Pick up Those Things Which You've Laid Down Pastor Christine Miller

Glory to God, say I can turn to somebody and say I can do all things through Christ. Now turn to them again and say I can move the mountains. Praise the Lord. Oh, praise God, mark my words. There's a day coming when this place is going to be packed. And the enthusiasm will be very high. And you may come to church tired, but you won't stay tired. You know, one of the things that the anointing does is it energizes you. Praise the Lord. Glory to God, because when we come on Wednesdays, I know you're here because you want to be here and we appreciate you all. And I know that the spirit is willing and the flesh can sometimes be weak. So we come because we know we should be here, we want to be here, but then we get comfortable. And then we start to shut down a little bit. And then it's like trying to push the message out instead of letting it flow. So let's just keep pulling tonight. I have something to share with you. I probably won't keep you here very late, but I have the message. When I'm preparing on Wednesdays, you know, I'm in a different season. I've had so many different seasons since we started in the ministry. And I remember distinctly, there was a seven-year period when I took the lead and was preaching almost every service. And the message just came. It was so light and easy. Every week I knew in advance pretty much what I was going to speak on. And I could meditate along those lines all week. And there was a grace on my life. I had three kids that were still school age. In the beginning I was working full time. And it was just light and easy. But it's just been like a strange season. Because there's always a hundred things you can preach. I'm not exaggerating when I say hundreds of sermons in my computer that I've put together over the years. I could just go in and pull a sermon out. That's not the problem. But you want to have what God wants said and done when you show up to church. And so, anyway, we spend more time these days just meditating and filling our spirits. And then the message comes at some point during the day. I wanted to just share something with you. I wanted to reiterate a story that Pastor Craig Field shared at camp meeting. A story that we've heard before. But there were a few details I did not hear in the past that Dr. Noble Hayes told about his life. And he had told the story, Dr. Hayes, about the time when his daughter Zona had all of these growths on her body. Now I keep wanting to think it's 42. Is it 46? 42? Okay, somewhere in the 40s. That's a lot, right? Ugly, nasty, bleeding, oozing, sometimes growths on a teenage body. And you're a young lady going to school and it's not very sightly. So, it started about, I think, when she had 12. And they took her to a doctor to have them removed. And they had them removed. And then, not only did they come back, but a whole lot more with them. They brought their buddies. And so, he spent five years crying out to God and praying, Lord, heal my daughter Zona. Lord, I ask you to heal my daughter Zona. And he just kept praying and praying. And Zona kept saying, Daddy, please take me back to the doctor. Please take me and let them take these growths off. Now you can imagine at her stage of life, it started when she was probably pre-teen. Because this went on for a while. And you're not wanting to look like that. But he just said, no, we did it once. I'm believing God. And he was a born-again, spirit-filled Christian. But he didn't really have a full understanding of faith. And so, he kept praying these prayers for five years. And those growths were still there. Well, one of the reasons being, he wasn't really praying spiritually. Because the fact is that he was asking God to do something he'd already done. So he's praying for five years, Lord, heal my daughter Zona. And then he got to the place of, well, why won't you heal my daughter Zona? And now imagine how many of us, after five years, would continue to believe and pray for something in the beginning. One of the things that stands out to me in this story is his persistence. So after five years, he finally, in desperation, sprawls out on the floor before God for hours each day for about three weeks' time. And when he sprawled out, he's crying out and saying, Lord, I just want you to show me the truth. Show me the truth, Lord. Why are those growths still there? I've been praying to you for five years, and those growths are still there. And they should be gone. Oh, God, why haven't you healed my daughter Zona? Just reveal the truth to me. I want you to show me the truth, Lord. And now that, I want you to show me the truth is a scriptural prayer. And so that went on for about three weeks. And sometime at the end of that three weeks, he was walking through the house. And as he's walking through the house, suddenly, he was enveloped in a cloud and he was caught up in a trance. Now, he'd never had an experience like that before then. And he was just instantly in heaven. And he didn't really say what he saw or if he saw much of anything, but he got caught up to heaven and he heard a voice thunder, a voice that just thundered at him. And, well, let me