WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:07.245 Well, how about we just start by stretching your hand out towards whatever device you're watching it on, and let's pray over this broadcast? 00:00:07.245 --> 00:00:18.300 Father, we just thank you for this opportunity to preach and to speak your word boldly, to proclaim the year of favor to everyone that's listening. 00:00:18.300 --> 00:00:20.586 And, lord, we just thank you for Christmas time. 00:00:20.586 --> 00:00:29.914 We will, we remember the reason for the season, lord, and we put you first, we put your Son first, lord, we love because you first loved us. 00:00:29.914 --> 00:00:38.685 And so, father, we just thank you that we've gathered around the table to commune with one another and to learn straight out of your Word. 00:00:38.685 --> 00:00:45.134 And so, father, we just thank you for supernatural utterance for Selena and I tonight, and supernatural hearing too. 00:00:45.575 --> 00:00:46.317 We believe in that. 00:00:46.317 --> 00:00:57.037 So, lord, we just thank you that, whatever the people that had tuned in tonight, whatever they need to hear, lord, you're able to provide that to them through using our mouthpiece. 00:00:57.037 --> 00:00:58.161 And, lord, we heal to you. 00:00:58.161 --> 00:01:03.052 Holy Spirit, have your way, have your way in our thoughts and have your way in our words. 00:01:03.052 --> 00:01:04.664 And, lord, we just thank you. 00:01:04.664 --> 00:01:17.427 We plead the blood of Jesus over the things spoken tonight, lord, and we are believing for great things in Jesus' name, and we put our expectation fully in you, and only in you, in Jesus' name. 00:01:17.566 --> 00:01:19.332 Amen, amen, amen. 00:01:19.914 --> 00:01:30.087 Well, we have a message together, we're preaching together Selena's not just here to watch, but she's definitely involved tonight and it's called believing till the end. 00:01:30.087 --> 00:01:36.612 And we're not talking about necessarily the end of your life, but although we do believe till the end when we get to heaven. 00:01:36.612 --> 00:01:42.715 But you know, believing till the end of whatever circumstance that you're going through, whatever thing you're fighting. 00:01:42.715 --> 00:01:48.015 And we're going to read out of the book of Daniel and read a very familiar scripture. 00:01:48.015 --> 00:01:55.983 I mean a story rather with Shadrach, meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace, and it takes me all the way back to Lakewood Church days. 00:01:55.983 --> 00:01:58.849 I grew up at Lakewood and I was in the children's church. 00:01:58.849 --> 00:02:02.165 You know way back, I don't know we grew up at. 00:02:02.185 --> 00:02:02.546 Lakewood. 00:02:02.546 --> 00:02:03.186 I'm sorry. 00:02:03.186 --> 00:02:07.200 We grew up and so I beat you there by a few years. 00:02:07.221 --> 00:02:08.443 You did, you did and. 00:02:08.604 --> 00:02:09.265 I'm telling you. 00:02:09.265 --> 00:02:15.532 I remember the felt characters up on the board and all of that, the flannels and the flannels, thank you. 00:02:15.532 --> 00:02:27.787 And my children's church teacher when he taught me this he called King Nebuchadnezzar King Nebuchadnezzar, and so I don't know if I can talk as deep as him tonight, but I will try. 00:02:27.787 --> 00:02:30.760 So I'm reading out of the Message Bible tonight. 00:02:30.760 --> 00:02:37.221 I'm going to read the entire chapter of Daniel, chapter three, and I'm going to grab my glasses so I can see. 00:02:37.221 --> 00:02:47.112 And it says King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold statue 90 feet high and nine feet thick and he set it up on the Dura Plain in the province of Babylon. 00:02:47.112 --> 00:02:56.713 Then he ordered all the important leaders in the province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the statue. 00:02:56.713 --> 00:03:03.092 They all came for the dedication, all the important people, and took their places before the statue. 00:03:03.092 --> 00:03:06.366 A herald then proclaimed and allowed voice. 00:03:06.366 --> 00:03:08.951 Attention, everyone, every race, color and creed. 00:03:08.951 --> 00:03:19.116 Listen when you hear the band strike up all the trumpets and trombones and drums and symbols, fall on your knees and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 00:03:19.116 --> 00:03:25.657 Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately into the roaring furnace. 