DON'T MISS IT

God bless you today. And I I have something I want to share with you. I really feel this on my heart today. And I feel it falls in line with what we're doing. You know, it's in his presence, in the presence of almighty God, that all of our all of the issues of life seem to disappear. It's not saying that they're not still out there, but in his presence. Before you're seated, I want you to lift your hands once again. Just just thank the Lord right now. Would you in the name of Jesus cross this building, God?

You are almighty. You're all knowing. God, we know that you are well aable. Asking God right now that you would reach down and touch each and every one of us. Speak to us, Lord Jesus. Speak to us, Lord. Speak to us, Lord, in the name of Jesus. Why don't you put your hands together for the Lord right now? How would you do that? Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Amen. Somebody say, "Praise the Lord." Amen. and God bless you.

You may be seated. I want to uh I want to start off by saying this. Uh we have I have thoroughly enjoyed over the last month of uh of just what the Lord has brought clarity to the things that God has done in in in this in our midst and the things that is happening in our own personal lives. I don't know if you've noticed it or not, but I have myself as there's been some things that has happened in my own spiritual walk with God that that I'm not uh that I wasn't aware of.

And um so I hope you're feeling the same thing, but we've enjoyed this. And as pastor mentioned in our our prayer today, uh our um we had roll call and pastor began to uh share a little bit and he's he made it as a surprise. So next Sunday we do have a surprise for you and there there'll be some things going on next Sunday and I'm not going to tell you any more about it than that, but you're going to be you're going to be blessed. I know that. And uh so that's just to wrap this month up.

There'll be some great things happening. I I just I felt led of this and I I feel like that the Lord laid it on my heart for a reason and I feel that God is going to lead us in those in that service next Sunday. So I want you to be here. But he is still here today. Amen. He is still here today. How many you feel his presence in this room? Amen.

I I want to start off by just just saying this as as you know we we have been ushered into his presence already in this place and we have talked a lot about the uh the altar of incense and and today I I may go a little different direction than normal but I think you'll find yourself at the altar of incense anyway. Um and and I I really feel this and uh I I want to say that you know I've already mentioned that we have cares of life.

There are so many things that happen in our lives and if I was to ask uh for a raising of hands or some some of you to stand you would there would across this building non-stop there would be a group of you that stands and says I've dealt with this and I've dealt with that and there's been all kinds of issues of life all kinds of things. There's some of you that has dealt with loss. There's some of you that has dealt with with sickness. And we had our list today that went up at prayer time.

There's so many things that are happening in our world. And if you can look around today, you can see that there's a lot of things that this world has has pressed upon us. And and it is not just us as being the church. It is about I mean it's just life in general. There are things that is happening. And I think it would be easy to say that we all have dealt with But I want to say this this this afternoon is is that God has a plan in everything that happens. God has placed in motion all of these systems.

And from the very beginning of time, God put plans in motion. From the very beginning of the garden, we find that he had created all of these things, the heavens and the earth. And he created night and day, and he put man upon the earth, and he brought woman into to the earth, and all of these things there is, you can see that it systematically fits order. Everybody say order. God has plans.

And then as we've been studying over the last year, we have found that that especially what was drawn out is Moses had been instructed what to do and how to do it with the tabernacle. He has been instructed of all of the things, the dos and the don'ts. And all of these things was given to Moses for instruction. and he is to lay those instructions out. Um, you know, we we here at the church, we we have a a system in place. There are things that you and I as as parts of the church, we do systematically.

There are things that is laid in front of us. And and I I'll be honest with you, if it wasn't for systems, I'd be lost. My my mind as I get older just doesn't seem to work like it. You know, you talk about on the fly. Give me a notebook. I thank you for that, sis. I'm not the only one there. But but we've got systems that are put in place and Moses was given these systems. I could just imagine how his uh how his uh his planning center would be. Have you ever thought of that? Or how his calendar would look?

My how would you like that kind of calendar? No. But all of these things has been given by God. And why? Because God has his own plan. God has put into place his own plan. From the very beginning, we see Moses has been given instructions that he is to go and free the people of Israel from Egypt. He is to tell Pharaoh, "Let my people go." And he's given those instructions.

