1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Let us pray he healeth the broken in heart and 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: bindeth up their wounds Psalm one forty seven three. Dearest Lord, 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: the depth of your wisdom cannot be fathomed. You know 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: the number of stars in the sky and the number 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: of hairs on my head. Yet you bend your ear 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 1: to those who suffer from a broken heart. When the 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: pain is so deep, words cannot convey the comfort necessary 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: at that moment. It's only your divine touch that can 9 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: bring comfort in the darkest of ours. That is when 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: I need you most. Father, Pour out your healing oil 11 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: over the fissure in my heart. The gaping wound of 12 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: loss is wide and deep and continues to bleed. Waves 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: of grief wash over me with uncontrollable tears. Mend my heart, 14 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: Lord with your love, and comfort me with your warm embrace. 15 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: Help me feel your presence so I know I'm not 16 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: alone and my I'm of grief. My pain feels almost inconsolable. 17 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: But only you can contain my grief and bring me comfort. 18 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: Teach me to lay my head on the warmth of 19 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: your chest and feel the heartbeat of love soothing my pain. 20 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: I will cling to you in my time of loss 21 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: and ask you to fill the void that only you 22 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: can fill than Jesus' name. 23 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 2: Amen. 24 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to today's daily prayer for more 25 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: inspiration and an incredible message from our feature pastor. Stay 26 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: tuned to pray dot COM's Sunday service. 27 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 2: Welcome to pray dot Com. 28 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 3: I'm Ben Peterson, the CEO and founder of Engage Your Destiny. 29 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 3: Please follow this profile from more engaging content than we 30 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 3: have crafted specifically for military veterans and the warriors at heart. 31 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 3: Also head to our website to see how you can 32 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 3: support ministry to our active duty military. Now I charge 33 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 3: you to take today's message and use it to engage 34 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 3: your destiny. 35 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 2: I live, breathe, sweat, and bleed for soldiers because I 36 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 2: am one, and that's why cont to it. Tonight, I'm 37 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 2: gonna train you to become a soldier for Christ. I'm 38 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 2: gonna pull up the scripture. It's Isaiah sixty one, verse one. Now. 39 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 2: To set the tone for this scripture, Jesus as he 40 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 2: is starting his ministry, he goes into the synagogue and 41 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,839 Speaker 2: it's his first time that he is going to read 42 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: the scroll, and he's going to begin the first phase 43 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 2: of entering into his ministry, and he stands there and 44 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 2: he reads this verse. He says, the spirit of the 45 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 2: Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me. Say chosen. 46 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 2: He has chosen me to bring good news to the poor, 47 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 2: say poor, to comfort the broken hearten, and to proclaim 48 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 2: the captives. Say captives will be released and prisoners, say, 49 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 2: prisoners will be freed. Let me read that again, to 50 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 2: proclaim that the captives will be released and prisoners will 51 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 2: be freed. Mike drops sets the scroll down, goes and 52 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: sits down. The most powerful man in the history of 53 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 2: the world, who started the greatest movement that has impacted 54 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 2: over two points sixt zero three seven eight one four 55 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: billion people, founded his ministry with these words. I am 56 00:03:54,840 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 2: here to set captives free was his mission in warfare. 57 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 2: There is nothing more terrifying or horrifying than becoming a 58 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 2: captive to be taken prisoner when hit When Hitler began 59 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 2: invading countries for the purpose of world domination, it emboldened 60 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 2: country after country to begin to do the same. And 61 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 2: on December seventh, nineteen forty one, a day that will 62 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 2: live in infamy, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. The 63 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 2: move to attack Pearl Harbor was really a power move 64 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 2: by Japan to take more land and to expand their kingdom. 65 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 2: They really didn't have the plan of entering into a 66 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 2: full scale war with the United States. In nineteen forty two, 67 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 2: they then attacked the Philippines on the island of Karrigador, 68 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 2: which was a two day battle where the Japanese overwhelmed 69 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 2: the American and Filipino soldiers there and took seventy five 70 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 2: thousand of them captive. Now, none of them could have 71 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 2: possibly imagined the horror that they were about to experience. 