WEBVTT - Breaking Through the Gloom -- Part 2 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:03.560 Are you tired of feeling down and gloomy, looking for 0:00:03.560 --> 0:00:06.640 real ways to actually change how you feel? Stay tuned 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:08.560 for today's Bold Steps message. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.959 But let me tell you, when you jump start the 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:15.920 sacrifice of praise, then your emotions catch up with your 0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:19.920 joyful noise. If you've entered in praise and thanksgiving, you 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:23.120 can leave this place having your heart turned around because 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:25.600 you've gotten into the presence of God and God has 0:00:25.600 --> 0:00:27.040 been able to speak to you. 0:00:39.960 --> 0:00:43.400 Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is founding 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:47.200 pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:49.640 You know, when we look around the world today, most 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:52.560 of what we see doesn't actually look so good. From 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:55.639 corruption and politics to the growing division within our culture 0:00:55.640 --> 0:00:59.440 and even with other countries. There's no shortage of negative headlines. 0:00:59.800 --> 0:01:02.320 And with all the darkness and despair that we see, 0:01:02.320 --> 0:01:05.640 what can we do as followers of Christ to maintain 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:08.880 our joy and shine to those around us? That's exactly 0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:11.600 what we're discussing on today's program. We'll be looking at 0:01:11.600 --> 0:01:13.920 Psalm 100. So if you have your Bible, go ahead 0:01:13.920 --> 0:01:16.119 and join us there. As Mark Jobe begins part two 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:19.240 of a message titled breaking Through the Gloom. 0:01:20.520 --> 0:01:23.679 You can't change someone's attitude, but God can. You can't 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:27.240 fix your cousin's marriage, but God can. You can't forgive sins, 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:30.400 but God can. You don't know the future, but God does. 0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:32.720 You can't see into the future what's going on, but 0:01:32.720 --> 0:01:35.959 God does. You can't climb a mountain, but God can 0:01:35.959 --> 0:01:40.800 overcome any obstacle. God is able. So remember who God is. 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:45.759 The psalmist says, be still and know that He is God. 0:01:46.760 --> 0:01:49.000 Some of us in the middle of our chaos and 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:54.160 trouble were so busy and worried, running around. And sometimes 0:01:54.160 --> 0:01:57.520 you need to be still and remember who God is. 0:01:58.880 --> 0:02:01.090 And then he says, it is he who has made 0:02:01.090 --> 0:02:06.330 us and we are his. We are his people, the 0:02:06.330 --> 0:02:10.090 sheep of his pasture. When you stop and remember that 0:02:10.090 --> 0:02:13.650 He is God, and that God knows your story and 0:02:13.650 --> 0:02:16.169 that you are his, I want you to think about 0:02:16.169 --> 0:02:20.730 this for a second. God is not a distant character. 0:02:21.169 --> 0:02:26.490 This generic force in the universe that doesn't know your name, 0:02:27.330 --> 0:02:29.850 the God of Scripture is a God that knows your 0:02:29.850 --> 0:02:33.610 story and knows your name. And before you were born, 0:02:33.610 --> 0:02:37.490 he knew you. Before your parents even know knew you, 0:02:37.530 --> 0:02:41.810 he knew you. God has seen you when other people haven't. 0:02:41.850 --> 0:02:45.929 He knows your thoughts and your heart. He's tracked your story. 