And over 10 times he he goes before the pharaoh and says, "I've been given instructions by God to let my people go." And Pharaoh shakes his head and he says, "No, I'm not." We see we see water turned to blood. We see frogs that come along. How where's Tucker at? Man, he would have a fit. Lice. Lord Jesus. flies, balls, pestilence where our animals are dying. All of these things is happening because somebody would not in would not take the heed to the call. Let the people of God go.

Now, I I find it very interesting that that there was nothing in there that actually said that the people of God did not suffer. Because what God is doing sometimes it it it reflects what God has planned and we get caught right in the middle of it. Hello. We get caught in the middle of what God is doing and what the enemy would really like to do. and all of these times and all these things is happening upon the children of Israel as well as Egypt.

Then we find that the very last time that Moses goes in, he finally says let my people go and he says no. Then Moses says, "God has said the firstborn will die. Only the ones that will be spared is the ones that the blood has been applied." Now, all of this is taking place. Moses has been given all of these instructions. And the reason that it is and I think it'd be fair to to use this verse, but in Exodus the 33rd chapter in verse 13, Moses uses this scripture and he or Moses says this.

He is asking or talking to the Lord and he says, "I I hope that I have found favor in your eyes. I hope that I have I have your grace. I hope that I have found grace and favor in your sight." And notice what the scripture says. Show me thy ways. Show me your way, Lord. And when we include God into whatever is going on in our life, he will show you the way. Doesn't say that the road is going to be easy. He doesn't say that everything is going to be okay.

didn't say that if you seek the will of God, he will show you his ways in spite of what may happen next. As long as you have prayed, God, show me your way. God, show me the direction that you have. Again, I repeat myself. God has order. He has a plan. And when he has a plan, we're not, we may not know what God's plan is, but we know this that if I ask God to show me his ways, that God will show me how to to what how to do this, what direction do I go, God? H how do I handle this?

I think it's very it's fair for us to say right now that anytime we have something come up in our life that we pray about it, right? We pray about it. But there are challenges and afflictions in life. There are things that happen to each and every one of us. God has a plan in the midst of all of that. Our suffering, sometimes it's through fear, sickness, could be physical, mental, no matter what. Sometimes it could just be just life. I bring to you something today that I feel on my heart.

That is I want you to take and turn your Bibles to the book of Job. Job the 2 chapter. We find in the second chapter of Job verse one, we find where there is a meeting that is taking place before the Lord. The scripture tells us that there was a day that the sons of me of God came and presented themselves before the and it said, "And Satan came also." The enemy showed up right at the right in the middle of the meeting. How many you know that feeling?

I'd like to make mention of that very first word in that scripture. Again, again, may I tell you, it's not just going to happen once. It's not going to be just one time. And his tactics will change. But the enemy shows up and he begins to present himself before the Lord. And the scripture says that when he showed up, the Lord says, "What what are you doing here?" He says, "I am going up and down, going to and fro, just walking in the earth.

just looking and the Lord reminds him, "Have you considered my servant Job?" He said, "Yeah, I've I've already tried. You got this hedge bit built about him. You got all this this protection around him." And the Lord reminds him, "Okay, so you won't at Job again. I'm going to take the hedge away. I'm going to take all of that away. And all I ask during all of the things that you're going to do that you can't have his soul. You can touch his bones. You can touch his skin.

But you can't have what he's already committed to me. I want you to get that today. If you are truly committed with soul, your heart can't get it. He can't have that. All of these things can happen. The pestilence can come as as Egypt as was brought to Egypt and the children of Israel had to suffer. All of those things can come. But if your heart is right with God, if your heart has been sold out to him, those things will not affect the soul. The the things of this world cannot get the soul.

I I I I really struggled today with all of the things that the Lord began to share with me over the last few days. And I even told my wife, I said, "I'm really struggling with this." She She said, "Well, you got it." I said, "Well, I got something." I I I want to share with you this simple thought. Don't miss it. Don't Don't miss what God has. Don't miss There is so many things that can happen in your life.

There are so many disasters and tragedies and all of the things that this world offers and it will it comes at you. If I was to ask you right now, how many of you have had had those things in your life, there would be a multitude of hands go up. I was reminded once again today as I was just kind of pondering the thoughts of these notes that I've written down. Walked into a hospital room in 2014. My mother's laying there and the one that has been strong all my life.

