Thank you.
Welcome to Edwards Baptist Church.
Glad you could join us here this evening.
Let's go ahead and take out our hymnals.
First song tonight is going to be song number 30,
Nothing But The Blood.
Again, that's going to be song number 30,
Nothing But The Blood.
Sing it all together on the first.
My sin
Nothing but the blood of
Jesus
What can make
me whole again?
Nothing but the
blood of Jesus
Oh
Precious is
the flow
that wakes me
wide as snow
No
other
fount I know
Nothing but the blood
of Jesus
For my
part in this
I see
Nothing but the blood of
Jesus
For my cleansing
this my plea
Nothing but the
blood of Jesus
Oh
Precious is
the flow
that makes me
wide as snow
No
other
fount I know
Nothing but the blood
of Jesus
Nothing
can force an
atone
Nothing but the blood of
Jesus
Not of good that
I have done
Nothing but the blood
of Jesus
Oh
Precious is
the flow
that makes me
wide as snow
No
other fount
I know
Nothing but the blood
of Jesus
This is all
my hope and peace
Nothing but the
blood of Jesus
This
is all my
righteousness
Nothing but the blood
of Jesus
Oh
Precious is the
flow that
makes me wide
as snow
No
other fount I
know Nothing
but the blood of
Jesus
Amen. Great singing.
Brother Brandon, would you pray for us?
Amen.
Second song is going to be
210
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
Song number
210
210 Wonderful Grace
of Jesus
All together
Wonderful grace
of Jesus
Greater
than all my sin
How
shall my tongue
describe it
Where
shall this praise begin
Taking
away my
burden
Setting my
spirit free
for the wonderful
grace of
Jesus
reaches
me
Wonderful the
mattress grace of Jesus
Deeper than
the mighty rolling sea
Higher than
the mountain Sparkling
like a fountain All
sufficient grace for even
me
Broader than the scope of my
transgressions
Greater for than all
my sin and shame
O magnify the
precious name of
Jesus
Praise his name
Wonderful
grace of
Jesus
Reaching to all the
lost
By it I have
been pardoned
Saved to the
utter moss
Purchasing
Lord asunder
Giving
me liberty
For the
wonderful grace of
Jesus
reaches
me
Wonderful the mattress
grace of Jesus
Deeper than the mighty
rolling sea
Higher than the
mountain Sparkling like
a fountain All sufficient
grace for even me
Broader
than the scope of my
transgressions
Greater for than all my sin
and shame O
magnify the precious
name of Jesus
Praise his
name
Wonderful grace
of Jesus
Reaching the
most defiled
By his
transforming power
Making
him God's dear child
Purchasing
peace and heaven
for all
eternity
For the
wonderful grace of
Jesus
reaches
me
Wonderful the mattress
grace of Jesus
Deeper than the mighty
rolling sea
Higher than the
mountain Sparkling like a
fountain All sufficient
grace for even me
Broader than
the scope of my transgressions
Greater
for than all my sin and shame
O magnify
the precious name
of Jesus
Praise his
name
Amen
Are one of the chapters of the Bible that I ever tried memorizing and it's got a lot of really good verses in it
And so I'd encourage you to work on that one also on the inside
We have our service times or soul winning times or our church stats. Is there any soul winning?
for the past few days that needs
To be recorded. Did you say you had one for this evening? All right, praise the Lord on that
And
Keep a good work on our soul winning
We also have on the right the list of our expecting ladies
please continue to pray for them as well as we have our prayer requests the
Goodwin family
Brother Edward praying for his health miss liberties family member Catherine
for the goal we've been praying for but stronghold Baptist Church and
also
Rocco that Diaz Korea
so
Parietta sorry, my gringo is coming out. So
But we'll be praying for the healing as well there
Let's just go ahead we can say a quick word of prayer for those that were mentioned as a church family
Thank you have any father for this evening. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to be gathered
I pray that you would just bless our church family that is dealing with health issues to give them favor
Please give them healing please that strengthen them and encourage them give them peace as they go through this difficulty
I pray that you would help
our friends stronghold Baptist Church
Pastor Burson
Please give them strength and favor. Please help them to keep reaching people in their area with the gospel
And I pray that you would just continue to help us to have a deal and faith towards you in Jesus name we pray. Amen
As far as upcoming events, I did want to make mention of a few things
We do have an event going on in the Dow sport with area
We're doing we're not doing the fire-breathing Baptist fellowship this year
But we're doing a conference called the heritage of the Lord and it's a conference. I was gonna try and do in 2020
but due to
All of the silliness of kovat and things like that. I wasn't able I didn't feel like it was a good timing
So we just kind of relate that at the time
But we are having that again this year. It's gonna be
October
Like six seven eight nine is that kind of window and the conference is kind of geared towards the youth the youth base
Type conference and so all the preaching is gonna be geared towards youth
And we're gonna have a lot of activities geared towards the youth. So on Thursday
We're gonna have pastor Roger Menes from Verity Baptist Church
He's gonna be preaching for us and then we're gonna have like ice cream after the service Friday
we're gonna have pastor Bruce Mejia from First Works Baptist Church preach for us and we'll have pizza and
Desserts and then Saturday, we're gonna have our spelling bee again
We did do that at the FGBF last year
And I want to try and do that every year for the kids to kind of motivate them encourage them
I'm gonna try and get the spelling bee list
Put out online very soon. I've already been working on it and I've been trying to update it
I'm probably not gonna take any words away this year, but I'm gonna add a decent amount of new words
Again, all the words should be found or related to the King James Bible though
So that way either whether it's just a straight text or maybe chapters or books books of the Bible as it were like
revelations things like that
but if you're able to
participate
there's gonna be age brackets for everybody that participates and
Prizes so last year was a lot of fun
We had a lot of participation and it was it was actually pretty competitive. So I which was it was really
Cool to see all the kids participating in something like that. We're also planning
Some other youth activities and some events. So if you want to travel up there, that would be a great
time of fellowship also
Our churches are having a missions trip to Matamoros Mexico again
In November, so November 10th 11th 12th. That is a Thursday Friday Saturday
We're gonna be doing a mission to strip there
now what we typically do is we drive to or fly to Brownsville and
That's on the US side of the border
Literally just right across the border is Matamoros
And so we just stay in Brownsville and just travel in the Matamoros for the day and you still wanting to come back
How you do theoretically need a passport and everything to travel across international lines
But a lot of us even traveled and got back with a driver's license now, I don't recommend that but it did work
Okay, I'm just saying that it did work. But I highly recommend that you just take a passport if you're gonna go and
But we're gonna we're gonna take a group down there again every time we've gone to Mexico
It's it's just honestly been some of the best soul-winning that we've ever that I've ever experienced the only
Downside is you just speak Spanish. So if you aren't able to communicate in Spanish
You're pretty much not gonna go get anybody saved in Matamoros. You could stay in the Brownsville side
Sometimes we have some English people English speakers only that show up and they just do soul-winning in Brownsville
It's it's not necessarily and incredibly more different than it would be going soul-winning in Houston
But again, if you want it if you want to travel over there with us
We would love for you to visit going into Mexico is a lot of fun. There's some really good restaurants. They're muy bueno
Okay, so there's this one rest. It's like my favorite restaurant called la cancer. Yeah, and it's just like it's so good
And it's like I guess in English is like the chancellery. It's like how you would say that in English
But in like Spanish, it's like like I'm so yeah. Yeah, and it's just it's very good. So
And it's cool because over there like the luxury restaurants are like kind of a normal restaurant price-wise for us
So, you know
It's like going to Chili's going to Chili's here is like the same cost is going to like the nicest restaurant in Mexico
And so like they have just like awesome food. And so we just go all out, you know, hey you're going to Mexico
You better you know have some fun. And so if you speak Spanish or you want to participate I
Encourage you this is my motivation and getting you to learn to hear and of course
I want to do that for this church because
Honestly, like 25% of the people that you talk to out here only speak Spanish. Anyways, the departments
We've been going to a lot so winning on Thursday nights
I mean, I don't know I have personally never given the gospel to someone in English there
I think it's just because my partners always take the English doors and you know, whatever but it's it's often just a Spanish door and
But they're very receptive I
I would not even be surprised
I don't keep detailed stats on this but I wouldn't even be surprised if I've gotten more people saved in Spanish this year than
Just because it's just they're so much more receptive in general
And even though I run across them in smaller quantities the likelihood of getting someone saved in Spanish
There's so much higher that you know
I really would encourage people that you have the aptitude ability or whatever learn Spanish
You know if your spouse speaks Spanish
you should learn Spanish from them or you know any of those any of those kind of opportunities because and
And again, I'm not saying you have to be
You know the most fluent speaker ever but at least it's to give the gospel like me personally. I
Can't hold very many conversations in Spanish, but I can give someone the gospel so, you know and and even
Sometimes I can't quite understand everybody's dialect
But if you if you ask them lots of questions of like is it this one or this one you can still communicate
Effectively enough to get people saved and communicate
Typically, I I fool people and they think that I can actually speak Spanish. So they're just like
I'm just like I don't know. I don't know what he said, but you know
Okay, you know what? I'm still a gringo. Okay, but
At the same time, you know this gringo can get a lot of people spade man
Hey, there's a lot of people that speak Spanish better than me, but they don't preach the gospel and so, you know
It's a waste the waste that they have that language
But that's a couple events just throw out there if you're interested in party
participating
Everything especially these trips and stuff, you know, the church helps you
So like we'll we'll provide lodging and we buy you meals and stuff like that
So and and even if you don't have the transportation we can try to sometimes figure out a way to get you down there
But typically if you can get yourself there we'll put you in a we'll put you in a house
We'll eat you and stuff like that. So we don't we want to make this as easy as possible
We try to make soul winning. It's so easy. It would make Paul, you know, the Apostle Paul be like what's going on?
