful that I don't bow down and worship foreign gods materialism is a way that we worship foreign gods we get caught in the trap of society of having of wanton and we become without realizing we start to worship materialism, cars, gadgets, houses postcode we get in this drumbeat in this rhythm of life. This motion of I've got to have I've got to have I've got to have. And when we reach to that next level I've got to have we realize that what we weren't to that we stress for that we went out and got, suddenly what we got that material value has no real value, because it doesn't give us any eternal satisfaction because it is not spiritual, the only place that we will find complete rest, complete peace is in the supernatural God of Israel. But God will make a way where there is no way. If you are looking at waters of hardship tonight, if you are looking at streams that are reflowing, at full flood, if you are looking at walls of Jericho, if you are being thrown into the furnace in the fire of life, if you are in the Gospel of Matthew chapter seven, when the streams of life are rising, and the rain is falling, if you believe if you hold on to the Word of God, belief is different to understanding we will never understand but if I just believe God will park the seeds for me, God will hold back the streams for me, God will not allow me to be burn. Even there are many you could even come back to the to the book of Daniel and go, well, the King, the other king is frying me in the lion's den, I'm being thrown in the lion's den. Lord, I need you to close the mouth of these lions is really interested in the text that we are in tonight. The Old Testament is so beautiful. There may be lions around you that are trying to maul you. There may be a fiery situation, that you feel so close to the flames that you could get burned, you may feel that you are standing on the Jordan's edge and God has promised you, but between the promise now, what I'm saying between the promise is the physical side of it between what God has said, Now I find this quite difficult to live with, when you have been given a word through the Word. And you know, it's a word from God. And God has given you a promise. And you know, the promise is before you, but between you and the promise, there are valleys, there are mountains, there are treacherous journeys ahead of you. When God has given you a vision or a dream, and God has given you an anointing. And God has given you a clear focus and a clear understanding of what His will is for your life. But when you have been given a vision, and you have been given a dream, and you are living, and then you've got to live in the natural when God has given you a supernatural understanding, and you've got a clear interpretation, I find living within a world that cannot accept the spiritual is the hardest thing to do. Your workplace, your home life, your family, your friends, then you may put yourself in a Joseph situation where you have been blessed by the Father, and you have been given a coat you have been given a tuner, the father has blessed you. And you have told your family that you have been blessed. And God has given you a word or there is a miracle on your life. And you start to tell your brothers, you start to tell your sisters, you start to tell your family, you start to be very vocal in what God and what the Father has given you. And when you start to tell people, your vision and your interpretation of the vision and the dream, you start to find that the ones around you that are close, are not actually for you. So it's really important that if I'm in a Joseph situation, that I'm very careful that Who do I tell what God has dropped in my spirit too, because just because they've got the same blood running through the veins, doesn't mean to say that they're going to be for what God has or what the Father has, has given you is very difficult to live in a world that is very physical, when God has given you a spiritual answer. And you've got to walk in the physical and you've got to get to the other side of the river Jordan, you've got to wait for the sea to be parted. It's very difficult, living within the UK as a believer because everything that we do as a nation is antichrist is anti God. The nation is not for when I talk about the nation, I am talking about the structure of the nation, not talking about the people. I'm talking about the structure and the policies and the programs and the the areas of life that are coming at Christianity. I believe that we are living in really glorious times but amongst the glorious times, there are various there are rivers that are going to be crossed. There are oceans that are be going to be crossed. There are seas that are going to be crossed. There are Jericho that I've got to come down. So when you look at these All these elements, the only way that these elements will fall before our very eyes is through what is through obedience and being a brother or sister of faith in the Word of God. The only way that Jericho fell was pure obedience, the only way the waters parted, and they was kept upstream in the book of Joshua is because they was given a commandment. And they went and they stood at and they went in to the River Jordan, that he says, Go and stand at the water's edge, go to the brink. Now the word bring, we understand that the word Brink means there's no way back, you've got to, there is only one way to go. So go to the River Jordan, stand in the Jordan, walk around the Jericho, you may have been faced with a very physical Goliath in your life, you may be standing and looking across the Red Sea, but God will make away where there is no way. He's away maker, and I'm not referring to the song, I'm not going down that road, I'm referring that he will make a way where there is no way he is your God, He is your King, he will redeem you, he knows you by name, he loves you unconditionally. So as we bring this to some form of a oppose, or just a place to rest and to be still, I want to encourage you tonight to keep in the Word of God. I want to encourage you tonight, to stay in Christ to walk with Christ to trust Christ. Again, I've used that word trust, to put everything you got into Jesus, He will make a way he will, he will park the Red Sea, he will, he will hold the streams back, he will hold that back. There may be an experience that you're going through that he's at full flood stage. If he was to go back to the book of Isaiah, chapter 43. It says, I will be with you when you pass through the waters. I will be with you when you go through the rivers, and I will be with you. And that there is no way that the flames of the fire will catch you a blaze. Three major elements, it talks about waters, it talks about rivers, it talks about fires, then you could go on. And you could look into the Book of Daniel and you could look very clearly about the prophet that was thrown into the lions den. You may feel that you've been thrown into the lions den. You may feel that you're looking at this wall around your life. And you're thinking how can I get through? How am I going to get over? How am I going to get round this Jericho, obedience and standing and resting and trusting that word that words come again. That words before us again, trust, faith. I pray, I pray for each and every one of you tonight. Wherever you are across the earth. We will be brothers and sisters of the word we will put our complete been into the Word of God. And I'm referring to Hebrews chapter 12 verse to keep your eyes on Jesus, the author, the perfecter of your faith. Wherever you are tonight, I just pray that you will just trust God. Do not lean on your own understanding. But in all your ways, acknowledge the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. He is your God is your King. He is your shield is your rempah he is your rock. He is your God. He is with you when you go through the waters. He's with you as you're looking at the streams of life. He's with you, as you may put yourself into the Gospel of Matthew, chapter seven, the strings are rising. The rain is falling. The wind is beating, but I'm standing on the rock. He is with you as you gaze at the Jericho before your eyes. He's with you as you run down into the arena. And as you faced Goliath. And as we say, and as the Word says, As David said to glofx You come against me with spear, sword and javelin. When I come in the night. I come in the name of the Lord. Isn't that interesting? And there's power in the name of Jesus, in the name of the Lord. So wherever you are, remember, there is power. In the name of Jesus. The righteous running to the Lord is a strong towel. The righteous run into wherever you are tonight. Hold on to the Word of God. I escaped through too many scriptures. We've read many scriptures. And I pray that the word of God will rest in your spirit wherever you never give up. Never give up in the mighty name of Jesus Christ is with you. And He will never leave you nor forsake you. He's with you when you walk in the fire is when You cross the sea River in the river is with you the battlefield or not bless you. The mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Close:Thank you for listening to Elim church Swanleys latest podcast. You can find us on Buzzsprout Spotify, Apple Music iHeartRadio Google Play Alexa Mixcloud, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.