Pastor She's been very strong and then you know I didn't call dad when I had issues I didn't I called mom and then there was time mom called me because she felt something and I'd see that number and I say oh here goes but I walked into that hospital room that day and my sisters, they had been kind of helping take care of mom because she was dying of that cword. And so my sisters was there and I told them, I said, "Look, you guys go home and rest. I'll stay all night with her.

and I would sit in the chair and then I would get up and do some things for her. It's interesting how that you do things for them that they used to do for you. And I'm doing those things that and of course the inside of me is just some of you understand what I'm talking about. And I'm sitting there. She wakes up in the middle of the night. Those are those times we get to talk before they come in and put some juice to her. And I said, "Mom, I one of those times I said, I I I wish I could help you with this.

I wished I could make this go away. Wish this was gone." And with what energy she had, she turned her head toward me and she said to me, and I'll never forget these words, "You're not God, but you're my mother." She told me, she said, "You can't fix this." And from that day on, those words have stuck in my head that I There's things that I cannot fix. There's things that I cannot make better. There's things that that come our way that I cannot fix. You know what I'm talking about. Can't fix it. But I know a God.

No, it didn't change the story in my life. It didn't change what was happening. But there was something about getting into his presence. Whatever happens happens because he's God. I I don't want you to miss this. I don't want you to miss this. You see, there are opportunities that come our way. And we like to call it opportunities.

There's many of us that say it's trials, but there are opportunities that come our way and we would like to make them disappear or we would like to make them just God, you take care of it. That's exactly what he's doing. He says, "I I'm working on you. my heart began to ponder. Job had some, if you'll find that later on in the chapter there, you find that Job had some friends and those friends came to him and they saw what was happening in his life and they began to mourn and weep like him.

Scripture says that they tore their clothes. They went sat down with Job because why? Because there was some things that happened. You see, there's there's loss that takes place. These three things happened to Job. He lost his wealth. All of his cattle, all of the things that he his oxen, his his his uh donkeys, all of those were they were stolen. Sheep, all of a sudden, fire falls. They're gone. He lost his wealth. Then he then he lost his children. Now folks, I I'm talking real here.

I want you to think about this. He lost his children. His children are all sitting in this this house and they're doing and and if you will if you will remember, Job was one of those that prayed over his children. He would he would have prayer meetings and have sacrifice for his children. He said, "God, I don't I don't know what they're doing, but if they're doing something wrong, please. Please help them." And in the midst of all of these things happening, he loses his children. A mighty wind comes.

Whirlwind takes the house away and kills his children. He lost his children and he lost his health because all of these things started happening to his body. Remember the meeting that happened in front of God. All of these things begins to happen. Balls on his body from head to toe. all of these things, the issues of life. Job's sitting there and he has these three friends of his come in. They rent their clothes. They're sitting there with him. I want to ask this question. What are you focused on?

I I know this when things is just a whirlwind at at home. When things are happening at home, things are happening in your family. You know what you're doing? If it's your child, what's going to happen? I'm looking at it. I'm I'm watching what's happening. I If it's your family, guess what you're doing? You're focusing on that. But I take you back to what my mother mentioned to me. I'm taking care of mom. in this hospital room. And what am I focused on? Mom, I wished I could fix this.

And the words that came out of her mouth, you're not God. I bring this to you today because I really feel that there's somebody here today that needs to hear this. all of the things and the and the pressures of life and all of the issues of life come your way. And I ask that question again. What are you focused on? I don't want you to miss this. Job 42 verse 10. Notice what the scripture says. And many of you could probably quote this. And the Lord turned his captivity of Job. The captivity that Job had.

Notice that what when he prayed for his friends. Notice that Job's having all these things happen in his life. Even his wife comes out, says, "Job, you you just might as well curse God, die." We're talking about close family here. We're talking about his children being taken from him. And now his wife comes to him and she says, "Curse God and die." All of these things are happening.

