The Enemy of Your Soul Desires You

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for another opportunity, Lord, to come into your house to worship, to praise you, to thank you for all the great things you do in our life. This morning, Lord, I pray that you would speak through my heart, from my heart, from your heart to mine, through my lips, that the word of God would go forth, be received in the mighty name of Jesus. We pray we'll give you glory, we give you honor and praise. In Christ's name, amen. My sermon title this morning is The Enemy of Your Soul Desires You. The Enemy of Your Soul Desires You. As I was preparing this sermon, which took a great deal of preparation, there were two things that came to me in the beginning. That there were two spirits that we would have to resist in the last day as born-again Christians. The first one is the Laodicean spirit. Revelation chapter 3, verse 14. And the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou saith I am rich and increased with goods, have need of nothing, and knowest not thou that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I counsel thee to be to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, in white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with I salv, that thou mayest see. And as many as I love I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and hear with me. Revelation 3, 20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me. Here Christ says, I stand, I'm in your presence. I stand firm, fixed, and established. I am of a steadfast mind. I do not hesitate or waver. I stand safe and sound, ready and prepared as I stand by you. He is right there, a fingertip away, the turn of a doorknob, his voice can be heard. His desire is toward me, Solomon 7.10. I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. Outside the door, ready to speak, ready to teach. The teacher is ready, but where is the student? The atmosphere is charged with his presence. It explodes with love, wisdom, and knowledge. It wants to be received. It cries in the streets. It goes to extremes to be heard. You can smell its fragrance in the air. However, something is required of the potential listener. He must turn toward the voice. He must take hold of the doorknob. He must turn the doorknob. He must not be afraid of the entrance of deity. The listener, the student must become enveloped in the relationship, head over heels, wild abandoned, like young love, like the dew upon the early mountain grass, like a gentle rain that falls upon the earth, like the early morning tulips that open their petals. The student must be ready to be overwhelmed by his love and presence. An open heart, a listening ear, and a teachable spirit is what is required. He stands, we must not sit. We must rise and let him shine upon our lives. The light is available, the truth has been published, the book has been written. Are you ready to have your heart burn within as his presence enters through the door? Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus when they said to one another, Did not our hearts burn within while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures. Woe to them that are at ease in Zion. The Bible talks about comfort the feeble-minded, which means the unruly. Those that are at a step, at a step, not in sync with the Lord and the Holy Spirit. The second spirit is the spirit of apostasy. We must resist the spirit. 2 Timothy 2 1 says, Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. There will be a falling away, and what is that? It's a defection, it's an apostasy, it's a repudiation of our faith, it's a bill of divorce, it means to revolt, it means to stand off and be aloof, it means to go away, to depart and to desert, to become faithless, to shun, to flee, and to withdraw oneself from the things of God. Those are two spirits that I believe are encompassing, especially our country today. We are the most illiterate Bible-believing people in the world. We don't know the word of God, we don't know the voice of God. We just don't. I want to bring to you Job chapter 1 and verse 6. You see, the enemy of your soul desires you. And if you don't think that's true, just look around. You see, we always go back to the book of Job and say, Well, that was Job. But what does the word say? One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser, Satan, came with them. Where have you come from? The Lord asked Satan. And Satan answered, the Lord, I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on. Then the Lord asked Satan, Have you noticed my servant Job? He's the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless, a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. Satan replied to the Lord, Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him, and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is. But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face. All right, you may test him, the Lord said to Satan. So Satan left the Lord's presence. You know what happened to Job. I don't have to go into that. But here's the point I want to make. After Jesus went through the 40 days before his father in the desert, in the wilderness, where Satan was attacking him and accusing him, and while Christ was fighting against the, the Bible says, the wild beasts. The Bible says in Luke 4.13, and when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him, from Jesus, look at the word, for a season. What are you talking about? Well, you see, this was the first encounter that Job had with the Lord. He goes and he says, Hey, take the hedge away. And God said, Don't hurt him physically. But Job comes back. He comes back in chapter 2, verse 1. One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord. And the accused of Satan came with them. Where have you come from? The Lord asked Satan. Satan answered, The Lord, I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on. Then the Lord asked Satan, Have you noticed my servant Job? He's the finest man in all the earth. He's blameless, a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. He has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause. Without cause. Verse 6. All right. Do with him as you please, the Lord said to Satan, but spare his life. So Satan left the Lord's presence and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot. Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die. But Job replied, You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? And so in all this, Job said nothing wrong. How many times something happens to us, an affliction? Oh, why didn't God allow this to happen? God could have prevented this. Sometimes we bring it on ourselves. And you know what's missing? Repentance. At one time I was 264 pounds.

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Dr.