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:38.562 And the band started to play in a huge band equipped with all the musical instruments and everyone, every race, color and creed, fell on their knees and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 00:03:38.562 --> 00:03:48.110 And just then, a Babylonian fortune teller stepped up and accused the Jews, saying to King Nebuchadnezzar long live the king. 00:03:48.110 --> 00:04:02.430 You gave strict orders, o king, that when the band started playing, everyone had to fall on their knees and worship the statue, and whoever did not get on their knees and worship it would be pitched into a roaring furnace. 00:04:02.430 --> 00:04:11.674 Well, there are some Jews here Shadrach, meshach and Abednego, whom you've placed in high positions in over the province of Babylon. 00:04:11.674 --> 00:04:13.924 And then these men are ignoring you. 00:04:13.924 --> 00:04:28.026 And so here we have the accuser of the brethren right tattling and accusing these men of not bowing, and he's saying hey, they don't respect your gods and they won't worship the gold statue that you set up. 00:04:28.026 --> 00:04:33.384 And so this made King Nebuchadnezzar furious and he ordered them to be brought in. 00:04:33.384 --> 00:04:41.153 And when the men were brought in, he asked them is this true, that you don't respect my gods and refuse to worship the gold statue? 00:04:41.153 --> 00:04:50.750 I'm going to give you a second chance, but from now on, when the big band strikes up, hey, you better get on your knees, and you better worship this statue that I've made. 00:04:50.750 --> 00:04:58.213 If you don't worship it, I'll pitch you in the tent of the pitch you into the roaring furnace, with no questions asked. 00:04:58.213 --> 00:05:02.591 Who is the God who can restore you from my power, man? 00:05:02.591 --> 00:05:07.399 So he asked that arrogant question, right, and what did Shadrach, meshach and Abednego do? 00:05:07.399 --> 00:05:11.357 They answered King Nebuchadnezzar, your threat means nothing to us. 00:05:11.357 --> 00:05:19.237 If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, o King. 00:05:19.237 --> 00:05:30.257 But even if he doesn't, I'll listen to this, that, even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, o King, we still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up. 00:05:30.949 --> 00:05:39.276 And so Nebuchadnezzar's face turned purple with anger and he ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. 00:05:39.276 --> 00:05:46.415 And he ordered some strong men from the army to tie them up with hands and feet and throw them into the roaring furnace. 00:05:46.415 --> 00:05:53.237 And so they were bound, hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, and they were pitched into the roaring fire. 00:05:53.237 --> 00:05:57.473 And because the king was in such a hurry, the furnace was so hot. 00:05:57.473 --> 00:06:05.637 Flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach and the bed to go to it, while a fire raged around them. 00:06:05.637 --> 00:06:10.836 Suddenly, king Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said hey, didn't we throw three men in? 00:06:10.836 --> 00:06:14.137 And they all said, yeah, that's right, king. 00:06:14.137 --> 00:06:16.577 But look, he said I see a fourth man. 00:06:16.577 --> 00:06:25.178 I see four men walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed, and the fourth man looks like the son of the gods. 00:06:25.651 --> 00:06:32.036 And Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called Shadrach Meshach and the bed to go, servants of the high God, come out here. 00:06:32.036 --> 00:06:34.819 And so they came and walked out of the fire. 00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:39.396 News at six. 00:06:39.396 --> 00:06:40.701 Right, you know footage of that. 00:06:40.701 --> 00:06:42.495 I wanna see footage of that when I get to heaven. 00:06:42.495 --> 00:06:44.334 Right, they walked out of the fire. 00:06:44.470 --> 00:06:59.637 All the important people, the government leaders and the king's counselors gathered around them to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn't so much touched the three men not a hair cinched, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them. 00:06:59.637 --> 00:07:04.055 And Nebuchadnezzar said bless, be the God of Shadrach Meshach and the bed to go. 00:07:04.055 --> 00:07:07.853 And he sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him. 00:07:07.853 --> 00:07:13.853 They ignored the king's order and lay their bodies on the line rather than to serve or worship any God by their own. 00:07:13.853 --> 00:07:15.552 Therefore, I issue this decree. 