WEBVTT 00:00:00.942 --> 00:00:03.290 Wave them around, make Jesus glad, the devil mad. 00:00:03.290 --> 00:00:07.466 Let's say this together say, heavenly Father, thank God for the Holy Ghost. 00:00:07.466 --> 00:00:09.566 Now he's moved here tonight. 00:00:09.566 --> 00:00:12.887 I'm so glad for the gifts of the Spirit. 00:00:12.887 --> 00:00:16.487 I'm glad for the move of the Holy Ghost. 00:00:16.487 --> 00:00:27.170 I'm open to him all the time, learning your ways, father, the ways of the Spirit, so that I can flow with you. 00:00:27.170 --> 00:00:35.265 I don't have to hear a voice, I don't have to have a dream, I don't have to see a vision. 00:00:35.265 --> 00:00:43.850 I know how to flow with the Holy Ghost In Jesus' name, amen. 00:00:45.700 --> 00:00:56.337 Let's turn to Colossians, chapter three, the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians. 00:00:56.337 --> 00:01:04.867 I'll tell you Ephesians, philippians, colossians Well, all the epistles are valuable. 00:01:04.867 --> 00:01:17.506 Verse 15, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also you are called in one body and be you thankful. 00:01:17.506 --> 00:01:21.347 And let me read it to you out of the Amplified. 00:01:21.347 --> 00:01:34.632 The Amplified says it this way let the peace, the soul, harmony which comes from the Christ rule, act as an umpire. 00:01:34.632 --> 00:01:37.808 I thought that's fitting for the Astros. 00:01:37.808 --> 00:01:51.530 They need a really good umpire tonight, one that calls accurately the balls and strikes the fouls and the fairs, calls accurately the safes and the outs. 00:01:51.530 --> 00:01:55.602 Amen, everybody say. 00:01:55.602 --> 00:02:01.605 God bless the Astros, I couldn't resist. 00:02:01.605 --> 00:02:19.876 Let the peace, the soul harmony which comes from the Christ rule, that is, act as an umpire continually in your hearts, deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds. 00:02:19.876 --> 00:02:26.342 And so I wanted to just share a message entitled let peace rule. 00:02:26.342 --> 00:02:29.230 Let peace rule. 00:02:29.230 --> 00:02:39.086 You know, jesus, there in John chapter 14, told the disciples, of course, tells us, he said let not your heart be troubled. 00:02:39.086 --> 00:02:46.665 You know they were bummed out, I mean, when they heard he was gonna be crucified, he was leaving them, gonna die. 00:02:46.665 --> 00:02:51.931 I mean they were, you know, not happy. 00:02:51.931 --> 00:02:54.004 And so what did Jesus say? 00:02:54.004 --> 00:02:56.848 Let not your heart be troubled. 00:02:56.848 --> 00:02:59.445 So then we have a choice. 00:02:59.445 --> 00:03:01.385 I mean let not let or let not. 00:03:01.385 --> 00:03:04.068 It's up to them, they can either be troubled or not be troubled. 00:03:04.068 --> 00:03:05.443 Let not your heart be troubled. 00:03:05.443 --> 00:03:17.546 And then you know, he said in verse 27, john 14, he said my peace I leave with you. 00:03:17.546 --> 00:03:21.408 My peace I give to you, not the peace the world gives, give I unto you. 00:03:21.408 --> 00:03:26.808 So he gave them and us this peace. 00:03:26.808 --> 00:03:45.925 And so we, you know, we have a decision we can either take what he gave us and let it rule, let it act as an umpire, continually settling with finality all questions that arise in your mind. 00:03:45.925 --> 00:03:50.050 You know your mind is really good about raising questions. 00:03:50.050 --> 00:03:51.545 I mean, it's always got questions. 00:03:51.545 --> 00:03:55.783 You know what about this, what about that? 00:03:55.783 --> 00:04:18.466 And the peace of God can act as an umpire, can settle with finality every question In Galatians 522, the peace of God is listed there as the fruit of the spirit. 00:04:20.379 --> 00:04:25.548 It's worth just turning back over not very far to the left, galatians 5. 00:04:25.548 --> 00:04:35.362 I want to point something out to you, verse 22,. 00:04:35.362 --> 00:04:46.182 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering or patience, gentleness, goodness, faith or that really faith. 00:04:46.182 --> 00:04:54.067 The word faith is faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meetness, temperance or self-control. 00:04:54.067 --> 00:04:56.545 Against such there is no law. 00:04:56.545 --> 00:05:00.029 And it says there, the fruit of the capital S spirit. 00:05:00.029 --> 00:05:03.470 But really, yeah, the Holy Ghost has got those. 00:05:03.470 --> 00:05:06.269 But really it's talking about your own spirit. 