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All right, the title of the sermon this evening is Be Persistent. Be persistent. Look down at your Bibles at Matthew chapter 15 and verse 21. It says, Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, the woman of Canaan came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. But he answered her not a word, and his disciples came in beside him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not me to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. And the moral of the story right here is that this woman was persistent in asking God, asking Jesus Christ, to heal her daughter. Here we find a woman who has a child that is possessed by a demon. And this woman of Canaan comes to the great physician, Jesus Christ, to supplicate on her behalf in order for her daughter to be healed. And we see in verse 22, really she asked three times, we see the first time in verse 22, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. And then in verse 25, then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me. Verse 27, and she said, Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table until he finally responds in verse 28, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. Now what can we learn from this woman here? Persistence. Persistence in just asking for something in spite of obstacles, in spite of, you know, hardship, in spite of being turned down. She still kept coming to Jesus, still kept asking, and she was rewarded abundantly because of it. You know, the Bible says he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, the Bible says. You know what God is looking for is people of great faith, and how is great faith manifested in our lives when we're persistent in asking God for a specific thing? Or how about just being persistent in obeying God and his word in spite of the fact that maybe we're not seeing the results immediately? You know, we live in a microwave society, do we not, where we ask God for something and we want him to answer it right away in our timing when we want it to be done, whereas what God wants is for us to pray, to seek his face, to allow the journey up until that reward is received to change us, to sanctify us, to make us better people, okay? And I believe what he's doing here, I don't believe that Jesus didn't want to help this woman, I believe that he wanted to help her, but he just was testing her faith, okay? He was trying her faith, and the Bible tells us in James chapter 1, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience, but let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing, the Bible says. So what is the Bible telling us here? You know, when we allow patience to have its perfect work, when our faith is tried, we become patient people, we begin to become a people who's able to endure hardships, okay? In other words, we don't give up, we're able to see our latter end, we're able to see the latter end of our efforts in obeying God, praying unto the Lord, asking God for whatever it is that we need, and her persistence paid off, you know, in asking for the salvation, the physical salvation of her daughter paid off. Let's look at an example of this in Luke chapter 11, Luke chapter number 11. You see, persistence is an important character quality that we as Christians need to have in our personal lives. Why is that? Well, because far too many Christians just give up. They give up for everything, you know, if they fail at reading their Bibles, they just give up. If they never get a prayer answered, they just give up. You know, if something, you know, they start coming to church, living for God, the going gets tough, when stuff hits the fan, what happens? They just throw in the towel. Too many people just throw in the towel, they can't deal with adversity, they can't deal with trials or tribulation. At the first hint of difficulty, they just give up. You know, they endure for a while, but at the time of temptation, they fall away, the Bible says. This is not what God wants for our lives. He doesn't want us to be these weakling Christians who are not strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, Christians who have the slight hint of offense or hardship or whatever it may be, they just give up, okay? We need to be fortified. Quit ye like men, the Bible says. Instead of quitting, quit ye like men, amen? You know, and this is the kind of society, these are the kind of people that society is producing today, you know, where rewards are no longer dished out for hard work. In fact, they're giving consolation prizes, you know, participation trophies, okay? We live in a generation where no one wants anybody to feel bad if they fail, they want a consolation prize. Well, you know what? Tough luck. If you didn't make it, you didn't make it, okay? And we need to be a people of emotional fortitude, spiritual fortitude, to not give up when the going gets tough. The persistence is the outward manifestation of our faith, you know, don't give up so easily. And the reason I'm preaching this tonight is because obviously it's the last nice Sunday night of 2019, and so there are challenges ahead in 2020, there's going to be challenges ahead for you, for you as a father, for you as a wife, you know, for you as an employee. There's going to be challenges for you as a Christian, and the easy thing to do is that when the hardships come and that challenge becomes difficult, you just say, I just give up. You know, I'll just try next year, okay? I couldn't read my Bible through this year, I'm going to try next year. You know, you apply to whatever area of your life that you see fit. For example, how about child rearing, okay? You know, sometimes you don't see the immediate results when you're chastising your children. You chastise your children and you're like, why aren't they obeying, why are they still so rambunctious and rebellious, I keep chastising them, but you know what, what you need to be is persistent. You need to just be persistent and understand that he that cometh to God must believe that he is and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. If you diligently chastise your child, you will see the proper outcome in the years to come, okay? You know, work on your marriage, persistently work on your marriage, making it better. If you're going through a tough time in your marriage, it's not a sign that you need to quit, okay? Divorce is wicked. We should never, that should never be a word that comes out of our mouth when it comes to marriage. So difficulties are going to come and when they come, just bite your tongue, just go through it and learn from it and don't quit. Be persistent to improve your marriage. Maybe what you need is another date. Maybe what you need is a little five day vacation with your wife, okay, or with your husband, whatever it may be. But the answer is not, well, I need to quit. I need to quit this marriage. I need to quit my job because it's too hard. No, that's exactly what