72 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 2: You see, the Japanese wanted to take all of these 73 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 2: soldiers and bring them back to Japan so they could 74 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 2: serve in prison camps for slave labor. But they had 75 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 2: to get them to the other side of the island 76 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 2: to load them onto their ships, and so it was 77 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 2: a sixty five mile journey through the jungle which they 78 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: decided to line the men up and march them for 79 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 2: fourteen straight days. Fourteen straight days was a crucible that 80 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 2: will forever be remembered as the Baton Death March. For 81 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 2: fourteen days, they marched day and night, no rest, no food, 82 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 2: no water. If you stopped to rest you would be shot. 83 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 2: If you tried to drink water, you would be bayoneted. 84 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 2: If you couldn't go on, you would be killed or 85 00:05:54,240 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 2: left for dead sixty five miles without stopping. Some of 86 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 2: the soldiers went mad with thirsts sprinting towards nearby streams 87 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 2: or local ponds, and desperation to drink water, only to 88 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 2: be killed by the Japanese. The only way that soldiers 89 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 2: could survive is if they tried to if they could 90 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 2: sneak water when the Japanese weren't looking by nearby streams, 91 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 2: or to drink water out of puddles of mud. After 92 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 2: the fourteen day journey, seventeen thousand captives were dead. They 93 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:32,280 Speaker 2: were then loaded into the hulls of what were known 94 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,359 Speaker 2: as hell ships, and these were large transport ships that 95 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 2: offered no reprieve from the march that they had just endured. 96 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 2: They were crammed tightly into hardly lit cargo holds with 97 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 2: little air ventilation, food, or water for a journey that 98 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 2: would last for weeks. Many died due to asphixious starvation 99 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: or dysentery. Some POWs became delirious and unresponsive in their 100 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 2: environment of the heat, humidity, lack of oxygen, food, and water. 101 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 2: Once they reached the island of Japan, they were sent 102 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 2: to the prison camps, where they worked sixteen hours a 103 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 2: day three hundred and sixty five days a year as 104 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 2: slaves for four years. This story is very personably personal 105 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 2: to me because I grew up in a family where 106 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 2: the greatest thing that you could do with your life 107 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 2: is to service nation in combat. And when I was 108 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 2: thirteen years old, my dad started working with a Baton 109 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 2: Deathmarch survivor named Alf Larson, and my dad spent two 110 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 2: years going to Alf's house once a week, spending hours 111 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 2: with him as he was processing and working through all 112 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 2: of this horror to get it all out. Alf told 113 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: my dad that the greatest day of his life was 114 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 2: not his kids being born. It wasn't getting married, It 115 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 2: wasn't building a business, it wasn't building a life. It 116 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:02,239 Speaker 2: was the day when he was eighty five pounds after 117 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 2: being in a prison camp is a captive for four years, 118 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 2: that he saw an American soldier come and say, brother, 119 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 2: let's go home. This is a picture of where our 120 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 2: world is today. Our world today is suffocating in hellships. 121 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 2: They are being worked to death in their minds in 122 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 2: their hearts, from the torture of this world, from the 123 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:35,599 Speaker 2: constant barrage of social media, from the drugs, from the alcohol, 124 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 2: and from the lost messages that is bombarding our generation. 125 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 2: This world is captive. And what kind of people go 126 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 2: in and set captives free? Soldiers? You see, it takes 127 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,839 Speaker 2: a soldier to set captives free. If scripture makes that clear, 128 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 2: Because my friends, we have to realize tonight that we 129 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 2: are not in a physical world war. What we see 130 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 2: on the news, what we see among people, what we 131 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 2: see happening is not the war. What's happening in with 132 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 2: moths and with Israel, and with Ukraine, and with our 133 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 2: generation and young people, that is not the war. The 134 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 2: war that we fight is unseen. Reading from Ephesian six, 135 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 2: it says, now, my beloved ones, I have saved these 136 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 2: most important truths for last. Do you think they're important? 137 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 2: Be supernaturally infused with strength, Say strength through your life 138 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 2: union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious, Say victorious, Say victorious. 139 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 2: Let's go church. With the force of his explosive power 140 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 2: flowing in and through you. Put on God's complete set 141 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 2: of armor provided for us, so that you will be 142 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 2: protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser. 143 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 2: Your hand to hand combat, say hand to hand combat. 