Its Time To Get Closer by Pastor Claude Whittaker (LIVE SERMON)

Its Time To Get Closer by Pastor Claude Whittaker recorded live at Deeper Life Ministries located in Salisbury Maryland.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

And amen. You can give the Lord a hand clap before you take your seat. In Jesus' name.

SPEAKER_01 0:07

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you. Amen. James, the brother of the Lord. The brother of the Lord. He begins to write. And he begins to uh encourage the saints. That God gives more grace. He gives more grace to the humble.

SPEAKER_02 0:37

The more humility that you have, the more grace that God will allow. Pride folk don't get grace.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Pride folk, amen, can't humble themselves long enough to uh get something from the Lord.

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But the more humble that you are, the more that God is able to pour into you and bless you. You get more grace to the humble. Then he says here, submit yourself. Therefore to God. Submission? I tell you the devil's really showing over here this afternoon this morning. He says, submit yourself. Therefore to God. A lot of folks are submitting themselves to all other things. But when it comes down to submitting to God, they leave that undone. People will submit themselves to their boss on their job. They would submit themselves to other folk. But when it comes to God, there is no submission. To submit is to fully give yourself over to.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

To know and realize that God, amen, is the supreme spirit over all the earth.

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And I'm submitting every aspect of my life to him. You can't submit portions of your life. You got to submit all your life. So we quote the scripture. We quote the scripture: submit yourselves, therefore, to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The devil won't flee except you first be submitted to God. Because when you're submitted to God, he gives more grace to the humble. He gives you more authority. You can't expect the devil to flee if you're doing the devil's bidding. If you're working with the devil, I rebuke you. Satan said, I rebuke you. Because you're doing exactly what I want you to do. But there's a few folk that ain't following the devil. There's a few folk that are following the Lord. I wonder where you're at in here this morning that we're following the Lord. I'm on the Lord's side. Whose side are you on, Pastor? I'm on the Lord's side. Anybody on the Lord's side? I'm on the Lord's side. That's what side you'll find me on. And so he says, you gotta submit yourself, therefore, to God. And uh he will flee from you. He'll get away from because see the devil is afraid of a submitted saint. Too powerful for him. You ever been around people that can't be around you? And they get all acting all funny when they're around you because it's that anointing in you. It's messing with them demons in them. And uh they look all crazy and then say, I gotta get away from you. You thinking, what's wrong with them? The doctor, uh, the doctor uh uh uh I almost said his name. The doctor uh came uh into me, uh my office one day after my my results, and uh and uh he came in and he said uh there's nothing nothing wrong. And he was walking around and he was walking around, he says, nothing wrong, your your work came out fine, Mr. Whitaker, and you great, Mr. Whitaker, and I'll see you. I thought, what's wrong with this devil? But that Holy Ghost is too much for the devil. Anybody got the real Holy Ghost? It's too powerful for the devil. What's wrong with that man? That Holy Ghost was turning him up. He says, draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. There's a positioning in God called near. God will not overstep the boundaries of your free will. Now, remember now, the Lord says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will be with you always, even till the ends of the world. It is us that draw away from God. And when we draw nigh to him, then he sees that, and really he's in the same position because he never left us. We've left God.

unknown 6:07

That's my passion.

SPEAKER_02 6:08

He said, draw nigh to me. In other words, come here. Come closer. In the time that we're living in, God wants us to come closer. And when we come closer, we'll realize how close God is to us. That's why you find different folk at different levels in the church. Some people are closer to God so they feel more of God. Some people are far away from God, so they're like, what are they saying that for? I don't feel that. What's wrong with them? What's wrong with them is they've gotten closer to God. I want to talk to some folk that want to get closer to God. Knowing that the Bible's been fulfilled in our own eyes. Earthquakes and divers places, wars and rumors of wars, violence has covered the land. They're calling good and evil and good. And we can't be messing around with the devil. We've got to get closer to God than ever before. Oh God, I wish I had somebody that really wants to get closer to God. It's being fulfilled right before our own eyes. Earthquakes in the Philippines, earthquakes in Indonesia, earthquake in Mexico, earthquake in California, earthquake through uh uh uh Africa, earthquake through all the world. Knowing that this is the beginning of sorrow.

unknown 7:29

That's right, Matt. Come on, Pastor.

SPEAKER_02 7:31

Time is not yet, but this is the beginning of sorrows. Amen. We're the beginning.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

That's right, Pastor.

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And folk are acting like they got all the time in the world. And drawing closer to God, they're backing up. But I'm not backing up, I'm not taking down, I'm not giving up. I'm gonna be right there until the Lord bless me. See, this thing's about eternal life. And if you trust God, you'll get eternal life. Yes, this is not about making no friends, this is not about amen, making no partners. This is not about amen going backward. This is about eternal life. And if you don't want to go, I certainly want to go. I want all that God wants for me. Oh, I wish I had about two or three of you that really want what God has for you. Got to draw nigh. Got to draw nigh to him. He'll draw nigh to you in the book of Genesis, chapter three. The book of Genesis, chapter three, the book of Genesis, chapter three.

