 and he keeps me. Who's being kept by the Lord? Come on. He's no one. He's no one that this sweet Lord bless you oh God. Come welcome to Shield of Faith Long Beach. Hallelujah. The pastor here is Bishop Erling Alexander and the first lady is pastor body Alexander. Hallelujah. Come in to the courts of God with praise. Be thankful and bless it. Dr. Sykes and she's going to take his father in the service. Hallelujah. God our Savior. Hallelujah. Father in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. We come into your presence this morning with a grateful heart. Thank you because you woke us up this morning. You gave us strength and help in our bodies oh God. We honor you oh God. We bow before you. Hallelujah. You're our Lord Savior and our King. Help over to spend an eternity with you in heaven. So shall we ever be with the Lord. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Lord we came to worship and praise you. Our best of service to you. Hallelujah. You woke us up this morning. Started us on our way. What a wonderful God you are. Oh God. We came to praise you this morning. Hallelujah. Help receive our praise and worship in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah in the name of Jesus. Send your word Lord to illuminate our hearts and to help us to be more steadfast. Hallelujah and stable. Hallelujah. Send your word. Thank you Lord. Hallelujah. Be exalted with our praise and worship. Hallelujah. We give our best of worship and praise to you oh God in the name of Jesus. Save Lord save by your power and help us to invite people to church that they might hear the gospel message that they might be saved. More others might be added to the kingdom. That kingdom come and that will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Hallelujah. We know they're worshiping you in heaven and we're worshiping you here on earth. Glory. Glory. Hallelujah. Be exalted oh God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah in Jesus' name. Send your word this morning to illuminate our hearts and encourage us to keep going. Hallelujah in Jesus' name. We honor you and praise you forever and ever in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Praise the Lord Saint. Praise the Lord Saint. Hallelujah. Our scripture reading this morning will be in Psalms 24 1 through 5 Psalms 24 1 through 5 the Lord the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein for he has founded it upon the seas and established it unto the floods who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall stand in his holy place he that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive the blessing from the Lord and the righteousness of God of his salvation. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading of his word. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on let's give God some praise and some worship this morning as we enter into his presence. Hallelujah. We just want to give God glory. Come on saints give him some glory. Give him some praise. Hallelujah. The Lord is so worthy and he's great and greatly to be praised. Because of who you are I give you glory because of who you are I give you praise because of who you are. The Lord is everything that we need. Hallelujah. Just like the dew falls on the grass early in the morning you know I have a plant in my backyard and I never water that plant I never do because there's work going on at my house but the Lord he provides dew every morning hot, shudderable every morning and that plant has not died yet. Amen. That's the Lord keeping it and he does the same thing for us. Hallelujah. When we're feeling like we're in a dry and thirsty land the Lord just rains down some dew upon us. Amen. Amen. The Lord he's our dew in the morning. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you Lord Jesus. Like the dew in the morning in the morning in the morning he's so gentle. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The Lord woke us up this morning. There were some people that didn't wake up this morning. Hallelujah. He brought us here that we might be able to lift up his name that we might be able to fellowship with one another together and lifting up his name. Hallelujah. Everything that I do everything that I say hallelujah all the glory and all the honor it belongs to the Lord hallelujah we just want to give him the highest praise today amen you know hallelujah is the highest praise hallelujah all the glory and honor it all belongs to you Jesus it all belongs to you Jesus thank you Lord bless you Lord bless you Lord my hallelujah belongs to that's it does Lord you oh my we worship you today Lord kind hallelujah you deserve it you deserve it Lord hallelujah he deserves to cause ourselves to breathe the Lord hallelujah he's the one that puts the breath in our body he's the very hallelujah and I thank him today he deserves it he deserves it at this time we'll have remarks by Bishop Alexander amen one person said when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all that he's done for me my soul cries hallelujah hallelujah come on don't stop praising him just cause the music over it's time to praise him it's time to give him glory and honor hallelujah when you think about where we started lost in our sin born in sin and shaping in iniquity and we we had a price that had to be paid for our souls come on somebody and we couldn't do it unless we gave ourselves less our blood was shed but when I think about how God loved us enough he loved us enough and he went to Calvary for me and I say because I was under a