144 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,559 Speaker 2: Your hand to hand combat is not with human beings, 145 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 2: but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion 146 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 2: under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class 147 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 2: of demon gods and evil spirits that take and hold 148 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 2: this dark world in bondage. Welcome to church. Church. We 149 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 2: are soldiers and our mission in life is not health, 150 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 2: wealth and happiness. It is to set captives free. 151 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 4: So our duty as followers of Christ, not needing to 152 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 4: be the leader of a nonprofit, not needing to be 153 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 4: the pastor of a church, not leading to be on 154 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 4: the mission field as followers of Christ, period is to 155 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 4: be about. 156 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 2: The Father's business and to set captives free. So the 157 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 2: question is how do we wage war to set captives free? 158 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 2: As a soldier for God, we can do this in 159 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 2: four ways. One, we have to believe. We have to 160 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 2: believe that we are a soldier. You have to believe 161 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 2: that God has called you to be a soldier. On 162 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 2: July fourth, nineteen seventy six, a flight was taking off 163 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 2: from Tel Aviv to Paris and a group of Palestinian 164 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 2: terrorists took that flight hostage, filled with Jews and Israelis, 165 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 2: and they re routed them to Entebbe in Uganda under 166 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:37,480 Speaker 2: the covering of the dictator Edie Amin, and they sent 167 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 2: a message to the Israeli government and they said, we 168 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 2: have two hundred and twenty of your people and we're 169 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 2: going to begin executing them unless if you set our 170 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 2: brothers who you've taken hostage free. And these were all 171 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 2: Palestinian terrorists that the Israeli government had taken captive. And 172 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 2: they wanted to say, these men free for the purpose 173 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 2: of destruction and death. So here are these men and 174 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 2: women being held hostage? And Israel said, no, not gonna happen. 175 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 2: And in seven days they trained up and prepared a 176 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 2: mission for one hundred soldiers and commandos and they went 177 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 2: in to that situation, took down the enemy, and set 178 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 2: the captives free seven days. On November fourth, nineteen seventy nine, 179 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 2: a hostage crisis took place between the United States and Iran. 180 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 2: Fifty two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage after 181 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 2: a group of militarized Iranian college students stormed the US 182 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 2: embassy in Tehran. And took fifty to Americans hostage. They 183 00:12:55,480 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 2: made their demands. They wanted people released, they wanted money, 184 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 2: and the US government did not train up soldiers, They 185 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:12,199 Speaker 2: did not activate the military. They negotiated, they used diplomacy, 186 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:16,440 Speaker 2: They were a lot on politics, and for four hundred 187 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 2: and forty four days, those people were held in bondage 188 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 2: captive four hundred and forty four days because they didn't 189 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 2: send in soldiers. Diplomacy didn't work, politics didn't work, negotiations 190 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 2: didn't work all because they didn't send in soldiers. That's 191 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 2: why to be a soldier, we have to believe that 192 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:42,960 Speaker 2: we are a soldier, and we have to believe that 193 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 2: the works of a soldier are going to set people free. Amen. 194 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 2: The Bible says anything not done in faith is sin. 195 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 2: Say sin, Anything not done in faith is sin. This 196 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 2: doesn't mean just looking at porn. This doesn't mean lying, cheating, stealing, 197 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 2: This doesn't mean idolatry. I'm not talking about any of 198 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 2: those sins. I'm talking about anything not done where you're 199 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 2: not using your belief, y'all. Tracking anything not done in 200 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 2: faith is sin, and God is calling us into a 201 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,719 Speaker 2: place of believing who we are in Christ who He's 202 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 2: anointed us to be the man that's living inside of us, 203 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 2: realizing what he can do through us. Amen, we've got 204 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 2: to believe. Who's got to believe that if we call 205 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 2: on heaven, Heaven will answer. Number two, we have to train. 206 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 2: We have to train as a soldier. If I were 207 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 2: to send any of y'all into combat, would you go 208 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 2: without a gun? No, you wouldn't. I wouldn't either. Would 209 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 2: you go without protective body armor? Would you go without 210 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 2: a helmet? Would you go without combat boots? Go on 211 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 2: your stocking feet? Absolutely not. And that's why Paul is 212 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 2: using this language, because he's calling to the average Christian 213 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 2: and he's calling him to be a warrior for God. God. 214 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 2: He's saying in Ephesian six thirteen, because of this, you 215 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 2: must wear all, say all. You must wear all the 216 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 2: armor that God provides so you're protected as you confront 217 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 2: the slanderer. For you are destined for all things and 218 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 2: will rise victorious. Say victorious, Come onie, I'll say it. 219 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 2: But on truth as a belt to strengthen you as 220 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 2: you stand in triumph. Put on holiness is your protective 221 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 2: armor that covers your heart. Stand on your feet, alert 222 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 2: and you'll always be ready to share the blessings in 223 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 2: the Gospel of Peace in every battle. Take faith as 224 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 2: you wrap around shield, for it is able to extinguish 225 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 2: the blazing arrows coming at you from the evil one. 226 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 2: Embrace the power of Salvation's full deliverance like a helmet 227 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 2: to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty 228 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 2: razor sharp sword of the Spirit, the spoken word of God. 229 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 2: These are the tools that we have to train with 230 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 2: every single day because our war is not a deployment 231 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 2: to Iraq. Our war is not on some foreign battlefield. 