you need is a hard job. If you're the type of person who goes from job to job to job to job to job, that's telling you something. You're just a quitter. Well, no, I'm not a quitter, I just got fired, okay? That tells you something else, okay? You know, well, I can't find the perfect job. The perfect job is the one that pays you, amen? Perfect job is the one that pays you and you need to be persistent and staying at that job and improving at your skill, improving at your craft in order for you to be successful. Be persistent. Don't just throw in the towel, okay? What goals do you have for 2020? Whatever it may be, stick with them to the very end, okay? Even if you don't see immediate results. And look, goals that are worth having, you'll never see immediate results when it comes to goals that are worth having, okay? Goals that are worth having, you always see results months, yea, even years afterwards, okay? Now, I'm not against having immediate success for long-term goals in order to keep you in the fight and keep you persisting towards your goals. But look, when a hardship comes or you get lazy or you just get bored of it for whatever reason, you get sidetracked, you get distracted, you need to be persistent and do what you're supposed to do when you're supposed to do it, even in those times, okay? So this is obviously applicable in all areas of life, but this is especially applicable when it comes to the matter of prayer, okay? You know, we talk a lot about reading the Bible and that's good, okay? We need to be the people of the Word of God, we need to read the Word of God, we need to memorize it, we need to study, we need to read it, but you know what, we also need to be a people of prayer, okay? And a people who are disciplined to pray on a consistent basis. The Bible says to pray without ceasing, right? This doesn't mean, like, you just get on your knees 24-7 and just pray throughout, you know, don't be like these Methodists of times of old where they would tell their stories how they get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and they pray until 10 o'clock a.m. and all these things. I don't believe that's what God wants for us to do, okay? I think that's a little extreme. There's other things that we need to do as Christians, there are other responsibilities that we had that we needed to attend to. I believe when it says pray without ceasing, it basically means have a life of prayer, you know? You should have a prayer time in the morning, but you know what, you should pray throughout the day. In other words, when you run into an obstacle in your life, the immediate thing should be pray, right? When you are tempted to be in the flesh, pray. When you're tempted to give into the flesh, pray. When you need wisdom, pray, okay? We should just be characterized by a life of prayer, and when it comes to prayer, in order for us to get our prayers answered, we need to be persistent in prayer, okay? Let's look at an example of this. Look at Luke chapter 11 and verse 3. Those onions are killing me, I'm just being honest with you, okay? If I see some of you crying, I'm gonna be like, all right, the sermon is good. I'm getting this person's attention right now. The Spirit is moving, okay? Look at verse number 3 of Luke chapter number 11. Give us this day, give us day by day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And he said unto him, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and have nothing to set before him. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed, I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity, key word there, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. So he's basically saying, look, the guy doesn't want to get up from bed to give him food to eat, he's already sleeping, his children are with him in bed, but because this guy is so persistent, he's gonna give it to him. And look, this is symbolic of God and us when we ask God for things as well. Sometimes God just gives us that which we're asking for because we're persistent in asking for it. He goes on to say in verse 9, And I say unto you, Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. What is he saying? Ask, knock, do whatever you seek, don't give up in prayer. What is that answer to prayer that you've been looking for for years? Hey, this is very much applicable when it comes to the salvation of our lost family members. Maybe there's some of you out there who stopped praying for your family member's heart to be softened in order for them to be saved. You've given up. Don't give up. You don't need to pray for their salvation. You say, well, I've witnessed to them and they just, they're reprobate. Well, no, maybe they just don't like you. Maybe they just don't like you. I mean, that's a tough pill to swallow for you because you think everyone likes you, right? But maybe some people just don't like you or you've just been a bad testimony to your family. And maybe that's why they just kind of block you out. What you need to do is you need to pray for them on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis. I remember when I first got saved, obviously the biggest burden you have is for your family to be saved. My biggest burden was for my mom. My biggest burden still is for my dad and for my family members, and I pray for them every single day. I've witnessed to them multiple times. And the times that I've witnessed to them, obviously they didn't accept Christ as their savior. And I think, you know, I'm going to keep praying. I'm going to continue to pray. Hey, those of you who maybe have a lost spouse, pray for them. Don't give up on them. Sometimes what you need is importunity. And look, if you have a lost family member or a lost spouse, man, you should be fasting and praying and do whatever it takes to get those people saved, to soften that person's heart. Obviously, we need to open our mouths boldly to make known the mysteries of the gospel, but you know what? We need to keep and we need to pray as well. Be importuned. The Bible goes on to say, verse 11, if a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If he then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? He's saying, look, just ask. And look, this is very much applicable to even the power of God in our lives, okay? Where we persistently ask God to fill us with the Spirit, to fill us with his power in order to do great exploits for him. Go to Luke chapter 18, if you would. But the main thing that I want you to notice there is this matter of importunity. What does that mean? It means be persistent. Hey, to get a spouse, you got to be persistent, amen? True. That's very true. In order to get married and get that girl to like you, sometimes you just got to be persistent. Okay? Now, don't be a stalker. Don't be a weirdo. And look, oh, by the way, I got to mention this, okay? Be persistent, but be realistic, too, okay? You got to be persistent, but you also got to be realistic. If the girl thinks you're weird, she thinks you're