Okay, I have to pay my own way and get beaten and you guys over here paying for people and there's no beatings
You know, it's like what kind of missions trip is this?
You know, this is a vacation that y'all are going on getting to eat
You know prime steak and have fun and like, you know, and it's the best time of year
I think to go November cuz it's down there. It's still pretty warm
It's still like nice weather and just I mean how much better can I make this sound? Okay by now, right?
but those are just a couple things to
Think about and some events if you if you want to participate in as well
Church reminders just make sure kids aren't running around on the stage or running in general in the church
and
That in the mother baby room. It's just mothers and their children
Please don't just let your children go in there just because they're gonna tear everything up and it's not your kids
It's my kids. It's every kid. Okay, so like for all of sin and control the glory of God all children are terrible
So I'm just telling you that because it's not your kid, it's everyone's kid, all right
Let's go ahead and go to our third song Psalm 12. We're gonna do actually our handouts on well
You should have one under your seat if not raise up your hand
Really James try to get you one. You know, I spend your Bible also you got a King James Version
Psalm 12
You
Psalm 12, let's sing it all together on the first
Help Lord for the godly man see
He said for the faithful fail from among the children of men
They speak vanity
Everyone with his neighbor
With flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak the words of the Lord?
As silver dried in a furnace of earth
purified seven times
purified seven times the words of the Lord are pure words
The Lord shall cut off all
Flattering lips and the tongue that speak it proud things
Who have said with our tongue will we prevail our lips are our own
Who is Lord over us the words of the Lord are pure
words as
Silver-dried in a furnace of earth
purified seven times
purified seven times the words of the Lord are pure words
For the oppression of the poor for the sigh of the needy now will I arise
saith the Lord
I will set him in safety
from
him that
puppet
The words of the Lord are pure
words as
Silver-dried in a furnace of earth
purified seven times
purified seven times the words of the Lord are pure words
Thou shalt keep them all on thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever
The wicked walk on every side when the vilest men are exalted
The words of the Lord are pure
words as
Silver-dried in a furnace of earth
purified seven times
purified seven times the words of the Lord are pure words
Amen as the offering plates being passed around
Please take out your Bibles to Esther chapter number six
And as we always do we're gonna read the entire chapter
Esther is right in the middle of your Bible
You'll if you open your Bible right in the middle
You'll find the book of Psalms then before that you have the book of Job and right before that you have Esther
Esther chapter number six
The Bible reads Esther six verse number one on
That night could not the king sleep and he commanded to bring the book of records of the Chronicles and they were read before the king
And it was found written that Mordecai had told of big Thana and
Tiresh two of the king's chamberlains the keepers of the door who sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus
And the king said what honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this
Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him
There is nothing done for him and the king said who is in the court now?
Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house to speak unto the king to hang
Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him and the king's servant said unto him behold
Haman standeth in the court and the king said let him come in
So Haman came in and the king said unto him what shall be done unto the man whom the king delighted to honor
now Haman thought in his heart to whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself and
Haman answered the king for the man whom the king delighted to honor
let the royal apparel be brought in brought which the king used it to wear and
The horse that the king writeth upon and the crown royal which is set upon his head
And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand one of the king's most noble princes
that they may array the man with all whom the king delighted to honor and
Bring him on horseback through the street of the city and proclaim before him
Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighted to honor
Then the king said to Haman make haste and take the apparel and the horse as thou has said and do even so to Mordecai
The Jew that sitteth at the king's gate let nothing fail of all that thou has spoken
Then took Haman the apparel on the horse and arrayed Mordecai and brought him on horseback through the street of the city and proclaimed before him
Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighted to honor and
Mordecai came again to the king's gate
but Haman hasted to his house mourning and
Having his head covered and Haman told Zireh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him
then said his wise man and Zireh his wife unto him if
Mordecai of this if Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews before whom thou has begun to fall thou shall not prevail against him
But shall surely fall before him and while they were yet talking with him came the king's chamberlains
Inhasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared. It's all better heads for a word of prayer
You have any father. We just thank you for the opportunity to come to church tonight
I just pray you to help our ears to be open and ready to receive the Word of God tonight
Amen
We're in Esther chapter number six and we've been going through going through this entire book of the Bible and
We kind of had a lot of conflict building up to this moment where?
we find ourselves and Mordecai and
Haman have been at odds with one another
Haman has been on a mission to destroy Mordecai specifically because Mordecai would not bow down to
Haman and
It's led Haman to make a lot of different decisions at first
He asked King Ahasuerus to make a royal decree
That all the Jews would be killed on a certain day and in fact Haman is even willing to pay money
Or the Jews to be killed now, it's sometimes hard to fathom why people do this I
Personally don't think I ever will understand it
but it is a reality there are people who will just dedicate their lives to destroying you and
Even though it has nothing to do with you personally
It's because you just represent Christ and there's just something inside some people they just have a vehement hatred
Towards God and the truth and
It causes them to make very irrational decisions
It's pretty irrational for Haman to just decide you know
I just want every Jew to die and I'm willing to just pay a bunch of money for that to happen
right isn't that seem a little bit bizarre like what's what's the point of this and
Yet that is exactly what a lot of people are like in this world
we live in today where there are people who are willing to give money time effort energy and
allow themselves to just be dedicated to the destruction of God's people of churches of
Christianity, you know, I see it firsthand. I've seen a lot of the people that are enemies of our church
They their lives make no sense
I'm thinking like why are you so dead? I mean you are more dedicated than many of my church members
I mean you guys show up three to use you up for three services a week
You guys are spending of your own time effort energy and money not only are you coming to three services week?
you're not sitting down in a nice comfortable chair with air conditioning you're standing outside in the hot sun and
And ridiculous outfit, you know showing up early
Leaving late screaming and yelling the whole time. I mean you would you would think about like this person
Cares so much more than the people that are coming to church on Sunday morning only
I mean they're driving great distances to do these type of things
You think like why would anybody do this?
They don't even know me. They don't even know you they know nothing about us
I've never had a conversation with this person in my life
It's because they have this just burning hatred towards God
They hate the Bible
They hate the truth and it causes them to end up being a pawn of the devil
Where the devil's will the devil's spirit is basically influencing them to carry out his missions to steal kill and destroy
and
That is a life today. There are groups especially those of the religion of the synagogue of Satan or known as Jews
Who are willing to dedicate money effort and energy into people being destroyed?
