 That's why I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on him because he is real, real, real to me. Hallelujah. There's no life without Jesus. Hallelujah. Lord, we thank you this morning, Lord God. Father, we praise you. We glorify. We magnify your name, Lord God. We come this morning. Thank you for your mercy, Lord God. Thank you for your grace, Lord God. Your loving kindness, Lord God. Lord you say your mercy, Lord God. It's renewed, Lord God. Every morning, Lord God. Every morning, Lord God. Out you, Lord God. Hallelujah, Lord God. Our hope, Lord God. It's in you, Lord God. In the name of Jesus, Lord God. Hallelujah, Lord God. We ask you this morning, Lord God. that you will continue Lord God to honor our footsteps Lord God according Lord God to your word Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God be glorified be magnified this morning Lord God Lord you said Lord God that you Dwell Lord God in the midst Lord God appraises Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God He said when praises goes up Lord God blessing Lord God calm down Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God we come this morning Lord God standing Lord God standing on your word Lord God and your promises Lord God you said Lord God that your word Lord God will not return it to you for Lord God that it would do Lord God when it was set out to accomplish Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God we ask you this morning Lord God that you will have your way in this service Lord God that you will touch Lord God that you will move Lord God in a mighty way Lord God move upon every heart every mind Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God help us Lord God to draw our minds in Lord God and keep our mind Lord God stay on you Lord God we ask you this morning Lord God let you to receive Lord God our praise our worship Lord God that we offer until you Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God you say you do well in the midst of praise and worship Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God help us this morning to worship you and praise you Lord God from the death of our heart Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God hallelujah Lord God hallelujah Lord God as your messenger come forth Lord God we ask you Lord God that you will continue Lord God continue to feed us Lord God that we as your people Lord God may endure Lord God that he may strengthen us Lord God that he may heal us Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God be glorified be magnified this morning Lord God in the name of Jesus Lord God for you alone Lord God you alone are worthy Lord God worthy of the praise worthy of the honor worthy of the glory Lord God for you are great ain't great to be praised in all the earth Lord God in Jesus name in Jesus name we pray amen and amen glory to God hallelujah our scripture this morning is found in Psalms 37 verses 23 through 26 the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholds him with his hand thank you Lord I have been young and now am old I am praise the Lord yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread he is ever merciful and lens and his descendants are blessed hallelujah hallelujah praise our God hallelujah so my soul long after the Lord hallelujah I'm chasing the Lord this morning singing after you no matter what the desires of your heart hallelujah all you gotta do is delight in the Lord you confess the Lord did you get an opportunity to praise the Lord this so don't be so so stiff that you can't give God all the praise he's worthy of the sweat he's worthy he's worthy hallelujah you may be seated he's a mighty mighty God he's a God that can deliver from any situation he's a God that can heal the body God that can save the soul that's why we can't stop I don't have any desire to stop praising the name of Jesus power power power and I just want to say a couple words I'm so moved by the Spirit as it has come into this place again on today the Lord gave me the scripture that we acknowledged in the devotional and it talks about how God moves in behalf of his people see there are two two kinds of people they're good people and they're wicked people and wicked people it says so much about it wicked people in this text but I don't claim any of the things the wicked it's going to inherit come on somebody there are promises given by God but I take and I claim the promises that are given to the people of God and it rejoices my heart it said the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord when the way he looks dark and drear you think that you should be delivered understand your steps are ordered by the Lord wherever you are today your steps are being ordered by the Lord steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighted in his way said though he fall he shall not utterly cast down be cast down he said yes you're a child of God and you walk with him and you fall down though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down he said when you fall God is not through with you because you belong to him he said I called you out of darkness into a marvelous light and I put your feet on a solid rock and he said when you fall don't worry about it just get up will not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholded him with his hand the Lord said I've got you with my hand he