a creep, no, I got to be persistent. I got to be persistent. Even if she says no and she hates my guts, she thinks I'm ugly, you know, and I have a face that was fed with a slingshot when I was a baby, you know, I got to do it. I know God's going to answer this, but no, at that point, you become weird, okay? Learn how to take a no, okay? If she says no, then move on, all right? Be realistic, obviously, you know? But what I'm saying is, how can you tell if you're being persistent towards the right things? If there's an opportunity available, take it. You got to be able to learn how to read opportunities when doors open for you, okay? And sometimes when we pray, God says no, I don't mean audibly, I mean through the circumstance he says no, he says yes, or he says not yet. And when God gives us a not yet type of a situation and circumstance, that's when we need to pray persistently and continuously ask God for that. And sometimes he says not now because of the fact that maybe you're not able to receive it now. You don't know how to handle that blessing right now, okay? Maybe you just, you're not mature enough in the Lord to know how to handle such a blessing and that's why it's not now. Well, continue to pray, okay? And look, hey, pray for a wife, pray for a husband, right? Pray for children, okay? Pray, be realistic, but pray. You know, I always give the example of my wife and I, but I was persistent for my wife and I, why? Because the door was continuously opened unto me. You know, my father-in-law said no, and I said all right, but he said, but if you still think it's to God's will, come back to me in three months. There's my open door. So what did I do? I knocked, I was seeking, and I asked, and what did he say the second time? No. So what'd you do? Well, he said come back in six months. So I came back in six months, and what did he say? No again. He told me no like five or six times, but you know, those five or six times, he basically still gave me an open door and said, but if you think this is what God wants, come back to me in three months, and you know what? I don't think he wanted me as a son-in-law, but because of my importunity, he's like, you're persistent, you know? Now, if you would have said no, and it's just like don't visit this, don't revisit this, just it's a no, then obviously you had to move on, but because he said, but, I always look for that but, okay? He said, but, if you think it's God's will, then come back, and I came back, you know? And look, even at that time, I remember even praying for a son. When I first got saved, I can bring you my prayer book, and at the top of my list when it comes to the family, I said, I prayed for my firstborn to be a son, to be a boy, okay? And I prayed for him for years and years and years, and I believe that God gave me an answer to that prayer, okay? And so, be persistent, pray without ceasing. Romans 12, 12 says, rejoice in hope. You're in Luke chapter 18, stay there. Romans 12, 12 says, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer. First John 5, 14 says, and this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. That's great. The Bible says, if we ask anything according to God's will, he hears us. What does that tell us? If, you know, you're praying that your husband or your wife divorces you, he's not listening to you. Because that's not according to his will. You know, oh God, please just bless me with the lottery, he's going to win the lottery. He's not listening, because that's not according to his will. But look, if we pray according to his will, we got his attention, right? And it says, and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. Hey, if you can get your foot in the door by praying according to his will, you got your foot in the door, you're going to get what you're asking for. I just don't think so. Well, that's why you have little faith. That's why you will remain inconsistent in prayer. You remain inconsistent in asking God for that blessing, because you don't believe. You need to pray believing, right? Ask believing, ask in faith, ask knowing, hey, I'm going to receive what I'm asking God for, because it's according to his will, I know this is what he wants, I know I'm going to get it, okay? Ephesians 6, 18 says, Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplications for all saints. Second Chronicles 16, verse 9 says, Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works, glory ye in his holy name, let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord, seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. Look at Luke 18 and verse number 1. This is another story that we see a parable that really expresses and shows this matter of importunity. It's one of my favorite parables actually. It says in verse number 1, And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Now this doesn't mean like pray so that you don't pass out. You're like, I got to pray, man, you know. What this is talking about is you shouldn't quit praying, okay? Pray and don't, in other words, it's like, hey, you need to be persistent when you're praying. Look, and if God's instructed us to do this, take heed to this. This is a promise. You say, look, you need to pray and don't faint, even if it takes years. Don't faint, right? So he gives this example here, look at verse 2, saying, There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterwards he said within himself, Though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith, and shall not God avenge his own elect, which cried day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily, nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth. So what is faith equated with? Continually coming and asking, because you have faith, he's going to answer, maybe it's not today, well, let me ask tomorrow, because it might be tomorrow. And if it's not tomorrow, well, let me ask again the next day, because it might be the next day. I have faith that it can be this week, I have faith that it can be today, I have faith that it can be this month, this year, I have faith, and the way I express that faith is by praying. Now what is the story that's being told here? Well, there's a reason why he tells us that it's an unjust judge, he doesn't fear God, because he's basically teaching us the practicality of this principle is this, that even a person who's not a Christian, a person who is not a Christian, doesn't fear God, even that kind of person will give in to continual coming and importunity. How much more God, who is willing to give us good things, will be willing to give in to our importunity when we ask God for those things. And more specifically, he's referring to our enemies. Now obviously we need to pray for our enemies, pray for those who despitefully use us and reproach us, but there are enemies that choose to be our enemies that are actually the enemies of God. And I don't think it's a bad thing, and in fact I believe it's a biblical thing to pray against those people. You know, what