232 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 2: It is right here in Williamson County. Amen. And we 233 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 2: have to gear up every single day putting on the armor. 234 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 2: So what does this mean? Putting on truth? The Roman 235 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 2: soldier needed to wear a belt because their pants could 236 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 2: not be held up without belts. It was essential it 237 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 2: held everything together. The belt also had armor on it 238 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 2: to protected the family jewels. Can I get some amen 239 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 2: from the men? Amen? All right? Protecting valuable things, that's 240 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 2: what truth does. He's saying. Put on holiness as a 241 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 2: protective armor that covers your heart. The Bible says that 242 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 2: out of your heart flows the well spring of life, 243 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 2: and to above all else. What guard your heart above 244 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 2: all else, guard the affections of your heart. What Paul 245 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 2: is saying here is that we have to take on 246 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 2: the holiness of Christ. Everything that he died, resurrected, and 247 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 2: gave himself for makes us righteous, and then we have 248 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 2: to live in that righteous life and it will guard 249 00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 2: and protect our hearts where we will be the most 250 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 2: powerful men. Mong girl. Yeah, we got to stand to 251 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 2: our feet alert, knowing that when we share the Gospel, 252 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 2: it is going to bring peace into people in every battle. 253 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 2: Take faith is you wrap around shield. The Roman shield 254 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 2: was not a tool of defense, but a tool of advancement. 255 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 2: They would lock shields together for the purpose of advancing 256 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:32,640 Speaker 2: on the enemy. Faith is an advancement weapon. Amen. It's 257 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 2: also so that it could extinguish the fiery arrows of 258 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 2: the wicked one. Let me tell you about flaming areas 259 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 2: with arrows that would be used in that time. Those 260 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 2: arrows were not accurate, they couldn't hit people. They were 261 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 2: used for one purpose, to burn things down. Faith keeps 262 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 2: us from the fiery darts and the lies of the 263 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 2: wicked one, so that we can extinguish it with faith, 264 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 2: so that he cannot our lives down. Amen, Oh, I'm 265 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:09,360 Speaker 2: having fun. Embrace the power of Salvation's full deliverance. Salvation 266 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 2: means wholeness, bringing our minds completely into wholeness. Some of 267 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 2: you need to know tonight that you have the mind 268 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 2: of Christ, the mind of Christ. I've battled with suicidal 269 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 2: thoughts in my life. I've battled with depression, so many 270 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,439 Speaker 2: different things. And what I keep coming back to in 271 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,679 Speaker 2: my life that keeps me whole is that I have 272 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 2: the mind of Christ. And in this day and age 273 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 2: of mental health and so many things going on with people, 274 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 2: we got to come back to the biblical truth that 275 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 2: we are in Christ and our mind is His amen, 276 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 2: and that we have the mind of Christ. And lastly, 277 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 2: the sword of the Spirit, the spoken word of God. 278 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 2: Jesus said that man cannot live by bread alone, but 279 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 2: by every word that proceeds from the Father, the word 280 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 2: of God. Filling yourself up. Bonhaeffer said, I start my day, 281 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,119 Speaker 2: and the Lord has the first word, and he has 282 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 2: the last word of the day. The word of God 283 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 2: has got to be the living, the life breath for 284 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 2: our souls, so that we can be fueled up to 285 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:11,479 Speaker 2: wage war against the enemy. Now, some of you might 286 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 2: be saying, then, I've never been in the military, I've 287 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 2: never served in combat, I've never been through training. I 288 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:18,880 Speaker 2: don't know if I can relate to all of this. 289 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 2: And I'm here to tell you, yes, I've been through combat. 290 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 2: Yes I've been through all this military training. But I 291 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 2: have been through something much more difficult. I have a toddler. 292 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 2: Does anyone else have one or have one? Does that 293 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 2: not push you to the limit? Does that not take 294 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 2: everything that your soul has to get through? In moments? 