said the devil can't take you away from me because I have your orders and I have you in my hand hallelujah and then he says I have been young now I'm old he said I've seen many things in my lifetime I've seen how God has worked how he's moved in behalf of his people he said I have been young and now I'm old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed beg and bread he said in all of my days I've not seen the Lord to let his people down he always comes through for his folks and their children the promises unto you and to your children to those who are far off even as many as the Lord our God shall call somebody say man somebody give him glory hallelujah hallelujah his name shall be praised his name shall be praised the name of the Lord is a mighty tower his name shall be praised he said even though you've fallen sometimes and even though you walked with me he said I'd never left you in a lurch I never left you with a with a with a beggar's cup he said because he is merciful come on somebody he is merciful thank God for his mercy thank God for the grace that he extends to his people he's merciful he's merciful and lending and his seed is blessed come on somebody somebody who knows that they're blessed you know that your seed is blessed you know you belong to Jesus somebody ought to say yes yes yes hallelujah hallelujah and I'll end my little saying by saying can't nobody do me like Jesus can't nobody do me like Jesus because he's my friend he walks with me he talks with me he tells me I'm his own can't nobody do me like Jesus I now invite you to continue to be in the spirit as we hear the morning solo from Deacon Richard Sykes Junior and after he's completed Elder Ross Elder Kevin Ross will come immediately after him with the word stay in the spirit the Lord is in this place all right that's why we can't stop Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Father, we bless you because you're an awesome God. We thank you because you're faithful in all your ways. Father, we pray speak to our hearts today. Give us a word. We bless you for what you've already done, what we've already heard. We pray anoint us today, anoint your servant today in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. We give honor to our bishop. That's right. Go ahead and give God some praise. He's worthy of praise. He's worthy of glory. He's worthy of honor. Again, we give our bishop honor today, our fabulous first lady, the ministers of saints. I want to thank Brother Richard for that wonderful song. That was the first song that I sang out at a big to-do, the Lord's Prayer. And that is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Is anybody here going through any tests or trials today? Is anybody going through anything today? Has anybody been tested today? The Lord tell me, don't worry. You're coming out and you're coming out with victory before you get to the problem. He's already made a solution. He said, don't worry about it. We don't have to worry. I was thinking the other day that God is a master or the master producer. God is always trying to produce some things in us, some qualities and characteristics that make us like himself. He wants us to grow into the very image of Jesus Christ. And what he produces in us will always be a blessing to us. So I am convinced that unfortunately though, unfortunately part of the process is usually afflictions. We don't like afflictions, but usually part of the process is afflictions. So I'm convinced it's important that we understand afflictions. Paul put it like this, for our light afflictions. I like he said called our light affliction, which is just for a moment. In other words, trouble won't last your way. Tell you never, troubles, they don't last your way. Sooner or later, God's gonna turn it around just to you. He's gonna bring you out. There may be problems, there may be trials, there may be tests, but God's gonna bring you out. You'll be like the six million dollar man. You gonna be better, faster, stronger than when you went in and said these afflictions are just for a moment. He says, but it works for us or it produces for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. One translation said these light afflictions will result in God's richest blessings upon your life forever. So the word that the Lord gave me today is there was purpose in my afflictions. There was purpose in my afflictions. I didn't like it. I didn't care for it when I was going through it, but when I got to the other side, I found out that there was a blessing in what the Lord allowed me to go through because it took me to another level in him. There was purpose in my afflictions. Psalms 119 verse 71 is where we're going to take our texts, but it's interesting. There's some things that we can't understand until we get to the other side of the situation. Now, we as OGs, that's old men and old guys and old ladies, we have an advantage because we live long enough to see the other side of some situations. We live long enough to see that God is faithful regardless to what I'm going through. He's able not only just to bring me out, but he'll bring me out with a victory. He'll bring me out with a testimony. He'll bring me out better than what I was when I went in. Psalms 119 verse 71 says it is good for me that I had been afflicted. It was good for me that I had to endure some hardships. It was