debt that I couldn't pay and somebody came along hallelujah and bailed me out I got a praise that I got to give him for who he is he deserves the honor he deserves your hallelujah say hallelujah hallelujah let me let me stop I'm not the preacher for this but I thank God I thank God for what he's done for all of us it's just a miracle that we're still here today he didn't have to give us breath didn't have to wake us up he didn't didn't have to keep us from the COVID there are many people who died in this last almost two years but the Lord he was there he was there all the time hallelujah let me sit down I just want to what I basically wanted to do is I just wanted to come and welcome you all here to the service today amen we're delighted to be on the inside I'll probably say this for weeks to come amen we were in the parking lot and we endured amen we endured trials and tribulations in the parking lot but the Lord made it so the Lord made it so he used some vessels of this this congregation and all this has been done and we're now on the inside and in comfort and I thank God for all that he is to each of us individually as well as collectively so we invite you now now that we're inside we're inviting you to to get busy get busy what telling somebody tell somebody tell somebody this is not a private club see when you have a private club anybody wants to know don't tell nobody we don't want nobody in here but us this is not a private club this is the house of God this is the house of worship this is where salvation is brought to men and women boys and girls so we need to witness your life ought to be a witness bring in those who are lost it is the desire that the Lord's house is filled so that's the end of my admonition today I'm so glad to see each of you some I haven't seen for an extended period of time but I'm glad to see you on today all right without further ado we have a solo for this morning Amen Deacon Richard Sykes Jr the Lord's going to use him in a special way as he comes to us with an instrumental selection God bless you Deacon Sykes Jesus his name is Jesus the victory Jesus in the name of Jesus hey Jesus the Bible said that he's giving him a name that's about every name in the name of Jesus every knee shall bow every tongue shall confess tell somebody we've got the victory we've got the victory may not look like it but we've got the victory may not feel like it but we've got the victory come on and put your hands together thank God for brother Richard we have the victory ha we're on the winning team I looked in the back of the book and we win I give glory and honor to God give honor to our bishop and our first lady in her absence to the ministers and the saints and to those watching us by live stream we say praise the Lord everybody I was thinking the other day that we're so blessed that we serve the god of a second chance a third chance a fourth chance he's simply a god of another chance he wants you to know I don't care how many times you missed it if you'll come to me and repent I'll make it right I have a friend who had some business dealings with a gentleman who happened to be a Muslim and my friend made a mistake and it was an honest mistake but he nevertheless he'd made a mistake and so he went to this man and he begged him for his job and then he begged this man for mercy and this gentleman says Allah shows no mercy through this I say oh give thanks and to the Lord hey go give oh give thanks to our Lord for he is good and his mercy his mercy his mercy endures forever Dr. Sykes she tells me probably once a month and I like to hear she says every every night before I go to bed I go to the Lord say Lord I repent if I've done anything that didn't please you forgive me see we've got to have a heart like that but if we have a heart like that we have a God he says I won't turn you away but I will make it right see we can't make it right I'd like to make it right I was doing some things and I just couldn't stop it I took it to Jesus I took it to Jesus and he delivered me and he set me free but first he forgave me and then he delivered me let's pray Father we just thank you for this time speak to our hearts we rejoice in you we give you the praise because there's nobody like you nobody does what you do thank you for your loving kindness and your tender mercy not just mercy but tender mercies father for everybody that's under the sound of this voice sing your word speak to every heart we'll give you the praise we'll give you the glory we'll bless you in Jesus name amen come on and give God some praise come on and bless the Lord he's a good God he's a good God hallelujah amen today I want to talk about a letter from home a letter from home turn in your bible to Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11 very familiar verse he says for I know the thoughts that I think towards you said the Lord thoughts of peace and not evil to give you an expected or a goodly end to give you a goodly outcome a letter from home I've never been in the military but I've talked to many people who have been in the military and most of them told me the same thing most soldiers they live live for a letter from home is that is that true bishop are you you've been in the military they live for milk all a letter from home is probably the greatest source of encouragement that a soldier can receive it is a lifeline it is a link a connection to the people that he loves some soldiers leave their wives and their children some left a girlfriend or a boyfriend whatever is suitable some left their mother