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The Bible says that when God created uh male and female, God created uh Adam, and from Adam was taken, and then came Eve.

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And the Bible says in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 8 that they heard the voice of the Lord. They heard the voice of the Lord, God. The closer you are to the Lord, the greater it is for you to hear his voice. Yeah, God is speaking. God speaketh once, yet twice. And man perceive it not. So people say, Well, God ain't spoken to me. God is speaking. But are you close enough to hear what God is saying? Good God Almighty. I'm trying to get out of here. But but are you really close enough to hear what God is saying? He said, I set my prophets rising up early, but they still wouldn't hear. So the Bible says that they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. The cool of the day. The cool of the day comes from two words, hey and yam. Hey yam, the cool of the day. Hey, meaning breath, the ruach, the spirit of God. They heard the spirit of God moving in the yom. The yom is the daytime. They felt God and they heard God like He previously did before. God created male and female, God created man, and God made them to be close to him. Because God wanted them to be able to have relationship with God. God wanted them to come and have relationship with mankind. Yes, they heard him. I wonder if anybody heard the Lord. I heard God when he whispered to me. I heard the Lord what he said. I know I heard God. Anybody hear from God? Anybody hear? I know God. You've got to get close to God to hear from God. Came in the cool of the day. And he said, watch this. And he came in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord among the trees of the garden. Now, God's coming in the cool of the day because he's used to coming having fellowship. Anybody used to have a fellowship with God? He's used to having fellowship. And as he comes, the Bible says that Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord among the trees of the garden. They hid themselves from God's presence. Not knowing that where shall you flee or hide from God? The psalmist said, if I make my bed in hell, he's there. If I take wings of a dove and fly into the heaven, he is there. Where shall I flee from the presence of the Lord? There is nowhere that we can hide from God. God knows and sees everything. But they hid themselves. Instead of being close to God, they hid themselves from fellowship. Oh, glory. That'll preach all by itself. They hid themselves. And he said to them, he called unto Adam and said unto him, Adam. You notice he didn't call Eve. He called the head. Adam. Because you're responsible, Adam. Adam. Adam. Adam. And Adam was shaking in his knees. Trees bumping against one another. Bone against bone.

unknown 12:39

Bone against bone.

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Yeah, God is calling us. We ought to be shaking bone against bone. Yeah. Yeah. The church has lost its fear of God. Yes. Because if it didn't lose its fear of God, it wouldn't be trying to hide from God. And it wouldn't do those things that are contrary to God and the sound doctrine. Oh, yes, I'm going to preach it till they take me out of here. Adam, where are you? Say to him, where are you? Now, God knows where He's at. And he said, I heard your voice in the garden. And I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. Now Adam and his wife Eve had a close relationship with God. Until sin entered in. And sin separated them from the presence of God. Before he was worshiping him in the cool of the day. Now he's hiding from him behind the trees. He said, I was afraid of you. Because I was naked. Amen. I was naked. God made a way in verse 15. He said, I will put into me between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, and it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Glory to God. God made a way, a sacrifice. Let me tell you something. Adam and Eve, when they knew that they were naked, they took fig leaves and sewed it and made garments out of fig leaves. And when the Lord came and saw that mess that they had on, the Lord said, uh-uh, that ain't good enough. Fig leaves you got on. You exposed it a little bit too much. See, they lost their fear of God. And he said, Uh, I'm gonna clothe you with some good clothes. And he killed, amen, the first sacrifice in the garden. And he took and he put the right clothes on them made of badger skins to cover them up. Amen. Badger skins. That's the first sacrifice. The first shedding of blood in the book of Genesis. Amen. It represents, amen, God's covenant, his righteousness. Amen. That we're clothed with the garments of salvation. The Bible says, I will put empty between the woman and thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel. From that moment on, God began to set up for him to draw man back close to him. The more God draws, how is God drawing me? God draws by his word. He draws by his spirit. He draws by his power. God draws. I want God to draw me closer. I want to get closer to God. But it's innate in man to draw away and to backslide from God because man wants to do his own thing. But when you do your own thing, you can't do God's thing. Yes, his arms are still outstretched wide, calling the people back to him. In the name of the Lord. Amen. Brother Diane, I need you to come help me out in the name of the Lord. Amen. I need you to bring the Bible in the name of the Lord. Somebody get my microphone. Amen. We don't have no screen. Amen. And I don't feel like flipping and flapping. Name of the Lord. Amen. And so God, from that point forward, had been calling man back to him. This is the time, as I stated, that we need to get closer to God. People are falling away left and right. Let me tell you something. Let me tell you something. People are more concerned about who's coming to church and who's not coming to church. But you should be more concerned that you're in church. Because the Bible declares unto us that in the last days there should be a great falling away. And that scripture must be fulfilled. And we're living that scripture even today. People are falling away from holiness and righteousness. They're falling away from the word of God and the living God. Because people want to do things out of their own flesh. Amen. But you can do the things your way, or you can do them God's way. I'd rather do them God's way in the name of the Lord. Somebody say hallelujah. He's reaching for his people. But are you reaching for him? He's always looking at this. Jeremiah chapter 31, brother Daniel. Jeremiah 31. And verse 1, 2, and 3 in the book of Jeremiah. God is reaching for his people. I want to be one that is close to God. Amen. I want to hear the trumpet when it sounds. I want to be with God and I want God to be with me. I want to hold on to God. And I want God to hold on to me. Amen. A lot of folk are falling back because of their own mind, their own way of thinking. But God wants us to draw nigh unto him. In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, verse 1, 2, and 3. I want you to listen to this.