say this before I get to that part, because one of the things that he said was when he got into the realm of heaven, the thing that really stood out to him was the absolute purity of being there as compared to the earth. There wasn't even a speck of doubt. No speck of unbelief. Not even any gray area. Like, you know, I know sometimes you've got black and white or something in between as far as when we talk about facts or fiction. But he said not even a speck of unbelief or falsity in heaven. Everything is pure, truthful, absolutely accurate, absolutely clean, absolutely holy. Everything is light. The holiness of God is there. And so he's in this wonderful environment and while he's up there, he hears this voice thunder at him saying, how long are you going to stumble around in the darkness? Wow. Now that's something I had not heard him tell you something. And then after that he said, how long are you going to put up with those growths on your daughter's body? And of course he starts sputtering around, saying, but what do you mean how long am I going to put up with those growths? Those aren't my growths, Lord. They're not my growths. They're Zona's growths. What do you mean how long am I going to put up with those growths? And I don't want to just get into that whole story tonight. I just wanted to bring out a point here, because the thing that stood out to me today as I was meditating and thinking upon these things is the Lord said, how long are you going to stumble around in the darkness? And he said, of course he got shaken to the core. The Lord dealt with him about cursing those things. And he said, well, Lord, I don't want to be in unbelief, but how am I supposed to be the head of my house? How am I supposed to take authority over this? And the Lord told him to go back and curse those things. So he comes back into his regular state in the earth, and now all of a sudden he's aware of the unbelief that's present. You know, when you're in heaven, there is not one speck of anything that can hinder you from believing. And I often wonder what would it be like to have an experience like that. Just one time. Know what it's like to not have any opposition. Any, you know, thoughts suggested to your mind when you're believing for something. No clouded judgment. And I thought about that, how he's in this realm, and then instantly he's back in the earth in his body, picking up where he left off walking. And now he's suddenly aware of the contrast. Now he knows why he didn't receive results before, because he was in doubt in unbelief. But when you're in heaven, you can't disbelieve. And so he receives these instructions to go back and curse those growths, and as he's getting ready to walk to where Zona is to curse those things, he's still in a state of faith. But now these thoughts start plummeting his mind. Zona's sitting in the living room with her boyfriend Bobby. What's Bobby going to think if you go in there and start cursing those growths? I remember hearing this story about Bobby, thinking, oh Bobby, I had a friend named Bobby growing up. If you're watching Bobby, Bobby Fields. His dad got a Cadillac dealership in Evanston. And he got shot to death by the mafia, because that's Chicago for you. But anyway, so Bobby was a good old name from that era. This is her boyfriend. And the whole way as he's walking to her to carry out the Lord's instructions, his mind is bombarded with thoughts of doubt and unbelief. And the bolder Norval got, the wimpier that spirit got. Well, you really shouldn't do that. You don't want to do that now. But he went ahead and cursed those things. Now, of course, they did disappear. It took 40 days. So let me just make a point about that. You can go to heaven and have a divine visitation, and come back and in full faith do what you're supposed to do. And it doesn't always instantly take place. So what would he have done if he quit believing after 30 days? Or after 35 days? But every day he just kept thanking God. I cursed those growths and they're disappearing. I thank you, Lord, that my daughter, Zona, is healed of those nasty growths. But he had to maintain his confession. And it's a good thing because sometimes, you know, Brother Hagin said sometimes there are instantaneous healings become a curse because we don't learn anything from it. We don't learn how to stand. We don't learn how to persevere. Thank you, Jesus. It's so easy to be in faith in heaven. I wrote this down in my notes. It's an ever-present struggle to stay in faith on the earth. It's an ever-present struggle. And that's just something we have to accept because Satan is the god of this world. He's here to hinder you from receiving and to hinder you from being effective in the earth. You know, so many times we talk about receiving healing or finances, but something that I want to deal with tonight is our destiny. It's more important in some ways. In many ways, actually. It's the bigger picture. You know, you could care less if you were rich as long as you don't fulfill the call of God on your life. And so that's opposed almost more than anything. The earth realm is filled with darkness. And the only light available on this planet is the Word of