They're willing to pay all this money a lot of people have theorized people like George Soros and these other
Influencers are paying literal money to protest and to fund all these different kinds of groups to destroy
Really just anything that's biblical or Christian and why would they want to do this because
Christianity and the truth exposes these wicked people who they truly are and it would tear them down
It would bring them down a notch would affect their pocketbook all kinds of different things
And so they have to try and cover up their sin
They have to try and silence those that would expose who's really wicked in this world
And that's why they're so dedicated often, but even sometimes when it's not as directly obvious
Why like George Soros makes sense like we can actually change his influence, but these low-level people
You're just thinking like you have nothing to really gain from this. They're just pawns of the devil
They're minions and pawns of his scheme, and they're just they don't even understand what they're doing
They're just being manipulated and used for a purpose
But Haman is kind of this chief architect in a sense who's just dedicated his life to destroying
Mordecai and in the previous chapter
He talked about how great he was he talked about all the possessions he had
But there was just this he just said but none of it avails me anything right all of this avail of me nothing
So long as Mordecai is you look at what it says in
Verse I want to find the verse
He's just so upset about the fact that Mordecai is even in existence
Even after he like brags all about himself
Yeah, verse verse 13. Sorry yet all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Jews sitting at the king's gate
So he's just like you know what even though I have everything I could ever want virtually speaking
99% of what I could want just the fact that Mordecai is there just just drives me insane, and it's also funny
It's like you would think having almost every possession that you could want would make you happy
But these people are still not happy you know the reprobate and the God hater is just not a happy person
They're never happy. They're never satisfied
They always want more and they think in their mind as soon as they would get a they'd be happy
But then it's B
And then it's C
And then it's D
And then it's E and then they get all the way to Z and they like I ran out of letters
But I still want some I'm still not satisfied. You know they just can't have enough because there is no satisfaction
outside of being
having joy in the Lord of being saved of being right with God of having that peace that path
passive all understanding
You know you can't really get true joy true satisfaction true peace apart from the Christian
God be apart from Jesus Christ from God the Father from the scriptures you will not experience it
It is a chase that you'll never catch you're trying to chase your own tail as it were
You'll never really get there and even if you did it will hurt
It's not something that you really wanted in the first place so that kind of gives us the setup
To chapter number six of where we kind of are in our story
But because of this burning hatred Haman has he's decided in purpose
I'm gonna go talk to the king and I am going to get Mordecai killed look what it said
in verse number 14
then said Suresh his wife and all his friends in him let a gallows be made of 50 cubits high and
Tomorrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon
Then go thou and merrily with the king under the banquet and the thing please amen
and he caused the gallows to be made so he's so upset and
He can't even wait because he's already determined that Mordecai would be killed on a certain day and the the the decree is already been
Made by King Ahasuerus, but he's just like I have to have it now. You know I need this to happen tomorrow
So Suresh his wife gives him this idea now
Let me just give you a tip sometimes your wife gives you a bad idea. Okay. This is one of those bad ideas of
You know it's like I can't afford this just buy it anyways. It's like well
Maybe that wasn't maybe you should have waited right
Maybe you shouldn't always go and always indulge and always get everything that you want so sometimes you have to be careful
What advice that you have even if it's coming from someone that you trust you're like your spouse
I'm not saying wives can't give good advice because they certainly can
But your wife is a sinner just as much as you are and can give bad advice and you have to be careful
that you just don't run with something just because your friends say so or your wife says so and
So he's excited all right tomorrow
We're gonna ask the king if if he'll kill Mordecai and honestly
Leading up to this point in time. We don't see why
King Ahasuerus might not grant they might actually grant this request. I mean Haman's a high elevated position of authority
He's already asked to kill other people and the king already said yes. This is just one guy so
Arguably it could be very plausible that the king could grant this petition
But look what it says in verse 1 on that night, so the very night that they're going to bed
Plotting and planning the killing of Mordecai on that night could not the king sleep
And he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king now
You know what'll put you to sleep is reading the book of Chronicles, okay?
You know reading just these stories like boring things
I personally if I were to read a text late at night it will put me to sleep like that
Now you have to realize that using an electronic device can
Counter be counterintuitive to that point, but I'm saying like reading books
Especially something that's not even the most interesting will put you to sleep very quickly
So if you have a hard time sleeping that could be something you could try and you know try the harder parts of the Bible
Because it's really a win-win either a you knocked out a big section of the hard parts of the Bible
Or B. You fell asleep really quick
You know but either way to me. It's just like a win-win right so if you if you have a problem sleeping. Here's my advice
You know drink a lot of water
Work really hard and read the Bible late at night, and you just you'll go to sleep
Okay, that is that is the fix to going to sleep
Now he's having a hard time reading wants to read this verse 2 and it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and T
Resh
Two of the king's chamberlains the keepers of the door who sought to lay hand on the king of hazardous
And the king said what honor and dignity have been done to Mordecai for this
Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him
There is nothing done for him and the king said who is in the court
Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows
That he had prepared for him, so we see the exact night that Mordecai was plotting
Killing Mordecai
the king just randomly can't sleep and
Then just is reminded about how great Mordecai is now. Do you think that that's just a coincidence?
No, that's not a coincidence. This isn't random. This is the Bible folks
okay, keep your finger here and go to Proverbs chapter 21 go to Proverbs chapter number 21 and
Let me show you something. You know God while he created on the six days and then rested on the seventh
I believe that God after the seventh day of creation
Still is active in his creation
So it's not like God has just let go of the steering wheel and put on cruise control
My personal opinion and through reading the scripture is that God is in constant interaction with his creation
in fact, I've preached sermons about how he controls the weather and I believe that God is in
Constant control of everything that's happening from even a microscopic level
The Bible even talks about even just animals certain birds and things needing nourishment and God's caring for them
Providing for them taking care of them miracles are constantly being performed and I believe that our prayers
Change the outcome of the reality we live in to the fact that when we pray to God he can grant that petition and alter
Anything I mean all things are possible with God, you know, he talks about
Mountains being cast into the sea, you know
If you have the faith the size of the grain of a mustard seed and so I believe that God is in constant
Concert with creation with us and doing all manner of things
He's certainly counting the hairs of our head on a regular basis because some of us are losing that daily, you know moment by moment
I mean we're losing hairs. It's just like oh, you know lost another one right check constantly and
Check of that. I mean that the amount of thoughts and knowledge that God has it's it's overwhelming
when you truly have to think about the billions of people live on this planet and
Just of one stack. He knows just how many hairs on your head. I believe it's because he knows all stats
It's not like that's the only one he cares about he was just trying to show you something so insignificant
if God cares about something so insignificant as the number of hairs on your head in
Comparison of the things that actually have real importance think about how much more he cares about them and how much more
Concerned knowledge thoughts he has about those and what the Bible teaches is that God is in constant
Influence of us as well. Look at Proverbs 21 verse 1
the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as
The rivers of water he turneth it
withersoever he will
meaning that God
Can cause you
Not even just you even the most
Powerful man on the earth the king he can influence them to make decisions that God wants them to make
Now this you have to realize this is still in concert with our free will it's not that we don't have free will
But it's rather the fact that God can influence us to make the decisions he want
Despite us having free will you know, even the world is can do these things now
They do it through manipulation and through all kinds of different deceitful tactics
The Lord is not trying to be a deceiver here
But simply he's just an influencer and if he needs to he can influence whom he will when he wants
However, he wants and he uses that to bless his people
multi
Most of the time when we see God interacting like this in such a direct way
It's because it has something to do with his people getting the right outcome
And and really everybody else is just a pawn in God's
orchestra here of just this symphony of
History that we live in and all the experiences that we get to happen
That's why it's so good to be a child of God so that God can you know turn whoever he wants or use pawns
However, he wants for our benefit for our good. You know, I don't want to be one of those pawns
I want to be someone that God's you know using pawns for my benefit and
It's obvious here from reading the scripture and in comparing spiritual spiritual God's influencing the heart of this King
To where he can't sleep and put it impressing on him some for some reason the idea of like you know what?