00:05:06.269 --> 00:05:15.230 It's talking about the recreated human spirit that when you were born again, you receive the fruit of the spirit. 00:05:15.230 --> 00:05:19.264 So peace is a fruit. 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:22.365 And what do we know about fruits? 00:05:22.365 --> 00:05:24.245 Well, fruit has to be grown. 00:05:24.245 --> 00:05:34.927 When you receive the fruit of the spirit, you receive the smallest portion, the seed portion, and it's up to you to develop the fruit. 00:05:34.927 --> 00:05:36.004 Fruit must be grown. 00:05:36.004 --> 00:05:37.024 Now gifts are given. 00:05:37.024 --> 00:05:40.829 You know we've been given the gift of righteousness. 00:05:40.829 --> 00:05:44.548 Gifts are given, so they must be received. 00:05:44.548 --> 00:05:48.425 Gifts are received and once they're received, you can't grow in a gift. 00:05:48.425 --> 00:05:49.536 The gift is the gift. 00:05:49.536 --> 00:05:52.781 The gift is there, it is In righteousness. 00:05:52.781 --> 00:05:54.148 You don't grow in righteousness. 00:05:54.148 --> 00:05:58.490 Righteousness is a status that you have that God gave you. 00:05:58.490 --> 00:06:03.665 You're just as righteous now as you were when you were first born. 00:06:03.665 --> 00:06:07.687 You're righteous as God is. 00:06:07.687 --> 00:06:09.946 It's the righteousness of God. 00:06:09.946 --> 00:06:11.201 Why? 00:06:11.201 --> 00:06:12.264 Because you're in Christ. 00:06:12.264 --> 00:06:15.165 And what is righteousness? 00:06:15.165 --> 00:06:20.749 Well, it's the ability to stand in God's presence without fear, condemnation, guilt, shame. 00:06:20.749 --> 00:06:24.189 We can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy. 00:06:24.189 --> 00:06:27.569 We don't have to stand outside and wonder if we're worthy. 00:06:27.569 --> 00:06:28.591 I don't know if I'm worthy. 00:06:29.302 --> 00:06:30.968 Yeah you're worthy because you're the righteousness of God. 00:06:30.968 --> 00:06:36.410 Yes, most Christians are you righteous. 00:06:36.410 --> 00:06:37.745 They don't want to say that. 00:06:37.745 --> 00:06:39.305 They think it's bragging. 00:06:39.305 --> 00:06:46.990 No, it's not ever bragging to say what the Bible says about you you are the righteousness of God in Christ. 00:06:46.990 --> 00:06:47.560 Amen. 00:06:47.560 --> 00:06:50.283 It's not a bragging thing, it's a fact. 00:06:52.829 --> 00:07:01.574 And some of the book of Hebrews, chapter six, he rebuked the Hebrew church because they had not grown. 00:07:01.574 --> 00:07:04.762 They said you know, you guys ought to be teaching others and you haven't. 00:07:04.762 --> 00:07:08.242 You've become those that need milk and not meat. 00:07:08.242 --> 00:07:11.444 You are unskillful. 00:07:11.444 --> 00:07:12.848 In the word of righteousness. 00:07:16.649 --> 00:07:26.992 Now, I know I'm talking about peace, but it's tied to righteousness because a lot of times people have a lack of peace because they're unskillful and their status with God. 00:07:26.992 --> 00:07:31.387 I mean you don't have any fear, you don't have any hesitation to go in His presence. 00:07:31.387 --> 00:07:38.062 I mean he's got the door wide open, the blood made its way behind the veil and you've got. 00:07:38.062 --> 00:07:43.430 You've got access by faith into this grace wherein you stand, hallelujah. 00:07:43.430 --> 00:07:47.930 I know most of you know it, but we just like to remind you. 00:07:47.930 --> 00:07:52.889 So righteousness is not you can't grow. 00:07:52.889 --> 00:07:57.528 It's not something you can grow in, but you can grow in the skill of it. 00:07:57.528 --> 00:08:06.971 You can grow in taking advantage of that, which is a fact, or you follow me so. 00:08:07.351 --> 00:08:09.098 But now peace is a different story. 00:08:09.098 --> 00:08:18.096 Peace has to be developed, it has to grow, and you've got everything to do about whether it grows or whether it stays in the baby stage. 00:08:18.096 --> 00:08:21.278 I mean, how much peace does a baby have? 00:08:21.278 --> 00:08:29.180 A baby has zero peace If things are not going just like the baby wants. 00:08:29.180 --> 00:08:40.600 I mean, I heard one the other day in the restaurant and of course I had to take my hearing aids out of my ears because I mean I couldn't turn them down low enough. 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:42.174 I got an app on my iPhone. 00:08:42.174 --> 00:08:43.038 I can turn them down. 00:08:43.038 --> 00:08:46.879 Carol makes me turn my earphones down. 