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At the same time, saith the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

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Now Jeremiah was a prophet. He was called before he was even born by God. He said, When thou was in the womb, I knew thee and called thee to be a prophet. God had his life already set up for him. All he had to do was to come out of the womb and step into what God had for it. God already have our life set up for it. All we got to do is obey and follow God. And God will bless us. Hallelujah. It is disobedience that separates us from God in the name of the Lord. And he was a prophet of God. He prophesied about the seven years of captivity that Israel were going to for their disobedience and idolatry. He prophesied before it happened. He prophesied while they were in captivity. And he prophesied when God brought them out of captivity. God is able not only to let you go through it, but to bless you while you're in it. And God is able to bring you out. But it's conditional. Oh, you draw it closer to God. Hallelujah. I want to get close to God. If I want to get close to God in here, yes, hallelujah. You got to come from amongst them. Be separate. Touch not your unclean things. And I will receive it, saith the Lord. And you shall be my sons in the darkness. And I shall be your God. Hallelujah. Yes. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet.

unknown 20:09

The weeping prophet.

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Who lament for the people. Yes. Who cried for the people. And God used them to tell them you gotta get right or you're going into captivity.

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Hallelujah.

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Amen. Hear what he said in verse number two, Daniel.

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Thus saith the Lord.

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Thus saith the Lord. The people, yes, which were left of the sword, found those that were able to escape the sword of the chaldees.

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The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness.

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They were in the wilderness. But what they did, they were able to find grace in the wilderness. What is grace? God's unmarried in favor. I know I might be in the wilderness right now. And I know that things ain't lined up like I want. But God's glory be to God. I hope I find God's grace in the wilderness. Hallelujah. Yes, we're wandering through the wilderness. But there's grace in the wilderness. Tell somebody there's grace in the wilderness. You're experiencing the grace of God right now in your wilderness. By hearing the word of God. He's bringing you grace in your wilderness. Yes. Those that escape found grace. What else to say? Even Israel. Even Israel, my chosen people.

unknown 21:28

That's right.

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When I went to cause him to rest.

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Yes, through all their captivity. God said, I went to give the people rest. And the only way you can get rest is by God's grace upon your life. Oh, God, God's grace. In other words, you weren't good enough to do nothing. It's just God's grace are we saved by faith. And not of ourselves, it's a gift from God. Yes, it's God's grace that we're sitting here today. It's God's grace that we're not that important. I'm not that important. Not that important. It's by God's grace that we're here today. Hallelujah. By God's grace. It's by his grace. But what happens is the people take God's grace for granted. They take it for granted. And because God ain't killed you yet, good God Almighty. Because God ain't killed some of us yet. We keep on doing those things that are contrary to the will of God. But there comes a day when God will raise up amen. And God will judge his people for their iniquity. Oh God, don't think that the grace. Shall we continue in sin? That grace may abound. God forbid. God forbid. Shall we continue to do evil? That God's grace may God forbid. Amen. God will judge his people. God will do it. Glory to God. Come on, brother Daniel.

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The Lord have a period of o unto you.

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Yes. Listen to the prophet. The Lord. We're talking about the same Lord. Don't you know the Lord? He is God? And He has made us, and not we ourselves? And we are the sheep of His pastures. Yes, we ain't made nothing. It's God that made us. Who are we to tell God what we gonna do and what we ain't gonna do? It is God that created us. Yes.