00:07:15.552 --> 00:07:27.259 Anyone, anywhere, any race, color or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach Meshach and the bed to go, will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. 00:07:27.259 --> 00:07:31.831 There has never been a God who can pull off a rescue like this. 00:07:31.831 --> 00:07:43.543 Then the king promoted Shadrach Meshach and the bed to go in the province of Babylon, and so King Nebuchadnezzar made a full 180 degree turnaround, didn't he? 00:07:44.170 --> 00:07:48.500 And so I just wanna pick up in my notes where I'm at. 00:07:48.500 --> 00:07:58.639 But you know, sometimes our faith, when we're standing and believing God for something, it can come across a little double-minded. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:07:59.735 I don't know if you caught that. 00:07:59.735 --> 00:08:03.033 So we're gonna go through this story and point out some things. 00:08:03.033 --> 00:08:17.418 But you know they were saying, hey, nevertheless, even if this doesn't work, even if we burn up for our faith, we're still not bowing down to your dumb, idle God, right, and we're gonna hold on to our faith. 00:08:17.418 --> 00:08:22.617 We're gonna hold on to the principles that God has in store for us, amen. 00:08:22.617 --> 00:08:34.341 And so we just wanted to preach a message entitled you know four ways to remain in faith till the end, and so I just wanted to point out in verse 15,. 00:08:34.341 --> 00:08:35.755 I'm gonna swap Bibles real quick. 00:08:35.929 --> 00:08:50.801 In verse 15, I'm going back to the new living, I mean, I'm sorry, the new King James version, and I'm making a lot of noise too it says in verse 15, and who is the God who will deliver you from my hands? 00:08:50.801 --> 00:08:56.476 And so he made a direct challenge to Shadrach, meshach and Abednego's God, to our God right. 00:08:56.476 --> 00:09:02.837 And so a direct challenge, hey man, who, what God, is big enough to deliver you out of my hands? 00:09:02.837 --> 00:09:06.080 Look at me, I'm so big and strong and mighty. 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:10.818 And so I'm telling you, doesn't that sound like the devil talking to you now? 00:09:10.818 --> 00:09:18.081 Isn't he always trying to throw his weight around and make himself seem more powerful in your life? 00:09:18.081 --> 00:09:22.783 No, you've already gotten the victory over whatever circumstance you're facing. 00:09:22.783 --> 00:09:23.769 Amen, that's right, amen. 00:09:23.789 --> 00:09:27.192 And so the devil has no authority over you. 00:09:27.192 --> 00:09:36.442 And so you know when we're standing for something, that's the way that the devil sounds right, and the enemy can come against us. 00:09:36.442 --> 00:09:39.524 But praise God, god has given us the victory. 00:09:39.524 --> 00:09:42.203 And so that's number one tonight. 00:09:42.203 --> 00:09:45.565 Never waste time conversing with the enemy. 00:09:46.014 --> 00:09:48.604 In verse 16, shadrach, meshach and Abednego. 00:09:48.604 --> 00:09:56.166 Right after that, right after what we just read in verse 15, they said we have no need to answer you in this matter. 00:09:56.166 --> 00:09:59.121 We have no need to answer you. 00:09:59.121 --> 00:10:02.605 When is the last time you've answered the devil that way? 00:10:02.605 --> 00:10:07.807 Hey, I have no reason to answer you in this matter. 00:10:07.807 --> 00:10:09.441 I have no respect for you. 00:10:09.441 --> 00:10:10.961 You have no authority. 00:10:10.961 --> 00:10:15.600 I rebuke you right now, in the name of Jesus, take your hands off of me. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:16.724 You know that's what we need. 00:10:16.724 --> 00:10:18.883 We need to remain in our authority. 00:10:19.576 --> 00:10:27.283 And I'm telling you, so many people, they like to sit around and they like to exaggerate and talk about all the bad things that the devil's doing. 00:10:27.283 --> 00:10:29.923 Have you seen what he's doing now? 00:10:29.923 --> 00:10:32.924 Have you seen the dumb Democrats, what they're doing now? 00:10:32.924 --> 00:10:33.878 Have you seen this? 00:10:33.878 --> 00:10:35.443 Have you seen that? 00:10:35.443 --> 00:10:53.740 And they want to victimize themselves and just waste time talking about the devil and arguing with the devil and building up the enemy and basically explaining how high their mountain is to their friends, instead of talking about how big their God is. 00:10:53.740 --> 00:11:07.261 I'm telling you, when you'll begin to magnify the Lord in your life, when you begin to magnify His power and His faithfulness in your life and begin to speak to that mountain man, that mountain has to dissolve. 