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Horty said to me, You're on the verge of a stroke and you can't even see your toes. You're so fat. You're too fat. What did I do? You see, I was engaging in the sin of gluttony. I lost 64 pounds. And boy, did I get accolades? Praise the Lord, look at you. No, you want to know what the testimony is? Repentance. I should have ate three bagels and six donuts. I should not have abused my body. I brought myself into the situation, and now I'm getting praise for what? What I should be telling people is repent. I need to repent because food became my God. Food was an idol. Anything you put before God is an idol.

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That's right.

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And that's the repentance that we need before God. And that's what the church is not willing to do in America. We have put the Laodicea in spirit before us. We have put riches and goods and material things. And look at me, I am so blessed. But you're an empty shell.

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That's right.

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You're an empty shell. The Bible says this. You know the story of Peter, but let me let me really get into this. Luke 22, verse 31. We are a target for the enemy. And if you think you can be immune by prayer and fasting, and you think you can escape all that, you're out of your mind. Because he's after you every day. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Okay? And the church hasn't really heard that or accepted that or believed that. And we're so amazed when the enemy comes and attacks us. Oh my God, what's happening here? Everybody needs to pray. Everybody needs to pray. Maybe we need to get a grip on what God is saying to us. The Bible says, and the Lord said, Simon Simon. You know, when God calls your name twice, you're in trouble. When he calls you, just like your mother. When your mother called your name twice, you're in trouble. When you were called to the principal's office, you were in trouble. Simon Simon, behold, behold, Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. Jesus is saying this to Peter. What does this word behold mean? It means see with your eyes, Peter. You can't see this. You're just dumb perceptionally. You have no idea. But know what I'm saying to you. Pay attention because this is going to take place, Peter. Here's what Satan did concerning Peter as he went to the Lord. In Luke 22, verse 31, it says, Simon Solomon, behold, Satan demanded to have you. In Luke 22, 31, in the message version, it says, Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me. This was not only for Peter. This was for all the disciples, and this is for the church. It's not just for one man. We think that, oh, that's just for Peter and not for me. Oh, you don't think the enemy is after you? You don't think he's after your family, after your marriage, after your business, after your finances, after your health? You don't think the enemy is on the prowl? He's like a roaring lion seeking about who me they devour. It says in Luke 22, 31, Satan has asked to sift each of you. He's asking God. And in the way version it says, Satan has asked, obtained permission to have all of you. And in the YLT version, it says, he says, and the adversary, who's the adversary? Satan did ask for you himself to sift you as wheat. Who is this Satan? Who is this? We minimize it. We have no idea who the adversary is. Because most people have no idea about spiritual warfare. They never engage in spiritual warfare through prayer. They have no idea. They think he's just some being with pitchforks and uh a ponytail or a hat or some kind of tail or whatever. But let me tell you who he is. He's a superhuman adversary, if you want. One who withstands, one who resists and opposes. He's the prince of evil spirits. He's the adversary of God in Christ. He incites apostasy and lukewarmness from God and to sin, he causes people to want to sin. He circumvents men by his wiles and seductions. By his demons, he's able to take possession of men and inflict them with disease. By God's assistance, he is overcome. On Christ's return from heaven, listen carefully. He will be bound with chains for a thousand years. But when the thousand years are finished, he will walk the earth yet in greater power. But shortly after that, he will be given over to eternal punishment. He's on the loose now. He's coming for you. You say, I don't come to your church to hear that. He's coming for you. He's coming for you. You can't live under a rock. He has an agenda. And he goes to the Lord and he says, Hey, you see that preacher? Let him prove his integrity. Let him prove his fidelity and his faithfulness. He comes to husbands and he says the same thing. Send a woman that way. Says the same thing with wants. Send a man. Go ahead. Test him. And how many are falling today? By the wayside. A desire to have you. He craves you. Man, he desires to have you. No, you want to know why he desires to want you? He wants you because he wants to torture and punish you. And that's what we see. Not only physically, but mentally and spiritually and emotionally. He wants to torment people. He wants to sift us. What does that mean? He wants to shake us. You know what the word sift means in Greek? By inward agitation, to try one's faith to the verge of overthrow. That's apostasy. Listen, to by inward agitation, to try one's faith to the urge of overthrow. Oh, your God can't do that. Oh, your God's not here. Where's your God now? It means to cause you to stagger and totter, to cause you to tremble and become unstable, cause you to wander like a vagabond or fugitive. That's happening to a lot of people. They're in disarray, they have been disassembled, and they have become disassociated with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. But look what Jesus did. Look what he did here. In verse 32, this has not happened yet. But Jesus is praying like I have absolute understanding of what's going to happen to Peter. You see, Peter was a really specific personality that God had to bring down. But I have prayed for thee. Peter must have been wondering, what are you talking about? That thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Sounds like Peter was going to backslide. Sounds like Peter was going to lose his faith there momentarily. What does this mean? When God used the word but, it means moreover, or nevertheless. You see, Peter, I know it's going to happen to you, but nevertheless, you listen to me, son. I prayed for you. I made supplication to my father. Praise the Lord. And listen, I believe this was the prayer. I have prayed and thrown down the plan of the enemy in chains. It will look like he succeeds, but I will see you to the end. You see, the enemy comes and he wants to surround us with those chains. But I want to tell you something. We have a chain break, hallelujah. We have someone that knows how to break the chains. We have someone that knows how, because, praise God, when they were in prison and broke the chains. And I want to tell you, he can break the chains of addiction, he can break the chains of anything that's going on in our lives because he's a God, hallelujah, that rose from the dead and through the power and the blood of Jesus Christ, he can heal.