we learned in Bible college as being in precatory prayers, you know, praying against the enemies of God, praying for their deaths and their harm and for God to just destroy them speedily, that is a biblical concept that we see in the Bible. And look, this is a perfect example. I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. Verse 7 says, And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them. Hey, I hope that on your prayer list you have the enemies of God listed, amen. I do. On my prayer list I pray against the enemies of God, the enemies of our church, these reprobate wicked fags, these wicked false prophets, people who have desired to destroy our church. I pray against them all the time, every day. Did you get your prayers answered? I will one day, by my continual coming, by my importunity, because I want to be persistent, I pray against them, okay? And sometimes I just pray, I pray by name sometimes, you got to be specific, okay? You know, there's specific people out there who hate me, who are reprobates, a bunch of sodomites and queer little faggots who hate me, hate my family, hate our church. I know them and I pray for them by name. You know, when people say, hey, you shouldn't have that attitude, man. You should pray for them. I'm like, I do. I pray for them. I pray without ceasing. Now, they never ask me what, they're like, oh, okay, that's good, you know? But they never ask me what that prayer is, you know, like, God, break their teeth. You know, melt them as a snail, destroy them, let their back bend over always, blot them out of the book of life, you know, makes you feel good, too. Persevere in the face of opposition obstacles and discouragements and setbacks and be persistent in prayer. But this is what this example is. You know, God, avenge me, avenge our church, avenge the innocent of these wicked people. And look, God hears those prayers, okay? He hears those prayers. The principle there, aside from that, is the fact that we just need to be persistent in asking God for these things, okay? And look, I want to encourage you in 2020, in 2019, you were not a person of prayer. You were not an individual who gave himself to prayer. Be that type of a person in 2020 because it's one thing knowing the Bible, but there's another thing actually believing it and putting it into practice by praying and asking God for these things. You know, praying increases your faith because when you get a prayer answered, you're like, wow, this actually works. I believe it worked, but now I believe it's so much the more because God actually answered that prayer, okay? I just don't think God will answer my prayers. Well, there's your, you've already failed. You've already failed. What you need to do is have childlike faith, amen? You know, my son and my daughter do not question ever that I'm going to provide for them, that I'm going to clothe them. They never question whether I'm going to put a meal on the table for them. They never question if I'm ever going to, if I love them. They will automatically know these things. They just believe it. You know, you would have to try to convince them out of it, right? Well, in like manner, we need to have that same childlike faith and just believe that whatever we're asking for, he's going to give it to us. No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly, the Bible says. Believe it. Persevere in the face of opposition, and you will have opposition this coming year. Obstacles, discouragements, setbacks, but you know what the Bible says? If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. That is a kick to the ego right there, is it not? When I read that, I'm like, man, I don't want my strength to be small. I don't want God to consider my strength to be small. Therefore, I cannot faint in the day of adversity. The Bible says that we need to be persistent. We need to be importuned in our prayers and be persistent in our lives. And look, anything worth having requires persistent practice and habits, OK? Now, why is it that people give up so easily with anything like habits or praying or just reading the Bible or sowing? You know, don't get discouraged if you've gone sowing and you haven't seen someone saved yet. Be persistent. You know, oh, man, I just keep knocking door after door after door. And look, let me just make this disclaimer, OK? When you go to Belize and you come back, don't be disillusioned by America from what you see in Belize. OK? Don't be like, man, sowing in here sucks. Belize is so much better than here. Yes, it is. OK, I know. It is. But, you know, sorry, that's just the way it is, OK? We're not moving our church out there. You know, we need to make sure that we're still persistent even out here, that we're knocking door after door and going for no. OK? What does that mean? You know, you go for no, you go for the people that don't want to hear from you, don't want to hear from you because eventually you'll run into someone who does. OK? And be persistent, be consistent, be in portune. Don't give up so easily. Don't give up so easily in your Bible reading. You know? And by the way, part of that is not making some insurmountable goal to read 10 chapters by January 1st, if you don't, if you can't even read one chapter. OK? Why don't you just get to that one chapter and be consistent for three months reading one chapter and maybe you can bump it up to five and then 10 and then so on and so forth, you know? You need to give yourself reasonable goals and just be persistent, consistent in those areas. Don't just give up. And look, if you miss a day of Bible reading, don't throw in the towel and say, well, there you go, I'm just backslitting, this is just who I am. Just read it tomorrow. Or how about this? Why don't you just read it that evening? And if you didn't get to read your Bible in the morning, why don't you just read it that evening? Well, because I got to be on Instagram, I got to be on Facebook, I got Netflix, and I got, you know, Netflix is a fag-loving, you know, organization anyways, who blasphemes the name of Christ. You know, put those things aside and put your priorities, get your priorities straight. Okay? If you miss a day, pick it up the next day or pick it up that evening, be persistent. Be stubborn in the right things, amen? Some people are just stubborn in the wrong things, they're not stubborn in the right things. Be adamant as a stone and say, no, I'm going to get it done, I'm going to do it no matter what it takes, okay? Don't give up so easily. But why is it that people give up so easily? Well, the reason people give up so easily with any habit or any goal is because they fail to learn the principle of the plateau of latent potential. You say, what is that? Has anybody ever heard of the plateau of latent potential? Okay, those of you who, has anybody who I have not talked to has heard of that? Okay, Michael, of course Michael knows that. Michael's like, I'm the one who came up with it. The plateau, what is that? Well, the plateau