good for me that I had to suffer some adversity. It was good for me that I had some hard times in my life. It was a good thing. Now, at first glance, at first glance, this is truly one of the great oxymorons in life to opposite ideas, to opposing points of view. How can you use the word good and affliction in the same sentence? To say such a thing to a man or a woman that is intelligent just wouldn't make good sense. Turn to Isaiah chapter 55. Isaiah chapter 55 verse 89, Isaiah chapter 55. So the Lord is speaking through the prophet Isaiah and he says, my thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are my ways. Your ways, said the Lord said, as the heaven is higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. The Lord is saying, I don't think like you think. I don't do things the way that you do. In fact, I operate on a whole another level that you can't conceive. He says, when I deal with an issue, I'm looking at it from an eternal perspective. So what makes sense to the mind of God usually doesn't make sense to the corner mind of men. God is calling us to come up a little bit higher, not to be so cornerly minded. But let's go back to Isaiah. I mean, yes, Psalms 119 verse 71. It finished that verse. It said, it was good for me. Bishop, but not to me. It was good for me, but not to me. It was good for me, but I didn't like it. It was good for me, but I didn't understand it. It was good for me, but I didn't want to be there. But it was good for me. And here's the reason why that I might learn that I might understand that I might conceive the will of God and the way of God. I didn't understand it going in, but when I came out, I had an understanding. This was a large doing and he did it well and he brought me out with victory and joy and hope in the Holy Ghost. It was his doing. He said that I might learn your statues, that I might learn and understand your words, that I might learn your ways. See when we begin to get a heavenly perspective on life and a heavenly perspective on adversity, we'll begin to view things the way that God views things. And we will value the heavenly perspective over our own corneral thinking. See, I think I'm pretty sharp. I think I got it going on. But every time I think like that and I go to the Word of God, I say, brother, you need to come up. There is a way that seems right to men, but the Word of God will give you a way that will change your life. It was good that I was afflicted. I didn't like it. I didn't understand it, but it was, it was good. It was good for me that I was afflicted. Romans 1133 says, Oh, the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and the knowledge of God. See, those are the true riches. A lot of times we think, if I could just get a million dollars and have in the bank, if I could just have a six or seven houses sitting on a hill, if I could ride in the Mercedes like Deacon Sykes, I'd be all right. But if we will get the wisdom and the knowledge of God, he said, there's no good thing that I withhold from you. So you could have a house up on the hill. You could ride around in the Mercedes being, you can do whatever you want to do, but get my wisdom and my understanding. See, my wisdom and my understanding. See, some of us, we get a nice car and we won't pick up nobody. When we had a whole hoopty, we take everybody home from church, but now we got a nice ride and we hear, let me give you some money. You can catch the bus home. You feel more comfortable. But when I have the mind of God, when I have the love of God, you know, I was talking to my wife yesterday, we were just just kind of talking and I was remembering some of the adversities that we went through in our past. And she said, you know, it was hard. It was tough. And then she says, but it taught us some things. It's taught us I can trust in God. It taught me I can depend on God. It taught me I can rest in God. It taught me compassion for my brother and my sister. See, but some things you don't learn. You only learn in adversity. And so when I get to the place that I don't understand what God is doing in my life, when I get to that place and I must trust that God is working all things, all things, all things together for my good and for his glory. See, when God does it, I get blessed and I give him the glory. I tell the world, I didn't do this. God did it. Nebuchadnezzar, he walked around with his chest poked up and he crawled on his belly like an animal and said, and he came to himself and he said, the heavens do rule. And when I come to myself, I say Jesus is a Lord over my life. It was good that I was afflicted. It taught me some things. It learned me some things all the old folks would say. It learned me some things. And even when I don't understand, I trust him that he's working all things together for my good and for his glory. And see, that's where faith comes in. The Bible said, the just shall live by faith. The just shall walk by faith. The just shall prosper by faith in God. We used to sing a song, said we are standing on the promises of God. Not standing on, and old wives tell them we're not standing on Grimm's fairy tale. We're not standing on what mama and them said, because mama said, oh, I know I'm right. But we are standing on the promises of God. We want to look at the life, the story of Joseph. But what I want to do, I want to go to the end first and then go