00:11:07.261 --> 00:11:10.284 It has to be Mark 11, 23 and 24. 00:11:10.284 --> 00:11:20.663 It has to be thrown in the sea, because the sea is large enough to receive whatever it is that you're facing, whatever mountain it is that you're coming against tonight Amen. 00:11:20.683 --> 00:11:21.566 That's right, yeah. 00:11:22.215 --> 00:11:25.485 And so never waste time conversing with the enemy. 00:11:25.485 --> 00:11:27.875 And then number two can find. 00:11:27.875 --> 00:11:30.144 These are just right in order. 00:11:30.144 --> 00:11:32.374 Number one was in verse 16. 00:11:32.374 --> 00:11:35.485 Number two is in verse 17. 00:11:35.485 --> 00:11:44.534 They said our God is able to deliver us, and so you must believe that God is able. 00:11:44.534 --> 00:11:53.027 And when I heard, when I read, that statement, it kind of took me back to Hebrews 11, 6. 00:11:53.034 --> 00:11:56.198 But without faith it's impossible to please God. 00:11:56.198 --> 00:12:05.245 For when you're coming to God by faith, you must believe that he is number one and that he's a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. 00:12:05.245 --> 00:12:12.520 So we must believe that God is able First, that he is and that he's a rewarder for those who diligently seek Him. 00:12:12.520 --> 00:12:18.957 And so we must remain in faith and you must always believe that God is able, god's ability. 00:12:18.957 --> 00:12:31.317 He's given you His grace, and that word grace means that you have, you carry God's ability on the inside of you, and that's His ability to do anything, anything that you believe God for. 00:12:31.317 --> 00:12:40.301 You're able to perform, you're able to do, you're able to overcome, in the name of Jesus, because we live our lives in Christ, amen, amen. 00:12:40.301 --> 00:12:42.635 I know you had some things to share on this. 00:12:43.070 --> 00:12:44.514 I do, yeah, you know. 00:12:44.514 --> 00:12:48.956 On number two, you must believe that God is able. 00:12:48.956 --> 00:12:56.070 You know, sometimes it's easy to when going through a trial, you know it can be difficult. 00:12:56.070 --> 00:13:07.879 You know you're in a bolt when you're bombarded with thoughts and from the enemy, you know, just like in point one, we don't even if you don't say those out loud and you're and he throws these arrows at you. 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:11.438 You have to combat them with the word of God. 00:13:11.438 --> 00:13:29.196 And so you have to believe sometimes God is able, like it's just such an easy phrase to say, but really believing like, hey, god is able, like anybody can say that when you've gone through a trial and everything's great, oh yeah, god's able, yay. 00:13:29.196 --> 00:13:41.738 But how about when you're in the thick of it and when you're in like a major trial, major trauma has gone on, when you're bombarded, hey you, the word works. 00:13:41.738 --> 00:13:50.438 And so that is when you need to say believe in your heart, even with doubt sometimes, maybe in your mind, believe in your heart that, hey, god is able. 00:13:50.509 --> 00:13:55.056 And there's lots of scriptures and I want to share a couple with you about how God is able. 00:13:55.056 --> 00:14:01.433 Romans 16, 25 says now to him who is able to establish you. 00:14:01.433 --> 00:14:10.936 According to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, kept secret since the word began. 00:14:10.936 --> 00:14:14.600 So he is able to establish you. 00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:17.557 So what does it mean to be established? 00:14:17.557 --> 00:14:27.760 When I thought of the parable where Jesus talks about the man with the foundation, you don't want to be on sandy ground. 00:14:27.760 --> 00:14:31.320 You want to make sure that you're on a firm foundation. 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:45.618 Establish not established in your own way, in your own thoughts and what you think about the circumstance and when you think that should happen, but established in the word of God and what the word of God says about your situation. 