0:02:46.090 --> 0:02:48.570 He knows your middle name. Yeah. Even though you don't 0:02:48.610 --> 0:02:51.489 tell other people about it, he knows it. He knows 0:02:51.490 --> 0:02:53.770 the secrets of your heart. He knows the longings and 0:02:53.770 --> 0:02:56.329 the desires of your soul. Not only that, the Bible 0:02:56.330 --> 0:02:59.250 tells us that His Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. 0:02:59.250 --> 0:03:07.410 God Knows you. There's something powerful about knowing that God 0:03:07.410 --> 0:03:13.810 knows you. And even though he knows you, he loves you. 0:03:15.889 --> 0:03:22.690 Romans tells us. 828 says, and we know that for 0:03:22.690 --> 0:03:29.209 those who love God, all things. What things? All things 0:03:29.210 --> 0:03:32.970 work together for good for those who are called according 0:03:33.010 --> 0:03:40.050 to his purpose. Those that love God, all things work together. 0:03:40.810 --> 0:03:47.570 The bad, the good, the unexpected. They collude together by 0:03:47.610 --> 0:03:52.050 God's sovereignty, and they actually work together for the good 0:03:52.050 --> 0:03:55.410 of the people that love God. God can even take 0:03:55.410 --> 0:03:58.970 your bad circumstances and use them as stepping stones for 0:03:58.970 --> 0:04:04.180 good purposes. all things work together. This is not a 0:04:04.180 --> 0:04:08.100 world in which just random things happen without anybody being 0:04:08.100 --> 0:04:11.540 in control. This is not a world where chaos reigns 0:04:11.540 --> 0:04:15.020 and there is no rhyme or reason. We live in 0:04:15.020 --> 0:04:17.540 a world where there is a sovereign God. You may 0:04:17.540 --> 0:04:21.700 not understand why things happen. You may have difficulty, understand 0:04:21.700 --> 0:04:24.500 suffering in this world and injustice in this world. But 0:04:24.500 --> 0:04:27.540 I want you to understand that God is not confused, 0:04:27.540 --> 0:04:30.460 that God does have a plan. That God does allow 0:04:30.460 --> 0:04:34.299 bad to happen because of our choices. But in the end, 0:04:34.500 --> 0:04:37.300 the final chapter of this book is written and the 0:04:37.339 --> 0:04:40.300 end God wins and the end justice comes in the end. 0:04:40.339 --> 0:04:42.740 There is a future with a hope, a purpose, and 0:04:42.740 --> 0:04:50.739 a destiny as written in Scripture. Isaiah 41 verse ten says, 0:04:50.779 --> 0:04:54.219 fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, 0:04:54.220 --> 0:04:57.060 for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I 0:04:57.060 --> 0:05:00.620 will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous 0:05:00.620 --> 0:05:05.979 right hand. Jeremiah 32 verse 27 says, behold, I am 0:05:05.980 --> 0:05:10.860 the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too 0:05:10.860 --> 0:05:17.059 hard for me? Once in a while, in the middle 0:05:17.060 --> 0:05:21.620 of your chaos, in the middle of your anxiety, in 0:05:21.620 --> 0:05:24.500 the middle of your inability to figure things out, you 0:05:24.500 --> 0:05:29.859 need to take a deep breath, slow down, and remember 0:05:29.860 --> 0:05:35.700 who God is. Yeah, you're on the throne, God. I 0:05:35.700 --> 0:05:40.500 remember it. You're still on the throne. Regardless of my circumstances. 0:05:41.300 --> 0:05:45.300 And I am yours and you are mine. It tells 0:05:45.300 --> 0:05:47.820 us in this verse. And we are his people and 0:05:47.820 --> 0:05:51.219 the sheep of his pasture. I kind of wonder why 0:05:51.740 --> 0:05:58.060 oftentimes the Bible compares us to sheep. I really don't 0:05:58.060 --> 0:06:06.070 like that comparison. I'd rather be a tiger. Black panther. 0:06:06.870 --> 0:06:12.990 A bear, but a sheep. I've been around sheep. And 0:06:12.990 --> 0:06:15.190 here's the thing about sheep. First of all, they're not 0:06:15.190 --> 0:06:20.670 that bright. Nah. I grew up in a village in 0:06:20.670 --> 0:06:23.990 northern Spain. Sheep were. My best friend was the son 0:06:23.990 --> 0:06:27.230 of a shepherd. They weren't bright. The other thing about 0:06:27.230 --> 0:06:31.270 sheep is they're extremely vulnerable. They don't have horns on 0:06:31.310 --> 0:06:35.750 their head. They can't camouflage themselves. I mean, they're just 0:06:35.790 --> 0:06:40.910 white right in the middle of everything. They have no teeth. 