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:47.873 She, her voice. 00:08:47.873 --> 00:08:51.975 Sometimes she can sing so loud that I have to turn her down. 00:08:51.975 --> 00:08:54.330 No, I'm just fooling with it. 00:08:54.330 --> 00:09:14.195 I have to mess with Carol every now and then Praise God, all right, so peace, let the peace, let peace rule, say we can either let it or not let it, and so we need to grow in that, we need to grow in peace. 00:09:14.195 --> 00:09:15.553 I'm still working on peace. 00:09:15.553 --> 00:09:19.029 I'm still working on all the fruits of the Spirit there's. 00:09:19.029 --> 00:09:24.697 All those fruits have to be developed, they have to be, and it's up to us. 00:09:24.697 --> 00:09:26.873 You know we can't pray. 00:09:26.873 --> 00:09:27.937 Oh God, give me peace. 00:09:27.937 --> 00:09:29.976 We already did, gave it to you. 00:09:29.976 --> 00:09:34.716 Whether it's increases is up to you Whether you're gonna exercise in it. 00:09:36.049 --> 00:09:39.154 You know the Bible says in James 1 and 22, don't be a hearer of the word. 00:09:39.154 --> 00:09:43.437 You know, be a doer of the word, not a hearer only seething your own selves. 00:09:43.437 --> 00:09:45.998 A lot of times people hear the word but they don't do it. 00:09:45.998 --> 00:09:47.514 So they get deceived. 00:09:47.514 --> 00:09:55.639 And you know what, when you get deceived about righteousness and the fruit of the Spirit, you're gonna live a real low level of Christianity. 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:59.740 Your life is gonna be filled with this order, discontent. 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:02.815 It's a good way to go broke. 00:10:02.815 --> 00:10:07.018 It's a good way for money to leave your control. 00:10:07.018 --> 00:10:14.298 It's just a low level of Christianity that God wants you to develop in all of these things. 00:10:14.298 --> 00:10:17.855 But it's up to us Let. 00:10:17.855 --> 00:10:20.121 Jesus said let not your heart be troubled. 00:10:20.121 --> 00:10:24.210 So no wonder the devil attacks our peace. 00:10:24.210 --> 00:10:31.730 You know, if he can get you fretting, he can get you doubting. 00:10:31.730 --> 00:10:35.639 See, peace is the umpire that settles all the questions. 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:38.825 And the questions many times are what they're doubts. 00:10:38.825 --> 00:10:42.298 They're doubts. 00:10:42.298 --> 00:10:50.929 You know, like Abraham, hey God, how do I know you're gonna, how do I know You're gonna multiply me? 00:10:50.929 --> 00:10:53.038 He didn't take God at his word. 00:10:54.599 --> 00:11:00.749 Brother Hagin praying that, he was praying through man because he was away from his wife his first year on the field ministry. 00:11:00.749 --> 00:11:05.730 You know, up till then he'd been a pastor and pastors, you know, would have a salary. 00:11:05.730 --> 00:11:11.235 They'd get paid, you know, whatever, once or twice a month. 00:11:11.235 --> 00:11:14.839 Like everybody else, he could depend on a salary. 00:11:14.839 --> 00:11:16.316 He would live within his means. 00:11:16.316 --> 00:11:18.692 But when you get on the field ministry you don't know what. 00:11:18.692 --> 00:11:22.774 You don't know whether you're gonna have an offering that's gonna cover the need or not. 00:11:23.690 --> 00:11:30.698 And when he first started out these were tough times, I mean, for preachers, I mean they didn't, you just never knew. 00:11:30.698 --> 00:11:38.658 So he had to learn how to believe God for his income, to where he could supply all the needs. 00:11:38.658 --> 00:11:41.998 And he was short and he was boy. 00:11:41.998 --> 00:11:45.048 I mean he was what they called the Pentecostals, called praying through. 00:11:45.048 --> 00:11:47.580 Have you ever heard of that praying through? 00:11:47.580 --> 00:11:51.289 That's just a bunch of unbelief you don't have to pray through. 00:11:51.289 --> 00:11:56.205 But anyway, that's what he was doing and he was just man. 00:11:56.205 --> 00:11:57.289 He was kind of bawling and squalling. 00:11:57.289 --> 00:12:00.381 Oh God, I just felt my bow. 00:12:00.381 --> 00:12:05.241 Oh God, I need this, I need that, I'm doled. 00:12:05.241 --> 00:12:15.585 And finally he kind of just got tired of all that and got quiet and the Holy Ghost said what are you doing? 00:12:15.585 --> 00:12:20.761 He said, well, I'm praying through about my finances. 00:12:20.761 --> 00:12:24.539 I mean, I, we're in real hard, it's really tough. 