00:14:45.618 --> 00:14:48.658 So he is able to establish you. 00:14:48.809 --> 00:14:59.739 1 Corinthians 1, 8 in the Amplified says he will establish you to the end, keep you steadfast, give you strength and guarantee your vindication. 00:14:59.739 --> 00:15:04.201 And so sometimes we want vindication on our own term. 00:15:04.201 --> 00:15:05.032 No, no, no, no. 00:15:05.032 --> 00:15:22.599 We can only do that through God, when you are obedient to his word, when you say, yes, lord, no matter, you know I'm going to go through the fire, no matter who it separates me from or identifies me with, I'm going to do for me, I'm going to for you, because I'm obedient to your word. 00:15:22.599 --> 00:15:31.133 Your word says here that you'll establish me, you'll keep me, I will be steadfast, all in your word, not on my own. 00:15:31.133 --> 00:15:32.115 Yeah, immovable. 00:15:33.350 --> 00:15:37.674 2 Timothy 1, 12 says for this reason I also suffer these things. 00:15:37.674 --> 00:15:40.755 Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom. 00:15:40.755 --> 00:15:48.298 I have believed and persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day. 00:15:48.298 --> 00:15:53.275 So he is able to keep that which you have committed to him until that day. 00:15:53.275 --> 00:16:09.019 And then it goes on in verse 13, hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus, that good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. 00:16:09.019 --> 00:16:11.557 So we have to guard that precious truth. 00:16:12.629 --> 00:16:17.359 So Paul here is telling Timothy hey, hold fast to the pattern of sound words. 00:16:17.359 --> 00:16:24.094 There's the pattern, there's the way to talk During the trial, before the trial, during the trial and after the trial. 00:16:24.094 --> 00:16:25.759 You should be consistent. 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:34.457 There should be a pattern of words coming out of your mouth, out of our mouths, words that are faith filled, words that, hey, god, you are able. 00:16:34.457 --> 00:16:39.657 Whatever the good work that you have begun in my life, you're able to complete it. 00:16:39.657 --> 00:16:40.972 You are able. 00:16:40.972 --> 00:16:41.716 Amen. 00:16:42.210 --> 00:16:59.104 I just like the fact that in verse 12, we should read that again that he's persuaded that God is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day that God is able to hold it. 00:16:59.104 --> 00:17:03.018 And so it's his ability he's holding. 00:17:03.018 --> 00:17:09.796 So you're committed to what you've asked him to hold onto, but he's the one that's holding onto it. 00:17:09.796 --> 00:17:10.178 Amen. 00:17:10.178 --> 00:17:19.977 So you don't have to stress out about it, you don't have to worry, and you can know and rest assured that God is the one holding it. 00:17:19.977 --> 00:17:21.480 Amen, and so-. 00:17:22.029 --> 00:17:27.859 And our commitment is based on the word, our commitment, our motive of why we're committed. 00:17:27.859 --> 00:17:29.596 And so till the very end. 00:17:29.596 --> 00:17:32.236 You know what's the title? 00:17:32.236 --> 00:17:34.141 Believing until the very end. 00:17:34.141 --> 00:17:36.276 What's the opposite of that? 00:17:36.276 --> 00:17:39.298 Because God has a plan and then the devil has a plan. 00:17:39.298 --> 00:17:42.259 God wants us to believe, to have faith to the very end. 00:17:42.259 --> 00:17:53.356 The opposite of that is doubt and quit short, like he wants you to give up, he wants you to quit, he wants you to stop short of fulfilling the plan of God for your life. 00:17:53.356 --> 00:17:59.478 And so we have to make sure to the why of why we're committed. 00:17:59.478 --> 00:18:03.218 It's because of the word of God, because of the Holy Spirit working in us. 00:18:03.710 --> 00:18:14.740 The devil's doing his best to try to steal your influence in every area in your life, the influence that you have over your friends and over your family, but he can't, because-. 00:18:14.930 --> 00:18:15.352 God's able. 00:18:15.372 --> 00:18:15.913 God's able. 00:18:16.770 --> 00:18:27.920 Another scripture, hebrews 7, 25, says therefore, he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:31.839 So he is able to save you to the uttermost isn't that good. 00:18:32.589 --> 00:18:34.116 And then, second Corinthians, zion eight. 00:18:34.116 --> 00:18:38.653 He is able to make all grace abound towards you, jude 1, 24,. 00:18:38.653 --> 00:18:47.696 Now to him, who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. 00:18:47.696 --> 00:18:50.700 So he is able to keep you from falling. 