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Amen. That's right.

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Thank you, Lord.

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We minimize it. And we minimize the workings of the enemy. And I'm not trying to give him credit here today, but I must tell you the truth. 2 Corinthians 2.11 says, lest Satan should get an advantage of us, that he will become superior in our lives. And boy, doesn't he do that emotionally. Don't we get beside ourselves and lose it? Oh, come on, man. Don't we get beside ourselves? And there's Satan's laughing. He's saying, You see, I don't even have to do much to you to get you set off, man. I don't even have to do much to set you off like an explosion. Lest Satan should get an advantage, for we are not ignorant. We're it's not supposed to be ignorant of his devices. And many are ignorant. As a matter of fact, there's a verse in Corinthians that says, Let him that's ignorant remain ignorant. Some don't want truth. Some don't want truth. Some just don't want to come under the authority of God and the and the Holy Spirit. They don't want to hear what thus saith the Lord. Romans chapter 8 and verse 33. Paul reminds us, who shall bring a charge against God's elect? Is it God who justifies? Is it he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore, is also risen. Who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us? Oh, come on now. You think he only prayed for Peter? He's praying for me and you every day, because it says, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Oh my God, he says in Romans 8 and 38, for I'm persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor death, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I don't serve a unity God.

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Come on.

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I don't serve a weak God. I serve a God that's a man of war. I said, I serve a God that's a man of war, and he has never lost one battle. And he never will. What does the Bible say? Hebrews 7 25. Therefore, he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to do what? To make intercession for them. Man, you're not alone. If your brother doesn't pray for you, your sister don't pray, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. And he's sitting at the right hand of the Father. It says in there Romans 8 27 and the Father knows all the hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit. Pleads for us believers in harmony with God's will. You know what that means? God is always praying that the Holy Spirit will come into our lives and show us the will of God, but you have to be open. You gotta answer the knock on the door. You have to know the presence of God and the voice of God, and you need to line up that voice of God with the scripture and the verse and the chapter and the book. People say to me, Lord told me, what did the Lord tell you? Is it based on the word of God? Give me the scripture, my friend. And when I see that you don't know the voice of God, I can't believe what you're gonna tell me in the future. Because you know you're a you're you're you're you're outside the box, you're outside the book, and people get offended when you say that. It's about trust. I hear people say the Lord told me. Told you what'd he tell you? Show me in this book, and you justify this book with the verse and the scripture, and then I'll listen to you. Until then, he just blown smoke, and God's not interested in smoke. Listen to me. Luke chapter 22, verse 32. But I prayed for thee. For what? That thy faith fail not. What does that mean? Your faith. It's your conviction of truth. You see, the enemy is gonna rock you, the enemy is gonna come and say, Well, did God say that? Your trade, your faith, a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus Christ is the Messiah through whom we obtain salvation into the kingdom of God. It's our trust and confidence in God, it's our fidelity and faithfulness to God, that our faith, Lord, help me to remain fidelity toward you, help me to remain faithful to you in your word. Don't let me go outside that book. Don't let me go outside this book. That thy faith do what? Fail not. That your faith doesn't quit and leave behind, that you don't forsake your faith and leave it behind, that you that you should not become destitute or lacking or wanting. And a lot of people, when they go through a trial, well, where's God? Why didn't God answer my prayer? Why did this happen? God could have prevented this. Those stupid questions.

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That's right.