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The Lord hath appeared of O unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. With an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

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And I'm drawing you back to me. With love and kindness. I'm giving you a grace period to pull you back to me. And you've got to understand what God's grace has a limit. Oh, yes, it does. He said, with loving kindness, I'm drawing you back. In other words, I'm telling you the truth. And I'm loving you long enough for you to get your act together so you can understand my full potential for your life. Oh, somebody tell God thank you. Oh God, the grace that God has had on our lives, God, I thank you. I should have been dead a long time ago. God should have given up on me a long time ago. He should have thrown in a towel on me a long time ago. God should have put on me a long time ago. God should have been fed up with me a long time ago. He should have been fed up with you a long time ago. But thank God that He's still drawing me with loving kindness. Somebody say hallelujah. Yes. Yes, the grace of God. And we sit here thinking that we've got it made. Sitting here thinking that, amen, that we deserve something. Yes, what we deserve, amen. God ain't gave it to us because what some of us deserve is not to make it, but God is still having grace on our lives. We found it when we didn't deserve it in the wilderness. I need about two or three of you who really understand about God's grace to get up and just give God a handclap of praise. It's for his mercy that we're not consumed. It's his grace that we're still alive. It's his grace that we're still breathing. We blaspheme the name of the Lord. We've done things that were damnable, but he keeps us alive. Yes. Here we sit. Thinking we the catch meow when the dogs bow, wow. No. Telling God what we ain't gonna do and what we not gonna do, and getting out of the order that God has functioned us to be, and the devil is a liar. Oh, we're gonna line up with the word of God. And we're gonna walk upright with God. Tell somebody I'm gonna walk upright with God. And I'm gonna draw closer to God. I feel the Holy Ghost in here. We're gonna beat them back to the pits of hell. Yes, I need about two or three of you that feel like you wanna beat back the devil to the pits of hell. Yes, by the grace of God. Yes, by the grace of God. You can talk about the only woman. But by the grace of God, I'm one of my name. And one of my name is the same thing of God, filled with the Holy Ghost, baptizing woman in the name of Jesus Christ, and full of the power of God. You better learn to respect the man of God. You better learn to reverence the house of God. You better learn to understand the word of God and the wisdom of God. I ain't paying him no mind. I ain't listening to him. It's going over my head. I ain't got to listen to him. The devil is alive, so are you. You put yourself under this roof. Oh now you got to hear the woman of the Lord. Talk somebody now, you got to hear the woman of the Lord. Yes, glory. Yes, come on. You got to hear the woman of the Lord. No one drug you in here. No one kidnapped you. You stuck in here. Yes, she come on my side. Yes, hallelujah. I know the Lord is on my side. How many know the Lord is on your side? I ain't playing with him. Can't play with him. He's drawing you. Listen to me real good. And you'd be a fool not to follow God drawing you close to him. That your own self-righteousness make you think that you're greater than the word of God. Yes? You must be, something must be wrong to think that you're the exception to the rule. That you don't have to follow and obey the Lord of Lord. The Bible calls him the ancient of days. He's spoken of old. He's still speaking today. He's the same today, yesterday and forever. Somebody say a hallelujah. Yes, if you can feel the Holy Ghost and God gave you enough grace to fill it, you have to tell God thank you. Because he could have taken it. Thank you. Yes. With loving kindness, have I drawn thee back? Look to me. Oh yeah. People talk like this. I was this and that, now and that, and then I decided to come back to the Lord. You ain't decided nothing. God drew you back to him. You've been stuck in your old sinful ways. Yeah, and you can't do it. God drew you to him. God woke you up. God told you you needed a savior. God told you to get yourself back together. God said, I'm soon to come back. The Lord says you better get it under the blood. Get it under the blood. We got a good preacher over here. We got a good pastor over here. All my ghost watches. Amen. Come on over here. The table is spread. And the word of the Lord is going on. Come on and feast from the table of an Almighty God. Come on over. Come on over. Yes. Tell somebody, come on over. Come on over. Them preachers. Yeah. What do you say, Brother Daniel? Yeah, we'll leave the light on for you. Yeah, but you better get here while the light is on. Yes, where the Spirit of the Lord is moving. A lot of folk getting in these places that talk good to them, talk sweet to them. Tell them what they want to hear. That you can live like the devil and still think you're going to heaven. The devil is a liar. Yes. Yes. And then we wonder why we don't get the victory over our lives. We've not submitted ourselves to God. We're not submitted ourselves fully to God. You uh you gotta talk to your neighbor. I'm kind of gotta go home because I gotta go see my nephew. You gotta talk to your neighbor. Ready? Sister Baby, somebody talk to Sister Babylon. Talk to your neighbor. Tell your neighbor. You got to get you out of the way. Now, now now if they didn't receive that, then turn to your other neighbor and say, neighbor, you've got to get you out of the way. Now that me and you are both out of the way. Let's lift our voices and give God glory.

unknown 32:11

That's right, you're glory.