back to the beginning. Turn to Genesis chapter 50. Genesis chapter 50 is going to be on the same page or the next page from Exodus chapter one, because that's the last book in the Bible. If you go to Genesis 51, you've gone too far. 51, let's look at verse 20. It says, but as for you, you thought evil against me. But God, hey, anytime you see a but God, that means a situation is about to change. It was bad, but God, I didn't know what to do. But God, we were seeking but God said, but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive. And so let me paraphrase it. It says, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. I couldn't see it at the time, but you meant it for evil. I didn't understand it at the time. I thought you were just doing it, but I found out that God allowed this to happen because he was going to bring some good out of my life. Hey, so let's go now back to chapter 37, verse one. I'm going to tell you after Bishop got up, I kind of didn't want to get up and preach. I thought we ought to take up the offering and go home. Come on Bishop, don't do a brother like that. Yes ma'am. Genesis chapter 37, verse one. It said, in Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob, Joseph being 17 years old. See, we can't despise the youth. Sometimes God will give young people a vision that he didn't give to you. He didn't give it to you because you thought you would think maybe it's impossible, or he didn't give it to you because you just tired and didn't feel like doing it anyway, but he gave it to a young man. Joseph is 17 years old. He was feeding the flock with his brother and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpha, his father's wives. And Joseph brought unto his father their evil reports. Because you know snitches get what? Come on now. Don't be no tattletale like that. He told me, if he told me, I said, Dad, don't get me out there. You gonna get me beat up. So now Israel love Joseph more than all the children because he was a son of his old age. And he made him a coat of many colors. And I was not going to talk about that. But that is foolishness. Do not prefer one child over another child because they will see that. I know a young man, he is almost borderline retarded. And his father treated him worse than he treated the other children. And that young man, even though he was retarded, he grew up and wrote his father a letter. He said, you did me wrong. You mistreated me. You treated me like I was stupid. You didn't treat me like I was one of your childs. And it hurt me. And what are you going to do about it? See, don't don't grow up and let your children have to come back and say, you did me wrong. And you know what? He let me read the letter before he sent it to his father. And when I got through my mouth was hanging open. And I'm thinking you wrote this. See, but that was foolishness. He made him a coat, a designer coat. He didn't get it at a good will. He went down to Macy's and picked up some designer material, made this boy a coat. And when his brother and saw that their father loved him more than all his brother, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him. And this is where I want to get assessed. And Joseph dreamed a dream. And Joseph dreamed a dream. And this dream came from the Lord. And Joseph dreamed a dream. But Joseph was this arrogant young man. He went and told his brothers and they hated him even the more. So Joseph, who is hated by his brothers, he tells him about this dream that came from the Lord. And it said, and Joseph's brothers hated him even the more. See, sometimes when God gives you a dream, you can't go out and tell everybody about the dream that God gave you because there's some dream killers out there that were trying to destroy what God told you to do. I remember as a teenager, I was excited and I had a dream and I went and told the saints and when they got through I felt so foolish. See, but we have to get to the place that we have wisdom enough when God gives us a dream, when he tells us, this is what I want you to do. Take some time to get along with God and find out, Lord, how do I do what you want me to do? And when do I want, see, sometimes we run out too fast. We get ahead of God and we make a mess out of the dream. See, sometimes given a, given the dream to people is like giving a baby a oozy. He gonna kill himself and everybody around him. But Joseph dreamed a dream and then he went and told his brothers and it said that they hated him even the more. And so in verse nine to 10, you can read it on your own, but he has another dream and he tells his father about the dream that he's the son and the stars are rotating around him and bowing down to him and his father, the one that loved him more than his brothers, told Joseph, Joseph, you need to slow your roll. Where do you come with this foolish dream that me and your mother and your brothers are going to bow down to you? Who do you think you are? They had a song about that Mr. Big Stuff. Who do you think you are? See, sometimes we get to be for our bridges or for our skirt or for our that she, whatever you wear, sometimes we get too big and God says, Mr. Big Stuff, who do you think you are? I'm God. And so his father says, you need to check yourself. And then Joseph's father says, Joseph's out into this fields to spy on his brothers. We already talked about