I want to read the chronicles tonight, and he's just like that's weird
But then that causes him to put Mordecai on fresh on his heart and God could have done this in many different ways
God influences in all kinds of different ways and
We've all probably if we were being honest with himself had experiences like this
We're just something weird happen and then it caused us to be in a certain place at a certain time to meet someone or whatever
I mean this could be how you met your spouse
God could have caused some crazy thing to happen that led you to meeting your spouse or
to leading you to meet someone that needs to hear the gospel or
Or any kind of number of events that could happen transpire that caused you to just have a divine appointment
As it were I believe that I my life is like that you know I believe that I have all kinds of things
Turning in concert and and in cool stories and things that happen you know one in particular to me
It's just when I tried to sell my house
How I just brought up in casual conversation to somebody that I worked with
Previously not currently, but like I just a friend that I had had in another workplace. I did something about moving and
And he was like are you selling your house, and I was like yeah, and he's like I know who wants to buy your house
I'm like that's just weird. It's just weird that like I'm not even trying to sell my house. It wasn't market
It wasn't on the market
I was just planning on doing it, and he's just like I know someone wants to buy your house, and I was like okay
And then he's like let me know when they want to come they came and the guy just gave me like a full-price offer
Basically, and I was just like I needed to fix things in the house
And I'm like hey, I'll fix all this is like don't fix it
I'll do it and just like and then and I'm like really, and he's just like oh, yeah
And I'm gonna buy it in cash, so don't worry about closing just whenever you want to close just tell me
Because the cool thing if you ever anybody bought has bought a house or bought something
The only to the title company is frustrating right you go there
And you have to sign like a bunch of documents it literally feels like you're signing your life away or something and
And then you really are overwhelmed by it because it's like have you read all this you're like
I mean, this is like longer than the Bible. You know it's like no. I didn't read these like
75,000 documents that you just presented to me. I just signed it a hundred times, okay, but if you do a closing in cash
It's like three papers
It's just like it's just like five. It's like two minutes. You know you're just like one two three
But it's like when you finance something. It's just like the bank the Jews they bring all kinds of
Sign this okay, and you're like okay. Yeah
left kidney right kidney you know and and
So it's just like how did that happen? How is it that some guy that I've never met?
I don't know anything about just wants to buy my house with cash whenever I want
Just because I was what I was planning to move to go to faithful word to train to be a pastor
I wanted to serve God in my life, and it's just like it just felt like God
Just is like orchestrating all these events, and I'll tell you like I will never be I'll never say oh, it's just random I
Know it's God you know influencing people and causing
Circumstances and events to just happen so that I can have that blessing you know and of course
You know by me going to faithful word and then training to be a pastor and then eventually starting pure words
Baptist Church and just being here and available it caused where then when steadfast needed a pastor
I was a possible option and then through that I've met so many people and I've built so many relationships
I would have not had if that hadn't happened
And then there's certain people in our churches that wouldn't have gotten married probably if those events hadn't happened
And then there's certain babies that wouldn't have been born
Because those people wouldn't have gotten married and had a met each other, and it's like people literally exist
based on the guy that wanted to buy my house for cash and
I'm telling you like all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are the called according to his purpose
You know it's like it's it's incredible
All these dominoes that just fall perfectly in place for God's people and at times
You know it's weird that you look at a domino falling you think like that's a bad domino
But then later you realize oh actually that that was a good domino
and
You you sometimes can't really see the events as they're unfolding
But you can kind of see them in hindsight
And you can realize that God is just orchestrating our lives and causing all
Kinds of good to be procured in our favor when you when you try to serve God
And you try to do that which is right God can cause all manner of things to work out in your favor
And for you to be blessed and even when enemies are dedicating themselves to killing you
God can just somehow influence the right person at the right time to make a decision to help you
Keep going or fulfill his will I remember even
There was a
Time I was learning try to like how to do soul winning better because I I was really active in church, and this was
Probably like 2014 or something a long time ago when I was back living in the Amarillo area and
I'd been doing a lot of
Bible study and research and I I
was trying to learn like the best ways to get people saved because I would preach the youth and preach the kids and I
Just kind of did like a normal thing where you just kind of preached to everyone and then ask people like to pray with you
Afterwards and I didn't know how effective that was and I'm just I'm just really interested so I found a video
By my actual former pastor or sending pastor Steven Anderson not at the time
But I just was a random guy online that made a video called like how to get someone saved how to get a Christian
Saved or something like that, and it was a presentation where he was getting pastor burzins of stronghold now say
But he was just a member at the time
It's like a really old video just knocks on his door and so I like studied that presentation
And then I studied like a bunch of verses that I liked for soul winning and I kind of made my own soul winning
Presentation now I'd never gone soul winning where I went not door-to-door and knock on doors or like didn't that kind of stuff and
and so like I've been preparing I've memorized like every verse that I want to use soul winning and
it's it's lunch, and I say okay, I'm gonna go and buy a Bible that I can use for soul winning and
Then I'm gonna start going soul winning
So I'm driving and I wasn't even sure which store I was gonna go to and I saw a store
And I'm like you know I'm gonna go to that store, and I turn it is like a Mardel Christian store
I think they have Mardel down here. It's like a life way or something like that, so I go to a Mardel
I walk over to the King James Bible section
It's like 99% of the store sucks, but they have King James Bibles, okay?
And I'm looking at the King James Bible section and all of a sudden
He's out of nowhere this this like young kid walks in and he's a he's like a young black guy
Looks like he's like lived a rough life
Just kind of like maybe like in a gang or something like that. You know
Not like someone walk into Mardel. Okay. You're like. Oh, you're racist and judgmental
I'm just saying like he didn't look like he was gonna walk into Mardel okay folks
And I'm just looking at him, and I can tell like I'm just kind of looking at what King James Bibles
I want to use and I'm kind of I he just looks like he doesn't know what he's doing
you know he just kind of just kind of like looking and
Then he just he picks up the biggest bite like this like giant concordance Bible. That's like this thick
He's just looking at it, and I'm thinking like what you doing with that like
this gang member is like picking up a concordance or something and
So I just I just look at the guy and just say looking for a Bible, and he's just like yeah
he's like
He's like. I don't know what I'm looking for and I just I just said okay
Well, you know King James is a good good Bible to get you should get a King James
Don't get the other one they take verses out, and I said let me help you find a Bible and I
I
Said so or you know do you go to church? He was like no, and I said well
You know more important than going to church if you were to die today 100% sure you go to heaven, and he's like
No, I don't know at all. He's like. I almost died in a car accident two weeks ago, and
I just decided I needed to seek God and figure out like what to do and
Like how to be saved, and I'm like
You want to hear and he was like yeah, and so then right there
I just I already had the Bible in hand and I was ready because I just I was like this is the Bible
I'm gonna try and do it so and the guy got saved and then you know I bought him a Bible
he ended up started coming to church, and he talked took his family to church and
It was just like I mean how does that happen that you just try to learn how to do soul-winning
You're so excited you finally learn it you go to the store to buy the Bible for so any and then you just randomly run
Into person and he basically just says like what must I do to be saved now. I'll be honest
I've probably never had a person more receptive than in my entire life like
It's like so nice that God was just looking down from heaven like I'll give you the easiest person ever get saved
You know you could ever want for the first time just to just get encouraged
You know just to be excited to go so in and you know even just when I first started going soul-winning
The church I went to is a King James only Church fundamental Baptist Church
but you know they didn't have a soul-winning program and so I just went by myself and
Sometimes I would drag family members. I would drag friends or a drag forever
But most of the time I'm just going by myself
but I went to this trailer park and it's right next to the church so the church has like a
50 or 75 foot tall steeple that you can see from everywhere
And so I'm just going to this trailer park right behind the church and then it was like one of the most receptive soul-winning
Places I've ever gone, but I didn't know at the time because I've never done soul-winning
So I'm just going and it's just like everyone wants to hear everyone's getting saved
But it was it was easy, and I'm just thinking like is this this easy
You know try other places the United States is a lot different. Okay, but it was just it was so nice
That the Lord just put me in the right spots at the right times
Because I could have gone to the rich area not really understanding
How so when he works and been really discouraged thinking like this thing doesn't work
Nobody's interested. You know, but it's like I want to do soul-winning
I want to see people saved and just God just put it on my heart
To just go to all the right places and all the right times and just see how people are gonna get saved and man
Did it just it just changed my life, you know soul-winning will change your life
because there's nothing like getting someone saved and helping them realize the truth and
Seeing people make differences for the Lord
And you know God can cause all manner of things to happen in your life
to influence you in the directions that he wants and
And the good thing though is that you want to you want to lean into his prompting
You know when God it feels like God's, you know, opening a door for you
You want to walk through it, you know, he's opening the door of the ark you get in the ark
You don't think like I don't know. I've never seen rain. It's like get on that ark
You know walk by faith not by sight, right?