God. Now let's turn to John chapter 1. John chapter 1. And does anybody have an amplified Bible that they brought with tonight? I forgot to bring my copy again. I did this last time, but I might need it a little later. Some of you can hold it. Well, Josiah, do you need your Bible? I don't want to take it from you. Okay. All right, I'll borrow it in a little bit if I need it. I'm going to read from the Amplified. John chapter 1 and verse 1. This one I wrote in my notes, but the other scriptures I didn't have from the Amplified. So it says, In the beginning, before all time, was the Word Christ, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God. All things were made and came to existence through Him, and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. We're talking about light versus darkness here. And the light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it, put it out, or absorbed it, or appropriated it, and it is unreceptive to it. Whoo! Glory to God. I like that. It's unreceptive to it. Now there's another place in the New Testament where Paul said we see through a glass darkly. So we have this contrast. We have heaven, we have light in heaven. Then we have earth, we have darkness on earth. The only thing that's light on earth is the Word of God, and the born-again believers that carry the light of God in them. So when we walk around in the spirit realm, we're walking lights. You know, this little light of mine. It is more than a big light, hopefully. Hopefully you spend time with God. It's brighter than that. So we're walking living lights. We have the light of God in us. We make a difference. We are the light of the world as He's the light of the world, because we have Christ in us, the hope of glory. And darkness is always trying to dim and put out the light in our lives. When you come to church and you receive a message, if revelation does come to you, you've received light, the light of the Word. And that light will carry you somewhere. That revelation, that light of the Word, will produce results in your life. It will cause manifestations to take place. It will change things for you. The devil can't do that for you. The world system can't do that for you. So we have this light. And if we are careful, if we... Because think about it. You leave a church service, for instance, or you leave a time of meditation and you're excited. Like today, I spent all day just meditating, and sitting in my chair in the presence of God, the revelation and the light is so strong. And my prayer is that I can come to church and convey even a part of what I'm picking up here. That's why it's so critical how you come to church. Because sometimes when I come here, I don't have it like I did in my chair at home. I'm so badly wanting to. I'm wanting you to see what I saw. But I could be preaching it to you, and I could tell by your reaction a lot of times whether or not you're getting it like I got this. So the light, it's so important that we're protecting the light that we receive. Because that's the thing Satan's after. He's after that revelation. He's after what produces results. And the devil's always trying to dim that light. He's always trying to dim your perception. He's trying to dim the reality of God's Word. He's trying to dim the reality of your inheritance in Christ. He's trying to dim the reality of your authority over the devil. You kind of have a faint memory of what you learned or maybe what worked for you a year ago. But now you're endeavoring to walk in it, and it doesn't seem to be the same. Because the devil has maybe successfully dimmed the light of what you have. Just like normal hay's leaving heaven and coming back to his body in earth, and it's dim compared to what he had there. This is why we're supposed to spend time in the presence of God. That's the only place you're going to get this light. And all the things we suffer on earth, depression, sickness, oppression, anxiety, lack, unanswered prayer, is because we don't have enough light in that area. Praise the Lord. Darkness will cause the visions, the dreams, and the Word of God to fade in your life if you'll allow it. As I was meditating today, I heard this very clearly in my spirit, just regarding my life and my husband's life, and even the vision for this church. I heard the Lord say, pick up those things that you lay down. Because what happens is, you have some things, you have some clear direction, you have zeal and excitement about what you're supposed to do. But over time, the devil comes to try to dim the light on that particular situation. Or circumstances arise that try to talk you out of it. Well, that was just a pipe dream. You just thought that was God. That didn't come to pass yet. And then after a while, if you're not careful, the light about that particular assignment begins to fade. And you begin to look at it as, well, I used to think I was going to do that. Or I thought that maybe someday. Or you just dismiss it altogether. And then how can you fulfill something that you dismissed? Let me ask you something. When you started out as a Christian, I mean, I know for me, because I was not raised in a church like this. When I got born again