snitches, what happens to snitches every time. And they wanted to kill Joseph, but instead of killing him, they put him down in a pit. Tell somebody that ain't right. That ain't right. So his brothers decided to sell him for a slave to the Midianites. And they go back to their father and they take Joseph's coat of many colors that is now drenched in blood and ripped up and torn and tattered. And they tell their father, a wild beast has killed your son. The one that you love, the golden child, he is now dead and the father is devastated. And as tragic as that part of the story is, the father has to take some responsibility because he created the animosity between the brothers. And so they tell the father that, the son that you love, the one that you love, he's dead. Now I did tell you that Joseph had a dream and his dream came from God. He wasn't dreaming by itself, but the dream came from God. And now Joseph is in trouble. You would think that if God gave you a dream that everything would come up roses. But I have discovered when God gives you a dream, immediately he says, take him to the pits. I want to see what he's going to do. I want to see how bad he wants to make it happen. I want to see, is he going to fight to make the dream come to pass? And so the father is devastated and the Midianites, they sell Joseph for a slave to an Egyptian officer, a military man named Potiphar. But I want you to notice that down in this affliction with what Joseph is going through, still the hand of God, the favor of God was on his life. And God told me to tell you, even when you're going through a test, even when you're going through a trial, even when you're going through a bad situation, my hand of favor will be on your life. Joseph was down in Potiphar's house. And before you know it, Joseph was running things at Potiphar's house. And then into Potiphar's Hoochie Mama, Cougarish, fast-tail wife. It was so bad they didn't even tell us her name. But all of us know some people like that, amen? Come on now. And it ain't just women. It's some fast brothers out there. Before I got saved, thank God I got saved. Oh Lord, we better move on. And his wife sees Joseph, young Joseph, handsome Joseph, six feet tall with a six-pack Joseph. And she begins to hit on Joseph. I can just imagine, she said, Joe baby, Joe baby, come lie with me. Let me make you my boy toy. Now, if I didn't get it right, all you Cougars out there, you pull my chain and let me know if I was something I should have shared that I didn't say. Just talk to me after serving. We'll be inconspicuous, but I'll take some notes. Cougars. But Joseph says no. And, you know, I'm always impressed with that because now he is at Potiphar's house and nobody that he knows is around. That's what you call integrity when nobody can see you and you still do the right thing. Integrity. And so Joseph ends up in prison. And again, God's favor is still on Joseph's life. His hand is still on Joseph because before you know it, Joseph is running things in the prison. And there's more to the story, but it says, and 10 years later, say 10 years later, say 10 years later. See, that's a long time to be in the same situation. That's a long time to be in the test. That's a long time to be in a trial, but 10 years later, but seeing those seniors, God was working on them. In the 10 years, God was teaching them some things. In 10 years, God was showing him some things. See, that's what I call a tribulation. See, a tribulation is a trial that goes on for a long, long time. I want you to think, can you imagine, especially you women, being in the worst pair of shoes, the tightest pair of shoes, that hurt your feet so bad for 10 long years. That's an ugly situation. But after 10 years, Joseph is called to interpret a dream for Pharaoh. And he did. Joseph interprets the dream, and not only that, but he lays out a plan for seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. See, God will give you divine wisdom to know how to prosper in the years of plenty and how to prosper in the years of famine. And we're right at the edge of those years of famine, but you don't have to be afraid. But God said, I'm going to take care of my people, just like down when they had the people down in Egypt. He said over in Egypt, there was famine and death, but not in the land of Goshen where God's people are. We're living in the land of Goshen. We're dwelling in the land of Goshen. God blesses his people over in Goshen. And so he lays out a plan. And so Joseph is set free. And Pharaoh makes Joseph second in command over all of the land of Egypt. So let's go back to chapter 50. Let's look at that. Chapter 50 verses 18 through 20 says, we had the end of the story says, and his brothers, the ones that treated him so badly, also went and fell down before his face and said, behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto him, don't be afraid. I'm not in the place of God. I'm not going to judge you. I'm not going to get tit for tat. See, when God works on us and he saves us and he puts us in that what I call the contrite machine, we go and proud and we put on that machine and it beats us up and we come out humble on the other side. He says, I'm not God. I'm not going to beat you up. He said, but as for you, you thought evil against me. You meant me no good. But hey, God, and that's what I like. Every time I see a but