295 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 2: Do you remember sitting there and he's screaming and won't 296 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 2: stop screaming, and you're trying to figure out do I 297 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 2: hit him? Or do I just sit there? What do 298 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 2: you do? That's just like bullets flying at you. It's 299 00:19:52,720 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 2: the same thing. Your circumstances do not define who you are. 300 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 2: Christ does, and he is saying, you're a soldier. When 301 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 2: we would go into combat, we would have pre combat briefs, 302 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 2: and in combat you have to know everything that the 303 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 2: enemy is doing, and we would be briefed on his 304 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:16,880 Speaker 2: tactics and what he is about. The enemy of our 305 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 2: soul is the liar, he's the accuser, he's the slanderer, 306 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:23,160 Speaker 2: and we need to get into our hearts and understand 307 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 2: that every lie that he is going to try and 308 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 2: put it us is based in two falsities. One I 309 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 2: am not good enough. Say I'm not good enough, and 310 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 2: I'm not lovable. Those two lies is what is a 311 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:40,959 Speaker 2: part of your pre combat brief to know what he 312 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 2: is trying to ambush and attack you in I am 313 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 2: not good enough and I Am not lovable. Number three, 314 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 2: we have to fight as a soldier. The language to 315 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 2: Timothy here is very specific. He says in one Timothy 316 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 2: six to twelve. Fight the good fight of faith. Take 317 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 2: hold of the eternal life with what you were called 318 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 2: and which you made the good confession in the presence 319 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 2: of many witnesses. You see fighting for faith for freedom 320 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 2: works in two ways. When you are advancing and you 321 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 2: are fighting for freedom, the people that you're fighting for 322 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 2: get free, and what happens is a byproduct, the soldier 323 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 2: gets free as well. In seventeen seventy six, when we 324 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 2: said no more to the oppression of the British government 325 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,720 Speaker 2: and we went to war, those soldiers were fighting for 326 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 2: the freedom of their people, and when they won, they 327 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 2: receive freedom too. And that's why when we advance the 328 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,400 Speaker 2: Kingdom of Heaven for people. When we love people, when 329 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 2: we pray for people, when we are about the Father's 330 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 2: business and what he wants to do. We're going to 331 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:43,320 Speaker 2: bring breed freedom to them, but we're going to get 332 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 2: free as well, because we're on the offense. Say offense. Now, 333 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 2: Paul is writing these words to Timothy, who is not 334 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 2: a soldier. Timothy never served in the military, but he's 335 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 2: using all of this military like language. And in ninety 336 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 2: seven AD, as a sold out soldier in God's army, 337 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,199 Speaker 2: the eighty year old evangelist Timothy tried to halt a 338 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 2: procession in honor of the goddess Diana by preaching the Gospel. 339 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 2: The angry pagans beat him, dragged him through the streets, 340 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 2: and stoned him to death. Sold out for the cause 341 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:27,640 Speaker 2: of Christ. When we would go on convoys, your lead 342 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:37,239 Speaker 2: gunner is your best, most visually acute soldier, because they 343 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 2: are looking for one thing, bombs, and you put them 344 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 2: in the lead truck because they are going to have 345 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 2: the first sight of everything. And those guys would literally 346 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 2: memorize every piece of garbage, and they could tell you 347 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,040 Speaker 2: if a piece of garbage had moved or if there 348 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:55,960 Speaker 2: was a new piece of garbage there and some convoys 349 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 2: would be three four eight hours. That's how deep till 350 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:04,919 Speaker 2: they were about what the enemy was up to and 351 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 2: about people about doing combat. We live in a time 352 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,640 Speaker 2: where we have never been more mentally taxed and mentally 353 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:20,360 Speaker 2: exhausted in the history of the world, Americans, the world, technology. 354 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 2: The science has come out that we taken more information 355 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 2: in one day than someone did one hundred years ago 356 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:29,120 Speaker 2: in their entire lifetime. The details you look at the phone, 357 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,640 Speaker 2: all of the details, the marketing, all those little pieces. 358 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,359 Speaker 2: It's more information than anybody ever has taken in. And 359 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:37,119 Speaker 2: what it's doing is it's pulling us, and it's taking 360 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,119 Speaker 2: us out of the awareness we need to have for 361 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 2: combat and people around us that are dying. Do you 362 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 2: get what I'm saying? And Guys, I get so repped. 