00:12:26.870 --> 00:12:30.100 He said well, it didn't sound like that to me. 00:12:30.100 --> 00:12:43.330 It sounded like that you are trying to talk me in to keep in the word that I've given you and that I'm a liar, that what I said is not good enough for you. 00:12:43.330 --> 00:12:50.177 And then you want some kind of extra sign that I have heard you Well, you know well, lord. 00:12:50.177 --> 00:12:57.736 He said my, my children are not adequately housed, they're not adequately clothed and they're not adequate. 00:12:57.736 --> 00:13:05.856 And I'm not adequate, and I'm not adequate, and I'm not adequate, and I'm not adequate, and I'm not adequate, and I'm not adequate and I'm not adequate, and they're not adequately fed. 00:13:05.856 --> 00:13:07.596 And I'm 300 miles from home. 00:13:07.596 --> 00:13:12.336 And I just thought maybe I'd be some kind of extra something I'd know where everything was all right. 00:13:12.690 --> 00:13:14.677 He said so my words not good enough for you? 00:13:14.677 --> 00:13:23.538 Huh, oh, man, yeah, Thank God for a preacher that'll tell that on himself. 00:13:23.538 --> 00:13:41.557 I mean I'm when I first heard him say that it was on a cassette series that I was listening to, and I mean he's almost putting tears in my eyes because you know, I mean he teaches you so much out of his, out of the failures and the pressures and the things that he went through. 00:13:41.557 --> 00:13:46.738 I mean we stand on the shoulders of great men and women of God that have gone through all kind of things. 00:13:46.738 --> 00:13:50.215 It's a testimony. 00:13:50.215 --> 00:13:51.993 You have a testimony. 00:13:51.993 --> 00:13:58.892 So so he was. 00:13:59.072 --> 00:14:00.518 He was doubting in his high. 00:14:00.518 --> 00:14:15.937 He just didn't know how to get the peace of God to come up into his and and rise up as a, as an umpire, to settle with finality the questions that arose in his mind. 00:14:15.937 --> 00:14:24.339 And over a period of time, god, the Holy Ghost, began to teach him how to believe for his finances, what to do about it. 00:14:24.339 --> 00:14:28.456 Dispatch the angels, claim a certain amount of money every week. 00:14:28.456 --> 00:14:32.600 You know, nobody's paying you a salary, but I'm paying your salary. 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:34.433 Claim the money you need. 00:14:34.433 --> 00:14:36.318 It's down there, it's not up here. 00:14:36.318 --> 00:14:37.201 I can't have it. 00:14:37.201 --> 00:14:40.518 I can't rain it down out of heaven, I don't have any money up here. 00:14:40.518 --> 00:14:49.826 I've got some pavement, I've got some gold that we walk on up there, but it I can't get it down to you. 00:14:49.826 --> 00:14:53.394 Everything you need is down there, amen. 00:14:53.394 --> 00:14:55.326 So he had to teach him. 00:14:57.230 --> 00:15:04.945 And so let's look at Philippians talking about let peace rule. 00:15:04.945 --> 00:15:10.514 See, peace will rule, philippians 4-7,. 00:15:10.514 --> 00:15:24.346 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, the peace of God. 00:15:24.346 --> 00:15:29.775 I like to amplify the peace of God. 00:15:29.775 --> 00:15:38.633 Garrisons and mounts, guard over our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 00:15:38.753 --> 00:15:40.176 Garrison, what's a garrison? 00:15:40.176 --> 00:15:43.730 It's a military, it's a military term. 00:15:43.730 --> 00:15:46.576 A garrison is a group of soldiers. 00:15:46.576 --> 00:15:54.254 The peace of God acts like a military unit to mount guard. 00:15:54.254 --> 00:15:56.179 To rise and mount guard. 00:15:56.179 --> 00:16:06.202 Nothing's gonna get past that garrison of soldiers, isn't that awesome? 00:16:06.202 --> 00:16:09.774 Well, garrison and mount guard over your heart and your mind. 00:16:09.774 --> 00:16:11.279 See, your heart is your spirit. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:13.326 Your mind is your soul. 00:16:13.326 --> 00:16:18.446 Your soul is where the battleground is, but it starts in the heart. 00:16:18.446 --> 00:16:20.452 Your heart has got a lot to do with it. 00:16:20.452 --> 00:16:24.206 Your heart has got a lot to do with it. 00:16:24.206 --> 00:16:29.407 In fact, the Proverbs let's turn over to Proverbs talking about let peace rule. 00:16:29.506 --> 00:16:30.789 Proverbs, chapter 4. 00:16:30.789 --> 00:16:36.743 See, peace is a fruit. 00:16:36.743 --> 00:16:41.134 I'm giving you the amm I'm giving you the food it takes for your peace to get bigger and better. 