of latent potential is this, you know, when you have a goal, for example, and you want to reach that goal, and that goal, you know, is those types of goals, it's a long-term goal, something you'll see months from now, even years from now. You know, often people decide to quit on those consistent habits that lead to the succession of that goal right before they pass the threshold, okay? You know, for example, if you're just trying to lose weight, okay, you know, let's say you're a person who's losing weight, people don't really see how much weight you lost until you just lost it, you know? They don't see all the suffering, all the work you put into it. Just one day, people see you like, hey, you lost a lot of weight. It's like, man, it's just like night and day. Well, they don't see the process that it took to get to that point, okay? And here's the thing, with any process, there comes a point when you reach a threshold, and that threshold, as soon as you pass that threshold, you start seeing progress, results immediately. You just got to get to that point, though, okay? You know, if you're struggling reading your Bible, you need to get past, you need to break through the plateau of latent potential to the point where three months from now, six months from now, it'll just be second nature for you to get up and just read your Bible. Make yourself do what you're supposed to do when you don't feel like doing it, and then after a while, it becomes natural, okay? You just need to get past that threshold, okay? Go sowning, say, look, every Sunday, every Thursday, I'm going to be out sowning even when I don't feel like it, and guess what? After a while, it'll become natural, why? Because you pass the threshold, you pass the plateau of latent potential. You need to get past that, okay? This is with any goal, anything that you want to do, and what does it take to get to that point? Persistence. Persistence, realistic persistence, obviously. What's a good example of this? Look at Luke chapter five, go to Luke chapter number five. People often give up right before they just pass that threshold. This isn't working, I'm done, you know, I can't do this, I'm done, but it's like you're almost there. You know, most people on the outside, they just see the results, but they don't see the process it takes to get to those results. You obviously know the process, and you can get weary, you can get tired, and this is in any area of life, but you just got to make sure I'm going for that threshold, I just got to pass that threshold, I got to pass that threshold, be persistent, you know? Often, you know, even in this matter of prayer, for example, keep praying, and then a person says, well, this isn't working, so I'm going to stop praying. You probably were just like one more prayer away from getting that prayer answered. That's how it always works. You get tired, you get weary of asking, of doing right, and you're just like, I'm just done, you just need to hold on just a little longer, you're almost past the threshold. Keep doing right, keep doing what you're supposed to be doing, you just got to break through that threshold. Look at what the Bible says in Luke chapter number five, look at verse number four. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draw. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have told all the night, and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and their net break. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them, and they came and filled both of the ships so that they began to sink. Man, that's a lot of fish. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. Look, the Lord told them to cast their nets in the same area they'd been fishing all night. It wasn't until they passed that threshold, and God said, all right, now cast the net. He was like, we haven't caught anything all night, but nevertheless, at thy word, we'll do it. And they did it, and they enclosed a great amount, a multitude of fish. And this is a good principle for us to learn that sometimes it's not even the process that you're doing that is wrong. Sometimes it's just a matter of persistence. It's not the church's problem. Okay? Like, oh, it's just not working out for me here. This church is just like, the roof is too, the ceiling's too low, or it smells like onions or whatever, you know? It's not the place. It's not where you're fishing. Sometimes you just need to be persistent. Oh, it's just my sowning area. It's just terrible. Well, maybe you just need to go knock on another door. You ever just think about that? Now, given, there's cities around here that are really bad, okay? Temple City, really bad. You know, there's obviously areas like that, but you know, there's other areas that are not like that. And sometimes you'll hit a dry spell in a sowning area, and you don't see anybody saved. Guess what? It doesn't mean Ichabod for that city. They just put Ichabod here. The glory of God is departed. This place is reprobate. No, you just need to go knock on another block. You just need to switch up the blocks. It's the same fishing hole. You just got to be persistent, pass that threshold in order for you to see the proper results. But what will it take? It takes for you to be, it requires for you to be persistent, okay? Don't give up just when the slightest difficulty comes, when the slightest hardship comes. You know, this is a sensitive subject, but you know, how about having children, okay? And you struggle to have children, be persistent. Be persistent, you know? Don't give up hope. Don't think that, you know, it's just completely impossible. Obviously, if there's certain physical ailments that you have that impede you from having children, you know, we're also talking about being realistic, but hey, you know, do everything you can on your part to make yourself a vessel that is capable of having children, right? You know, don't tell me if you're like 500 pounds overweight, and you're like, we tried everything we could. Really? No, you have not tried everything you could. You know, you're like 300 pounds overweight. You're underweight for those of you who are ladies, you know, we've just done everything we could. Really? No, you have not done everything you could. You know, part of even having children is making sure that your bodies are capable. Sometimes your body's like, I can't produce a child in this thing. This thing is like, it's hostile. How are we going to, you know, house a baby in here? We could barely take care of you. Right? We've got to make sure that we're taking care of ourselves and making ourselves meet capable of having children. And at that point, pray. Ask, look, when I first got married, when we first got, my wife and I first got married, we didn't have children right away, and I thought we were going to have children like right away. I was like, what in the world? You know? And we were not necessarily unhealthy, so I was just kind of like, what's the problem here? And it was bothering