God means a situation with bad, but God intervene in everything has got to change. Everything has got to get fixed. Everything has got to turn around. He said, you meant it. Yet you meant it evil against me, but God meant it unto good to bring this, to pass this moment right here. So, Joseph's brothers had those who had afflicted him. Now they're bowing down before him just like God had promised him in a dream. See, delay wasn't denied. See, in our life sometimes God will promise us something and because we don't see it right away, we think God has changed his mind. But I've discovered that many times delay is not denied. Delay means you not ready for it right now, but you just hold on because it's on the way. I got a blessing for you and what God has to me. It's for me. They hired a wicked prophet to curse the people of God. And he tried to curse and I've had some people try to curse me. But that wicked prophet says, how can I curse whom God has blessed? So you need to understand, I don't care who comes against you. I don't care who talks about you. I don't care who throws some pixie dust at you. How can they curse who God has blessed? See, I belong to God. I'm a child of the king and no weapon, no weapon, no weapon that's formed against me shall prosper. It won't work. And so delay was not denied. But Joseph's afflictions helped to prepare him for the promise. This arrogant, proud designer robe wearing self worshipper, Joseph, after God had worked on him and allowed affliction to come in his life. Now, Joseph is the man of God that God wanted him to be. See, in your life and in my life, the afflictions that you're going through right now, the troubles that you're going through right now, every test, every trial, the enemy made it for evil. But God, I said, but God, but God made it for your good. It won't always be like this. The Lord will perfect, fix those things concerning you. Sooner or later, see, I've been going through some tests, I've been going through some trials, but I had to tell myself sooner or later, this thing's going to turn in my favor. He's going to turn it around for me, for me. She tells somebody, I've been going through a chance, but it's all good. See what I've been through, it's all good. Every tear that I shed, it's all good. The sauce that I had to give up, it's all good. It's all good. It's all good because the blessing hop is on the way. I declare to you today, every test, every trial, every affliction is just preparing you for the blessing, preparing you for your destiny. See, God has called you to do some things that nobody else can do but you. We have divine destiny. God has not called us to do the same thing, but God has called every one of us to do something. What has God called you to do? And see, sometimes we look at numbers and we try to decide if the hand of God was on my life, it would be big and it would blow up, but no one preached a hundred years and all he did was save his family and all of mankind. My divine destiny and every test and every trial that you've been going through, it's preparing you for the blessing. I said, it's all good. It's all good. It's all good. We've got the victory. No matter what you're going through, God said, I'm going to bring you out and you're going to come out with joy. You're going to come out with peace. Tell somebody I'm coming out. I'm coming out. I'm coming out. I'm not staying here. I'm not staying here. So hold on. Your blessing is coming. Hold on. Your healing is coming. Hold on. Your breakthrough is coming. Your miracle is on the way. What I have been believing for, I believe that it's on the way. The Bible said weeping may endure for night. But joy, hey, but joy, but joy, but joy will come in the morning. The joy of the Lord is my strength. So I can rejoice. I can celebrate. I can get my praise on them. Even when things look bad, I can get my praise on them. Even when I don't know what to do, I can get my praise on them. Because faithful is he who has promise. He said God is not a man that he should lie. Nor the son of man that he should repent. If God said it, if he said he's going to bless you, he's going to do it. If God said he's going to heal you, he's going to heal you. If God said, I'm going to bring you out, he's going to bring you out with a testimony that God did it. God did it. Your blessing is on the way. But I like what Peter said. He said now, after you suffered a while, after you've been through affliction for a while, after you've cried for a while, say he's going to make you perfect. He's going to mature you. Says he's going to establish you. He's going to bring order into your life. Then it says that he's going to strengthen you. He's going to make you strong in the Spirit. The Bible said be strong in the Lord and the power of his might even when I don't feel like being strong. I've discovered that I can stand in the strength of the Lord and the enemy has to flee. The enemy has to run. The enemy has to turn back because I'm standing in the strength of the Lord. It's all good. It's all good. It's all good. He said, and then I will settle you. He says, I will give you peace. See sometimes we think we need stuff. We need peace. He says, I'll give you peace that will pass even your own understanding. He says, I'll give you all things that pertain to life and to godliness. In other words, I'll give you everything