363 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 2: I'm so bad at this. I get so focused on 364 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 2: my family and my wife and my son and my 365 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 2: business and my work, and I just need a break 366 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 2: and I get out. And it's like, man, so many 367 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 2: times I miss it. Standing in the line at the 368 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 2: grocery store and just looking at that trans gender gal 369 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:06,080 Speaker 2: that's working at the counter and judging her right instead 370 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:09,120 Speaker 2: of looking at going hey, how you doing? How can 371 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 2: I pray for you? How many times do we miss 372 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 2: these key moments where we can love lost people. Amen. 373 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 2: And you don't have to be an extrovert to do it. Introverts, Mama, 374 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 2: can you say to someone can I pray for you? Bam? 375 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:30,359 Speaker 2: Can you say to someone, Hey, I just want you 376 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 2: to know I'm gonna pray for you in my car? Absolutely, 377 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 2: because because as Christians we judge them. We do. I 378 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 2: know I do. If you're not a man and you're 379 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 2: not living like a man, I judge you straight up absolutely. 380 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:53,960 Speaker 2: And you know what God's working on me to see 381 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:58,119 Speaker 2: people because they have a soul and they are dying. Amen. Amen, 382 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 2: you guys handle a little vulnerable. Number four suffer like 383 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 2: a soldier. I love this two Timothy two, three and 384 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:10,400 Speaker 2: four share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 385 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 2: No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim 386 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 2: is to please the one who enlisted him. Say, enlisted. 387 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 2: The aim of the soldier is to please the one 388 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 2: who enlisted him. This is from the Bible as a 389 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 2: social experiment by the Germans five thousand Czechoslovakian Jews when 390 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 2: they arrived at Auschwitz were put in a special compound. 391 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 2: They were given nice clothes, good food, clean living conditions, 392 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:44,680 Speaker 2: but they were still held as prisoners. They could see 393 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,120 Speaker 2: every day thousands of Jews come on railcars and get 394 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 2: led off to the gas chambers, never to be seen again. 395 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 2: They could see the Nazis with guns guarding them. They 396 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 2: could see the prisoners as skinny as skeletons from starvation. 397 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 2: They could see it all. It even got to the 398 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 2: point where prisoners were coming up to the gates and 399 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,879 Speaker 2: they were saying, what are you doing. You have to 400 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 2: try and overwhelm them and get away. They're going to 401 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:13,320 Speaker 2: kill you. But denial was easier than believing that they 402 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 2: had to fight. Denial was easier than accepting fate. One 403 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:24,199 Speaker 2: day they were led willingly to the gas chambers. They 404 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:28,119 Speaker 2: had spent five months smelling the smoke of burned Jews, 405 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 2: seeing the ash and their beloved people disappear. But how 406 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,920 Speaker 2: could these kind ss men who know their names, how 407 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 2: could they have ill intentions? It was only when they 408 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 2: went into the gas chambers that they realized what was 409 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 2: going to happen. That they put up a fight, they 410 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,280 Speaker 2: were gunned down machine guns, the doors were sealed, and 411 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:56,640 Speaker 2: they were gassed. Denial was more comfortable than reality. Nine 412 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 2: million Jews walked the earth in nineteen thirty three. Six 413 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 2: million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. Two of every 414 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:05,480 Speaker 2: three Jews in this world were wiped out. And the 415 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 2: only thing that stopped an entire generation of Jews being 416 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 2: murdered with soldiers fighting the axis of evil. It takes 417 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 2: a soldier to set captives free. And so that's where 418 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:21,679 Speaker 2: the question is that I'm posing to you today is 419 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 2: are you going to live your life like the Czechoslovakian 420 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,199 Speaker 2: Jew who wants to live in comfort, who wants to 421 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,760 Speaker 2: live for yourself, who wants to deny the death that's 422 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 2: happening all around you, Or are you going to live 423 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 2: with a purpose in your heart knowing that there's destiny 424 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 2: on the other side of the souls of those that 425 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 2: you come in contact with, and be about your father's business. Amen. 426 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 2: Jesus started his ministry with Isaiah sixty one to set 427 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 2: captives free. And the Bible says that it is no 428 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 2: longer I who live, but it's Christ who lives in me. 429 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 2: It's no longer that's alive. But it's Christ who lives 430 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 2: in me in this life that I live in the flesh. 