me. And let me say this, the more it bothers you, the more it stresses you out, the less likely you are going to have children, because stress doesn't help with that. And I remember just, at that point, I was like, well, I'm going to pray that God opens up my wife's womb. I'm going to pray, and I'm going to pray, and I'm going to, I'm going to just be in portune and say, God, please open up the womb with my wife. And I remember when I came to that revelation, it was like in November, I was reading my Bible, and I just thought about that, I said, man, I haven't even prayed. We've been doing all these practical things, but the praying aspect of it is not there. So I prayed, and literally, the next month, she was with child, you know? And I thank God for that. And so I think sometimes it's just a matter of being persistent and not giving up, okay? You know, don't give up. You know, if you need to be anointed with oil, be anointed, but here's the thing, but be realistic, though. If you know for a fact you can't have children, you know, I don't necessarily agree with, you know, these artificial inseminations and doing these unnatural ways. If that's something that you do, that's your prerogative, that's what you want to do, I'm not going to condemn you for it, but if you ask my opinion, I'm going to tell you I don't believe that's what you should do, because that's a sign that basically God doesn't want you to have children, okay? But there's nothing wrong with praying, there's nothing wrong with getting anointed, there's nothing wrong with being persistent, okay? And asking God to open up the womb of your wife. And look, on the practical aspect, just making sure that your body's capable, okay? You know, hey, if you can't have children, then maybe you need to put away the energy drinks. It's funny, but it's true. That stuff will mess up your reproductive organs, okay? Energy drinks, way too much sugar, all these artificial things that people consume can actually impede you from having children, okay? Put those things away if you really want to have children that bad, all right? But be persistent, hey, be persistent in fixing your body, amen? In order for you to be able to bear children, go to Judges chapter number 8, Judges chapter number 8. What I'm saying is, is that we as Christians should be characterized by being persistent and portuned in any area of life. And look, if you're gonna make it in our church, you need to be persistent, because the Christian life is not a sprint, it's a marathon, amen? It's not a sprint where you just go from zero to 60 in one week or one month, it is a marathon, okay? We are running the race that is set before us, and we need to run it with patience, the Bible says. That requires you being persistent, enduring hardships when difficulties come, and making sure that you don't throw in the towel when the going gets tough, okay? And tough times aren't gonna come to our church. Maybe there'll be times of persecution, or maybe there'll be times of sicknesses or trials, we don't know what's around the bend, but we know that it's difficult, because that's just what life is filled with, okay? And that's not a time for you to just throw in the towel, well, I'm just gonna go to another church, okay? I don't wanna be a part of the church, it's time for me to go to another church. Is it really the answer for you to just go to another church? You know, obviously, if false doctrine is being preached behind the pulpit, go to another church, okay? Obviously, you know, if something bad happens, I die, there's no leader, then, you know, you gotta go to a different church or whatever. But some people just look for a reason to go to another church, because the honeymoon is over, okay? You know, the honeymoon is when everything is just roses and daisies, everything's beautiful, you love one another, oh, it's so wonderful, I love this church, it's great, it's wonderful, the hymns, you know, family-integrated, replacement theology, hate homos, post-trip, everything is great. And then you get that for a couple years and it's just like, okay, I'm bored, I need excitement, time to go look for another honeymoon. That's not the way it works, you know? You know, every aspect of life has a honeymoon, but then after that honeymoon is over, guess what, it's time to grow up, it's time to grow up and allow your love to mature in that area, allow your love to mature for the church, for the people within your church. And look, most people who are over the honeymoon, spiritually speaking, are those who have not chosen to invest in other people, that's what it is. You know, the honeymoon for a married couple is basically what they can get out of the relationship in a sense, whether it's the physical relationships, the emotional relationship, but you know when the love actually begins to grow is when you actually begin to invest into that relationship. When you actually begin to pour into that relationship, invest into that relationship, that creates value in your relationship and in your marriage. And in like manner, it's the same thing in a church. You know, you're gonna be looking for another honeymoon if you keep trying to see what you can get out of the church, rather than what you can put into it. You need to look into what, if you're getting bored with the church, and I don't think anybody is, okay, but if you're, you might get bored with the church soon, if you get bored with the people, bored with the church, bored with the ministries, okay, then it's time for you to see what you need to do to put into the church. What can you do for someone else, a person that you need to invest in, go take someone out to eat, disciple someone, have the goal to be a team leader. Figure out what you can do. Don't ask what your church can do for you, ask what you can do for the church. Look for responsibility, okay. Don't seek to be served hand and foot. Why don't you actually go serve someone else, okay? Well, I'm God's blessing to this church. You guys are lucky to have someone like me, okay. Well, we need a refund, okay. If that's the kind of attitude you have, we need a refund, give me the receipt, you know, because that's not the kind of attitude we need. We need people to enjoy the honeymoon, amen, but recognize, hey, once the honeymoon's over, let's try to figure out how it can be a blessing to someone else, because that's the only way you're going to be fulfilled in life, is when you begin to pour your life into someone else, you disciple someone else, you're a blessing to other people, okay. So be persistent. Be persistent in fighting spiritual battles, your flesh. Look at Judges 8, verse 1, it says, And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou callest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the media knights? And they did hide with him sharply, and he said unto them, What have I now done in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian or Abinze, and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that, and Gideon came to Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men that were with him, I like what it says here, faint, yet pursuing. That's a great statement. I mean, they're tired, they're weary, they're hungry, they're faint, but they're still going to get the job done. They're faint, yet pursuing. That's called being persistent. That's called fortitude. This is called maturity, that even when you're tired, you do what you're supposed to do, you're pursuing that goal. Because of the fact that we're going to grow faint in the Christian life. Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not. But when you begin to faint, you begin to grow tired, keep pursuing, renew yourself in the Lord, and sometimes you just need to go sit down and read your Bible for a while. I find that helps for me. When you get overwhelmed, you're stressed out, you're angry, you're yelling at your husband, you're yelling at your wife, you're yelling at your kids, you're kicking your dog. You know, it's just like, you know, I just need to go read my Bible for a little bit. I remember my mother-in-law, she would often say like, anytime she noticed that one of her children had like a bad attitude, you know, because kids can sometimes have a really bad attitude, okay, they just have this attitude, she would say this, she would say, you need to go read your Bible for a while. You know, she's like, I'm sensing you got a bad attitude, you need to go read your Bible for a couple of hours, because you need to get your spirit right, okay, and look, that is applicable to us as well. If you have a bad attitude, you're having a bad spirit, sometimes what you just need to go do is just turn off the social media, turn off the music, just lock yourself in a room and just read your Bible for a while, kind of realign your focus again, okay, walk in the spirit. You're faint, but still pursuing your goals, okay. What am I talking about here, fighting spiritual battles, you know, this side of eternity, we're always going to be fighting our flesh, and in 2020, you know, the battle is still going to be there against your flesh, so you need to keep fighting that, but obviously there's things you can do to alleviate how much you fight, you know, if you struggle with certain sins, you need to make yourself absent of those sins by not going to those places where it's easier to commit those sins, you need to get yourself away from people who are accustomed to doing those sins, right, so that you're not tempted by that. So there's things that we can do to make it easier for us to serve God, okay, where it doesn't have to be this continual battle always, but here's the thing, you know, even in the midst of that, we still have our flesh, okay, you need to be persistent in fighting against that which wars against your soul, against your flesh, okay, don't give up on that. You know, part of that, one thing that helps with that is just being in church, being with God's people, okay, you ever notice that when you're around someone who's maybe stronger than you, it kind of helps you, right, you know, I don't lift weights, I know it looks like I do, okay, I know you thought I did, okay, but I know this, like when you bench press for example, you know what I'm talking about, when you bench press and you're about to do that last rep, even the two little fingers, doesn't that help, or I don't know what I'm talking about here, you know, when someone's trying to help you up, right, and you lift it up, four fingers helps you do that final rep, you guys know what I'm talking about, or am I just completely out of my mind here, okay, I'm on an island by myself, okay, I thought that helped, you know, you put four little fingers and it helps you get to that last rep, you know what coming to church is, it's like those four little fingers, when you're weak, when you're in a bad mood, you're not in the spirit, you're just not doing well, you get your four little fingers in the church and it kind of helps you get over the hump of the weak, you know, you get with someone who's stronger than you and they exhort you to continue in the faith, to continue in the things of God, and it kind of just helps you, it just reminds you, coming to church is a good reminder of why you do the things that you do, especially for those of you, you know, you work out in some secular realm where there's just a lot of worldliness, a lot of ungodliness, you need church more than most people, because you need to be reminded of the heavenly things, you need church to redirect your attention to that which is most important, okay, and so doing right, walking in the spirit, the Bible says, be but ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing, the Bible says, therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not vain in the Lord, okay, church attendance, be in church, 2020, everyone has a good excuse why not to be in church, even me, we all have a good reason why not to be in church, but be in church, and look, obviously if you come Sunday morning and you're just a Sunday morning glory, I'm preaching to the choir here, but if you're just a Sunday morning glory, you'll still benefit, but don't you think you'll benefit so much the more if you just do the three to thrive, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Thursday night, and look, here's the easy thing, wow, I come Sunday morning, Sunday night, but Thursday I can just watch online, I know he's going to post his sermon up on Friday, I can watch Pastor Anderson on Wednesday, Pastor Thompson has his on Thursday, that will be enough to kind of get me through the day, you know, I don't really have to go to church, I mean there's so much preaching, yeah, but here's the thing is, the Bible says, forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, it doesn't say forsake not the URL, right, the YouTube channel, it says forsake not the assembling of ourselves together as a matter of some is, okay, be persistent, and it's easy to go to church Sunday morning and then go home, you're like, oh, you get up from your nap, you're like, oh, my hair hurts, just do this tonight, we won't go, get your butt to church, do what you're supposed to do, just come, be persistent in that area, okay, the Bible says in Hosea 6, 3, then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord, his going forth is prepared as the morning, and if he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth, by the way, be persistent in having a godly family, okay, even those of you who are single or not married yet, that should be a goal that you want to have, okay, why, because we live in such a crooked and perverse nation, there's so many enemies out there that are seeking to just corrupt our children, corrupt the family household, we need to be persistent in keeping the world out of our homes, making sure that we are who we need to be as men, women need to be as women, making sure that we teach our kids, train them up in the ways of the Lord, okay, and