in spirit filled, and I found a church that was teaching from the Bible, light came. And it was such a stark contrast from what I had had my whole life. I was full of joy. I was full of zeal. I couldn't get enough of it. I had such vision for all the things I was going to conquer the world. How many of you had an experience like that? Well, bless God, I'm going to do this and I'm going to do that. Everyone I knew I talked to. Because bless God, you're going to see it my way. Very persuasive. But then circumstances begin to arise over time that try to tell us otherwise. I mentioned in the car on the way here to my daughter that we were saying how we're thankful that Tori has such enthusiasm and confidence. And I said, you know, when I think back on it, even though I know there was a lot of dysfunction in my childhood, I had a lot of confidence. I never once thought I was going to fail in life. My whole childhood, all I did was I saw the contrast between those that were succeeding and those that weren't. Now, I didn't have any Christian examples. And I made up my mind at a young age, I'm going to succeed. Bottom line. I got on the side that didn't have much and I saw those that did have much and I thought, hmm, this is not too hard of a decision. I'm not being in this category anymore. And I was good at school, which helped. And I knew I'd go to college and I knew I was going to do something. I had confidence. And then when we got married, I brought that natural confidence into the relationship and almost really confused that for faith. Because you can have a lot of natural confidence and you just think you're in faith. And after a few situations where we were seriously opposed by the devil, it doesn't take long before that natural confidence is knocked out of you. Because you start to realize, and it's a good thing, it's not my natural confidence that wins the battles. It has to be faith. But then I noticed something that was troubling to me after a couple of decades of being saved and pastoring and all the things that we went through. I could feel myself coiling away from any kind of natural or spiritual confidence. Because we had faced such opposition. We've been through so many things that didn't go the way we thought they would go. And now, instead of having all this bubbly zeal that everything's going to be okay, maybe just paint some of your pictures if you've been at this a long time. You almost kind of settle into a mediocre frame of mind And I know the devil said this to me, well, you thought you were going to do that one day. You thought you were called to do that, but you were just thinking more highly than you should have. Because maybe you just thought it was going to be that way, but it's not really what you were supposed to do. You know, come on. The devil comes in all kinds of ways and shapes and sizes. And then I would take it before the Lord and say, Lord, I want to do something I'm not supposed to do. I don't want to try to pursue an endeavor that I'm not called to pursue. Because there may be some cases where you get a vision for something that's not your vision. And I'm aware of all of that. But I think that we have to be cautious as each year goes by, each decade goes by, that we don't cast aside legitimate vision from God because we didn't see it happen yet. Pick up those things that you've laid down. That's what the Lord said today. We had, I don't believe God has you do things in the first 10 or 20 years of your ministry and then later on you say, well, maybe I shouldn't have done that and that's not part of my call. We had, you know, not me so much, but my husband took a lot of missions trips during the season there. That's one of those things the Lord said, pick that up again. Why aren't you picking it up? Why aren't you doing it? Size, money, circumstances, COVID, there's a number of things. But there's, you know, we came to this city, you know what our tagline was? Bringing a fresh anointing to the Fox Valley area. But we came here perched up on our stool thinking we're going to change this city. We still are. But I think that's what the Lord was referring to today because I know I got in the anointing today and I did it. And I could see it so clearly sitting there in the presence of God. Pick that up again. Yes, you're called here to change the city. Amen. It doesn't matter what any other preacher in this city is supposed to do. We have to act like we're the only ones that God called to do it. Amen. Pick up those things that you've laid down. Amen. Glory to God. Just because darkness came doesn't mean the plan of God for our lives changed. Amen. Just because clouded judgment came, just because the dimming of the light of the revelation we had for our life showed up doesn't mean the plan changed. I wish we could all have our moment where we're just caught up to heaven and get the light back. Right. But it's probably not going to happen that way. That's why we need revival. A revival, true revival, which we haven't really seen in this church since the 90s, is when everybody, you'll know it. Believe me, you'll know it. When you come to church and everybody's caught up in another place, the excitement is