00:16:41.134 --> 00:16:48.745 More peace, more success, more peace, you can really follow the Holy Ghost better. 00:16:48.745 --> 00:16:58.076 It's real hard to follow the Holy Ghost when your mind is filled with questions and your spirit is, you know, in a flux. 00:16:58.076 --> 00:17:00.261 This is the. 00:17:00.261 --> 00:17:02.245 This is why the devil attacks your peace. 00:17:02.245 --> 00:17:06.476 Keep you out of God's perfect will for your life. 00:17:06.476 --> 00:17:09.784 Keep you from hearing what the next step is. 00:17:09.784 --> 00:17:13.919 Really kind of connects to the first altar call I had tonight. 00:17:13.919 --> 00:17:24.939 Sometimes we're not seeing things clearly because there's a lot of turmoil and it clouds the picture. 00:17:24.939 --> 00:17:27.465 Ooh, that's the Holy Ghost right there. 00:17:27.465 --> 00:17:28.868 That was worth coming to church for. 00:17:29.911 --> 00:17:31.314 Alright Proverbs, chapter 4. 00:17:31.314 --> 00:17:39.009 , verse 23. 00:17:39.009 --> 00:17:47.007 Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. 00:17:47.007 --> 00:17:50.432 Keep your heart. 00:17:50.432 --> 00:17:54.826 Talking about your spirit, well, I thought my spirit was safe. 00:17:54.826 --> 00:18:00.875 Your spirit is safe, but you, you're a spirit being and you've got something to say about your own spirit. 00:18:00.875 --> 00:18:05.031 You're gonna have to get you know more skilled in the word of righteousness. 00:18:05.152 --> 00:18:11.239 Don't let any kind of unworthy words come out of your mouth, like questioning your worthiness. 00:18:11.239 --> 00:18:12.788 Well, I don't feel worthy. 00:18:12.788 --> 00:18:13.531 Yes, you were worthy. 00:18:13.531 --> 00:18:14.818 You're made worthy by the blood. 00:18:14.818 --> 00:18:16.548 You're either worth it or you're not. 00:18:16.548 --> 00:18:17.333 Are you worth it? 00:18:17.333 --> 00:18:18.398 Jesus paid for you. 00:18:18.398 --> 00:18:19.905 Are you saying God got gypped? 00:18:19.905 --> 00:18:26.692 See, if we would really go all the way down to these words and and the implication of our word. 00:18:26.692 --> 00:18:33.660 When we say we're not worthy, you're saying God got gypped and he paid too much for you, do you think? 00:18:33.660 --> 00:18:36.828 Do you think God is foolish enough to pay too much for you? 00:18:36.828 --> 00:18:41.688 He knows what you're worth and he paid it willingly, gladly. 00:18:41.688 --> 00:18:57.952 The Bible says it pleased the Lord to bruise him, not because he took pleasure in Jesus' wounds, but he took pleasure in paying the price for us, and we are worth the price. 00:18:57.952 --> 00:19:01.419 Are you with me now? 00:19:03.824 --> 00:19:09.442 So we have to keep our hearts with all diligence, because out of it are the issues of life. 00:19:09.442 --> 00:19:14.173 One version says it determines the course of your life. 00:19:14.173 --> 00:19:20.439 So we've been talking about the Spirit as a flow, the flow of the Holy Ghost. 00:19:20.439 --> 00:19:27.298 When we don't really keep our hearts with diligence, we can miss the flow of the Holy Ghost. 00:19:27.298 --> 00:19:34.134 We've got turbulence, we've got rocks in our stream, we've got foamy. 00:19:34.134 --> 00:19:40.597 You know, you see these white water rafting places. 00:19:40.597 --> 00:19:46.836 People ride these white water rapids, you know, and they've got this raft and they're riding on it. 00:19:46.836 --> 00:19:48.672 I mean it's dangerous as all get out. 00:19:48.672 --> 00:19:50.540 People get a thrill over it. 00:19:50.540 --> 00:19:51.645 But you know that's not. 00:19:51.645 --> 00:19:54.354 The Holy Ghost doesn't want your water looking like that. 00:19:54.354 --> 00:19:56.048 He doesn't want a bunch of boulders in there. 00:19:56.048 --> 00:19:58.726 He doesn't want a bunch of turbulence knocking you around. 00:19:58.726 --> 00:20:01.213 He wants you to be able to flow with him. 00:20:03.560 --> 00:20:05.665 Peace, the peace of God, let peace rule. 00:20:05.665 --> 00:20:12.538 So it goes on to tell you how to keep your heart. 00:20:12.538 --> 00:20:16.375 It goes on to say put away from your a forward mouth and perverse lips. 00:20:16.375 --> 00:20:21.511 Let your eyes look right on Watch, where you you know. 00:20:21.511 --> 00:20:24.507 In other words, watch what you're speaking, watch what you're looking at. 00:20:24.507 --> 00:20:26.671 Ponder the path of your feet. 00:20:26.671 --> 00:20:28.554 Amen. 00:20:31.117 --> 00:20:40.722 But getting back to Philippians, chapter four, that we read just a moment ago, four, seven. 