0:06:40.910 --> 0:06:46.989 They have no claws. They're extremely vulnerable. But one thing 0:06:46.990 --> 0:06:52.750 that sheep have in the biblical context is they have 0:06:52.750 --> 0:06:57.750 a shepherd. There are some of the most vulnerable animals 0:06:57.750 --> 0:07:03.150 on earth. Rabbits can run. Tigers can fight, bears can roar. 0:07:05.150 --> 0:07:12.989 Chameleons can hide sheep. But put a good shepherd around 0:07:12.990 --> 0:07:16.670 a sheep. And you don't want to mess with those sheep. 0:07:17.310 --> 0:07:23.390 Because there's a shepherd, guides them, cares for them, watches 0:07:23.390 --> 0:07:27.590 out for them, protects them. And I love the fact 0:07:27.590 --> 0:07:32.790 that God acknowledges our vulnerability in calling us sheep. Yet 0:07:32.790 --> 0:07:36.710 at the same time acknowledges that he is the shepherd. 0:07:38.310 --> 0:07:41.390 No matter how strong you may feel today or how 0:07:41.430 --> 0:07:44.190 invincible you may feel, I want to tell you. All 0:07:44.190 --> 0:07:49.110 of us human beings, we share a common characteristic. We 0:07:49.110 --> 0:07:56.190 are extremely vulnerable. Cancer can hit in a moment. A 0:07:56.190 --> 0:08:00.390 heart attack can leave you paralyzed. A car can hit 0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:05.160 you while you're crossing the street. Life can change immediately. 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:10.720 We are extremely vulnerable in life, but thank God that 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:13.480 in the midst of our vulnerability, we have the Shepherd, 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.679 the Shepherd of our soul that watches, that cares, that 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:27.680 knows us, that controls our destiny and our future. Number three, 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:32.200 verse four. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:35.880 with praise. Give thanks to him. Bless his name. Number 0:08:35.880 --> 0:08:39.920 three thank your way in the door. Make some noise. 0:08:39.960 --> 0:08:43.400 Now you know who God is. Thank your way in 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:46.520 the door. Enter his presence with the ticket of thanksgiving 0:08:46.520 --> 0:08:49.760 and praise. Notice what he says in verse four. He says, 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:53.360 enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:57.600 Can I tell you something about thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the 0:08:57.600 --> 0:09:01.640 language of God. It's the language of the people of God. 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:05.480 There are some people here today that you feel distant 0:09:05.480 --> 0:09:08.560 from God. You feel like God hasn't spoken to me 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:10.320 in a long time. I don't know what it is, 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:13.800 but I feel like I can't get really close to God. 0:09:15.080 --> 0:09:17.560 Can I tell you that one of the keys to 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:19.880 entering into the presence of God in such a way 0:09:19.880 --> 0:09:23.840 that he can speak to us, is an attitude of gratitude. 0:09:25.160 --> 0:09:28.800 You see, you can't enter into the gates of the 0:09:28.800 --> 0:09:35.280 presence of God when you're full of criticism, negativity, complaint, 0:09:35.720 --> 0:09:44.000 and darkness. You. You're kept in the outer courts when 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:46.160 you all. All you see is the bad in life. 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:48.800 What you don't have in life, what should be and 0:09:48.800 --> 0:09:50.959 can't be. When you look at life, some of you 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:53.959 wake up in the morning and you already predict a 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:58.520 rotten day. Uh. This is going to be a terrible day. 0:09:58.600 --> 0:10:02.570 My back hurts. Traffic's going to be terrible. Where's my coffee? 