Let's go back to Esther chapter number six if you didn't turn back there
But but here's here's the thing when someone wants to destroy you
Even though it seems like it's gonna for sure happen
Look what God did to turn the heart of the king
We're now that you know, what if Mordecai gets to open his mouth? They're like, hey, I want to kill Mordecai
I wouldn't be the best timing wouldn't it?
you know probably wouldn't have worked out very well and God has made sure to protect Mordecai because what he's a
child of God he's righteous with the Lord and
So the Lord is gonna protect him now. Look at what it says in verse
Number
Six so Haman came in so he's ready to get Mordecai killed and the king said in him
What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor?
So this is the first question and it kind of throws Haman off of his initial
Goal of coming in in fact, it's like the king doesn't even care why Haman's there. He's just like hey, let me tell you what I want
Yeah, you know if I want to honor somebody
What do you think would be the best way to do this now what it says now Haman thought in his heart
To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself. I
mean what
Could you be any more prideful?
Isn't this just the epitome of pride he has decided already. Well, the king wants to delight in anyone
It's obviously me because there is not a person on the planet that
King Ahasuerus likes more than me or is more deserving or worthy of honor than myself
So this is my chance to get whatever I want
And Haman answered the king for the man whom the king delighted to honor
Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth aware and the horse
That the king writeth upon and the crown royal which is set upon his head
Let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes
that they may array the man with all whom the king delighted to honor and
bring him on horse back through the street of the city and
Proclaim before him thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighted to honor
What a bizarre request and it's like hey, what do you think should be done to the guy?
That the king really likes
Now Haman thinks it's him. So everything in this passage we have to realize this is something that he wants
What is it that Haman just really really wants? He wants to be king
I mean think about what he's saying. I want to be dressed like the king
I want to be on the king's horse and I want all the honor and praise that the king gets
You know, here's a phrase he wants to be like the Most High
Now, where's that phrase coming from in the Bible? Well, keep your finger go to Isaiah chapter 14 goes to Isaiah chapter number 14
and
Of course, this is all dripping from the pride that he has in his heart
Thinking he's the greatest thinking he is the most excellent. So of course then he wants
Other people to recognize that in himself. I think one of the aspects of pride is not that you don't
It pride is dangerous because not only do you want to think good about yourself you want others to people to confirm it about you
Essentially you often what pride will do is it'll try to demand
attention respect or praise or worship
equivalent to what you think
Regardless if it's true or not
Well, I am the best therefore you got to call me the best or say that I'm the best or get a jersey that says
I'm the best or because I'm so awesome
I'm gonna literally change my name to the best and you have these like athletes that'll change their name
So like the greatest or you know, whatever weird name they want to name themselves because of their pride
They want they just want that respect. They want that honor. They want people to think that they're so
Great, so they basically transform themselves into whatever it is. They think they want that's why it's weird when you have preachers
Like Creflo dollar like why would you want the name dollar?
You know, and that's not his real name. He changed his name to be Creflo dollar
Like what why I hope that the dollars just fails and we go to a completely different currency, you know
We'll go to like Bitcoin. It'll be like Creflo Bitcoin, you know, it's like what what what's so special about you?
You call yourself literal money like how degrading anyways to be named after money, but
People will try to give themselves these lofty titles or these names about how great they are
There's a lot of these rappers will do this too
Well, they'll basically name themselves something about them being the greatest probably the worst is Kanye West
Because Kanye West he's he'll just like shorten his name to just like ye
And it's like ye
what because he's trying he's trying to emulate God and
God it goes by what the great I am is just I am right and so he's like
You know, I'm just I am right and it's just so blasphemous and so wicked that Kanye is trying to turn himself into God
When you can't even keep a wife, I mean
You're you're you're a little whore there Kim Kardashian said bye-bye to ye and
You know whenever the Vashti said bye to King Asher as he banished her and she got what she was coming for
But I don't see you know, Kanye doesn't have any power
Kim's just you know off to the next guy or whatever doing her thing
Why because this guy is not God Kanye West is a nothing burger
He's an anti Christ trying to claim that he's the Lord Jesus Christ and his pride is gonna debase him to the point where no one
likes him cuz let me tell you something Christian real Christians don't like Kanye West is a blasphemous wicked satanic person and
Then the whole rap world the whole satanic world doesn't like this guy because he's trying to be like Jesus and the rap world doesn't
Like Jesus they like Satan they like themselves
They like to worship themselves
and so he's gonna basically at the end of his life just become some loser that no one likes that everyone looks down upon and
This is the ultimate end of anyone that lifts themselves up in pride
with the ultimate being Lucifer himself the devil now Isaiah 14 is
about the king of Babylon
but it also then brings up the devil look at verse 1 for the Lord will have mercy on Jacob and
Will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land and the stranger shall be joined with them and they shall cleave to the
House of Jacob and the people shall take them and bring them to their place and the house of the Lord shall possess them in
Land of the Lord for servants and handmaids and they shall take them captives whose captives they were and they shall rule over their oppressors
And it's come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow and from thy fear and from the hard
bondage wherein thou was made to serve that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon and say so
The Lord unto the book of Isaiah is telling them how they're gonna go to captivity Babylon's gonna take them over
But then chapter 14 is saying but eventually you'll get back you'll take them captive
You'll be a ruler and then you're gonna have this proverb against the king of Babylon
So you're basically going to mock and ridicule the guy that made you captive now who made the children of Israel captive?
Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar
Made captive the children of Israel. He was the king of Babylon and this is what they'll eventually say about him
How at the oppressor ceased the golden city ceased
The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of the rulers
He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke. He that ruled the nations and angered is
Persecuted and none hindereth the whole earth is at rest and is quiet
They break forth into singing gave the fir trees rejoiced at thee and the cedars of Lebanon saying since thou art laid down
No feller has come up against us now
Again, what what is it? What are they saying here?
Nebuchadnezzar went through the entire earth and he conquered every kingdom
now the way that they would do this is they they would chop down all the trees and your area and
they would make a bulwark or they would
basically encircle or besiege your city and
So they would come through and they would
Fell the trees that's basically no feller is
come up against us a feller would be one who's knocking down the trees and then using those trees as a
Bulwark or as some kind of a device against them to besiege their city or to basically hurt and harm them
And they're saying hey since Nebuchadnezzar has been knocked out. Nobody's coming against us. No one's attacking us verse 9
Hell
From beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming
now it's just so funny to me is I show people this passage and they'll tell me that Nebuchadnezzar saved and
I'm like, wait a minute. How could I mean the Bible is saying that he's gonna meet hell at his coming
Okay
It stirs up the dead for thee even all the chief ones of the earth it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings
Of the nations all they shall speak and say unto thee art thou also become weak as we
Art thou become like unto us thy pop is brought down to the grave and the noise of thy voils
The worm is spread under thee and the worms cover thee. So he's saying
Whenever you go to hell
And this is what the word hell means
Because it's not talking about the fire and flames. It's talking about the people of hell
Sometimes the Bible will reference people with words like world have been and and and health
So when it's saying like hell it's talking about all the people in hell
Are gonna be there and they're gonna see you coming and then they're gonna mock you when you come into hell and they're gonna be
Like hey you knocked us down. Well, look at you now, buddy
you know, they're gonna be making fun of him and
You know basically saying look how you're like us buddy. You're no better than we are
You got knocked down
Is he saying you're become weak as we hey, you talked a big talk. Look look at you now, buddy. You're knocked down and
He's he's under the worms now the worms of course is just talking about the earth
So they're under the earth right? Hell is under the earth verse 12. How about the fallen from heaven O Lucifer now?