and father at home on the farm and now they're on the other side of the world all alone just waiting for a letter from home now how you leave home or how you left home often determines the content of your letter if you left home and she told you I love you so much you so sweet you so fine you got a sick I just I pray for you every day oh I'm just I just pray that the Lord will take care of you most likely bishop it's going to be a love letter we all like a love letter amen come on you don't have to raise your hand you don't have to I know that's right that's right and and when you left if things were kind of shaky it might be a letter of correction that says oh we need to talk see when your honey tells you oh we need to talk that ain't good sister say what uh uh amen but let me ask y'all why is it we watching the Super Bowl it's two minutes to go Tom Brady has the football and you step in front of the TV and say oh we need to talk and you ask us do you love me or do you love that stupid football games bitch why do they ask a question like that how are we supposed to answer that somehow we go baby you know I love you already but when you left home if things were bad most likely you're gonna get a dear John letter says we tried to work it out and we couldn't work it out so I have moved on but it's not you it's me which means it is you and it definitely is not me sister say amen y'all know y'all know what I'm talking about y'all y'all thinking about it right now even if he didn't go he went around the corner said we need to talk but in this chapter in Jeremiah chapter 29 you might read it when you get some time it's a wonderful chapter in this text the weeping prophet had been preaching to the people of Israel warning them about their bad behavior warning them about the possibility of the judgments that could come on them and now he's pronouncing judgment from the Lord 72 years in exile not 22 not 32 not 42 but 72 years in exile here in our Texas children of Israel they have neglected to heed the warning from the men of God see it's a dangerous thing when you ignore the warning from the men of God whether it's individually or collectively when you don't listen to what God says you can be putting yourself in harm's way we need to listen to the men of God now back to our story now some of the strategic people in Israel were carried away into exile by the order of king Nebuchadnezzar down in Babylon such as king Jecuniah and his queens ladies watch out who you connect yourself to so he said he took the king and his queen whether she wanted to go or not she was connected to him the eunuchs the princes of Judah and Jerusalem the carpenters and the silver makers all of these people have been taken down into exile now today that would be like they got Bill Gates, LeBron James, and President Obama it was serious y'all and these citizens of the kingdom of Israel now they're down in exile because of disobedience say disobedience say I know I know it's what but say disobedience disobedience has anybody ever disobey raise your hand I know I have I know I have when I was growing up I was sometime I was disobedient and my mother would give me some serious whooping say whoopens she didn't give me a spank and she gave me a whooping sometimes she gave me a whooping I hadn't done anything I said what was she said just because I know you did something when I wasn't around and I didn't catch you so I'm gonna give you a whooping anyway I forgave rock out over it well I'm working through it I'm working through it still still working say pray he's not finished with me yet and he working on some of y'all out there too I know he is they disobeyed they were down in exile because they disobeyed but say but but say but they got a letter from home hallelujah they got a letter from God through the prophet and God said I have not forgotten about you I know you messed up but I have not forgotten about you she God made a promise to Abraham he said I'm gonna bless you I'm gonna bless your seed forever and I was laying on my bed the other evening I was thinking about that how they were down experiencing punishment in exile and God spoke to my heart it wasn't it wasn't an audible voice I didn't hear anybody speak but God spoke to my heart and he said the punishment did not negate the promises even though they missed it the promise that I made to Abraham is still good and in your life he said look God said you're gonna be punished for 72 years he measured it out to 72 years to the day and in your life that he said that the punishment in your life the test in your life God has measured it out to the very day in other words even though you're going through a punishment even though you're going through a test and a trial it's not going to last forever it's not always going to be like this it's a turnaround in your future tell your neighbor there's a turnaround in your future God is going to bring you out of this even though you missed it see their punishment had an expiration date and in your life every test every trial every promise every struggle has an expiration date God has measured every test every trial out to the very day so if you're in the middle of a test if you're in the middle of a trial don't worry about it just keep on walking my faith because God said sooner or later I'm going to turn this thing around I'm going to bring you out and I'm going to give you the victory I'm going to deliver you but God let them know now you're going to be down in exile for the whole 72 years so he said just get comfortable build you houses