0:10:02.570 --> 0:10:06.130 This is nasty. The job is terrible. I can't stand 0:10:06.130 --> 0:10:15.290 this day. It's Monday. And I just feel like God's distant. Well, 0:10:15.330 --> 0:10:19.569 maybe God feels distant because you're in the outer courts. 0:10:19.970 --> 0:10:22.770 And the ticket inside the gates of the presence of 0:10:22.770 --> 0:10:28.210 God is gratitude and thanksgiving. I wonder what would happen 0:10:28.210 --> 0:10:31.090 if you got out of bed tomorrow and you said, 0:10:31.090 --> 0:10:36.530 thank you, God, that I can walk. Bless you, that 0:10:36.530 --> 0:10:38.929 I have air in my lungs. And you say, well, pastor, 0:10:38.929 --> 0:10:41.730 I have enfisema. I have air in one lung at least. 0:10:41.730 --> 0:10:46.410 Thank God that I have air in one lung. Praise 0:10:46.410 --> 0:10:49.449 God that I. My mind is more or less still there. 0:10:50.010 --> 0:10:53.170 Thank God that I can drive a car and not 0:10:53.210 --> 0:10:55.809 walk to work. Thank God that I'm not sleeping in 0:10:55.809 --> 0:11:00.089 a cardboard box under Lower Wacker Drive. Praise God that 0:11:00.170 --> 0:11:02.809 I can eat some food. It may not be caviar 0:11:03.010 --> 0:11:07.530 or a New York steak, but it's carne asada maybe. 0:11:08.690 --> 0:11:12.930 You know, praise God that that that I have something 0:11:12.929 --> 0:11:16.090 in life. You need to find something to thank God 0:11:16.090 --> 0:11:19.290 for and start focusing on what you're going to thank 0:11:19.290 --> 0:11:21.330 God for. Because let me tell you, a spirit of 0:11:21.330 --> 0:11:25.250 ingratitude could be in a millionaire mansion and still complain. 0:11:26.850 --> 0:11:30.130 It's not about your circumstances. It's about the attitude that 0:11:30.130 --> 0:11:34.530 you have towards your circumstances. And when you look at life, 0:11:34.570 --> 0:11:39.170 do you whine about what you don't have? Do you 0:11:39.210 --> 0:11:44.209 complain about what's going wrong? Do you focus on what's missing? 0:11:48.730 --> 0:12:02.900 Do you find yourself spiraling down this complaining? Jealousy. Comparison. Competitive. Whole. 0:12:04.420 --> 0:12:10.620 So that you're always unhappy. Always discontent. Always fuming about something. 0:12:11.100 --> 0:12:15.180 Always critical of somebody. Or have you learned the power 0:12:15.179 --> 0:12:20.780 of thanksgiving? Where you wake up and you find something 0:12:20.820 --> 0:12:22.220 to thank God for. 0:12:31.540 --> 0:12:33.939 Well, don't go anywhere because Mark will be right back 0:12:33.940 --> 0:12:37.060 to continue this pivotal lesson in just a minute. You're 0:12:37.059 --> 0:12:39.780 listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. A message about 0:12:39.780 --> 0:12:42.100 breaking through the gloom. And real quick, we just want 0:12:42.140 --> 0:12:43.660 to remind you that if you ever miss one of 0:12:43.660 --> 0:12:46.220 these daily teachings on the radio, or if you want 0:12:46.220 --> 0:12:48.380 to go back and revisit a message, you can do 0:12:48.380 --> 0:12:52.700 that anytime by visiting our website at bold steps.org or 0:12:52.740 --> 0:12:55.140 for easy listening straight from your phone, just open up 0:12:55.140 --> 0:12:58.580 your podcast app and subscribe to the Bold Steps podcast. 0:12:58.620 --> 0:13:01.620 You'll find us by searching for bold steps with doctor 0:13:01.620 --> 0:13:04.140 Mark job. And then Mark also has a one minute 0:13:04.140 --> 0:13:07.140 feature you can subscribe to called the Bold Steps Minute, 0:13:07.140 --> 0:13:10.260 where you'll find short segments of daily encouragement and biblical 0:13:10.260 --> 0:13:13.460 insight from Mark. To start listening today, just subscribe through 0:13:13.500 --> 0:13:17.860 your podcast app or visit bold steps.org. Now back to 0:13:17.860 --> 0:13:20.700 our message for today. It's titled Breaking Through the Gloom 0:13:20.700 --> 0:13:23.140 with Mark job here on Bold Steps. 