And his friends have even sat down and said, "Job, what in the world have you done?" Notice notice what the scripture says said all of the all of these things that went wrong with Job they went away when when he started praying for his friends. Can you imagine with me sitting on a heap of ashes and Job is he is he is covered in boils and all of the things that's happening in life all of these things and he's got the memories that's coming back. My children were taken away.

All of my wealth was taken away and all of this has been turned because of what he prays for his friends. He's sitting there and all these things is happening and he looks at his friends that were sitting there and he begins to pray, "God, help my friends. Lord, help them. Help them to to be able to see what you really are all about." There was something that had shifted in his spirit. There was something that happened in his spirit that changed everything.

That changed his whole outlook on life, that changed his whole whatever was going on. And and I challenge you today. There's something that happens when you get in the presence of God that all these things that we struggle with. Everything that we have fought over, the things that has come our way that if we get in his presence, we can turn and focus our attention on him and him only. And the things that's going on in your life right now. I want you to know, turn your attention toward him.

Turn your attention toward him. Find somebody else that is suffering and say, "God, would you touch my brother? Would you touch my sister? Would you touch them right now?" Why? Because this doesn't matter anymore. Life doesn't matter. You ask the question, "What is it?" Don't miss that. that you need to be praying for others even though your life is a wreck. No matter what's going on in your life, turn your attention to those that are hurting in your presence.

Turn your attention towards somebody else that is in need. Yeah. There there may be some hurt inside of you. You see there when you get in the presence of God, there is no more place for selfishness. Amen. It's no longer about me. You see that we are we are perfectly made in his image that we we we have we have been made in his image. He he has made us. He has created us. And do you think for a moment that he's going to destroy you after he's made you? There are things that God has intentions for you.

And I think to myself, how many times has there been people that have laid their life aside and they really didn't get it? They didn't get it. I want you to get it today. This is not about us. This is really not about us. the kingdom of God. I'm going to make it. I'm gonna do everything in my power to make it. I'm going to do my part. But it is this this little segment right here. Don't don't don't miss out on this.

You got to realize that this moms, dads, the best thing you can teach your children is to come to church. Teach your children how that there can be sleeping under the pews or under the chairs every once in a while. Why? Because it's still going in their ears. It's still it's still being effective. They're not feeling well. Don't spread the virus. Okay, I understand that. But I don't know how many times I was drugged to church and there'd be a crowd there. Mom says, "You just sit over in the corner over there.

Don't feel good." I understand that. Just sit in a corner. This is not about us, folks. This is not about us. There there there's more to this this whole picture, CAC. This is not just about us building a a a a self kingdom. No, this is about us spreading the word of God, spreading truth, finding those that need salvation. This is not about me. It's not about about what I can do. This is about the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Made mention of this in service just a few days ago. it. They don't see just me.

They see my God and they glorify him. Don't miss it. Job begins to pray for his friends. He prays for the friends that he has and those that are around him. He prays for them. Why? Because this life has ended. God begins to replenish him. You saw it in the scriptures. God begins to restore to him. Why? Because he cared for others. We talk so much about let this mind be in us which is in Christ Jesus. Moses says, "God, show me your way." We ask God to show us your way. God, give me what I need.

show me what I need to be doing. And as soon as God blesses us, we run off and forget what we're supposed to be doing. God, help us to realize that this is not about us. Don't miss this, folks. Don't miss this part. God turned all of the things that was going against Job when he started praying for his friends in this house today. There are many of you that suffer. How many you ever notice that when stuff starts happening I'm I'm the same way.

I get I get to feeling bad and my mind starts working on me and this right here's wrong with me and we go to we go to uh put our diagnosis into the great worldwide web. Well, this is happening. This is happening. All of a sudden, you get this list of things that's wrong with you. And then how does that make you feel? Oh man. going to really have to go to the doctor on this one. Yeah.

When's the last time that you were praying, you were praying for some things that was happening in your life and God turned your attention toward your neighbor? Yeah, but we I'm hurting right now. That's okay, pastor. You will probably agree with me that there's been times that you preached and felt sick in your body and you walk from the platform and lay hands on somebody else that's hurting and all of a sudden your aches and pains seem to go away. It happens. It happens.