and live in them plant you some gardens some greens for Thanksgiving and eat out of your garden take wives and have children give your daughters to husbands so they can have wives here it is he said so you will increase and not diminish even in the middle of a test even in the middle of a trial God will cause you to increase and not diminish he will bless you in the middle of your trial then God said don't listen to the false prophets now we got a true prophet we can listen to this man but he said don't listen to the false prophets because they're going to tell you that you're coming out you're going to be delivered quickly and then he said don't even believe in the dreams that you have that you're going to dream that God is going to bring you out of this quickly he said if you have a dream like that don't believe it because it was just a corned beef and cabbage you ate last night gave you upset stomach now you got a crazy dream but he said but ha say but but after this season is over i'm gonna bless you after this season is over i'm gonna bless you like i've never blessed you before the bible said weeping mayha endure for nights but joy but joy but joy but deliverance is coming in the morning yes you messed up and i was mad at you he says but i have not changed my mind about you he says i don't care what people say about you i don't care what people think about you i know you went back out there and back slid and you were acting crazy smoking joints and getting to high and drinking a wine and all he says i know what you did he says but i have not changed my mind about you he says all i want you to do is come and repent say i'm sorry he says i have not changed my mind see parents we understand that sometimes our kids are acting crazy and we have to say oh oh you you you smelling yourself what you do is you need a time i'll go stand in that corner and don't turn around they're under punishment but why they're under punishment you on the table writing down what you gonna buy them for christmas i'm gonna get them a bicycle i'm gonna get my ex turn back around don't look at me i'm gonna get an xbox i'm gonna get that suit he gonna look good in that suit see just because he did wrong i'm not giving up on my child he's still my child i'm still gonna bless him see when i mess up all i have to do is repent take correction and get back in line see some people say if you mess up we gonna throw you away and don't ever come back but it's something about the love of god that he never gives up on you when you're good when you're bad and when you're ugly i like when the ugly part because y'all know i ain't all that pretty so thank god he loves even ugly why are you laughing back there my sister she pointed to me but it's something about you need to know that even when you've missed it god said i had a plan for your life i said i was going to use you i said i was going to heal you i said i was going to bless you and yes you messed up yes you went back but i have not changed my mind you may experience some punishment but the punishment is not going to negate the promise of blessing the promise of healing the promise of breakthrough the promise of deliverance he says i'm ready i'm ready i'm ready to bless you i'm ready to bless you right now see my expectation is god is going to bless me right now tell somebody god's going to bless me right now see the bible says the just shall live by faith you got to believe it you got to know the promises of god you got to believe that the god you serve is good the god that you serve is loving the god that you serve is patient i have children i tried to teach them how to tie that shoe they didn't get it the first time guess what i didn't throw up my hands and walk away i said let's do it again you see sometimes i miss it and i said lord i messed up he says that's all right let's do it again he said let's do it again do it again i said but lord i can't do it again till you get it right he says i've got a letter from god and it's for you and you and you i know what i think about you i know the plans that i have for you for good to bless you to bring you out to deliver you to lift you up see the promise that god made to abraham it's still good he says i'm gonna bless you in the city i'm gonna bless you in the field i'm gonna bless the fruit of your body the fruit of the ground i'm gonna bless your flocks i'm gonna bless you going out and coming in in other words everywhere we go we'll bless and this is what i like i said and the lord shall command the blessing he didn't just speak of blessing he didn't just just just casually say and the lord shall command the blessing over you the lord has commanded a blessing over your life yes you missed it yes you messed up yes you may have sin you may feel like it's over you may feel like god can't use me but if you will come to god and just repent say lord i'm sorry lord i was acting a fool and say you know what don't you worry about what people think when the lord convicts me of sin in my life something that i i did even if i didn't mean to do it and bishop says all those that have sin come down to the altar i don't care what you think i'm coming down and i'm gonna humble myself before the living god said lord i'm sorry lord i missed it lord you said you never leave me you said you never forsake me you said your hand was on me for good lord forgive me and you know what it says get back in line i haven't given up on you i have a promise for you i have a blessing for you i have deliverance for you i have salvation for you everything