0:13:27.620 --> 0:13:29.700 You see, you can't get close enough to hear God 0:13:29.700 --> 0:13:36.179 if you're criticizing and complaining. If you enter into his presence, 0:13:36.220 --> 0:13:40.179 the outer courts with thanksgiving, you enter in through the 0:13:40.179 --> 0:13:43.260 gates with thanksgiving, and then you enter into the courts. 0:13:43.260 --> 0:13:46.020 The temple courts had an outer gate and an inner 0:13:46.020 --> 0:13:49.579 court and an inner sanctum. I believe the outer gates 0:13:49.580 --> 0:13:53.860 are the are the attitude of thanksgiving. The courts are 0:13:53.860 --> 0:13:57.540 the place of praise. You see, thanksgiving and praise are different. 0:13:57.540 --> 0:14:01.829 Thanksgiving is gratitude for what is around us. Praise focuses 0:14:01.830 --> 0:14:04.870 on the character of God and thanking God for who 0:14:04.870 --> 0:14:07.230 he is and how he is. It's a heart of worship. 0:14:07.230 --> 0:14:11.950 And then in the inner sanctuary, there is adoration and worship. Listen, 0:14:11.950 --> 0:14:14.910 some of you haven't heard God because you're so full 0:14:14.910 --> 0:14:18.270 of complaining and criticism that you need to start coming 0:14:18.270 --> 0:14:22.470 into his courts with, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, 0:14:22.470 --> 0:14:25.350 and then enter into his courts with praise. You get 0:14:25.350 --> 0:14:27.870 close enough to God so he doesn't have to scream 0:14:27.870 --> 0:14:30.070 out to you. So you're close enough to God that 0:14:30.070 --> 0:14:34.030 you can hear his voice as he whispers to you. Pastor, 0:14:34.030 --> 0:14:39.070 I don't get anything out of the message. Well, maybe 0:14:39.070 --> 0:14:44.550 it's me. Could be. Maybe it's because you fought all 0:14:44.550 --> 0:14:49.910 your way into the parking lot. You came and stomping 0:14:49.910 --> 0:14:58.030 your feet, crossing your arms. You're in the outer courts. 0:14:59.030 --> 0:15:02.960 Even when God's trying to speak to you, you haven't 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:07.120 opened up your ears with praise. You haven't softened your 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:11.720 heart with thanksgiving. God hasn't let you into his presence 0:15:11.720 --> 0:15:15.240 because there's just complaining and negativity. So you're in the 0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:20.400 outer courts. What would happen if you came to church 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.200 and when you woke up in the morning, you started 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:29.280 thanking God. You did. You kept it 100. Yes. Psalm 100. 0:15:32.400 --> 0:15:35.040 What would happen if by the time you entered service, 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:38.680 you weren't all concerned and worried about arguing with people, 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:40.800 but when you walked in this place, you'd spent the 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:44.320 morning worshiping and thanking God. What would happen if you 0:15:44.360 --> 0:15:47.040 came into this place of worship? And already it was like, hey, 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:49.720 I don't need worship to warm me up. I'm already 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.800 warmed up. I'm ready to hear God. I'm ready to listen. 0:15:52.800 --> 0:15:55.760 My heart's in the right place. I'm not fighting with anybody. 0:15:55.760 --> 0:15:59.000 I'm not arguing with anybody. I'm here to receive. And 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:01.800 then God could. The moment the worship start, you would 0:16:01.800 --> 0:16:04.920 get much more out of this service. The moment the 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:07.480 singing started, you wouldn't be thinking about the bass or 0:16:07.480 --> 0:16:10.600 the sound or the stage or the temperature. You'd be saying, 0:16:10.600 --> 0:16:13.360 here I am, God, I want to hear you. I'm 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:16.360 hearing your voice. You're speaking to me. You're encouraging me. 