431 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:07,880 Speaker 2: I live through faith and the son of God who 432 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:16,480 Speaker 2: died and gave his life for me. Because we have 433 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:20,199 Speaker 2: died to ourselves, and we are alive in Christ, and 434 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 2: He lives inside of us. There is a warrior, a soldier, 435 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 2: a fighter living inside every single one of you, if 436 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,919 Speaker 2: you call yourself a Christian, and that warrior is ready 437 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:34,199 Speaker 2: at all times and willing to fight with you through you, 438 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 2: beside you. Because the world is dying, they're captive. Isayah 439 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:42,400 Speaker 2: forty two thirteen says the Lord goes out like a 440 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:47,479 Speaker 2: mighty man, like a man of war. He stirs up 441 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 2: his zeal, he cries out, he shouts aloud, He shows 442 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 2: himself mighty against his foes. We are in a war. 443 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 2: Heaven is the good, Hell is the evil, and earth 444 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 2: is the battlefield. And the battle is for the souls 445 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:12,680 Speaker 2: of men. We believe this lie in our country, that 446 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 2: there are those who serve and volunteer. There those who don't, 447 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 2: and will shake their hands and be grateful for what 448 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 2: they've done. But they serve, we don't. But in Israel, 449 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 2: in God's land, everyone serves. Everyone serves, and that's what 450 00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 2: God is saying to us tonight. Everyone needs to serve. 451 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 2: I'm calling us into a place not out of guilt 452 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 2: or condemnation, but out of a conviction, Amen, a conviction 453 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 2: because I don't care about your feelings. No military person does. 454 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 2: I care about losophy, and I believe there's three kinds 455 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 2: of people in this room. The first is you're here 456 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 2: and you're comfortable, and you're living for yourself, and this 457 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:17,560 Speaker 2: message is convicting you. Good. It's time to diuide ourselves 458 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 2: and live for Christ. Amen. The second is you're sold 459 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 2: out for Christ. Introvert Mama. Here, you're who I'm talking to. 460 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 2: You're living this message out and you need to be encouraged. 461 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 2: Keep going. Put more gasoline on that fire. Pray bigger 462 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 2: and bolder prayers. Pray prayers so impossible only God could 463 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 2: do them. Amen. Continue to advance and do the work 464 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:47,000 Speaker 2: of the Gospel. And the third person is you're here 465 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 2: and you're barely hanging on and you're listening to this 466 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 2: and you're saying, Ben, I hear what you're saying. It 467 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 2: hits my heart, but you don't know what I'm going through. 468 00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 2: A month ago, I was at the doctor because I 469 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 2: had come down with shingles. I was sitting there talking 470 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 2: to the doctor and I was like, shingles. I said, 471 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 2: doesn't that happen in older people? Sorry, We've seeing the commercials, 472 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 2: you know, And she said, well, yes, but it happens 473 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 2: in people your age that are under extreme stress. I 474 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 2: was in chronic pain, my spine, all my nerves. It 475 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 2: was awful, I said. Stress. To give you a picture 476 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 2: of My wife and I met three and a half 477 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:43,959 Speaker 2: years ago, and three years and two months ago we 478 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 2: were married short engagement. Five months later, we were pregnant. 479 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 2: Didn't plan that one the condo that we were staying in, 480 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 2: the lease was up, and we felt God calling us 481 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 2: to Tennessee. So we packed up all of our stuff 482 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 2: and put it in storage, and I took my pregnant 483 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 2: wife and our new puppy because we're gluttons for punishment, 484 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 2: and we drove to Middle Tennessee to move in with 485 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 2: our friends and while my wife is very pregnant and 486 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 2: look for a home, and by God's grace, we found 487 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 2: a home. At the time, my organization was hosting a 488 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 2: very large event down at the Daytona Speedway to reach veterans. 489 00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:35,480 Speaker 2: It was extremely powerful and we did an amazing work there. 490 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 2: But after it, God called me in a new direction 491 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:41,120 Speaker 2: to really rebuild my organization, to go on to military bases. 492 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 2: And so here I found myself in an organizational rebuild, 493 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 2: completely starting over, a new dad, a new husband, and 494 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 2: in a new town with no support, no family, and frankly, 495 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 2: no energy to build community. Our son had to have 496 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 2: three different times TI procedures because of his sleep issues 497 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 2: and didn't sleep through the night for twenty months. The 498 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 2: ministry began growing, and I was speaking ten times a week, 499 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 2: which y'all a lot of times. Speaking to soldiers is 500 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 2: like trying to raise the dead. And so I looked 501 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:21,320 Speaker 2: at the doctor when she asked if I was stressed out, 502 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 2: and I said, yeah, I sure am. And that's where 503 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,959 Speaker 2: I'm here to say to you tonight that I'm not bulletproof. 504 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 2: I'm not superman, and I'm not calling you to be either. 