there because the light is there. Amen. So that's where we're headed, guys. We're headed back into a place where we're revived and we're going to pick up those things. Because the whole church believes, yes, we are important to this city. Yes, we are making a difference in this city. Without us, this city fails. Without us, the assignment for people in this city fails. That is called boldness and knowing who you are in Christ. Amen. But the devil wants to come and put that light up by saying things that sound rational and reasonable, but they're of the devil. Maybe you're not the one that God wants to use for that assignment. Maybe he wants to use some other man or woman. Well, this is not just about reaching the city. What is it in your life? The devil will try to put the light out. Your life is not just about the business you're called to. It's not just about the money you're called to make. It's not just about your occupation or your career. We are the light. What vision for your life have you laid aside? Pick it up. What dreams have you laid aside just because of time that's gone by or because of your age? Pick them up. I'm telling you, I heard as clear as anything the Spirit of God say, pick up those things you laid aside. Pick up those things that you laid down. And I thought it was just for me. And as I continue to pray and seek God today for the message, I felt the Lord made it very clear it's for everybody here. It's for all of us. Pick them up. What authority have we laid aside? Do you know, every time we allow ourselves to slump into a depression, we have set aside our authority. We have laid aside the light. Pick it up again. Just because you slumped into a state of depression and laid it aside doesn't change the fact that you still have all authority over all the power of the enemy. It doesn't change the fact that you have an inheritance. It doesn't change who you are in Christ. All the time from heaven's perspective where there's perfection and all light, they're seeing you in a different picture. And because of the picture you're seeing down here, because the darkness dimmed it, it's under your feet but you're letting it sit on your head. We have been given a great inheritance and God expects us to walk in it. Now let's go to Ephesians 1. Can I use your Bible now, Josiah? Thank you. I probably should keep a copy of the Amplified in our green room because we have enough of them. Praise the Lord. Ephesians 1 from the Amplified. Let's start almost at the beginning. Let's go to verse 3. May blessing, praise, laudation and eulogy be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah who has blessed us in Christ. Now it doesn't say who is going to bless us. It says who has blessed us with every spiritual given by the Holy Spirit blessing in the heavenly realm. Listen, the blessings are in the realm of the Spirit. That's why when you get to heaven you see it 100% clear, 100% confidence, 100% faith. We don't usually operate with so many things that we contend with. I mean there's no condemnation if you're not operating 100% faith because I don't know of anybody who is. When Dr. Dufresne talked about that full potential power, we're supposed to be praying for full potential power because we're not there yet. But heaven's perspective is that we've been given every spiritual blessing even as in his love for the foundation of the world that we should be holy, consecrated, and set apart for him and blameless in his sight even above reproach before him in love for he foreordained us, destined us, planned in love for us to be adopted, revealed as his own children through Jesus Christ in accordance with the purpose of his will whatever it might be to the praise and the commendation of his glorious grace, favor, and mercy which he so freely bestowed on us in the beloved. Verse 7, in him we have redemption. We have deliverance and salvation through his blood. Deliverance from what? Every wicked thing. Not going to have it. You have it. But the degree of life glory, the remission, forgiveness of our offenses, shortcomings and trespasses in accordance with the riches and the generosity of his gracious favor which he lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding, practical insight and prudence making known to us the mystery or secret of his will of his plan, of his purpose. And it is this, in accordance with his good pleasure, his merciful intention which he had previously purposed and set forth in him, he planned for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things. Now look at verse 11, in him we also were made God's heritage and we obtained an inheritance for we had been foreordained and chosen and appointed by his purpose who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of his own will. Now there's a part I'm trying to get to here because all of this is good guys. I would read Ephesians 1 from the Amplified because this is talking about our inheritance in Christ. Now Paul gets to the part where he's going to pray and in the Amplified he prays to the God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory. Let me tell you why Paul is praying this. Normal Hayes had a moment in heaven. Paul had a whole