This is what the Bible does which is interesting is the Bible then takes simile or metaphor
To talk to two different people at the same time. So what's happening is
They're still talking about Nebuchadnezzar
But then we're also bringing up Lucifer and it's kind of like a double come
It's kind of a double dip where they both get the same type of instruction same kind of references
He's being called Lucifer in a sense, right? It's a name that he's being called, but it's actually in reference to Lucifer now
This is the only time Lucifer's mentioned in the Bible at least that word the word Lucifer
Obviously the devil's mentioned multiple places, but the name of Lucifer is found one place in your Bible
It's here modern Bibles take out this word Lucifer here, and they'll even replace it with
Names like Morningstar which Morningstar is a title given to Jesus in the book of Revelation now, who do you think?
Would ever want to take a title of Jesus and then give it to the devil
Like I wonder who would want to do that. How about the devil?
You know, that's how I know these Bibles are satanic is they take out the names of Lucifer and they replace them with Jesus's name
For a couple reasons number one Jesus, they're trying to downgrade Jesus
But then additional to that doesn't the devil like to take on names that aren't his. Oh, I'm the Morningstar, right?
But the Morningstar is Jesus not Lucifer
Lucifer is the son of the morning now Lucifer could mean light bear light bringer and
Often
Lucifer is associated with the Sun and
So is Jesus they're kind of both are but it's because he's kind of like this fake God
Often also Venus because it's kind of like a fake looking Sun that's rising in the morning or something like that
but that's why there's a lot of Sun God worship in Satanism and paganism and these type of things is they they
worship the physical literal Sun not the Son of God and
That's really just representative of the devil because the devil tries to tell you oh, I'm bringing light
I'm bringing information bring knowledge like he did in the Garden of Eden. So this is the title of Lucifer
It says he's fallen from heaven
How art thou cut down to the ground which did his week in the nations without seven light heart?
I will send into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God
I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high
What a freak, you know, this guy is just drunk with pride and just
Desiring to be like God just so much and that's why the devil is going to be in the lowest hell
The guy that wants to replace God is going into the lowest part of hell and he's gonna be cut down
Just like Nebuchadnezzar brought down the lowest
He tried to you know, lift himself up and in the Bible made it even clearer in Daniel chapter number four
He really lifts himself up and then God has to tear him down
God even makes another Kenezo become a beast on the earth just to mock him and debase him
But you know, that's not the end of his debasement
Hell is his final destination just like Lucifer lifting himself up verse 15 each
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit
They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee saying is this the man
That made the earth to tremble that did shake kingdoms
That made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof that open not the house of his prisoners all
The kings of the nations even all of them lie in glory everyone in his own house
But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch and as the raiment of those that are slain
Thrust through with a sword that go down to the stones of the pit as a carcass trodden under feet
Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial because thou has destroyed thy land and slain my people the seed of evildoers shall never
be renowned
Notice what he says. Hey
You are now and how you're in the grave
While all the rest of the kings that exist are still in their glory still have their kingdom
But you've been brought down you've been cast down and you know what Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom was overthrown in the night
Omedo Persian Empire came in and just overthrew them in the night and it was just over
Nebuchadnezzar's in hell for all of eternity brought down and of course has no
Renown his children and those beyond him are never looked in a positive sense. Nobody's thinking like Oh Nebuchadnezzar such a great guy
What a wonderful person and no one's looking at any the remnant of Nebuchadnezzar and saying what a wonderful guy
His remnant has been destroyed. You know when you read the Bible you have to understand there were so many possible
groups of people that could have existed on the earth, but then all the wicked ones God just snuffed out and
They ceased to exist
There's no one from them. There's not like all these people that are just oh, there's all these Canaanites
You know our archa sites and you know these different like groups that you're just reading the Bible. They got snuffed out
They got just completely decimated and wiped out and consumed and just cease to exist that you can be a people
There are just groups of people that just cease to exist
Why because of their wickedness because of their pride because of their hatred towards God and the seed of the wicked doers
Look at this the seed of evildoers
shall never
Be renowned meaning that God will just destroy
Evil people and all the their children go back to be with Esther chapter number six
Doesn't sound like it's gonna be going well for Haman here
What do you think's gonna happen it I mean we haven't read the rest of Esther yet
What do you think's gonna happen to Haman now that we've read this, you know, you lift yourself up in pride
You want to be like the most high I want to be in the royal apparel and ride on the king's horse and
Everybody shout how wonderful I am, you know
well
Too bad. You're not gonna get any of that
now it said in verse 10 then the king said to Haman make haste and take the apparel on the horse as thou said and
Do even so to Mordecai the Jew?
That's it of the king's gate let nothing fail of all that thou spoken
You know, if there's one time that you could just watch someone's face in history, this would have been it. I
Mean, can you Matt? I mean, I can't even believe it's almost you think the guy just died from shock. Like he's just like
It's like the worst thing that could ever happen
He's like he just came there to have Mordecai killed and it hurts his heart so much that Mordecai just is even in the gate
Now he has the literally he has the dress Mordecai
Did you read this because I read this
Okay, it says and let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes
That they may array the man
So in Haman's mind, they're gonna get some good guy to dress him
You know who had to dress Mordecai?
Haman
Haman has to take all those clothes and put it on
Mordecai and then he has to get Mordecai and get him on the horse and then he has to drag
The horse around with Mordecai and be like, you know, you know, this is the man and him the king delighteth, right?
What is this this phrase?
Thus shall it be done to the man in the king delighteth honor
Just over and over I mean what God has a sense of humor folks
This
Is an incredible, you know
This is an amazing story of what happens when you go against God or God's people
Where he can just flip the script and then your worst nightmare comes to pass now, you know, it's funny
this makes me think of another story and
is it so like
Our church preaches against feminism. I don't know if that's a shock to you. Okay, but the Bible doesn't teach feminism. Okay folks and
You know some of our preaching clips sometimes go viral and so like a lot of preaching clips of mine even my
assistant
Dylan Dylan Oz have gone viral and on women and how they're supposed to be, you know at home keepers at home
Serving their husband and you know things like making a sandwich for their husband at home, right?
Well, it's funny because after lunch one day or after church one day Dylan and his family go to Jersey Mike
and they get some sandwiches over by the church and they walk in and this girl's making a sandwich for him and his family and
She's just like oh get y'all coming from church. He's like, yeah, she's like what church and he's like steadfast
like oh
And then she gets making it. She's like, what's your name Dylan?
And
Then she makes a sandwich they start eating and then he said he was looking at him and they're all like
Whispering and like writing and she was all she was all weird. It was a weird encounter, right?
Well, then we see online
This chick is saying my worst nightmare came to pass today. I
Had to make a sandwich for Dylan Oz
And I'm just like, you know, these people don't even understand logic and reasoning and truth
It's like we get up and say hey
It's better to make a sandwich for your husband whom you love
Than to some bozo that you don't even like working at this low-income restaurant
Yet these stupid feminists don't even get that and then they literally have to go and make a sandwich for the person they abhor
Because you know what? That's how God is God has a sense of humor and you know what when you hate God's people
Hey, you might make him a sandwich later
Hey, you might have to drag him around through town
Saying this is you know whom the king delighteth honor
Hey, this is gonna be done unto the man whom the king delighteth honor, right? And so we need to realize
Hey
God is gonna take care of us God has a sense of humor and there's no sense in attacking God's people
Your own worst nightmares will come upon you
But you know what these people in their pride
Thinking that they're better than a pastor or better than God's Word that women should replace men in the workforce
Well, you got it honey, you go girl you make that sandwich and you know, it's funny
I bet she won't even make sandwiches for a boyfriend or husband at home
You know, she's so tired from working all day or whatever, but she'll make sandwiches for everybody else
You know the irony it's beautiful folks. Okay, I just love it
I love the Word of God and I love that people get what they deserve and you know
What God's it the Bible says that the Lord loves judgment?