SPEAKER_02 32:18

He's drawing you. He's drawing you. Don't you feel God drawing you back?

unknown 32:24

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 32:25

Don't you feel God drawing you to him? Don't you feel God? You go on and you go on if you want. And go on out there and letting them people lie to you. That's why we got 542 ghost watchers. Because they know where to come get a word from. But they don't want to sit underneath this because it's too hard for them. And they want the people to speak to them smooth things. Tell us we can live in sin and still be blessed. Tell us we can fornicate and still get something from God. Tell us we can be disobedient and still live like we got something from God. The devil is a liar. Chanel said, Lord, hallelujah. Come on, brother. Zachariah. Zechariah chapter 1. Zechariah chapter 1. Verse 1, 2, 3. We start there, 1, 2, and 3. Zachariah. Draw me close, Lord. Let me come back to you. Hallelujah. Yeah? You know, you can sit right in the church and be far from God. I want you to know that. What did I say? Zechariah. Zechariah chapter 1. Jeremiah prophesied. I said it earlier. Before the seventy-year captivity. He prophesied while they were in captivity for 70 years. He continued to prophesy until their captivity was over. Years later, as Jeremiah is telling the people, draw, God is drawing you with loving kindness. Telling them to get closer to God. Get closer to God. Get real close to God. Here comes another prophet, Zachariah, after Jeremiah is long gone off the scene. What are you saying, preacher? God has, God will, and God has always chosen to have a close walk with his people. The Bible says Enoch walked with God and he was translated and was not. Yes, he was not. He walked with God. Enoch is a typeology, a type of rapture. He walked with God and he was not. In other words, God took him. He took him. Yes? In order for us to go back with God, we got to walk real close with him. Because the trumpet's about to sound. And you don't have time not to hear what God is saying. Y'all listening to me. Come on, brother. Zechariah, chapter 1, and verse 1, 2, and 3. Aren't you listening?

unknown 35:19

Yes.

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Listen to the word of the book. Listen.

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In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zachariah.

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The word of the Lord came to Zechariah.

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The son of Barakiah, the son of Edu, the prophet, saying, Yes. The Lord have been sore displeased with your fathers.

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So he begins to say, God was sore displeased with what was going on before. Now Jeremiah already spoken. He's gone. And God is still displeased.

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But yet he's doing this. Therefore say thou unto the Lord. Unto them. Thus saith the Lord of hosts. So he gives the prophet a word. Therefore say thou unto them. Say to them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts. Uh-huh. Hear what God's saying. Turn ye unto me. Turn away from me. Turn ye unto me. Turn to the world. Turn ye unto me. Turn to your own senses. Turn ye unto me. Be still turning the people back to him.

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Turn unto me.

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Saith the Lord of hosts. Uh-huh. And I will turn unto you. Turn to me and I turn to you.

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In other words, draw nigh unto me and I draw nigh unto you. You want to hear the word of the Lord of the Lord? Say, get close to me. Get closer. Some of y'all not close enough. Some of y'all living on the fringes. Some of y'all living on the edges. But you got to get close. In other words, there's room there. God almighty. Some of y'all, there's that much room. Some of y'all, there's that much room. Some of y'all, there's that much room. But God said, get close to me. Yes, I want the church to get close to me. How many of y'all really want to get close to God?

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Draw nigh unto God. And he will draw nigh to you. Get close to him. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners. Yes. And purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Get close to God.

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He said, turn ye to me. Saith the Lord of hosts. That's what he said. I'll turn to you. In other words, you're walking away from me. And the moment you turn back, I'm turning to you.

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I will turn unto you.

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I'm going to turn back to you. I will turn unto you. So obviously, somebody had turned away from God. And God is calling them back to get back in God's grace. Y'all listening to me? Y'all listening to me. Now, Zachariah will eventually go off the scene. And the same God who sat to the woman in her judgment in the garden will say that your seed shall bruise the head of the serpent's seed. The same one would come talking about Christ. God has never left from what he's saying. So he uses Jesus that comes on the scene. In Matthew 11 and verse 28, 29, and 30. He uses Jesus with the same metaphor. Because Jesus is God in the flesh. And he's telling the people to draw nigh unto me. He's still calling the people to come back to me. Amen. He said, Come unto me. Not some of you, but all ye.

unknown 38:56

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 38:57

Come unto me.

SPEAKER_00 38:59

Come unto me.

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He's still calling you back.

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What'd he say? Come unto me. All ye that labor and are heavy laden.

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All you who are working out of your own flesh and heavy laden with problems. Heavy laden down and burdened down with situations. All you who are trying to do it out of your own strength. Oh, yeah, God gave me another word. And I'm going to preach that word up in Chester. And then that same word, I'm going to preach it back, Lord willing if I live next week down here. And that word is this. You cannot build anything upon your own strength. Too many of you trying to build within your own strength. Trying to do it on your own. And Jesus said, Without me, you can do nothing. My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways. So much higher than the heavens and the earth are my thoughts and your thoughts, and my ways and your ways. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void. But it would accomplish the thing that I sent it out to do. And God is calling the church back to heaven. Glory. All you who are laboring down in burden. You've been trying to figure your way out. Jesus said, Come. Come unto me.