lot more than a moment in heaven. He was caught up to the third heaven and heard things some of which he couldn't even repeat on earth. He saw the light, literally. He saw it on the Damascus And so here he is now praying this prayer. Why? Because exactly what I'm preaching tonight, he saw the difference between the light and the darkness of the earth. Between revelation, knowledge and understanding of who God is and what he's done for us and the dimness of even having a glimpse of the Father on earth. And so this is why he's praying this for the saints and why really Brother Hagin encouraged us to pray this prayer every day. That he may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation of insight into mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of him by having the eyes of your heart flooded with light so that you can know and understand the hope to which he has called you and how rich is his glorious inheritance in the saints, his set-apart ones, and so that you can know and understand what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of his power in and for us who believe. Think about it. If you could know and understand this power, there are no limits. As he demonstrated in the working of his mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above every name that's named. Now think about it. Normal Hays prayed for five years for his daughter and he did not have the eyes of his heart flooded with light. He didn't know and understand the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of God's power. But when he came back from that heavenly realm, he did have the eyes of his understanding flooded with light and he did understand the exceeding immeasurable power, the greatness of that power, and so when he went and cursed those growths that time, he did it with full faith, full light, full power because power follows the faith. Think about what we could do if we had this light. Praise God. Now verse 20. Let's go, I'm sorry, Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 20 from the Amplified. In chapter 3, there's another prayer which is an excellent prayer but just for sake of time, verse 20 which we talked about this earlier this year. Now to him who by in consequence of the action of his power that is at work within us is able to carry out his purpose and do super abundantly far over and above all that we dare ask or think infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. If you screwed up everything in your life up until this day, I got news for you. God can fix it in a moment. But if you start thinking it's hopeless and it's too late and it can never turn around, the devil is right where he wants you. Because according to this verse, he can do super abundantly far over and above all that we dare ask or think infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams. So this light is a wonderful thing. If you read the epistles, you find it in almost, well especially, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, just reading the first chapter of each of those books, it's talking about our inheritance. It's talking about what we've been redeemed from and what we've been given in Christ. And so, you know, I'm one of these people where I am very methodical and I want to read through the whole Bible and read it. I've been doing it for so many years that if I didn't do it, I'd be afraid I'd get struck by lightning. I'm exaggerating. But if you read it, it might do as well. If you don't have time to read through the Bible and meditate on a particular area, forget trying to read from Genesis through Revelation and pick an area that's going to bring a light. Like for instance, spend time reading Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Read through that. I mean, if you could do it, read it once a week, every week. Oh yeah. You'll get more out of that, the light that comes out of that, than trying to read through the whole Old Testament. I'm not saying there aren't good nuggets throughout the Old Testament. There are. But we need light. We need what the New Testament has to offer, but particularly the epistles, if we're going to have this light. And that is only going to come through waiting upon the Lord. It can't come any other way. Thank you, Jesus. You know, my normal haze received that visitation and that revelation. It's like, you know, it wasn't because he had a call on his life to the ministry. It's because he was persistent about seeking the Lord. Every time I would hear that story, I would think the same thing over and over again. Persistence. He was praying wrong. He didn't do it right, but he didn't quit. Instead of getting discouraged and quitting, he got more desperate after five years. And then in his desperation, he's laying on the floor crying out, saying, Oh, God! It wasn't the most scriptural thing I'd ever heard of, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. I want you to show me the truth, God. I want you to show me the truth. And he kept calling out on God hour after hour, day after day. And so I immediately thought of this passage. Let's go to Luke chapter 11. Luke chapter 11 in verse 5. He said to them, Which of you shall have a friend