I'm telling us to be an inside out church today. We're talking about the church this entire year. We need to turn ourselves inside out and say, "God, this is about you. This is not about me. It's about your kingdom. It's about the things that you have, Lord Jesus. It's about the things that you're doing in my life." Job had a lot to complain about. Job had a lot that he could sit and just bend your ear about.

How many of you know people that you say, "Don't ask them how they're doing." There'll be even some that'll write it on their tag and put it on their chest. I got this, this, and this wrong today. Yeah. The truth is, if we'll take that focus, stop focusing on the things. Let me tell you something. Heaven is closer, pastor, you've already said it. It's closer than it's ever been. I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss it. I don't want to miss it. I want to make sure that I make heaven.

And the only way that I do that is I make this self right. Yeah. Get this, get this straight. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. He focused on the ones that was around him. They rejected him. Guess what? He goes find somebody else. He's constantly looking, seeing what he can do for others. And there's somebody sitting over there saying, "Pour pitiful him." No, don't you pour pitiful us. Find yourself in his presence. Don't miss the opportunity that God's put before you.

Start praying for others. Pray for your neighbors. Pray for those that are hurting. Pray for those that that you don't even know they're hurting. Pray for them. You'll find that all these other things disappear. All the other just seems to disappear. Job prayed for his friends. Wasn't that they were having so many issues. I think Job was praying for their mind as well because their mind in their mind they were made up. Job done something wrong. Job says, "Bless my friends, Lord.

Bless those that are around me, Lord. Bless them." Yeah, Job, you've got every opportunity. You've got every reason to sit there and talk about self. You could have sat there and gone through the memories. The scripture said that Job said not a word. I don't know about you, but this it's been a great lesson for me. I've got to take this deeper. I've got to be willing to pray for others in spite of you to stand with me right now. Would you all of the things that's going on in your life?

I'm asking you today and all the things that's happening. I'll say this and because I'm a part of ministry here, I know that some of you face issues. I know you're struggling with some. Some of you are struggling physically. Some of you are struggling mentally, emotionally. Some of you just you're a wreck. Think God is telling us today, bring it back. Don't miss this part of it. See, we we were so busy to talk about Job and all of the the issues of life. But in the issues of life, something changed inside of Job.

Something happened here. We used to sing an old song. Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true in his presence. Prepare this to be that place that you come and dwell. Can he really dwell in an unclean house? When I say unclean, sometimes it's just the issues of life. God help us. Don't miss it today, folks. This is this is deeper than us. I've got to make heaven. I've got to make that beautiful place that he's prepared for us.

When he calls those people that you know that is precious to you home, God gives them those opportunities. And have you ever noticed how he prepares them? And they no longer are worried about this. One more personal, my grandmother. on those last couple of days before her homegoing. She always she lived in this old house. She always wanted her yard clean. That's even after she had got to where she couldn't hardly do it. You'd find her out there with her with her walker and she'd be sweeping just around the front.

She'd be sweeping trying to keep the leaves off of the driveway and she would always ask us. She stayed in the hospital for a number of days. How's the place look? Has anybody been? And we'd have to make sure we went out there and checked everything and yeah, M. We got it looking good. But in those last few days we'd go in, she wouldn't talk about that no more. And in me, I knew that there was something changing. She didn't talk about the yard anymore. She didn't talk about the old house.

She didn't even mention it. All she would do is, "Hey, when you see Chris, let him tell him to come by here. We had one that did not show up and he was he was out of state, couldn't show up in those final days. She said, "Can y'all dial him up on the phone?" She didn't ask him how the kids were doing. She didn't ask him how things were. She simply said, "Ricky, I want to make sure you get right things things right with God." What was it?

The things of this world had c they had grown strangely dim in the light of his glorious face. She had already turned her eyes on Jesus. I'm here today to bring this message. Don't miss it. You're busy. I know some of you are sitting on go right now because you got things to do and you got places to go. You got people to see. But if there's nothing else you remember from this service, let it be this. Don't miss it because of all of that. Don't miss it. Altars are open.

I invite you come and spend time with the Lord. Would you do that? Maybe there's some things you need to restructure about your life. Maybe there's some things that you need to get right with him because time is ticking on us, folks. Talk to him right now. Would you do that? Talk to him in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.