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:18.760 I'm getting a lot out of this because I've already 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:22.080 entered his gates with Thanksgiving. I've stepped into his courts 0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:24.440 with praise, and now I can hear the voice of 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:29.360 the living God speaking to my life. The Bible tells 0:16:29.360 --> 0:16:32.000 us that we have to give a sacrifice of praise. 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:36.480 First Thessalonians chapter 518 says, give thanks in all circumstances. 0:16:36.480 --> 0:16:41.880 In what circumstances? All circumstances. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 15 says, 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:47.080 through him, then let us continually offer up a sacrifice 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:50.680 of praise that is the fruit of our lips that 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:52.320 give thanks to his name. How many of you know 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:57.280 that praise sometimes is a sacrifice? You know when it's 0:16:57.280 --> 0:17:00.720 the greatest sacrifice? When I don't feel like giving it. 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:06.600 When things are going good, it's easy. It's not a sacrifice. 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:13.240 When things are bad. Things are hard. It's hard to 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:18.959 give stuff that doesn't come easy. The Bible says that 0:17:18.960 --> 0:17:22.439 sometimes we need to give a sacrifice of praise. That 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:25.000 means I'm going to give you something that's not easy. 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:31.240 Hard for me to give today. It could start slow. 0:17:31.240 --> 0:17:35.360 Don't worry about it. Thank you Lord. I don't feel 0:17:35.359 --> 0:17:39.840 like giving thanks, but thank you, Lord. I don't feel 0:17:39.840 --> 0:17:45.720 like praising you, but praise you, Lord. Come on. How 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:50.480 many of you feel like that sometimes? You say, well, pastor, 0:17:50.480 --> 0:17:51.959 I don't want to be a hypocrite. Let me tell you, 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:54.359 it's never been a hypocrite to thank God for what 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:56.760 you know you should thank God for even when you 0:17:56.760 --> 0:18:03.970 don't feel like it. A hypocrite is someone who pretends 0:18:03.970 --> 0:18:06.850 to be something that they're not. When you sacrifice, that's 0:18:06.850 --> 0:18:11.410 not hypocrisy, that's obedience. When I thank God, when it's hard, 0:18:11.410 --> 0:18:15.410 that's obedience. When I praise God and my circumstances don't 0:18:15.410 --> 0:18:18.650 lend themselves. That's obedience. But let me tell you, when 0:18:18.650 --> 0:18:23.210 you jump start the sacrifice of praise, then your emotions 0:18:23.210 --> 0:18:26.129 catch up with your joyful noise. And by the time 0:18:26.130 --> 0:18:29.730 you leave this place, if you've entered in praise and thanksgiving, 0:18:29.730 --> 0:18:32.690 you can leave this place having your heart turned around 0:18:32.690 --> 0:18:35.370 because you've gotten into the presence of God and God 0:18:35.410 --> 0:18:39.810 has been able to speak to you. Ephesians 520 says, 0:18:39.810 --> 0:18:43.290 always giving thanks for all things in the name of 0:18:43.290 --> 0:18:49.689 the Lord Jesus Christ. God, even our father. Let me 0:18:49.690 --> 0:18:53.649 give you the last point in keeping it 100. You 0:18:53.650 --> 0:18:55.610 need to make a joyful noise. You need to know 0:18:55.609 --> 0:18:57.570 who God is. You need to thank your way in 0:18:57.609 --> 0:19:00.380 the door. And lastly, you Lastly, you need to lean 0:19:00.540 --> 0:19:06.220 on his goodness. God is faithful and good towards his people. 