be persistent in that area, how about this, disciplining your children, that requires persistence, spanking your children, and look, even when you're tired, because sometimes you grow tired, you're like, I don't feel like spanking them right now, I'm tired, well do it anyways, be persistent in that area, be consistent and persistent, the Bible says withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die, thou shall beat him with a rod, and shall deliver his soul from hell, pay the price now, listen folks, pay the price now in chastising your children so you don't have to pay the price later, and there's a lot of parents out there who have grown children, and guess what, they're paying the price of not spanking their children when they're younger, some of you weren't spanked when you were younger and it shows, yeah, a bunch of bratty attitude children and teenagers that obviously did not get spanked when they were children, we don't want that for our kids, got to be consistent and persistent in spanking our children even when we don't feel like it, and look, I believe in spanking, the Bible clearly teaches punishment for children, for adults as well, but we're talking about in a manner of chastising our children, this is a biblical concept, children need to be disciplined, and look, chastise them even when they're here, okay, now don't go overboard to try to impress people how well you're able to chastise your children, but do it when it's necessary, okay, do it when it needs to be done, don't just let your children run amuck and be rebellious and just destroy the church and just do whatever they want, make sure you keep your eyes on your children, and I've said this before, hey, when it's time to go home, it's time to go home, okay, and when the children can't take enough, then it's time to go home, but you need to be persistent in training up your child in the way they should go, keep the world, look, there's certain battles that you need to fight, you know, some people just forfeit certain battles, they're like, well, I'll just let them do this, I'll let them watch this, I'll let them play this, I'll let them do this, and you just keep giving more ground to the enemy to influence your children, okay, you need to be persistent and it'll pay off in the long run, go to 1 Kings chapter 18 and we're done, be persistent, here's the last thing, just be persistent in seeing God's hand on your life as an individual, as a family, and even as our church, we want God's hand on us, don't we not, you know, you want God's hand on you as an individual, you want God's hand on you, you know, we want God's hand on us, but you know what that requires, being persistent, okay, God doesn't just put His hand on just anybody, alright, we need to be persistent in seeking Him in order for Him to put His hand upon us so that His power can be upon us, okay, here's an example of this, look at 1 Kings 18 verse 40, and Elijah said unto them, take the prophets of Baal, let not one of them escape, and they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and slew them there, and Elijah said unto Ahab, get thee up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of abundance of rain, so obviously we understand that Elijah's the one who kept it from raining, he caused it not to rain, but now the rain's gonna come, it says in verse 42, so Ahab went up to eat and drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea, and he went up and looked and said, there's nothing, and he said, go again seven times, now he's like, hey, I don't think it's gonna change on the seventh time, you know, he's like, go up, he's like, I don't see anything, he's like, go up again, but I want you to do it seven times, okay, so he goes up seven times, verse 44, by the way, he's going, he's coming back, going, he's coming back seven times, and it came to pass at the seventh time that he said, behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea like a man's hand, and he said, go up, say unto Ahab, prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not, and it came to pass in the meanwhile that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain, and Ahab rode and went to Jezreel, and the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel, by the way, what is rain a picture of? Blessing, God's hand of blessing, but what did it take? Seven times, go there, seven times, I see something in the distance, it's like a cloud, like a man's hand, yeah, it's called the hand of God's blessing, the problem is some people when they're seeking the hand of God's blessing, they just do it once, they hear a great inspirational sermon, they hear a great concept, and they do it once, but they don't do it again and again and again and again, God is not going to just reveal himself, his power to you, if you just do it once, he's looking for the guy who's willing to go up the mountain seven times, and say, okay, now I can see the hand of God's blessing coming to me, okay, and what does that require? It requires for you to be persistent, you know, if you want God's hand of blessing upon your family, then chastise your children, train them of the way they should go, provoke them not unto wrath, obey God's word when it comes to child rearing, and guess what, seven years from now, right, ten years from now, fifteen years from now, you will see God's hand of blessing coming upon you, you know, oh, hey wives, submit it to your husbands as unto the Lord, for how long? Let's try seven years, that's too long, ten years, twenty years, and guess what, at the end of going up and down that mountain, over and over again, you might actually see the hand of blessing come upon you, amen, if you want God to use you as a spiritual leader, if you want God's hand to be upon you, go upon that mountain seven times, until you can see that cloud of that hand coming upon you, and look, as our church continues to grow, we want to be in existence for two years, you know, we need to be persistent in doing what we've always done, until we can see that hand of blessing coming at us as well, okay, what I'm saying is this, is that anything worth having requires persistence, until we can see God's hand upon us, and his blessings showering upon us as well, okay, keep praying, keep being persistent, keep being steadfast, let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer, Father we thank you so much for your word, help us Lord to be, to have the tenacity to continue to go forward and do that which is pleasing in your sight, and help us to be persistent Lord, to not give up, to not throw in the towel, and Lord, though the situation may slay us, though it destroy us, may we continue to trust in you no matter what happens, and I pray God that your hand would be upon us, that you would help us as your people to go to that mountain seven times until we can see that, the hand, that your hand of blessing upon us, and I pray you help us to do so, in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.