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Stupid questions. Why don't you get down at the altar and ask God what's wrong? Why don't you get down on the altar and say, God examine my heart, not the person sitting next to me? Maybe point the finger to yourself and say, God, I'm ready. I'm ready for an overhaul. Oh, come on, friends. God's looking for a church, he's looking for a remnant, he's looking for a bride, he ain't looking for no broken down car, no broken down bride. He's not looking for a soiled dress upon the bride, he's looking for purity, he's looking for holiness, he's looking for us to come into his presence, my God. Hallelujah! That your face fail not when? When? Oh, Peter, at some time. Where? In what place it will be revealed, Peter. Peter's oblivious, just like a lot of people, they're oblivious. You see it, but they don't. Others see it, but they don't. They don't. It's like, what are you talking about? You're all wrong and I'm right. You're all wrong and I'm right. Is it possible that you're wrong and everybody else is right in the multitude of counselors? There's safety. What does it say? He says, and when thou art converted, when you get yourself turned around, he's saying, What are you talking about? Turning around. Look at me, man. I'm a man of God. You sent me out in Matthew 10. I cast out devils, I heal the sick. Look at me. Yeah, Jesus said, Yeah, look at you. He says, When you're converted, when you turn yourself around from your course of conduct, Peter. You see, there was an indictment against Peter. And we don't like the indictment sometimes. You hear what I'm saying? When you change your mind, okay, and you begin to worship me the way you're supposed to, Peter, not the way you think, but the way I want you to worship me. He says, and then you'll be able to strengthen your brothers, then you'll become strong, and you'll help them to become strong. What are you talking about? Here's what Peter said. Here's his reply. Man, I want to tell you, see, pride can pride is a cancer. Pride makes a person think that they're more than themselves. They think more of themselves than God thinks. Look what Peter says. Jesus is really appealing to him. You're gonna blow it. Not me. He says, and he said unto him, Lord, I am ready. Oh, yeah, I am ready to go with thee both into prison and to death. And I he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

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I'm ready.

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I'm a man of God. I'm called of God. Yeah, Peter. But the way you are now, you can't minister to an ant. Look how braggadocious you are. You see, this is not the first time that Jesus had to rebuke Peter and correct him. When Jesus said in the book of Matthew 6, 4, 16, when he says, I have to go to Jerusalem, Peter, no, you you can't do that. What did Jesus say? Get thee behind me, Satan! Get behind me! I know where I'm going. I talk to the Father every day. I need to go to the cross. What happened when they arrested Jesus? What did Peter do? Impulsivity. Restless spirit. Impulsive. He takes a sword and it cuts off Malchus's ear. A felony. A felony. He should have died right there. But Jesus, knowing that the felony took place and that there was evidence on the ground, picked up the man's ear, slapped it back on the side of his head, and said, Well, there's no evidence here to cause a felony. This is the same Peter. When Jesus asked the disciples, Who do men say that I am? Thou art the Christ. Thou art the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered, He said, Sutherland by Jonah, flesh and blood has not revealed that to you, but my father is in heaven. So what's going on here? You see, man has a spirit and man has a soul. And it's so easy to flip into the soul. Hear what I'm saying? You see, when he rebuked Jesus about going to Jerusalem, when he cut off the ear of Malchus, he was in the soulish realm. He was not walking in the spirit. A lot of people think they're walking in the spirit when they're actually walking in the soul. Just listen to what they say. Listen to the conversation. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks. What's happening here? How can one moment you can hear from God that this is the Christ, and the next moment you're walking in the soulless realm? You have to ask yourself that question. You see, when we don't come under the rule of the Holy Spirit, when we don't get everything that God wants us to have, so that we can walk with Him in His presence, you'll flip back to the soulish realm. Especially when there's pressure. Look at a man when he's under pressure. Look under a womb when she's under stress. You see the soullish realm come out. And all of a sudden, the spiritual walk is not existing. Not existing. What happened? They flipped. You know, Peter had a lot of pride. And you know what? It's one of the most dangerous sins in the body of Christ. Because we think of ourselves more than we should. Isaiah 14 and 12. How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning. This is Lucifer. See? You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High. Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? Is man any different today? When God tries to intercede and give advice, when God sends a spirit-filled Christian to give counsel, don't tell me. I got this.

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I got this. Don't tell me what to do. I got this.

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No, you got soul, man. You got soulless realm. You don't got the spirit. Pride. What does it say in in Proverbs 16 and 18? Pride goes before destruction. And a haughty spirit before a fall. What is pride? To exalt or lift up yourself. And what is destruction? It's to break, it's a fracture, it's crushing, it's a shattering. It means to maim, to wreck, and to rupture. Pride goes before destruction and what? A haughty spirit. You know what that is? Delusions of grandeur. God told me. But you're walking in pride. How can God tell you? You don't even make sense, man, spiritually. Pride. What are you talking about? Haughty spirit. It's a delusion of grand. It's proud and arrogant. Don't tell me. I got this. Yeah, okay. Jesus said, You got it, Peter.

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And you're gonna get it.