that you need. He told Moses, tell Pharaoh I am that I am. In other words, I'll be whatever you need me to be. I'll be a bridge over troubled water. I'll be a way out of no way. I'll be whatever you need me to be. So it was good that I was afflicted. It taught me to trust him. It was good that I was afflicted. It taught me to rely on him. It was good that I was afflicted that it taught me that he was able to do. The Bible said, now unto him that is able to do. And not only is he's able, but he's able and he's willing to do it just for you. So you got to know this promise is unto me and my children and my children's children and all them little rashes will fall. She got me a promise to my grandfather, Arling Alexander and that promise transferred to his daughter, Ruth Alexander. And that promise transferred to me, Kevin Ross Alexander. And that promise is extended for my children because my children are blessed. But it was good for me that I was afflicted because it taught me how to love him. It taught me how to trust him. Tears so sweet to trust in Jesus. It said it's so sweet to trust in Jesus just to take him at his word. And this is the part of life. He said, just to rest where my heart is broken. I can rest when I don't know what to do. I can rest when I don't see no way. I can just rest. I'm not going to lay up all night and toss and turn away, but I'm going to rest him. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, to rest him. It says all for grace to trust him more. I've learned I can trust him. I've learned I can depend on him. Even in my day of affliction, in the fires of affliction, his hand is still on me for good. Job said, though he slay me, yet will I trust him. I don't understand what he's doing, but yet will I trust him. And see, when you trust God like that, he'll move on your behalf. And the end of the story God gave Job, double for his trouble, because he learned to rest. I don't understand it, but I'm going to rest. I've been in this affliction for a long time, but I'm going to rest. I don't know what to do, but I'm going to rest. So as I look back over what I have learned in the fires of affliction, I can truly say it was good that I had been afflicted, because there was purpose in my afflictions. And at the end of the story, God blessed me. And so understand, I don't care what you're going through. I don't care what the test. I don't care what the trial. God's going to bring you out. God's going to deliver you. God's going to make a way for you. You're going to learn to trust him. You're going to learn to love him. You're going to learn to depend on him, because he will bring you out with victory, victory, victory. God bless you. God has spoken. God has spoken in this place today. Aren't you glad that God can't lie? You know, sometimes we've been made promises by some folks, and that perhaps their intention was good, but they couldn't follow through. But then there were some promises given to us, and the person who gave the promise just told a lie, didn't intend to do what he promised. But I thank God our Father in heaven has given us a promise, and he won't go back on it. Hallelujah. Thank God for the promise. Somebody says, it was a song that they used to sing, every promise in the book is mine. And somebody kind of broke that song down and said, that's not what I sing. Not every promise in the book is mine. See, that promise is a damn nation. Come on, somebody. But I'm not claiming that. I'm standing on the promises of Christ Jesus, the one who saved me, the one who raised me. Hallelujah. I'm standing on the promises that he's given his children. Hallelujah. I'd like to sing that song. Anybody know that song? Standing on the promises is not a way from it. All right, I'm going to get it back, because I must sing this song. Standing on the promises. The devil is a lie. You got the verses? All right, let's go together. I know some of it, and we'll get it together. Standing on the promises of Christ my King, glory turn away, just let his praise history, glory in the highest I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God that can't end out, fears are safe. I can't breathe my Savior as mine. Couldn't help but going back to Psalm 37. He said, though he shall not, he shall not be utterly cast. But he says, even though you'll not be utterly cast down, he said, I'll not throw you on the trash heap cause you fail. He said, get a promise from me that I'll embrace you, that I'll care for you is cast down. He said, the Lord upholds him. He said, the Lord, when you fall, the Lord reaches down with his hand. Come on somebody. He doesn't call for anybody to come do it for him. He said, I'll take you myself. I'll raise you up and I'll keep you. What a promise. What a promise. What a promise. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I understand. I want you to raise your hands, raise your hands in submission, in humility. Lord, we thank you. Come on, cry out. Lord, we thank you for your promises. Thank you for that that you've spoken into our hearts. Lord, help us to understand and to depend on you completely because you're our father. You're our savior and we submit our will. Lord, we submit our will. Lord, we have desires of our own but we cast that down and we say, not my will, oh God, but your will be done in me, oh God. And I thank you for the promise that you've given me. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. We praise you, oh God. We magnify you. Thank you for your compassion. Thank you for your mercy. Your mercy that extends forever and ever because we belong to you. Thank you, Jesus. We magnify you, oh God, in your greatness. We thank you for everything that you are to us, oh God. We thank you for the road that we've traveled, oh God. We thank you for giving us the full knowing that you came. Hallelujah. You're going to bring us out, oh God. Just give us strength, oh God, we pray. We'll run every step of the way. We'll run every step of the way, oh God, until we see your face in peace, oh God. We thank you. We magnify you. Hallelujah. We can't stop praising your name, oh God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We thank you and praise you. We give you glory and honor. In Jesus' name we pray. Let the church say amen. Amen. Amen. I'm glad I was here today. I said, I'm glad I was here today. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Everybody here today look like they want a hiss. So we're not making an altar call for anybody here, but if you're in and you don't have a promise from God that you're satisfied with, it's because it promises for everybody from God, whether you're in the church or out of the church. If you don't belong to Jesus, you need to know Jesus. It's good to know Jesus. Hallelujah. He'll take your sins away and He'll claim you as His own. That's the great thing. And I hear some naysayers say, well the church people are doing the same thing the world is doing. I'm going to help you out with that. The scripture said, if a church person falls, that's a promise. We can do the same thing and if we repent and ask for forgiveness, the Lord will pick us up and hold on to us like we never failed. You don't have that luxury. You got to make it right. You got to get it right with Jesus. You need to be baptized in water in Jesus' name for the forgiveness of your sins and the scriptures and He promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, that will come and live down on the inside of you. Oh, what a wonderful thing it is, elder. While you're going through the test, as you said, He gives you peace. Hallelujah. All right. I'm through. I can go on. Elder Ross, this is good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. But you know the Lord, I have to just put all this stuff away because it keeps coming. You all can sit down. I'll just say this. Then I'll turn this, turn it over to Sister Marilyn Alexander. For my early, early years in the church, probably when I was about four or five, if you can imagine, if your mind can go back there. There were two brothers in the church. One of them was a deacon and the other was a preacher. And the deacon was legally blind. He played a guitar and the elder, he was an older man. They both had a guitar and they played and they sang a song. And the song went something like this. My mother doesn't like me here. She won't take me in. And just because I'm saved, living free from sin, why should I fear when thou are near, thou caret, Lord, for me? And I found a place in my spirit all down through these years to know that when your mother and your father forsake you, that the Lord said, I'll take you up. The Lord cares for us, no matter who don't like us. Thou cares, Lord, for me. That's all that matters in my mind, as long as he cares. Thank God for his mercy. I'm gonna get out of here. I'm gonna sit down. I can't stop praising his name. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. If you're glad, God saved you. Come on, it's offering time. Saints are the most I got. Come on and bring your offering. Bring your blessing. Bring it with a chill for a spirit. It's wonderful. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The Lord loves us. Hallelujah. And he's feeding us from on high and we bless his name. It is so good to know that we can depend on Jesus. We can depend on God. He will sustain us. He'll pick us up. Hallelujah. And put us back in our rightful places. Lord, we thank you. Lord, we thank you. Lord, we thank you. The great and precious promises of the Lord. Amen. God bless you. God bless you. Amen. Has everyone been served? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Father, we thank you for the offering. God, we thank you for those that gave. And we thank you, Lord, for even those that had not to give. We give your name. Praise and glory. Teach us how to give, oh God. Your word says that if we give, it shall be given unto us. Press down. Shaken together. Shaken together. Yes, man. Running over. Running over. Running over. Hallelujah. And he'll cause men. He'll use men to be a blessing to us. Father, we thank you for that. We give you. We're standing on your promises. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord, for teaching us how to give. God bless it for this house in the name of Jesus. Make it meet and let it meet every need. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen. Aren't you glad you were here today? Aren't you glad how the Lord encouraged our hearts? Hallelujah. And I think I can run on. I think I can run on. Hallelujah. With joy. Hallelujah. And with great confidence. Hallelujah. In the Lord that I serve. Come on. We're determined. Hallelujah. Thank you, shine now. Hallelujah. Protect us and keep us until we come.