00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:52.134 God is able. 00:18:52.134 --> 00:18:54.536 And then all of these you can make into confessions. 00:18:54.536 --> 00:18:58.520 I thank you, god, that you're able to keep me from falling. 00:18:58.520 --> 00:19:11.635 I will be steadfast, I will be immovable, no matter what goes on, no matter what is thrown my way, and it may be hurtful and can be hurtful, but, god, you know what. 00:19:11.635 --> 00:19:14.698 I'm gonna protect my heart, I'm gonna guard my heart. 00:19:14.698 --> 00:19:19.016 The peace that passes all understanding guards my heart and mine. 00:19:19.016 --> 00:19:21.435 So I thank you that you're able. 00:19:21.435 --> 00:19:25.915 You are able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think. 00:19:25.915 --> 00:19:29.617 So I just wanna encourage you that he is able. 00:19:29.617 --> 00:19:31.497 Put that on the forefront of your thoughts. 00:19:31.497 --> 00:19:32.855 God is able, amen. 00:19:33.230 --> 00:19:41.979 Amen, amen, so we can continue with number three Number three, and number three in verse 17,. 00:19:43.271 --> 00:19:46.240 And he will deliver us from your hand, O King. 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:53.317 And so they were able to proclaim exactly what they were standing for. 00:19:53.317 --> 00:19:55.798 And so number three is to hold fast. 00:19:55.798 --> 00:19:58.215 Hold fast, no matter what it looks like. 00:19:58.215 --> 00:20:03.275 You've gotta dig down deep into what you believe and why you believe it. 00:20:03.275 --> 00:20:06.118 So we must hold fast to our confession of faith. 00:20:06.118 --> 00:20:13.875 Hebrews 10 says and you must hold fast to your belief system and why you believe what you believe. 00:20:13.875 --> 00:20:15.059 Hold fast. 00:20:15.059 --> 00:20:20.102 And so we must stand on God's promises. 00:20:20.102 --> 00:20:25.001 And so Hebrews three and verse six let's turn there. 00:20:25.130 --> 00:20:50.936 Hebrews three, verse six in the new, the new King James version, says but Christ as a son over his own house, whose house we are of, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope, firm to the end, and that's man, that really backs up what we're preaching about tonight, doesn't it? 00:20:50.936 --> 00:21:03.898 And so, really, Selena several I'm not sure when, actually, but she did a whole series in the youth they like to teach in series is over there, and she did a whole series of if, then scriptures. 00:21:03.898 --> 00:21:24.595 And so if you just turn this one around and just swap the end with the beginning, it would be an if then and you could say that, If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end, then we are of his house, God's house which Jesus is over. 00:21:24.595 --> 00:21:38.315 That's what this scripture says, and I'm telling you we must hold firm to the end, Verse 14, for we are made oh, I'm sorry if you skip down that was in verse six, but if you skip down, same chapter. 00:21:39.377 --> 00:21:50.458 Hebrews 3, 14, for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence, steadfast until the end. 00:21:50.458 --> 00:21:55.173 So we must hold fast the beginning of our confidence until the end. 00:21:55.173 --> 00:21:55.575 Amen. 00:21:55.575 --> 00:21:57.616 And so we must hold fast. 00:21:57.616 --> 00:21:59.076 There's no going back. 00:21:59.076 --> 00:22:02.039 There's no going back to the old way of doing things. 00:22:02.039 --> 00:22:05.579 There's no going back to our old way of thinking. 00:22:05.579 --> 00:22:07.075 Our mind has been renewed. 00:22:07.075 --> 00:22:09.675 We've come too far to go back now. 00:22:09.675 --> 00:22:12.163 Amen, Amen, and congratulations also. 00:22:12.345 --> 00:22:21.710 You know I've thought of planting, so no matter so, number three, no matter what it looks like, you will have to dig down deep into your belief system and hold fast. 00:22:21.710 --> 00:22:27.892 So you know me and plants and gardening, and I like doing all of those things and digging in the dirt. 00:22:27.892 --> 00:22:34.473 But I thought of you know that's what I thought of dig down deep into your belief system. 00:22:34.473 --> 00:22:36.132 And there's this phrase and I wrote it down. 00:22:36.132 --> 00:22:43.290 I might have butchered it, but you know you don't want to what you've planted in faith, you don't want to dig up a doubt. 