He loves it more than I do
He loves giving these people what they deserve, you know, you you spit in the face of God
God will make you look like an idiot. You think that you have a better plan than God's plan idiot
I mean these people that are trying to turn our nation into Satanism and all this junk, you know
California saying hey, let's
Ban gas-powered vehicles. Let's go to all-electric and they can't even have a power grid
Their power gets going down because they're going to so much green energy
They can't oh, we're so much better than y'all we're gonna have energy you don't even have energy
Okay, I guess you're gonna really conserve the planet, you know save the planet with no energy over in California
brilliant and
Again, that's just a consequence to their idiocracy to their stupidity to the hypocrisy
You know these people that go against the Word of God
They're always shown to be the liar the fraud and just really the moron
That they are because there is no knowledge wisdom or truth against God's Word
God's Word will always triumph and God's people will always triumph. Maybe not in the moment
There might be a dark day
Christ did die on the cross, you know, that was the power of that was the their hour and the power of darkness
You know what? They're not laughing anymore because he rose again
They're not gonna be laughing when they meet God in the flesh
They're not gonna be having a good day. Then, you know, God's people will be getting the victory then
So it says in verse number 11 then took Haman the apparel and the horse and arrayed Mordecai
That must have been that was so fun and brought him on horseback through the street of the city and proclaimed before him
Thus shall it be done another man and the king delighteth honor just like he said
Verse 12 Mordecai came again to the king's
Gate, but Haman hated his house mourning and having his head covered. That's gonna be pretty embarrassing to tell his wife
Hey, what happened? So about the gallows
Yeah, and Haman told Zaresh his wife and all his friends everything they befallen him
Then said his wise men and Zaresh his wife on him
If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews before whom thou has begun to fall thou shalt not prevail against him
But shall surely fall before him
And while they were yet talking with him came the king's chamberlains and hasten to bring Haman in the banquet that Esther had prepared
So now he doesn't even get to enjoy the meal, you know
He's all excited to go eat with Esther in them, but you're not gonna enjoy this meal after having gone through that experience
I mean you just went through your worst experience and now you have to go to this banquet
You're gonna sit there and it's gonna be hard. So to try and enjoy this or fake it or go through so
Haman gets to enjoy nothing in his life. You know, what if Haman had never decided to kill Mordecai and
Then he just shows up and he could have been friends with
Mordecai or he could have had a good day or he could have enjoyed this banquet
Like is there anything wrong with honoring one of your friends? I
Mean if you like somebody and someone did a really good job
What's what's wrong with setting them up for a day and celebrating them for a day, you know and being pleased with them
You could still have a good day
You know what when you make all these stupid mortal enemies and you go and try to attack people it ends up just biting you
You know in the last
Go view it to Psalms chapter number seven go to Psalms chapter number seven. I have a few more verses
I want to just look at real quick and connection with this passage, but you know, what what is this chapter about?
It's just about pride and you know, the book of Esther really condemns a lot of pride
But what is pride?
We look in a dictionary has a lot of different ideas and I think some of them are better than others in
Context of what the Bible means by pride one
A definition of pride is a sense of one's own proper dignity or value
Now we have to understand about the word pride and our English vocabulary English language
Is that we don't really have a proper substitute for the word pride
So often we use it in a positive sense. So we'd say like
I'm really proud of my children. You know, I really take pride in my house or I really
proud of
My job or you know, just things like that. So we kind of use it in a positive sense
There's nothing I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with that
But we have to realize is that there's no usage as this in the Bible
Like there's not really this kind of usage ever found in Scripture where people are like, hey
I'm proud of my boy or I'm proud of my job or any time it's bring up pride or being proud
It's always a negative thing
Okay, so the idea of sense of one's own proper dignity or value
While that's true, and I have no objection to that
That's not always necessarily the best idea of what we're talking about from a scriptural perspective
Okay, a second definition. It says arrogant or disdainful conduct now, that's a lot more similar
Definition of what we see often in the Bible where people are treating people poorly
Because of pride they have now to give a sense of what that truly means this is what another definition is found in this in a
dictionary
Excessively high opinion of oneself now that is often what we're describing when we're talking about pride in the Bible
especially when it says
excessively high opinion of oneself
There's nothing wrong with being real about who you are
Okay, it you can go to the opposite of pride where it's like self-abasement that's not good either
You don't want to get so low. It's just I'm scum and I'm worthless and I have no value. That's not being humble
But being prideful is where you go way above and beyond what you're really like to try and presume something about yourself
That's not even true. I'm the greatest. I'm the best just this over-the-top
Self-worth or conceit
Kind of a love of yourself and and that is typically what the bio means about pride. This is the devil
The devil thinks too highly of himself. He believes he should be worshiped as God, but here's the problem
He shouldn't be worshiped as God there is no comparison to him and in God now
Satan or Lucifer was a glorious creation and the Bible almost insinuates at least from an angelic perspective
As if the devil were arguably his greatest creation, you know, I you could argue that man is as greatest creation
So I think it's just kind of relative who we're talking about but in general sense
I mean the devil is like one of the top if not the top of God's creations in general speaking
Okay, but that's not good enough for the devil
He's like Haman in the sense that he has it all virtually he has 99% of what he wants
He doesn't have that 1% and he can't be satisfied so as long as he doesn't have that 1% now
There's someone that gets what the devil wants. Who is that?
Jesus
God the Father
Obviously is who he wants to be and he's mad that Jesus gets that same honor and that same respect that God the Father gets
The devil wants that he wants to be like Jesus and he wants to be the substitute for Jesus
That's why we have this Antichrist system and religion, okay
Same with Haman Haman wants to be this top guy
He wants to be like King Ahasuerus and have that same power and pride
But why could not Haman and the devil have been content in being second place or third place or whatever it is
You know wherever they find themselves pride because they think that they're more worthy than they truly are and
This is a dangerous place to put ourselves in is when we start thinking about ourselves in ways that are not true
They're not real. We believe that we're better than we really are
We need to have a humble and low opinion of ourselves and to keep ourselves in check
So as to not make stupid irrational decisions like Haman like the devil and like many that are very prideful
Thinking that they're better thinking that they're smarter
That's what feminism does is it tries to say that women are better than men at things that men are designed to do and
It's just like you're gonna look silly
Because just frankly speaking women aren't as good men at certain activities and the same could be flipped
there are things that women are better at have a
easier time dealing with than men and it'd be prideful for men to think they don't need women or that
Women are always inferior or something, you know
We need to have the right opinion of ourselves and not allow ourselves to think more highly than we ought to think and try to
Presume things about ourselves that aren't true. This could happen in the workplace
You know if your boss asks you to do something and you don't know how to do it
You know what? The best thing is to do say I don't know how to do that. I can do anything
I'm the greatest you should always pick me always choose me. I know about every topic every subject
This sounds like Donald Trump
You know where he just basically presumes to know everything and as the answer to everything
But that's a foolish attitude because you're gonna end up looking like an idiot to people that know better
I mean Donald Trump is saying that he knows more about the Bible than anyone and
Then he's saying his favorite book of the Bible is two Corinthians
It's like what?
Obviously, this guy is a bozo, right?
This guy doesn't know what he's talking about and then you start looking like a fool
You're gonna get the base and the sight of everyone when you try to act like, you know
But at the same time, you know some people when you knock on the door
They'll say no one can know that you're going to heaven. It's like why do you know that though?
Like do you know everything in the Bible? No
Also, you know nothing. No
What is it? Why no, I'm saved. I
There are things I do know in the Bible, right?