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You're gonna get it. And so will any of us that think that we are so proud of ourselves. Any accomplishments that I ever had in Christ is behind me. I'm not gonna go to the door of heaven and tell God this is what I accomplished. Because he already knows what I did and what I didn't do. I want to go before God humbly. I don't know about you, but it's a scary situation to think that I'm gonna look face to face with God. I don't know about you. I'm preparing myself diligently, more than probably ever, to come before him pure, to come before him with a clean heart. He says, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It means that you're gonna stagger and stumble, you're gonna totter, it's gonna bring injury or ruin to you. That's what pride does to people. It brings them blow, and when they get low, they get bitter before God if they're not careful. Daniel chapter 5 and verse 20. What happened to the king? Oh, he went out one day and said, Hey, look what I've accomplished. Look at me. I need some praise here. Come on, people. I need some lights. Look at my garden. Look at my palace, look at my houses, look at all this. God said, You're a fool. You're such a fool. And you're a pride. What does he say in 5 and 20 in Daniel? But when when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them. For seven years, he was out there in the grass eating grass. Then he won't get no praise and accolades then. Everybody's looking at him and say, That's the king. What happened? Pride. God, don't let me become proud. Don't let me become boastful. Because you might have used me in the past. Don't let me become boastful. Because I've heard from you. Don't I don't want to be in that grass eating like a cow or a calf. I want to bring it to a whole different spectrum now. I want to bring it to the book of Zechariah. Zechariah was a young prophet, and he worked beside the prophet Hagai, who was an aging prophet, to quicken the religious life of the people and thus to remove the gravest hindrances to the work of rebuilding the temple. You see, the people came back from Babylon after 70 years. And the inward indifference, not the outward opposition, is the real reason for slow progress in God's work. McLaren said that. Inward indifference and outward, not outward opposition. You see, it's what's inside of people that opposes. You could feel the tension. You could feel the strife. You could feel the envy. You can feel, you can just feel it. Paul went through that. Jesus went through that. The disciples went through that. So here we have a vision that God gives Zechariah the prophet. And in Zechariah chapter 3 and verse 1, and he showed me Joshua. This is not Joshua in the Old Testament under Moses. This is Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord and standing at his right hand to resist him. The accuser. He strikes again. He comes again. You see, he doesn't leave only for a season, but he comes back. So God is giving Zechariah the prophet this vision. And he sees in this vision, he sees the high priest. You see, the enemy stands over your shoulder. People stand over your shoulder, praise God. Waiting for you to do something wrong or say something wrong so they can condemn you. Was he referring to me? If the shoe fits word, man. I had to go through that with my pastor. And he asked my wife. You have to wear steel-tipped shoes when you heard him preach. Because he made you literally cry. Listen, what happened here? He says, Revelation 12, 10. I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Now listen. Did that mean Satan died? No. He's active. He's active. He's so active that he can even go and talk to God and say, Hey, you see Columbo? Let something happen. Pull the hedge around. See what he does. See what happens. Let opposition come. What do you have to do? You know what makes it tick? He's doing that to you too. And he's accusing. And what is an accuser? He attacks your salvation. He attacks your faith. He brings your soul to drought and desolation. He causes misery and anguish and despondency. He causes brokenness and isolation and decay. And he wants to destroy your spirit. He wants to obliterate your life. He wants to annihilate you and demolish you. He wants to cut you like a dagger or an axe, desiring to destroy. He wants to bring you back to the place of shame and condemnation, causing you to doubt the finished work of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Notice something here.

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Notice something.

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In division. The high priest was standing before the angel of the Lord and standing at his right hand to resist him. Standing before the angel of the Lord. Listen what the commentary says, traps commentary. Before Christ, his best friend. Before Christ, his best friend he's accusing, and doing his office as a high priest. Such is Satan's malice to hurt and to hinder us most in our best employments, and to accuse the saints even to their best friend, Christ Jesus. Here he bends his accusation chiefly against the chief priest. Joshua is the chief priest. But through his sides he strikes at the welfare of the whole church. Ministers are the main object of his malice, a special spite he bears so much, singling them out and sifting them to the brand, as he desired to do Peter, stirring up unreasonable and wicked men against them, as he dealt by Paul when he fought the beasts at Ephesus, with breathing devils wherever he came, being in deaths often. He has no problem going to God, to Jesus, your best friend, and indicting you and accusing you and pointing your finger at you. You know what really hurts when your best friend does that to you? But it hurts even more that he has the audacity to go to God, who is your best friend, who's pure, who's holy, who's without spot or wrinkle, to bring an accusation against you. That's heavy for me. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 2. Pray too that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. Paul said that. The accuser. Wicked people. 1 Corinthians 15 and 32, it says, Do you think I was just trying to act heroic when I fought the wild beasts at Ephesus? Hoping it wouldn't be the end of me? No, not on your life. It's a resurrection, resurrection, resurrection, always resurrection that undergirds what I do and say, the way I live. If there's no resurrection, we eat, we drink, the next day we die, and that's all there is to it. You know what Paul was saying? You know why I fight the beasts? You know why I stand in the trenches? You know why I go back to God and seek his face? Because of the resurrection. Because if the resurrection didn't exist, then we should all go back to the bars and have a good time.