00:22:43.290 --> 00:22:59.679 And so, like in the natural, when you're digging, like, think of, like, there's a seed and like, oh, I'm going to plant this little flower seed or whatever, it is an apple seed and it's going to become a apple tree, you are expecting that seed. 00:22:59.679 --> 00:23:11.012 When you planted it, when I planted it in the ground, you know, and you cover it with soil and you water it, you expect there to be a plant growing if you take care of it, if you nurture it. 00:23:11.012 --> 00:23:12.630 And so you can't. 00:23:12.910 --> 00:23:29.115 You know, here you are and we're speaking the word and confessing the word, and but don't you know, the enemy comes along and throws things at you, but don't dig that seed up with doubt, words and oh, it's never going to happen. 00:23:29.115 --> 00:23:30.249 Oh, I can't see. 00:23:30.249 --> 00:23:31.913 You know this always happens. 00:23:31.913 --> 00:23:33.170 Why did they bat things? 00:23:33.170 --> 00:23:33.726 What? 00:23:33.726 --> 00:23:35.365 No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:23:35.365 --> 00:23:41.667 You've just dug up what you just planted, and so I just want to encourage you to don't do that. 00:23:41.667 --> 00:23:53.255 Keep make sure your mouth is connected to the word, make sure that what you're saying is the word of God, because the word of God works. 00:23:53.255 --> 00:23:53.675 Amen. 00:23:54.346 --> 00:23:55.431 That's right, amen, Amen. 00:23:55.431 --> 00:23:56.145 You know. 00:23:56.145 --> 00:23:56.488 This reminded me. 00:23:56.488 --> 00:24:03.449 I know this doesn't seem like it goes to fits, but the Holy Spirit just brought to my remembrance. 00:24:03.449 --> 00:24:16.653 We were reading together Hebrews 11 and the Passion Translation the other day, and talking about Abraham leaving everything behind and going to a new city in verse 15. 00:24:16.653 --> 00:24:23.930 And if their hearts were still remembering what they had left behind, they would have found an opportunity to go back. 00:24:23.930 --> 00:24:31.590 But they couldn't turn back, for their hearts were fixed on what was far greater, that is, the heavenly realm. 00:24:31.590 --> 00:24:38.196 And so their heart was fixed on heaven. 00:24:38.196 --> 00:24:44.713 That their heart was fixed on what God had for them and their future, that there's no way they would go back. 00:24:44.713 --> 00:24:47.467 And here we're reading about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 00:24:47.467 --> 00:24:49.113 But their heart was fixed. 00:24:49.113 --> 00:24:56.576 There wasn't any way they could possibly bow down and worship another God besides our God, that's right. 00:24:57.025 --> 00:24:58.528 And they were too bold. 00:24:58.528 --> 00:25:00.355 They had come too far to go back. 00:25:00.355 --> 00:25:13.391 Why would they go back to someone else's God that doesn't work, that isn't alive, that doesn't have a word, that's alive and sharper than any two-edged sword? 00:25:13.391 --> 00:25:14.093 Amen, amen. 00:25:14.093 --> 00:25:18.174 And so why would you go back to the old way of doing things? 00:25:18.174 --> 00:25:21.994 You've been made alive, to God that's right. 00:25:22.424 --> 00:25:23.288 You were holding His word. 00:25:23.288 --> 00:25:31.692 We're standing firm on His foundation of everything, that all of His promises are yes and amen. 00:25:31.692 --> 00:25:34.766 And I'm telling you we're holding fast, amen, amen. 00:25:34.766 --> 00:25:37.872 And so we're steadfast and immovable. 00:25:37.872 --> 00:25:42.415 And also we stand on the word of God. 00:25:42.415 --> 00:25:48.734 So it reminded me of Ephesians 6, 13 and 14, having done all to stand there for it. 00:25:48.734 --> 00:25:52.095 So that was the double enunciation of God in there. 00:25:52.095 --> 00:26:00.134 So we're standing on the word, with applying the whole armor of God, which is prayer armor, amen, amen. 00:26:01.425 --> 00:26:08.092 And so just think about what it was like for Shadrach, meshach and Abednego, in this situation, to stand up to the King. 00:26:08.092 --> 00:26:22.494 That would be like standing up to President Biden today with live on CNN, live on Fox News, where everybody stops and they're listening to you, not bow down to the God of this age. 00:26:22.494 --> 00:26:23.769 And that's what we're to do. 00:26:23.769 --> 00:26:35.112 We are to die to the desires of our flesh and live to the Spirit and everything that God wants us to accomplish in this life. 00:26:35.112 --> 00:26:40.375 From God, amen For God's plan for your life, amen. 00:26:40.375 --> 00:26:48.390 And so it leads us to the last one point, number four, which is just one more verse, verse 18, again back to Daniel 3. 