00:20:40.722 --> 00:20:42.729 Let's read the rest of it. 00:20:42.729 --> 00:20:52.653 Let's turn back to Philippians, chapter four, and let's follow what it has to say about the peace of God. 00:20:52.653 --> 00:20:57.787 Four, seven or 4-4, rather. 00:20:57.787 --> 00:21:00.166 Rejoice in the Lord. 00:21:00.166 --> 00:21:01.309 Philippians 4-4. 00:21:01.309 --> 00:21:04.989 Rejoice in the Lord, always and again I say rejoice. 00:21:06.019 --> 00:21:08.228 Let your moderation be known unto all men. 00:21:08.228 --> 00:21:09.103 The Lord is at hand. 00:21:09.103 --> 00:21:10.828 The Lord is at hand, isn't he? 00:21:10.828 --> 00:21:13.685 I mean Jesus is coming soon. 00:21:13.685 --> 00:21:18.085 I mean, if 2000 years ago Paul said the Lord's at hand, how much closer is he now? 00:21:18.085 --> 00:21:21.627 Let your moderation be known to all men. 00:21:21.627 --> 00:21:22.865 We'll talk about that in a minute. 00:21:22.865 --> 00:21:35.124 Be careful for nothing, or in other words, don't fret, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. 00:21:35.124 --> 00:21:46.108 Let your request be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 00:21:46.108 --> 00:22:06.748 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise. 00:22:06.748 --> 00:22:10.068 Think on these things. 00:22:10.068 --> 00:22:25.623 So let's take these verses, and these are the verses that apply to allowing us to let peace rule, I mean, if you'll be a doer of the word, not a hearer. 00:22:25.782 --> 00:22:29.585 Only, it takes discipline, you've got to buy into it. 00:22:29.585 --> 00:22:40.009 It takes time, it takes a willingness to interrupt a certain habit, a thought pattern, those internal dialogues. 00:22:40.009 --> 00:23:04.244 I talk about those internal dialogues a lot because there are habits, ways of thinking, and the more you think negatively in your mind, just like an eight track tape, your brain has got neuro cells that are like electrical cells and it will trace around the pattern in your mind just like an endless loop. 00:23:04.244 --> 00:23:06.105 It's easy to think wrong. 00:23:06.105 --> 00:23:12.909 In order to interrupt wrong thinking, it takes a lot of effort, it takes a lot of repetition. 00:23:12.909 --> 00:23:16.884 Uh-uh, no, I'm not thinking like that, I'm thinking like this right here. 00:23:16.884 --> 00:23:20.071 So you got to buy into this. 00:23:20.071 --> 00:23:26.227 You got to be a doer of the word, not just a hearer, because if you just hear this and don't do it, you're going to wind up more confused than ever. 00:23:26.227 --> 00:23:30.801 So let peace rule Number one. 00:23:31.605 --> 00:23:36.349 We find in verse four choose to rejoice and not to whine. 00:23:36.349 --> 00:23:38.923 Choose to rejoice. 00:23:38.923 --> 00:23:43.528 Rejoice to the Lord when you feel like it. 00:23:43.528 --> 00:23:47.288 No, always rejoice in the Lord. 00:23:47.288 --> 00:23:52.049 After you see the latest news flash on Israel. 00:23:52.049 --> 00:23:59.888 And we can't lose our joy over Israel, can't lose our joy over all this loss of life out there. 00:23:59.888 --> 00:24:00.982 Does that mean we're not? 00:24:00.982 --> 00:24:03.230 No, we care. 00:24:03.230 --> 00:24:05.888 We care about that, but we're not going to let it steal our joy. 00:24:05.888 --> 00:24:07.744 Our joy, we're going to rejoice all the time. 00:24:07.744 --> 00:24:14.573 Rejoice, you know, I like this phrase. 00:24:14.573 --> 00:24:18.683 I will be glad in the Lord, Psalm 104-34,. 00:24:18.683 --> 00:24:21.643 I will be glad in the Lord, see, you will. 00:24:21.643 --> 00:24:23.248 Who's you your spirit? 00:24:23.248 --> 00:24:27.702 So when you're tempted to be sad, you just say no, I'll be glad. 00:24:27.702 --> 00:24:29.287 No, I will be glad in the Lord. 00:24:29.287 --> 00:24:30.049 Ha, ha, ha. 00:24:34.268 --> 00:24:38.035 I, like Brother Hagin, used to just say ha, ha, ha. 00:24:38.035 --> 00:24:44.051 And so we got Brother Mark comes in here and says ha ha ha. 00:24:44.051 --> 00:24:45.220 It doesn't seem like real. 00:24:45.220 --> 00:24:48.663 It doesn't seem real to go like that when you don't feel like it, well, it doesn't matter. 00:24:48.663 --> 00:24:52.287 The devil can't tell the difference between a fake laugh and a real laugh. 00:24:52.287 --> 00:24:55.446 So just fake it until you make it. 00:24:55.446 --> 00:24:58.226 Ha ha, ha ha. 00:24:58.380 --> 00:25:01.988 You don't feel, you know, but rejoicing is not a pity party. 00:25:01.988 --> 00:25:05.009 See, you can't have a pity party and rejoice. 