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And I.

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And I will give you rest. I will give you rest. Listen now. The rest that you need for your soul. This is not a natural rest. Some of y'all can't sleep. You're gonna have to deal with that. God give me sleep. But he's talking about something for your soul. How many of y'all need something for your soul? I can't put this down. I can't stop doing that. P needs to deal with your soul. And the Lord said, Come. Come. Let us reason together. Although your sins be white, it's scarlet. Red is scarlet. I'll make them white as snow. Ugh. She said red and she said red. Well, y'all got the preacher on she said red, red, red, red, pass, red, passer, red, passer, red, passer. Good. Y'all paying attention. He said, Come unto me. All ye. Come. Let us reason together. He told Peter, come.

unknown 41:28

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 41:29

Has he stepped out on the water?

unknown 41:30

Yes, he did.

SPEAKER_02 41:31

You got to come back to the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 41:35

Come. All ye that labor and heavy laden, I will give you rest.

SPEAKER_02 41:40

I'm gonna give you rest. Take my yoke yoke. Take my yoke upon you. And he said, take my yoke. Now you know what a yoke is. Come here, baby. We yoke together. Oh yoke. Amen. In Jesus' name. Oh yoke. That's what they put on the oxen. So put your hand around my neck, baby. Put your hand around my neck. The other hand. Put your hand right there. Put around my neck. There we go. Now we yoke together. And he said, Come on, y'all, you a bird and a heavy leg. And I'm gonna give you rest. Take my yoke upon thee. When you pick the yoke of God, there's one thing the yoke has done for you. What?

SPEAKER_00 42:18

And learn.

SPEAKER_02 42:19

And learn of me. He's teaching you something.

SPEAKER_03 42:22

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 42:23

How is God teaching you something? Because when you're yoked up with something, you're close to me. And when you're close to them, you can hear what God is saying. Oh God, too many people got disjoke from the Lord. But the Lord wants you to yoke up with Him. Yoke up with him.

SPEAKER_00 42:42

Amen, preacher.

SPEAKER_02 42:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 42:44

Yoke.

SPEAKER_02 42:45

I got something whispering in your ear. Uh-oh, go ahead. Glory.

unknown 42:52

Yes. Hallelujah. Come on, Pastor.

SPEAKER_02 42:55

He said, take my yoke upon you. And learn from me. What else is he saying?

SPEAKER_00 43:05

For I am meek.

SPEAKER_02 43:06

From meek. He didn't say weak. I am meek. I'm meek and lonely. And lowly in heart. In heart. I'm full of compassion. I'm drawing you. I want to talk to you. But you got to hook up with me.

SPEAKER_00 43:23

My God.

SPEAKER_02 43:23

And stop being hooked up with the wrong things.

SPEAKER_03 43:25

That's right, Pastor.

SPEAKER_02 43:26

Yes? You hooked up with too many folks. That's right. Whispering in your ears things that ain't true. You gotta yoke up with him. So you can hear sound words, sound doctrine, sound truth. And man wanna yoke up with the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 43:40

What does it say? And ye shall find rest unto your souls.

SPEAKER_02 43:44

You're gonna find some rest for your soul. Your soul will be at rest. You'll be running around. Oh my goodness, you'll be at peace.

unknown 43:52

That's right, Pastor.

SPEAKER_02 43:53

You'll have peace with it. Through storms and trials and tribulations, you'll have rest. I'm gonna get me some rest. Because I'm in Christ.

unknown 44:03

Amen, Pastor.

SPEAKER_02 44:04

He's still calling, come. He's still saying, turn back to me. But it's gonna come a time, amen, when God's gonna come back to judge the world. So we got to come back to God while we have the opportunity. Why give him this chance? Come. Now, Jesus goes off the scene. The word of God is so good. I can't understand why y'all watch Big Valley and and uh uh uh uh some of them some of them shows uh uh uh JJ and and and and and and and uh y'all watch the stories, guiding light, the purple light, his light, green light, hawaii 5-0. And what's your favorite program? Korean TV and uh and uh I don't know how many of y'all watch how many of y'all binge watch TV? What do you watch? Shaq right, Teresa watching Jack Ryan, Sarah watch, what you watching, Sarah? Oh boy, Tyler Perry, binge watching Tyler Perry and all these wonderful stories in the Bible, amen, hallelujah. Now watch this. Now Jesus comes along, and then to fulfill the prophecy, and uh he's still saying, come. Just like God was saying in the beginning, just like the prophets are saying, just like I'm saying. So then Jesus dies but rises again on the third day. And then when he rises again on the third day, the Lord takes the people out to as far as uh uh I think it was uh Bethany. And uh he lifted up his hands and was taken up in the glory.

SPEAKER_01 45:49

And then he says, the same way that uh I'm going away, I'm coming back again. And then the Lord, the Lord says, I'm sending you something.