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But it does exist.

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Listen, stay with me. And Zechariah verse 3, 2. And the Lord said to Satan, see, we're gonna have a conversation now. The Lord rebuke thee. Wow. Somebody can rebuke you. That's human. But when the Lord says, the Lord rebuke thee, that's monumental. The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. Even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Oh, he's defending the priest. Jesus. He's defending Joshua. You want to know? Something about him. Oh, yeah, he was in sin. Oh, yeah, the priesthood has profaned the ministry. He knows that. But let me tell you something. He is a brain that's been plucked out of the fire. In the NLT version, it says, the Lord said to Satan, I the Lord reject your accusations. I reject your accusations. That's just like a court of law. Your Honor, I object. Sit down. I don't accept it. Sit down, lawyer. I don't accept your objections. We will proceed. Hmm. He says, I reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire. Oh, listen to the JFB uh commentary. Herein God implies that his acquittal of Jerusalem is not that he does not recognize her sin. Oh, Jerusalem sinned, and that's why they were punished for 70 years in captivity. But he's on the ground now of his electing love that has delivered him, her from the fiery ordeal, and whence he's become a begun a deliverance. In this case, he will perfect it. You know what he's saying? Listen, I know Jerusalem's sin. I know they went against me, and I sent them into captivity for 70 years, and I know the priesthood profane before me. But let me tell you something. The 70 years is up, and I am bringing them back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, and I will restore the priesthood with all rites due to the priest. He says this to Satan, Zechariah 3 and 3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the angel. You see, that's the sinful state of man. But God said he's a brand that was plucked out of the fire. And what does that mean on the trap commentary? It says, Before Christ is best friend and doing his office as a high priest, such is Satan's malice and boldness and insolence and audacity and disrespect to hurt and to hinder us most in our best employments, and to accuse the saints, even to their best friend, Christ Jesus. What is he saying? He's saying, Listen. No more accusation concerning Joshua. Take off his filthy garments. You see, that's the born-again experience, my friend. That's being washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. What are you talking about? Sin separates us from God. The Bible says in Isaiah 59 and 1, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither is the ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. This is what happened to Drew. This is what happened to the Jews. That's why they went into captivity. They were sacrificing their own children on the altar. And the priesthood became profane. And I pulled the man of God out of the fire, and he will become all that I want him to be. You see, we cannot give the enemy legal rights to our life. When we sin, we give him rights to our life. It opens a portal. It opens a door. And people are amazed when they open that door that things are happening. Happening for a reason. It says in Romans 6.23, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. I want to read a commentary. In order to understand this scene, it's necessary to remember that Satan has acquired certain rights over man through man's sin. And he's thus spoken of as having the power of death, which indeed he wielded over man as God's just judgment against sin. Satan therefore had grounds for resisting Joshua. He had grounds. While he had the filthy garments on, for opposing God's purposes of grace towards his people. They were guilty. And this was evident from the very garments with which Joshua was clothed. And the problem here to be solved was how could God bless, righteously bless his people according to his purposes while they were in this condition, seeing in fact that they were amenable to a judgment on account of their iniquity? How could the claims of Satan be discharged and the people set in favor and blessing? What is that saying? How can God restore us? How can God once again see the righteousness of Christ in my life and in your life? How could it? Except it be through the blood and power of Jesus Christ. You see, in those days the accused person charged with sin was waiting to issue a process against him. He stood under a humble sense of his iniquities, looking to the blood and righteousness of Christ for pardon and justification, praying and entreating that these filthy garments might be taken away from him, and he be clothed with fine linen suitable to his character as a priest. Such a sordid dress, a soiled dress, was the habit of persons arraigned for crimes. It was usual among the Romans when a man was accused of and charged with capital crimes, and during his arraignment to let his hair down, suffer his beard to grow long, to wear filthy, ragged garments, and appear in a very dirt and soiled habit. Even though you were one. We're gonna make it even more.

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What about the prodigal son? What about the prodigal son? What happened?

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He went out there, spent his dad's money, had a good time, lovers of pleasure, and one of the lovers of God.

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One day he woke up. You see, the church has to wake up. The chase has to wake up, and they have to see with their eyes and hear with their ears. The church has to wake up. The ministry has to wake up. The pulpit needs to wake up. The laity needs to wake up.