that you need i still got it for you i have not changed my mind about you see i know what you did but i have not changed my mind about you i know you think it's too late but i have not changed my mind about you i know what i think about you plans to bless you plans to lift you up plans to bring you out plans for your goods i've got a letter from home a letter that says i'll never leave him and i won't forsake him a letter says every promise in me is yay and amen a promise that says if they will confess their sins he says i'm faithful and i'm just i'm qualified see some people want to say i'll do this for you and they're not qualified sister merlin but he says i'm qualified to forgive you and to bless you and to lift you up and to bring you up and to cause you to stand tall in the land he says i told you i was going to bless you i told you i was going to heal you i told you i wanted to use you yes you messed up but it's a new season it's a new day there's a fresh anointing flowing flowing flowing my way this is what i like it's a season of power see i like power the bible said after the holy ghost has come upon you you shall have power and prosperity i'm tired of being broke i'm tired of riding in a in a Humpty see the lord told those people down in exile he said build houses plant gardens take wives in other words he says occupy jesus says i've gone away to prepare a place just for you and where i'm going i'm coming back and take you there but until i do get all the education you can get get the best job that you can get find you a fine wife and marry her now find is in the eye beholder if she's fine to me i don't care what you think i found a fine wife yes i did she still look good 47 years i still said girl you bad you don't have to tell me i know i'm bad he says do i he says occupy until i come see when you get saved it doesn't mean i i can't go to school i can't get a job i'm just sitting waiting for the lord to come the lord said get out there and occupy get a good education get a good job get a wife get a husband get married half children come to church don't forget that part come to church and then go to disney land and live your life but he said occupy till i come so shield of faith i want you to know god is not through with this church yet we've entered into a new season god's been going to do some new things and i have a letter from god that says the best is yet to come bishop you worked and you had great success but he said the best the best the best is yet to come dr sykes you've been serving the lord a long time what about 115 years a long time but the best is yet to come to Caleb said i'm 80 years old but i'm well able i'm well able to take the land i'm well able to defeat the enemy i'm well able to take this mountain in the name of Jesus i declare that you're able to do everything that god put in your heart to do it ain't over it ain't over so keep on pushing keep on standing keep on praying keep on fighting keep on believing keep on trusting see i see victory on the horizon i see blessing on the horizons i see miracles on the horizon guys getting ready to show up and show out and he's going to do some things that are going to absolutely blow your mind so if you miss it repent come back and say god forgive me get back in line for the blessing get back in line for the miracle get back in line for your breakthrough god is not finished with you yet he still has a plan for your life and if you're walking in victory god still wants to use god still has a plan for your life you may reach a plateau but this is not the best to good is an enemy of best and god wants you to live your best life to know that no matter what no matter what you where you're at i am not finished with you yet so i have a letter from god that says just know this that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world and god is not finished with you yet god bless you we need to thank the lord for the message that he sent today oh there's hope for each and every one of us no matter what your position is at this particular time the lord has spoken now the lord didn't know i mean i'm sorry i didn't know who was going to be here today and neither did elder ross but the lord knew that there's somebody who needed to hear this message come on somebody there's somebody who's standing in this position where you you're you're in the you're in the in the box in a penalty box the lord says you have time to pay and you're gonna pay it he said but don't think that i've forgotten you i have not forgotten who you are i've not forgotten what i promised you and he says now i've spoken to you today and there's a song that came to my heart elder ross and it probably probably not anybody who knows this maybe but maybe i don't know maybe i'm the only one who knows i'm just about the oldest one here the songwriter helps us to understand what takes place in our life when we miss the mark of god when we miss the mark of god we've fallen into sin and the adversary of our soul who is the devil is the one who put his foot out and tripped us and made us fall and when the devil causes you to fall he's not wanting to see you lift it up that's right and so he puts pressure on you and you become oppressed by the devil the songwriter said hear the blessed savior calling the oppressed yes are you heavy laden come to me and rest come no longer tarry i your load will bear bring me every care burden bring me every care come onto me come onto me come onto me and i'll give you rest he said yes you're burdened down with sin he said but you're