SPEAKER_02 45:58

So go into Jerusalem and wait. You shall be endued with power from on high. The people still had to come to Jerusalem, and they had to wait for some power. And then when they got the power, but they still heard the Lord say he's coming back. Now the Lord goes off the scene, and James picks it up in James chapter 4. James picks it up, and James was who? Who was James? The brother of the Lord. He's saying the same thing that the prophets that God and that the Lord were saying. And he picks it up in uh in James chapter 4 and verse 6.

SPEAKER_00 46:44

Here's what he says But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resist the proud, but give grace to the humble.

SPEAKER_02 46:54

Now, the prideful man won't draw nigh to God, won't do nothing. The prideful person will come up with a bunch of excuses why they can't draw nigh to God. That's what a prideful person does. They come up with all kinds of excuses. Everybody problems in the world, but theirs. Everybody doesn't. When we stand before God, y'all listen to me real quick. When we stand before God, we're not gonna be judged on how somebody treated us. We're gonna be judged on how we treated folks. That's right.

unknown 47:28

That's right. That's right, Pastor.

SPEAKER_02 47:30

When we stand before God, we can be judged upon the knowledge of what we knew and what we didn't know. The Bible said, Him that do know it to do good and do it not, to them is sin. Oh, I'm preaching, Ben. Y'all ain't minute right now. Amen. Sin. Thank God. Y'all be glad you got a pastor that know the word of God, called by God. Some of y'all were in churches with a preacher, dickory, dickory dog. And uh and y'all were flipping and running and shouting and shaking and shimmering, shaking devils everywhere. But now you can understand and hear the word of the Lord. Amen. And God speaking to the people of God, saying, Come on back to me. Amen.

unknown 48:21

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 48:22

Yes, I'm good. Go. James said, hear what James said.

SPEAKER_00 48:26

Submit yourselves, therefore, to God.

SPEAKER_02 48:29

Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil. You've got to first submit to God.

SPEAKER_03 48:35

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 48:37

If you're not submitted to God, see, God has an order. God has an order. And in the order of God, there is God, there is Jesus, there's the man, and then there's the woman. And see, if you don't submit to God, you're not gonna submit to nobody.

SPEAKER_03 49:02

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 49:03

Oh, it's quiet now. No need for a man to think that he's gonna have somebody submitted to him when they won't even submit to God.

unknown 49:15

That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 49:19

That's why Paul says, follow me as I follow Christ. My wife is following me because I'm following Christ. And as long as I follow Christ, she's gonna follow me. Submit yourselves, therefore, to God, then you resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And the reason why some of us can't get the devil off our back. We ain't submitted ourselves to God. We can submit ourselves to the word of God. We can submit ourselves to what God is teaching us and telling us through the word. We're not submitted ourselves, and that's why it's hard to get rid of the devil. We tell the devil, get thee behind me, Satan. The devil said, get thee behind me. I rebuke you, Satan. Satan said, I rebuke you. Get out of here, devil. Devil's and you get out of here. Because we're not submitting ourselves to God. But when you submit yourself to God, you can resist the devil and he will flee from you. And he will flee from you. Let's try it. Let's try it. Let's try. Let's try. Anybody submitted under the will of God? Alright? On the count of three, we're gonna say Satan.

SPEAKER_00 50:37

Satan.

SPEAKER_02 50:38

On the count of three, the Lord rebuke thee. On the count of three. One, two, three. Satan, the Lord rebuke thee. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Yes. I felt it in the atmosphere. Yes. He's afraid of your authority. He's afraid of your power. He's afraid of it. We're walking in all this power. Can we not submit it unto God? Because when you submit it unto God, you'll tell that devil where he can go. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. What else did he say?

SPEAKER_00 51:41

Draw nigh to God. Uh-huh. And he will draw nigh to you.

SPEAKER_02 51:45

Get closer to God, and he'll be close to you.

unknown 51:49

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 51:51

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 51:52

Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.

SPEAKER_02 51:57

Take your hands out of evil work, you sinners.

SPEAKER_00 51:59

Yes. My God.

SPEAKER_02 52:00

Get your hands clean.

unknown 52:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 52:03

Let your hands be clean, let your heart be pure. Who shall stand in the holy mount of God? Who shall stand in this holy place? He who have clean hands and a pure heart. Who have not lifted up his soul under vanity, nor sown deceitfully. You gotta get your hands clean. You gotta get your heart pure. Your hands are in too much. Your hands are in everything. Get close to God. Yoke up with him. Hear God when he speaks. Hear the voice of God. God, let my hands be clean. And my heart be pure. Let me tell you something. I don't have no ill will in my heart. Thank God I don't do it, but the time was I could put these hands on somebody, but but but my hands are clean. I'm not busybody in another person's body. I'm not gossiping. I'm not coming spreading to false rumors and lie. I don't have hate in my heart. My heart is pin. That's why the whole nigga was flowing through me. I'm not struggling up here. I'm comfortable up here. Yes. You gotta get closer to God. Draw nigh. He will draw nigh. Cleanse your hands, you sinner.

unknown 53:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 53:47

Get your heart right. Purify your hearts, you double-minded.