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He says, I have sinned against my heavenly father and against my earthly father, and I will go back to him. And what happened? Father put a ring on his finger, shoes on his feet, and gave him a robe of righteousness. And that's exactly what God did for me 53 years ago. And the enemy wants to put a filthy garment back on. Through his accusations, through people. Not today. And not tomorrow, by the help and grace of God. I walk with him. I walk in him, I walk through him, and I walk with him. And I've been doing that for a whole lot of years. Listen carefully. I'm not done. Joshua. The priest, the man of God. It's been redeemed in the vision. Jerusalem was on his way back. And the Lord said in the vision to Zechariah in verse 5, Zechariah 3, and I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and they clothed him with garments, and the angel of the Lord stood by. It's a headdress to signify that he had been renewed to the office of the high priesthood, which had been defiled and profaned before God. Such a high priest wore on which was a plate of gold, and on it was written, holiness to the Lord. You see, the enemy came to accuse. But God said, I cleaned them up. I brought Israel back. And now I'm gonna restore the priesthood. You put that headdress on him, people. And on that headdress it says holiness to the Lord. The Bible says in 1 Peter 2 and 5, you also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Do we really understand how we are?

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Do we understand the holiness of God? Do we understand the purity of God?

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It says in 1 Peter 2 9, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priest with a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Do we act that way? Is the church in America responding to this?

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We're so proud of our buildings. So proud of our churches.

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We're so proud of our entertainment.

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I want to share something with you here in a moment. Zechariah 3:6. Then the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, this is a word from God. If you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my command, then you shall also judge my house, and likewise have charge of my courts, and I will give you places to walk among those who stand here.

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What does that mean?

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God said, You listen to me, man of God. I'm restoring you. I'm restoring the priesthood and those that surround you. Barnes notes says this. Both of these are expressions for holding on in the way of life, well pleasing to God, and keeping the charge given by God. It was an injunction. Listen carefully. It was an injunction of the dying King David to Solomon. Keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes. It says in 1 Kings 2:3, and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgments and his testimonies, as it is written in the Lord Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself. What's he saying here? When he said to Joshua, Keep my courts, it was the same thing that King David said to his son Solomon. He was saying, Guard my house from profanation. What does that mean? From dissent, from deviation, from sacrilege, and heretical doctrine. Are you with me? I had a dream last night. Take it for what it's worth. Evidently, I was late to church. When I got to church, the church was the pews were like sardines, people together. And the Lord told me, he said, they took your wife off of the piano. I said, what? They took her off the piano. And they replaced her. I said, huh? And when I went into the church, there was this band. Like playing crazy stuff. The church was packed. And I went in. And she's off the piano and this band is playing and there's much entertainment. And the Lord said, Restore. I said, what? He says, I want you to go in there. And I want you to throw out the band. And I want you to restore your wife to the piano. And on the floor there was debris. And I don't know what this means, but there was broken glass all over. And the Lord said, Clean it up, clean it up, clean up the debris, clean up the glass, the glass, and then get behind my pulpit and preach, thus save the Lord. So why would God give me a dream on the heels of this?

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Why?