still mine and he said as long as there's there's breath in your body he said i still got a chance at bringing you back so he said now you need to hear what i've said to you today the lord loves you you may be in disobedience but he didn't put you out of the family you're a disobedient hard-headed knucklehead child but he says i'm gonna bless you he said the promise i have given you is that i'll never let you go never hear what i hear what i said he said i won't let you go however you can let me go that's right you can let me go if if you get to that point where you're just determined that you don't want me he said go ahead and let me go that's right but i'll never let you go if you're here today and this message has touched your heart i invite you to come to the altar i invite you to come to the altar and let the lord move up on you you know that song come unto me hear the blessed savior calling the oppressed are you heavy laden come to me and rest come no longer tarry i your lord will bear bring me every burden bring me every care oh come unto me and i will give you rest oh take my yoke up on you hear me and be blessed for i am meek and lonely oh come and trust my mind oh come my yoke is easy and my burden's life he said come unto me and i will give you rest oh take my yoke upon you hear me and be blessed for i am meek and lonely oh come and trust my mind oh come my yoke is easy and my burden's life hear the blessed savior calling the oppressed are you heavy laden come to me and rest come no longer tarry i your lord will bear bring me every burden bring me every care oh come unto me and i will give you rest oh take my yoke upon you hear me and be blessed for i am meek and lonely and trust my mind come come my yoke is easy and my burden's life oh won't you come come come unto me and i will give you rest oh take my yoke upon for i am meek and lonely oh come and trust my mind yoke is easy and my burden's life oh won't you come come come unto me and i will give you oh take yoke upon and be blessed and meek and my yoke is easy and my burden's life oh won't you come come come unto me and i will give you oh take my yoke upon and be blessed for meek and lonely and my burden's life oh won't you come come come unto me and rest for i am meek and lonely and trust my mind is easy and my burden's life oh won't you come come come unto me oh take my yoke upon oh and trust my mind is easy and my burden's life come come come come unto me and i yoke upon oh and meek and lonely oh come and trust my mind and my burden's life we serve so merciful and kinder father just as a father disciplines his child because he loves them so does our heavenly father who loves us dearly wants us to be blessed amen he chases those that he loved hallelujah i'm so glad come on let's give the lord a praise offer sending us a letter from home hallelujah amen i guess it's offering time amen it's offering time hallelujah now that word was just wonderful it was wonderful amen the lord bless you and i know he did amen come on and be a blessing to the house of the lord amen the scripture says give and it shall be given to you press down shaken together and running over the lord loves a cheerful giver amen so when you're coming put a smile on your face amen and give to god cheerfully hallelujah i promise you he'll bless your life he will he'll bless your life i'm a witness hallelujah i've been saved over 40 years bishop i learned how to tithe when i got saved and i haven't skipped a tithe yet hallelujah and the lord has blessed me and my husband and our family our children are blessed amen our grandchildren are blessed hallelujah they we have generational wealth thank you lord hallelujah the lord helped us and blessed us to open up our understanding about giving and how to be prosperous as a believer hallelujah and i thank him hallelujah for the word amen that opened up my understanding and helped me to know hallelujah that um amen and that plan was to prosper me amen even though i messed up sometimes offering too how about that that's the offerings that's the offering message too amen even though we messed up some time hallelujah if we if we repent and get our lives back in order with god he'll continue to bless so come on deacons come on hallelujah come on and receive your blessing amen it's right here in the house hallelujah and he's going to use men to give it to you to give um unto you amen amen amen amen come on let's stand to our feet just want to pray for him and you may come at this time and bring your offering hallelujah amen lord we thank you for this offering god thank you for the giver hallelujah and even for those who did not have to give we thank you the word is going forth and it's teaching how to give hallelujah bless them god increase hallelujah in the name of Jesus we'll thank you and we'll praise you god in Jesus name amen amen amen amen hallelujah come on thank you all for being here thank you all out there in social media land oh yeah give them give the five hallelujah amen or you can mail it to 39 34 49 34 long beach boulevard amen hallelujah long beach california 90805 hallelujah don't forget those give the five shield of faith amen and mailing it here to 49 34 amen come on put those hands together thank you all god bless you determine to walk with jesus yes i am determine to walk with jesus yes i am execution i'll be faithful i'm determined to walk with jesus yes i am i'm determined to walk with jesus yeah the lord bless you and keep you may his face shine up on you give you peace god bless you we're now dismissed