00:25:05.009 --> 00:25:09.704 You've got to flip over and just make yourself laugh when you feel like crying. 00:25:09.704 --> 00:25:12.025 Ha ha ha ha. 00:25:12.025 --> 00:25:13.943 Make yourself smile. 00:25:13.943 --> 00:25:14.686 You can do that. 00:25:14.686 --> 00:25:15.502 I know you can. 00:25:15.502 --> 00:25:17.545 Actors do it all the time. 00:25:17.545 --> 00:25:24.527 These actors in Hollywood, man, they look so happy until the camera gets off of them and then you find out the real them. 00:25:24.527 --> 00:25:28.106 I mean, they are hard to deal with. 00:25:28.106 --> 00:25:32.064 Everybody say ha ha ha. 00:25:33.339 --> 00:25:36.548 Psalm 31-7, I'll rejoice in his mercy. 00:25:36.548 --> 00:25:39.287 I'll rejoice and be glad in his mercy. 00:25:39.287 --> 00:25:41.685 Psalm 92, same thing. 00:25:41.685 --> 00:25:51.424 Psalm 40-16, over and over in the Psalms it says I will be glad and rejoice, I'll be glad and rejoice, I will be glad. 00:25:51.424 --> 00:25:52.545 So you have to will it. 00:25:52.545 --> 00:25:54.406 Anybody can have a pity party. 00:25:54.406 --> 00:25:57.849 Anybody can will to give in to emotion. 00:25:57.849 --> 00:26:07.425 But if you want the peace of God to rule, you've got to run counter to your emotion and rejoice always. 00:26:07.425 --> 00:26:09.501 All right. 00:26:09.501 --> 00:26:17.243 Number two let your moderation be known unto all men, the Lord's at hand. 00:26:17.243 --> 00:26:19.650 Well, that's right. 00:26:19.650 --> 00:26:20.752 I'm a moderate drinker. 00:26:20.752 --> 00:26:23.989 I'm down from a fifth of whiskey a day down to a pint. 00:26:23.989 --> 00:26:27.128 Pastor, I'm a moderate drinker. 00:26:27.128 --> 00:26:31.566 No, it's not talking about that kind of moderation. 00:26:32.740 --> 00:26:41.568 Moderation is your unselfish and forbearing spirit in the linguistic key to the Greek New Testament. 00:26:41.568 --> 00:26:48.230 I'm not a Greek scholar, but I got a little book and I look up the word moderation and listen to what it means. 00:26:48.230 --> 00:26:51.048 It means reasonableness and judging. 00:26:51.048 --> 00:27:07.193 It signifies humble, patient, steadfastness, which is able to submit to injustice, disgrace and maltreatment without hatred and malice. 00:27:07.193 --> 00:27:12.105 It's trusting in God in spite of it all. 00:27:12.105 --> 00:27:19.039 I'm going to say it again, boy, I mean that's a mouthful that sounds really hard to do. 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:21.429 I'm still working on this. 00:27:22.242 --> 00:27:23.106 Peace is a fruit. 00:27:23.106 --> 00:27:27.920 Moderation comes along with peace and you've got to work on it. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:30.279 I mean it won't happen just because you want it to. 00:27:30.279 --> 00:27:36.496 You've got to train yourself to have a thick skin to criticism. 00:27:36.496 --> 00:27:42.078 And even I mean listen to what it says. 00:27:42.078 --> 00:27:45.400 It signifies it's reasonableness and judging. 00:27:45.400 --> 00:27:51.359 It signifies humble, patient, steadfastness, which is able to submit to injustice. 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:58.175 Injustice, disgrace and maltreatment. 00:27:58.175 --> 00:28:12.588 I mean these are three bad things that are happening to you by other people and you suffer them without hatred and malice, trusting in God in spite of it all. 00:28:13.720 --> 00:28:33.359 So and so lied about you so and so, spread rumors about you so and so, treated you like a dog Well, maybe not like a dog, because most dogs are treated pretty well, but anyway but you choose not to hate them, you choose not to flash back at them, you choose to just trust God. 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:37.019 You know they're saying this about me, but you, you know, you keep the books on me. 00:28:37.019 --> 00:28:38.288 You know about me better than they do. 00:28:38.288 --> 00:28:41.087 They don't know me like you do. 00:28:41.087 --> 00:28:43.627 So, lord, I forgive them, and that's you know. 00:28:43.647 --> 00:28:44.939 I'm just gonna keep on moving. 00:28:44.939 --> 00:28:46.159 I'm keep going. 00:28:46.159 --> 00:28:50.509 If there's an element of truth in what they're saying, well, you know, lord, show me, I'll be glad to change. 00:28:50.509 --> 00:28:52.980 But I'm not gonna be able to change. 00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:56.982 Show me, I'll be glad to change, but I'm not gonna take any of this personal. 