SPEAKER_00 53:50

My God.

SPEAKER_02 53:51

Get your heart right. Double-minded. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let not that man think he can get anything from God. Double-mindedness. One moment, you can do it the next moment. You don't know what you're gonna do. One moment, you love me. Next moment you can't stand me. One moment, God is your God, next moment you don't know who your God is. One moment you want to do right, the next moment you can't do right. That's unstableness. Like the waves in the sea. Toss to and fro. God help me to be stable. We need the victory over all the works of the devil. Listen to me. He says, verse number nine, I'm almost finished.

SPEAKER_00 54:56

Be afflicted and mourned. And weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning. Yes. And your joy to heaviness.

SPEAKER_02 55:03

Yes. Get some affliction. Afflict your soul. Do some fasting. We need fasting. We need people want fast and prayer. Call for a fast. Everybody go and eat. There's some things that only come out by prayer and fasting. You've got to get real with this thing. You want to see God move? Bring your flesh under subjection. Call yourself for a fast. Say, I'm going to fast till I see a change. I'm going to fast till I see a breakthrough. I'm going to fast till God move. I'm going to fast till God give us the victory. I'm going to fast and pray till strongholds be broken in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes. Now, now folks say, Well, I got what? I got to fast. I can't eat. They sang the song. I'm desperate for you. Desperate times. Calls for desperate measures. You got to draw closer to God. You can't serve God on yesterday's things. Because yesterday's things is what God is into today's things. You don't come back telling God, God, I want to come back like I was before. No, I want to come back better than I was before. I want to come back with more power, more authority, more anointing. I want to come back serving God with vigor. I want to come back on fire. I want to come back with zeal. I want to come back, amen, being steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

unknown 57:06

Hallelujah.

SPEAKER_02 57:09

Come back.

SPEAKER_00 57:11

Verse 10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord. Humble yourself. And he shall lift you up. Humble yourself.

SPEAKER_02 57:21

And the Lord's gonna lift you up. Now watch this. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. If you draw close to God, God will meet you there. Watch me. If you humble yourself, cleanse your hands, purify your heart, get in obedience with the Word of God. God said, I'm gonna draw, you draw nigh to me, I'm gonna draw nigh to you. So cleansing your hands, fasting, being in line with the word is a way for you to draw nigh to God. He says, and he will lift you up. The Lord will do it. He will meet you right there. Draw close to him. He wants to meet you there. Have somebody. Where is there? He'll meet you right there. Where is there? Right there. Right where you're at. In the midst of your trial. In the midst of your tribulation. In the midst of your going through. In the midst of your calamity. If you don't draw close to him, he'll meet you right there. He'll meet you right there. Right there. Where you feel like that you're living a defeated life. Draw close to him. There is a place called right there. God will meet you right there. Anybody close to God? Anybody want to draw closer to God? He'll meet you right there. They said you can't get the victory, God will give you the victory right there. God Almighty. They say you can't be healed, God will heal you right there. They said that amen that you can't have peace, He'll give you peace right there. They said that God can't give you what you need back, God will bless you right there. I want somebody who needs something from God right there. I want God to bless me right there. Right in the midst of the storm. Right in the midst of the trouble. I'm gonna draw close to God. He's still calling us from the book of Genesis, even to the book of Revelation. The Lord said, Come, come. He's calling us to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Come. Jesus tells him in the book of John, come and dine. He'll meet you right there. Right there in the middle of your confusion. Right there in the middle of your sorrow. The Lord will meet you right there. Sabi, I'm gonna come meet you right there. Right there. God will do it. In Jesus' name. We as people must get closer to God. See, when you come to church, Trey, you're drawing close to God. When you're trying to ask God to help you, you're drawing close to God. When you're trying to break free from things, you're drawing close to God. And God'll meet us right there. Right there. How many of y'all need God to meet you right there? How many needs something from God? We're living in a day where we got to draw closer to God. Gotta make a sacrifice. Y'all know how it was. When you wanted to date that person you were dating, I use that because y'all can all. You made sacrifices. And you were drawing close to them. You could have your bank and any other bank in the world. You chose that bank. Ride by when you didn't even have no money to put in the bank. Making like you deposit $5 and $4. $5 and $4 in the bank. Just so you go through the drive-thru and see them. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Y'all know how it works. Drawing them on the phone. Making like, oh, I called you, you just got off the phone with me five minutes ago. Oh, it was an accident, but what you doing? Because you wanted to draw close to them. When you want to draw close to somebody, you'll spend time with them. You can't draw close to them, not spending time with them.