0:19:06.540 --> 0:19:09.740 Notice with verse five says the final verse. It says, 0:19:09.740 --> 0:19:15.220 for the Lord, oh man, for the Lord is good. 0:19:18.300 --> 0:19:23.820 That's a simple but profound statement. The Lord is good. 0:19:25.220 --> 0:19:29.940 Not only is the Lord good, but his love is steadfast. 0:19:31.180 --> 0:19:37.419 And not only is love steadfast, but his faithfulness is 0:19:37.420 --> 0:19:44.500 true from generation to generation. What does that mean? That 0:19:44.500 --> 0:19:48.340 means that God is not moody, that you don't wake 0:19:48.340 --> 0:19:50.220 up one day and say, does he love me? Does 0:19:50.220 --> 0:19:52.780 he love me not? Oh, I know you've had a 0:19:52.780 --> 0:19:54.659 boyfriend like that. That one day he loves you. The 0:19:54.660 --> 0:19:56.260 next day he wants to leave you. The other day 0:19:56.260 --> 0:19:58.060 he wants to marry you. The next day he wants 0:19:58.060 --> 0:20:00.060 to divorce you and you're not even married. I know 0:20:00.060 --> 0:20:03.659 you've had relationships like that, but let me tell you something. 0:20:03.660 --> 0:20:07.340 God is not that way. God loves you through your 0:20:07.380 --> 0:20:09.740 thick and thin. God loves you and your good and bad. 0:20:09.740 --> 0:20:12.780 God loves you and is faithful even when you're not faithful. 0:20:12.820 --> 0:20:16.899 God's love is true today, tomorrow, the day after. God 0:20:16.900 --> 0:20:21.580 is faithful. He's true. He's consistent. He doesn't change. The 0:20:21.580 --> 0:20:24.780 world can fall apart, but the love of God continues. 0:20:25.700 --> 0:20:28.219 Nothing can separate us from the love of God. The 0:20:28.220 --> 0:20:32.300 Bible says nothing can separate you from the love of God. 0:20:34.340 --> 0:20:37.460 I love that about God, that he is faithful and 0:20:37.460 --> 0:20:45.020 true and steadfast. 100% of the time. That means that 0:20:45.020 --> 0:20:47.260 when life isn't so good, you need to remember that 0:20:47.260 --> 0:20:54.619 God is good. And offer a sacrifice of praise. Some 0:20:54.619 --> 0:20:58.260 of you today need to break through the gloom that 0:20:58.260 --> 0:21:05.060 you've been living in. I'm talking to someone today that's 0:21:05.060 --> 0:21:10.380 been so down and out and dark that you've had 0:21:10.380 --> 0:21:16.500 thoughts of hurting yourself, ending it all. I'm talking to 0:21:16.540 --> 0:21:23.860 some today who you've self-medicated your sadness and depression. And 0:21:23.859 --> 0:21:27.900 so you've become addicted to something because you're sad over 0:21:27.900 --> 0:21:34.540 something else. I'm talking to some of you today that 0:21:34.540 --> 0:21:36.580 God is saying, you know, it's time to break out 0:21:36.580 --> 0:21:41.500 of that gloom you've been living with. You've allowed this 0:21:41.500 --> 0:21:49.379 world to brainwash you into depression, to blind you into despair, 0:21:50.220 --> 0:21:56.700 to take on the atmosphere of hopelessness. But I'm saying, 0:21:56.700 --> 0:21:59.100 go a little higher. Come on, break through the cloud. 0:21:59.100 --> 0:22:01.790 Go a little higher. Go a little higher. Break through 0:22:01.790 --> 0:22:04.990 the gloom. When you get on top, God is saying 0:22:05.030 --> 0:22:07.230 to some of you. Feel the shine of my love 0:22:07.230 --> 0:22:10.750 on you. Understand that I haven't changed. Remember that I 0:22:10.790 --> 0:22:14.710 am faithful and true. I am sovereign, still on the throne. 0:22:14.710 --> 0:22:17.310 I have a purpose and a plan for your life, 0:22:17.310 --> 0:22:19.909 and it is a good purpose and a good plan 0:22:19.910 --> 0:22:23.189 for your life. I love you, I've forgiven you. I'm there. 0:22:23.190 --> 0:22:26.670 My presence is powerful. I can turn you around, heal you, 0:22:26.710 --> 0:22:30.669 change you, reconstruct you, deliver. You do what it takes. 