00:28:56.982 --> 00:28:58.105 I'm just gonna keep on going. 00:28:59.420 --> 00:29:02.509 You think about well, that's, you know you must. 00:29:02.509 --> 00:29:04.826 You must have a character flaw. 00:29:04.826 --> 00:29:06.866 Why would you put up with that kind of bit? 00:29:06.866 --> 00:29:09.909 Why would you put up with that kind of treatment? 00:29:09.909 --> 00:29:12.086 Well, because the Bible says the Lord's at hand. 00:29:12.086 --> 00:29:20.728 And I'm just not gonna respond to a bunch of this stuff, I'm just gonna, you know, ignore it. 00:29:20.728 --> 00:29:23.066 I'm not gonna try to get back at it. 00:29:23.066 --> 00:29:26.865 I'm not gonna try to enter into it and try to defend myself. 00:29:26.865 --> 00:29:28.846 I mean, you know, I learned a long time ago. 00:29:28.846 --> 00:29:33.909 You start trying to defend yourself, you're in for a whole lot of unhappy. 00:29:33.909 --> 00:29:35.132 I mean, it doesn't work. 00:29:35.132 --> 00:29:36.585 God can defend you, though. 00:29:36.585 --> 00:29:39.684 God can vindicate you. 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:45.989 Well, lord, you know they're saying this about me and you know, I know, I'm your chosen servant. 00:29:45.989 --> 00:29:49.009 So, lord, I pray your mercy on them. 00:29:49.009 --> 00:29:54.079 That's what I had to learn to pray God's mercy on people that were lying about me. 00:29:54.079 --> 00:30:03.160 Found out they were lying about me, found out they were betraying me, found out after the fact that had meetings against me, spread all kinds of lies about me. 00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:16.500 After I had done all this good for them, and you know it hurt, I was boo-hooing oh, what am I gonna do about this, lord? 00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:17.497 Well, they said forgive them. 00:30:17.497 --> 00:30:23.598 I said, yeah, lord, I know you know I didn't want to. 00:30:23.598 --> 00:30:24.449 That's the first thing. 00:30:24.449 --> 00:30:25.359 You said forgive them. 00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:28.076 I said, yes, lord, I hear you Forgive them. 00:30:28.076 --> 00:30:31.530 Pray my mercy over them. 00:30:33.804 --> 00:30:35.711 Well, because they're the ones that are doing wrong. 00:30:35.711 --> 00:30:38.140 They're doing wrong. 00:30:38.140 --> 00:30:40.413 I mean this injustice. 00:30:40.413 --> 00:30:45.362 Look at the words injustice, disgrace, maltreatment, maltreatment. 00:30:45.362 --> 00:30:48.608 Someone is putting that on you. 00:30:48.608 --> 00:30:49.992 And what do you do? 00:30:49.992 --> 00:30:56.865 Well, you forgive them, you pray God's mercy on them and in my case, I'm a pastor. 00:30:57.720 --> 00:31:12.467 So the next thing he said to me while I'm boo-hooing them at two o'clock in the morning and my din at home and my face on the floor wet from my tears take your pastoral covering off of them. 00:31:12.467 --> 00:31:17.519 Woo man, I sobered up fast. 00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:21.200 I quit crying because I knew what was gonna happen to them. 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:23.759 I'm no longer responsible for them. 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:30.450 I'm no longer gonna supply them with my influence in the spirit realm for their benefit. 00:31:30.450 --> 00:31:40.200 Wow, and you know, I just walked away free as a bird and over the years, god's vindicated me over and over again. 00:31:40.200 --> 00:31:42.625 I didn't ask him to do it, he don't just do it. 00:31:42.625 --> 00:31:42.806 Why? 00:31:42.806 --> 00:31:45.664 Because he loves you and you did his word. 00:31:47.140 --> 00:31:49.227 Let your moderation be known unto all men. 00:31:49.227 --> 00:31:49.949 Don't be one of these. 00:31:49.949 --> 00:31:52.548 It's all we're trying to get back and hit back. 00:31:52.548 --> 00:31:56.486 Ooh, it's getting quiet in here. 00:31:56.486 --> 00:32:00.126 I can say the whole thing in a different way. 00:32:00.126 --> 00:32:01.806 Impulse control. 00:32:01.806 --> 00:32:07.525 Huh, you slapped me, I'm gonna slap you back harder. 00:32:07.525 --> 00:32:14.029 You kicked me in the shin, I'm gonna kick you someplace else. 00:32:14.029 --> 00:32:22.144 Impulse control that's what moderation is Impulse control. 00:32:23.180 --> 00:32:30.788 You might, your flesh might wanna rise up your flesh that's not wrong, just because your flesh wants to rise up, but you are not your flesh. 00:32:30.788 --> 00:32:36.368