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Don't know all the reasons. But everything that's hidden shall be revealed. There's nothing that's done in secret that shall not be revealed. Restore. That's what he told Joshua. And I want to pray this prayer for the ministry throughout America. Father, forgive us. Forgive us. Forgive us for our sins. Forgive us for our egocentricity. Forgive us for our selfishness. Forgive us for the likes that we want and for the praise and accolations we want. Forgive us for building big buildings and Lord warding off the Holy Spirit, knocking on the door of the church. Father, forgive us for the affairs that are taking place in the body of Christ. Forgive us for the sin. Forgive us for the infidelity. Forgive us for the faithful, for faithlessness, oh God. Forgive us of our sins, oh God, and restore the priesthood. Restore our churches. Restore this pulpit in the name of Jesus Christ. I want to say something to you this morning, and this will go down prophetically. Any succession to this pulpit when God takes them. This church will become nothing unless we stand upon the doctrines of our church that we have stood on for 38 years in this church. That's the baptism of the Holy Ghost with fire and speaking in other tongues. It's the rapture of the church, it's the millennial reign. Praise God. It's sanctification and separation from God. Woe unto those that get behind this pulpit and don't preach those doctrines and get involved in heretical doctrine. This church will become nothing. And that's a prophecy. I said, This church will become nothing. You got to pay your price, my friend. This is no joke. You pay a price, and it's a heavy price that most people have no idea what your wife and family go through. You have no idea what happens. But you're willing to come back. And when the hordes of hell gather around you, say, not today. I will pray through, I will cry through, I will cry out to the Most High God. There's a difference between prayer and crying out to God. And when you cry out to God, hallelujah! I believe the Lord stands at the right hand of the Father as he stood by Stephen and said, That's my son, that's my priest, that's my man of God. Don't touch him. We have lost respect in the house of God for ministry. And yes, we have brought some of it on ourselves. I'm reminded of King David. As much as Saul wanted to kill David, he would never disrespect King Saul. He had opportunity to kill Saul. He says, I can't do it. I can't do that. Touch not my prophets, do them no harm. Holy priesthood is set by God. I said the holy priesthood is set by God, not by man, not by election. I want to close. He said, You judge my house. You're in charge of my courts. I'm holding you responsible, Joshua, just like he's holding me responsible. If you will walk in my ways. I want to close. And I close with these words. Paul the apostle had a heavy burden on him. He loved God with all of his heart. After the Lord touched him. And in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 2, he said these words Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. And he said in Acts 20 and 22, he says, Now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnessed in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But Paul said, But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify of the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that you all among whom I have gone, preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take to you record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves and to all the flock of which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God which has purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing, grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore, watch and remember that by the space of three years I cease not to warn everyone night and day with tears. He saw it. It was prophetic. That people's pride erases their humility. It's a shame that people think, hey, look at me. No, look at Jesus. Look at him. Look what he did on that cross. Look at the torture and the punishment he took for me and you. That's who I need to look for. Don't look at me. I want to fade in the background. I just have this anointing upon me when I preach or when I'm praying or seeking the Lord or working for God. When that's all for me, I'm just thee. But when that anointing is on me, God told me to preach with boldness. Preach with boldness. And that's what I do. I preach with boldness. Now let me close this story about uh Peter. You see, I don't want to leave Peter on the ledge somewhere. See, in the book of Acts, the Bible says that Peter stood with the eleven. What happened to him? Something changed in Peter's life. You see, he went to the upper room and he received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the first evidence of speaking with tongues.

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Ah.

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Mean a fluent language. And that's being ridiculed on social media. Being slain in the spirit is being ridiculed in the social media like we're a bunch of charismatic crazies. But I want to tell you something. There's no way that you can stand behind a pulpit of God and not go to that upper room and say to God, I need a full experience with God. The church, those that sit in the pew, need to say the same thing. If we're going to be what we call a Pentecostal church, and I am not ashamed to say I'm a Pentecostal believer, and I'm a full gospel believer. Not ashamed. Something happened to Peter. I want to tell you what happened to him. A transformation took place. And where did it take place? It always takes place in the upper room. And when we deny that Holy Spirit to come into our church, that's the day you close the doors of the church. Because then it becomes just a form and a fashion. And God loves everybody and universal salvation, and everybody's going to heaven. God forbid. Peter. Fishing. Baxling. And not only Peter, but he's got disciples with him because we influence people. Have you any bread? Have you any fish?

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Anything to eat?

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Peter recognized it was Jesus. Cold of fire. To help Peter remember not to shame him or condemn him. But if that cold of fire three times, I don't know the man.

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I don't know him. Who are you talking about?

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Oh, you were with him. Oh, I don't know. Was it me?

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He brought Peter. And he asked him three times, do you love me? Yes. Do you love me?

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Yes. Do you love me? Yes. Three times.

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Three public confessions. To eradicate the three public denials. And he said to Peter, feed my sheep. Something happened. Peter became a changed man. As did the disciples. And for the church in America to turn itself around, the Bible calls the church in the book of Ephesians man. No disrespect to women, but that's what God says. And that includes men, women, boys, girls, Jews, and Gentiles that are saved. He's waiting for that man to appear. That's the church is coming back for. He's not coming back for a mess. He's not coming back for entertainment. He's not coming back for likes and accolades and praises. He's not coming back for that. See, he's going to get the accolades. And he's going to get the praises. And he's going to be riding on that white horse. And on that horse is going to be written faithful and true. And we will be following him. Praise God on those white horses. Ladies and gentlemen, the time is at hand. The time is at hand. Know this. The enemy of your soul desires you. But know this also. There's a Christ in heaven that praised intercessory prayer for you and for me every day of your life. You are not alone, my friend. Hallelujah. Walk with God and He'll walk with you. Father, thank you. Thank you for the word this morning. Thank you, Lord, for your love that you would give us a word to wake us up here, not only in the church here, but God, wherever this may go. I have no idea what you do with this. Whatever you do, send it out. Maybe someone will be touched. And I pray that someone behind a pulpit that stands behind a pulpit, that God will be fired up again and go to that upper room and receive the power of the Holy Spirit so they can preach with boldness, so they can preach the word of God, so they can conduct their affairs in the church and keep the courts of God pure and holy before Him. God bless each one that's here and those that would hear the word in Jesus' name. Amen. Would you stand with us?