0:22:30.670 --> 0:22:32.389 That's what God is saying to some of you. 0:22:40.430 --> 0:22:45.750 Yeah. So I hope that this message has breathed fresh 0:22:45.790 --> 0:22:48.870 air in some of you that have felt like I'm 0:22:48.869 --> 0:22:54.670 living below the cloud line instead of above the cloud line. Um, 0:22:54.670 --> 0:22:56.790 I want to just take a moment just to pray 0:22:56.790 --> 0:22:59.750 for you right now. If you've been feeling like I've 0:22:59.750 --> 0:23:02.390 been living in gloom. Father, I pray in Jesus name 0:23:02.390 --> 0:23:06.070 for that man, that woman that has tried to shake 0:23:06.070 --> 0:23:09.150 off the gloom. But it just persists. They wake up 0:23:09.150 --> 0:23:11.830 in the morning feeling it. They go to bed at 0:23:11.830 --> 0:23:15.189 night feeling it. They've lost their joy. I thank you, 0:23:15.190 --> 0:23:18.710 Lord Jesus, that you're seeking to break them out of 0:23:18.750 --> 0:23:21.790 that place of gloom. And I pray, spirit of the 0:23:21.790 --> 0:23:26.630 living God, that even today, Holy Spirit, you would infuse 0:23:26.630 --> 0:23:29.350 them with a new sense of hope. God, that you 0:23:29.350 --> 0:23:33.629 would rekindle their joy, that they would begin to once 0:23:33.630 --> 0:23:38.070 again stand firm and confident in your sovereignty. And I 0:23:38.070 --> 0:23:41.070 pray this in Jesus name. Amen. 0:23:41.470 --> 0:23:44.429 Amen. You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe, a 0:23:44.430 --> 0:23:47.510 message titled breaking Through the Gloom. Mark, thank you for 0:23:47.510 --> 0:23:50.470 those final thoughts and prayer. If you'd like to listen 0:23:50.470 --> 0:23:52.429 again to any part of this message, or share it 0:23:52.430 --> 0:23:54.630 with someone who needs to hear it, just visit us 0:23:54.670 --> 0:23:58.470 online at bold steps.org. And before we go, be sure 0:23:58.470 --> 0:24:01.520 to check out this month's exclusive Bold Step Gift, a 0:24:01.520 --> 0:24:05.040 timely and encouraging book by Doctor Erwin Lutzer called The 0:24:05.040 --> 0:24:08.000 Church in Babylon. Heeding the call to be a light 0:24:08.000 --> 0:24:11.400 in the darkness. Just like the Israelites in Babylon, we're 0:24:11.400 --> 0:24:13.320 learning to hold on to our faith in a culture 0:24:13.320 --> 0:24:16.200 that doesn't always share our values. And this book will 0:24:16.200 --> 0:24:18.560 point you back to the one place our confidence was 0:24:18.560 --> 0:24:22.080 always meant to rest in Christ. Whatever chapter in life 0:24:22.080 --> 0:24:24.560 you're in right now, this is a resource that will 0:24:24.560 --> 0:24:27.520 help you stand firm and keep your eyes on him. 0:24:27.880 --> 0:24:29.600 We'll send you a copy today. When you give a 0:24:29.640 --> 0:24:34.080 gift of any amount to support bold steps. Call 800 D.L. Moody. 0:24:34.280 --> 0:24:42.880 That's (800) 356-6639, or give online at bold steps.org/give. You can 0:24:42.880 --> 0:24:45.160 also give through the mail by writing to us at 0:24:45.160 --> 0:24:51.320 Bold Steps, 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 606 ten. 0:24:51.359 --> 0:24:57.840 Once again. 820 North LaSalle, Chicago, Illinois, 606 ten. And then, 0:24:57.840 --> 0:25:00.000 if you'd like to connect with our Bold Steps community. 0:25:00.000 --> 0:25:02.639 Feel free to join us on social media by liking 0:25:02.640 --> 0:25:06.880 and following our pages on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Now, 0:25:06.880 --> 0:25:09.080 before we close, I want to remind you that if 0:25:09.080 --> 0:25:11.600 you haven't already signed up to receive Mark's free weekly 0:25:11.600 --> 0:25:14.560 devotional called The Bold Stepper Weekly, be sure to do 0:25:14.560 --> 0:25:18.000 that today. Start your week off in courage and inspired 0:25:18.000 --> 0:25:21.760 with truths from God's Word, as Mark shares insightful personal 0:25:21.760 --> 0:25:24.240 teachings that can relate to your day to day life. 0:25:24.640 --> 0:25:28.160 Just visit our website, Bold steps.org, and look for the 0:25:28.160 --> 0:25:32.200 Bold Stepper weekly to sign up. That's our time for today, 0:25:32.200 --> 0:25:34.280 but make plans to tune in tomorrow when Mark brings 0:25:34.280 --> 0:25:37.800 a new message titled How to Approach God. That's the 0:25:37.800 --> 0:25:40.280 important discussion and you don't want to miss it. Coming 0:25:40.280 --> 0:25:45.679 up Wednesday, right here on Bold Steps with Mark, Bold 0:25:45.680 --> 0:25:48.760 steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of 0:25:48.760 --> 0:25:50.440 the Moody Bible Institute.