00:26:48.390 --> 00:26:52.895 And it says but if not, we still won't bow down. 00:26:52.895 --> 00:26:57.373 And so they were saying maybe I should read the context of that again. 00:26:57.373 --> 00:26:59.727 Let's see. 00:27:00.744 --> 00:27:01.288 Verse 18. 00:27:01.964 --> 00:27:04.288 Yes, thank you, verse 17. 00:27:04.288 --> 00:27:13.433 If that is the case, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fire furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand, o King. 00:27:13.433 --> 00:27:22.075 But if not, let it be known to you, o King, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. 00:27:22.075 --> 00:27:30.355 So there's no way, hey, even if this doesn't work out, like I said at the very beginning, there's no way we're gonna bow down and worship your God. 00:27:30.355 --> 00:27:36.012 So be fervent, in other words, believe to the end, at all costs. 00:27:36.775 --> 00:27:37.576 Amen Amen. 00:27:38.644 --> 00:27:42.435 And so this might look like doubt a little bit. 00:27:42.435 --> 00:27:43.769 Right, they look like, hey, you know. 00:27:43.769 --> 00:27:46.570 No, it's believing to the end. 00:27:46.570 --> 00:27:58.402 It's believing in the display of God's awesome, miraculous power and believing God's word. 00:27:58.402 --> 00:28:05.584 And so when you're facing something that looks impossible, remember to stand firm and to let God be God. 00:28:05.584 --> 00:28:06.145 That's right. 00:28:06.145 --> 00:28:16.065 Let God's ability, that's on the inside of you, that you're carrying around God's grace, overcome whatever circumstance that you're fighting right now. 00:28:16.775 --> 00:28:19.420 Through faith, you know the just shall live. 00:28:19.420 --> 00:28:19.922 By faith. 00:28:19.922 --> 00:28:22.423 You're a man or a woman of faith. 00:28:22.423 --> 00:28:24.359 You know Jesus constantly. 00:28:24.359 --> 00:28:33.980 When he walked this earth for three years, he was constantly measuring everyone's faith, and it took the disciples a really long time oh ye, of little faith. 00:28:33.980 --> 00:28:40.782 They took them a long time to realize that, over and over and over again, jesus wanted to see their faith first. 00:28:40.782 --> 00:28:43.282 He wanted to hear their words of faith first. 00:28:43.282 --> 00:28:47.005 He wanted to hear them consider the supernatural first. 00:28:47.005 --> 00:28:48.881 And we're the same way, amen. 00:28:48.881 --> 00:28:54.442 And we're fervent In our attitude, we're fervent in our words. 00:28:54.442 --> 00:29:00.576 We walk by faith and not by sight, and we do believe to the end, amen. 00:29:01.134 --> 00:29:03.042 You know, I looked at fervent definition. 00:29:03.042 --> 00:29:13.826 One definition is having or displaying a passionate intensity, and then it says glowing Amen, and so being fervent, there's a way about you. 00:29:13.826 --> 00:29:18.473 I mean, it's when somebody's fervent, when somebody's intense, you're gonna glow. 00:29:18.654 --> 00:29:20.421 There's no way for you not to glow, that's right. 00:29:20.541 --> 00:29:32.544 Yeah, and so God's called us to be fervent, and God's called us to stand up for the truth, and so you can do it, if God's able, he, if he said it in his word and he spoke it over us. 00:29:32.544 --> 00:29:36.861 We have the power, we have the Holy spirit living inside of us. 00:29:36.861 --> 00:29:39.198 Amen, and so we're able. 00:29:39.558 --> 00:29:41.243 Amen, that's right Through God. 00:29:41.243 --> 00:29:45.000 Through God, we are able and we never stop believing. 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:46.299 We're believing to the end. 00:29:46.299 --> 00:29:48.480 Amen, all the way through, to the end. 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:52.063 Amen, whether we're listening to the journey song or not. 00:29:52.063 --> 00:29:55.464 Anyways, I just popped in there. 00:29:55.464 --> 00:29:56.337 Sorry about that. 00:29:56.994 --> 00:29:58.540 You wanna go over the one, two, three, four. 00:29:58.875 --> 00:30:03.284 Yeah, sure, so never waste time conversing with the enemy. 00:30:03.284 --> 00:30:07.424 Number two you must believe that God is able. 00:30:07.424 --> 00:30:10.502 Number three we must hold fast. 00:30:10.502 --> 00:30:14.203 And number four, we must be fervent. 00:30:14.203 --> 00:30:20.818 And those are four ways to remain in faith until the end, or believing till the end. 00:30:20.818 --> 00:30:21.863 Amen, amen.