505 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 2: But I'm coming at you with a conviction for the 506 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:39,440 Speaker 2: loss because we have the light inside of us that 507 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 2: can penetrate the darkness. And if we don't answer the call, 508 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 2: who will? So why not us? And why not? Now? 509 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:51,880 Speaker 2: I won't invite you to stand your feet as I 510 00:33:51,920 --> 00:34:06,520 Speaker 2: close here. About two months ago, I was in the 511 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:09,839 Speaker 2: Word and I was reading from Psalms, and there's this 512 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:15,720 Speaker 2: beautiful truth that says I will surround him with favor 513 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:20,440 Speaker 2: as a shield. And I read that and I texted 514 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:21,839 Speaker 2: it to my wife and I was like, man, this 515 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 2: is powerful. I feel like we need to like pray 516 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 2: this or grab a hold of this truth. And she said, well, 517 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 2: I think we need to send it to our soldiers. 518 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 2: Because we have all of our soldiers are on a 519 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:33,879 Speaker 2: text platform. We can message them all over the world. 520 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 2: And we texted out to all of them, and the 521 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:39,920 Speaker 2: next morning we got a text back and it was 522 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 2: from a young man that we led to Christ back 523 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 2: in February. We led him to Christ and three days 524 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 2: later he was on a plane to Syria. He could 525 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 2: not get away for twenty minutes for us to baptize him. 526 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 2: And he said, I don't know how to tell you this, 527 00:34:54,800 --> 00:35:00,759 Speaker 2: but yesterday I was room clearing and I was the 528 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:02,839 Speaker 2: last one out of the room and an ied went 529 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:07,280 Speaker 2: off and I got blown up and thrown across the street. 530 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 2: And when I came to I heard the audible voice 531 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:15,960 Speaker 2: of God say to me, son, I'm not done with 532 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 2: you yet, and he said, man, that shield thing worked. 533 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 2: I'm not telling you that to talk about my ministry 534 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 2: or what I've done. I'm telling you that because it's 535 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:35,879 Speaker 2: the most incredible thing that I've seen in a long 536 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 2: time to remind me that God is still alive and 537 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 2: he's working. And this is where I want to encourage 538 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 2: you today, whatever you need to do, if you want 539 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 2: to close your eyes so so, I don't want to 540 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:47,600 Speaker 2: have a moment with God as I pray us out 541 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 2: that God has a calling on your life. Let us 542 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:54,960 Speaker 2: come back to the first love, when we had that 543 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,120 Speaker 2: first moment where we fell in love with Jesus and 544 00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:59,759 Speaker 2: we burned with passion for him and for those that 545 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 2: were lost. And I believe that God sent me here 546 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:08,400 Speaker 2: tonight for someone because you've gotten apathetic. You've allowed situations 547 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,360 Speaker 2: in your life to make you bitter, and it's caused 548 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 2: you just to focus on yourself because of the pain 549 00:36:13,719 --> 00:36:16,799 Speaker 2: that you've gone through of rejection or betrayal or just 550 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:20,879 Speaker 2: being beaten down from life. And I'm speaking to your 551 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 2: heart right now, come alive, and the stone of flesh, 552 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 2: the heart of flesh that's in you, that has become stone. 553 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 2: Let it become flesh again. And God is softening the 554 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:34,640 Speaker 2: pain and the bitterness in your life, and He is 555 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:39,080 Speaker 2: resurrecting you from death to life. I also want to 556 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:43,000 Speaker 2: pray for marriages in this room, for anyone whose marriage 557 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:46,080 Speaker 2: is suffering. And I want to say this, If you're 558 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 2: having a really hard time and strife in your marriage, 559 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 2: then one of you does not want to die and 560 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:55,120 Speaker 2: become more like Christ. One of you does not want 561 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:59,040 Speaker 2: to submit to Jesus and become more like him. Because 562 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:03,279 Speaker 2: at the root of all strife and marriage is selfishness. 563 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:07,359 Speaker 2: Been there again and again, and that's where I want 564 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 2: to call you someone in here. Your marriage is in 565 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 2: strife because you are being selfish and you need to 566 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,720 Speaker 2: lay down your life like Christ does for the church. 567 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:20,680 Speaker 2: There's also someone in here your marriage is struggling because 568 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:24,920 Speaker 2: your partner has hurt you beyond what you but beyond 569 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 2: what you could anyone could imagine. And you know what 570 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:32,200 Speaker 2: God is saying to you right now, me too. Your 571 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:36,120 Speaker 2: partner has hurt me too. But I'm going to give 572 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:41,440 Speaker 2: you unconditional grace because I've given it to them. I'm 573 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,839 Speaker 2: going to put that unconditional grace in you so that 574 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,719 Speaker 2: you can find a way to forgive them. In Jesus' name. 575 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:06,400 Speaker 2: You will be like God, human unity. God was severed 576 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:12,920 Speaker 2: and through it all God's promise remain true. Follow me, April, 577 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:14,840 Speaker 2: and I will. 578 00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:16,320 Speaker 1: Make you great. 579 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:24,000 Speaker 2: This is the Chosen People. Listen to the Chosen People 580 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 2: at the Chosen people dot com. That's the Chosen People 581 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:39,080 Speaker 2: dot com.