That's the humble opinion is being real not going to an extreme of like the basings
Oh, I don't know anything, you know, or I've even heard a preacher get up and he says I'm just a retard. I'm stupid
I don't even know what half the words are on the page, but I just believe the Bible. It's just like that's dumb
There's this redneck type preaching out there that tries to lower themselves and to base themselves on purpose
And you know what that is? It's it's trying to gain attention
Women struggle with this they'll be like, oh, I'm so ugly today
Ha I'm so I just look terrible and it's just like no you don't you look beautiful
You know, what are they trying to do? They're trying to ask for a compliment is what they're trying to do
Okay, that's not being humble either. Okay, so you can go to every form of extremity here
we want to be right balanced Christians humble opinion and
Yet the big danger here is to be like Haman be prideful
Always thinking more highly of yourself than you ought to think and and this is a a bad thing now
Look what it says in Psalm 7. I want to read a lot more of this but for time
I've ever I've run out of time, but I want to show you a few verses here
The Bible does say in verse number
15 he made a pit and
Digged it and has fallen into the ditch which he made so this time about a wicked person
His mischief shall return upon his own head and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own fate
so just saying this guy who
Decided to kill someone else or hurt someone else was
Building or digging this pit. He's gonna fall into the ditch. He made for someone else and whatever horrible thing
He devised it's gonna come on himself
Go to Proverbs 26 just flip the page a little bit Proverbs 26 and look at verse 27
We need to be humble and our workplace in our life and society wherever you find yourself
Just humbly accept the position that God's put you in you know if you're the wife be the wife
Don't try to be the husband if you're the husband be the husband don't try to be the wife
If you're the husband don't try to be something that you're not you know if you're a church member be the church member don't try
To be the pastor right if you're a pastor don't try to be God right be the pastor
You know we want to be the position that God has put us in if you're a child
Be a child don't try to be the parent if you're the worker don't try to be the boss be the worker
No
Don't presume things and try to put yourself in positions that you're not in and and always have this high view of himself
What if a man just simply asked a question like oh who is it that you're wanting to honor King?
Before he made that stupid proclamation of what he wanted
Okay, and what a what a foolish attitude
You know it also just shows that he's a hypocrite because he doesn't really want that he only wanted it was for him
Because did he really want that to happen? No he only wanted to happen. It was him that was happening
Okay, that's the hypocrisy of the left typically they have rules for me, but other ones for thee right?
Proverbs chapter
26 look at verse 27
Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall there and he that roll the stone it will return upon him that sounds familiar doesn't it?
Flip the page of Proverbs 29 and look at verse 23
Proverbs 29 verse 23 a man's pride shall bring him low
but honor
Shall uphold the humble in spirit. You know being a humble person will bring you on in your life
Being a prideful person will tear you down go to Philippians to the last place of your turn
Here's the other thing I thought about this parallel because most of the these stories we have in the book of Esther actually
Shadows and types of figures of things that are going to happen
How is Haman gonna?
Give honor and glory to Mordecai well who consistently is Mordecai in our our book of the Bible is Jesus
And who's Haman often pictured the devil or the Antichrist or that which is wicked?
How is the wicked getting him honored of Jesus well look what it says in Philippians chapter 2 and
Look what it says in verse number 9 wherefore God also have highly exalted him and given him a name
Which is above every name that the name of Jesus
every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that
Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father
Hey, there's coming a day when every Haman is gonna have to give glory to Mordecai and what that means is everyone's gonna give glory to
Jesus
And I love this story because of how much of the parallel just fits think about this did Mordecai
receive all the glory he deserved for salvation in
the moment of salvation no
It was delayed
How about this did Jesus get all of the honor and glory he deserves for our salvation when he procured our salvation no
Delayed there's a delayed now
What ended up causing it to be brought in remembrance the work the the chronicle right the records being?
Brought before so it's like I don't know exactly that's gonna work
but it's like when we get to heaven or we're gonna be reminded of the scripture and
Then we're gonna have Jesus and then we're all gonna we're gonna all bow the knee and we're all gonna
Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of the glory of God the Father. I mean isn't that pretty cool
I mean, it's delayed also for us
You know while Jesus is the ultimate picture here even us
Your glory for the things that you do for Jesus are not going to be realized in the moment. It is a delayed
Gratification there will be a day when God's people are glorified there will be a day when the humble are lifted up
There will be a day when we are rewarded for our works, but it's not an immediate thing. It's a delayed
Gratification is delayed reward, but here's what won't happen God won't forget
Hebrews says that he's not
Unfaithful to forget our work and labor and love so God will remember
Hebrews chapter 6 makes it clear that God is not gonna forget
Anything that we did the king forgot, but then he was reminded God doesn't need reminding he will
He will have that memory he will bring it will be brought back up and
Our lives will be chronicled out, and you know we're gonna be rewarded according to our work
That's why it's important to serve God. That's why it's important to do the things of God and
Even if it's just you by yourself. I mean Mordecai did it by himself
You know we're sitting in a room with 20 30 40 people
You know we already had we're already better than Mordecai is off. You know
But even at the judgment seat of Christ. It's not gonna be all of us
You know partaking and our collective effort. It's gonna be you like what did you do?
You know I don't get to get your rewards
just as much you don't get to get my rewards you get your rewards and
That should be scary to some people because I look at some people and I'm thinking like I don't know you
But I'm thinking it's not gonna be exciting for you on Judgment Day
I'm thinking like you need to get your button gear because hey your mom
Might get a lot of words your dad might get a lot of words your brother might get a lot of words your sister might get
A lot of words your cousin might get a lot of words your pastor might get a lot of rewards
The person that sits in front of you in church might get a lot of words
But you don't look like you're gonna get much because you're not doing anything
You know what everyone is going to have to stand before God by themselves
I I won't be there to stand next to you and be like all right your turn come here, buddy. You know
It's like I'm gonna have to stand there by myself. You're gonna have to stand there by yourself
We're all gonna have to get our own judgment our own dealings
Which you know what happens those that work hard and humble are excited about that day those that are lazy and
have done nothing for God are fretful of that day and
I love it. You know even the job that I remember working in the workplace. I worked for the bank and
You know what I hated about working for the bank is
raise time
You know why?
Everyone in our department got the exact same race
And
I'm like this guy didn't even do anything
This guy just got hired like two weeks ago, and doesn't even know anything
And we're probably gonna fire him next week, and he got the same race as everyone here, and I said I don't like this
So you know what I was like. I'm quit. I'm gonna get a different career
I want to get a career that's based on
Your work effort, and you know what the software industry would I like about the software industry is it is often based on your skill
How you get paid if you're a really highly skilled employee
And you work really hard you can get tons more money than those that are not very skilled and not very good at their job
Whereas if you work for the government if you're a teacher if you're in a union
If you worked at the bank that I did
Everybody gets the same race. It's just like how many years have you been here you get this race
You know next year they get the same race. It's like. There's no variance in that
It's like I don't like that program
And you know what God doesn't like that program because it's not gonna be like oh you went to pure words for 30 years
Here's your 30 year bonus
It's like you could get nothing and the guy that never even went to pure words gets all kinds of rewards
Because it's not based on some tenure. It's not based on how many sermons you heard based on what you did
Based on the works and the effort that you put in and I like that our church does a lot of works
You know where we put it into practice. Let's close in prayer
Thank you Heavenly Father so much for your word. Thank you for
These pictures that you've given us I pray that we wouldn't be prideful people that we wouldn't lift ourselves up
That we wouldn't have just this conceit in our hearts rather
We'd have a lowly and a humble and a realistic picture of who we are
We'd realize the importance that we can play in the lives that we live that one day will happen to give an account
For our works, and I pray that you would help motivate us to do that
Which is right and pleasing in your sight that we would
desire to see people save that we would desire to have gold silver and precious stone laid up for us in heaven and
that we wouldn't mock or ridicule the Word of God in our hearts because
Ultimately will be shown to be the fool that we are and in Jesus name. We pray
Oh
It's gonna be song 41 sweet by and by
Song number 41
Song 41 sweet by and by great song about going to heaven
There's a land that is fairer than day
And by faith we can see it a far
For the father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there
In the sweet
By and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
In the sweet
By and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melody as songs of the
Blessings and our spirit shall sorrow no more
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest
In the sweet
By and by
We shall meet on that beautiful
shore
In the sweet
By and by
We shall meet on that beautiful
Shore
To our bountiful father
We will offer our tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of his love
And the blessings that are low our days
In the sweet
By and by
We shall meet on that beautiful
shore
In the sweet
By and by
We shall meet on that beautiful
shore
Amen, thank y'all for coming. God bless you are dismissed
You