and go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves. For a friend of mine has come to me on his journey and I have nothing to set before him. And he will answer from within and say, Do not trouble me. The door is now shut and my children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give to you. Now, God doesn't answer us this way, but there's an illustration here at a point that Jesus is making. I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his love for him and because of his persistence, he will rise and give him as many as he needs. We know there's another story where the unjust judge and the widow woman that comes before him and she won't stop harassing him. Well, that kind of persistence and determination gets God's attention. He knew this man Norval was serious that he meant business. He wasn't going to let go of the hem of the garment until he had it. And some of us give up too soon. And that's why we don't have light. Now, go on to verse 9. He says, So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened. The Amplified says, So I say to you, ask, and keep asking. Seek, and keep seeking. Right? There's something along those lines. I don't have it written down here, but I was trying to quote it. So it's ask, and keep asking? Mm-hmm. You know, you would think, well, doesn't that contradict the faith message? You're only supposed to ask once and then thank God for it? Mm-hmm. Well, different rules for different types of prayers. The Amplified says, So I say to you, ask, and keep on asking, and it shall be given you. Seek, and keep on seeking, and you shall find. Knock, and keep on knocking, and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives. He who seeks and keeps on seeking finds. You know, that's the key there is the seeking. Norval Hayes didn't have it right. He realized he was missing it somewhere, but he wanted to know why. He wanted the answer. Kind of like Pastor Joe was sharing again tonight. Find out what your when is. How are you going to do it if you don't ever get before God? Amen. Hallelujah. Have we been persistent enough to receive the light that we need to fulfill the plan of God? Or have we let the devil put the light out? Have we let him put doubt and unbelief on us? Have we let him reduce us in size and our own thinking? And we're not talking about what we're going to do. You know what? I don't think anybody in this church is guilty of thinking they're the greatest thing since I was going to say sliced pickles, but I don't even like sliced pickles. Sliced bread. What, you know, I don't think anybody here is guilty of thinking they're just all that and so wonderful and so great and up on a haughty platform. No, we have a different problem called false humility maybe, where we feel so unworthy or so unfit or so less than we should. We're not and God doesn't want us in that stage. The devil does. What are we called to do? If it's not great, it's not God. Why would God call us to do something mediocre when he's great and he lives in us? The greater ones in us. If we aren't called to reach this whole city, then we're not called to the city. Now, I'm not saying this in a bragging way. I'm saying it in a Holy Ghost boldness way. If we aren't called to reach more people than anyone else in the city, then what are we doing here? You have to have an attitude like that or what's going to drive and motivate you? Feeling pathetic? That's not going to motivate anybody. God doesn't want us to stumble around in the darkness any longer in any area of our lives. How long are you going to stumble around in darkness? You know what that tells me? Now, think about it. You know, I've heard Pastor Nancy tell a few stories or Dr. Dufresne where they're believing God for some answers and instead of getting a sweet response like you might think you'd get, they get rebuked. And you think, whoa, is God having a bad day? So here's Norval who spends five years believing for these growths to disappear and then spends three weeks on his face, hours a day, and what does he hear? A thunderous voice really rebuking him. Why would God rebuke us when we're trying to find an answer? He's letting him know your problem is you're stumbling in the darkness. Your problem is you don't have enough light. Your problem is you're not walking in the light. And he expects us to or he wouldn't make such a statement. Don't think that you're going to get off scot-free on Judgment Day just because you weren't called to the Bible ministry. That's a mistake a lot of believers make. They think, well, the pastor's going to get judged. I can just come and go and do my thing and it won't matter. Oh, but it will matter. And you know that passage in Revelation where it says he's going to wipe away every tear? Because there will be tears. We don't want to have too many though. So the title is... Let me see what is the title? Pick up those things that you've laid down. Pick up the things that God has for you and don't let the devil steal your destiny from dark thinking any longer. Dark thinking. It's not from God. Amen? Understand? Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, for making a difference in our family. Thank you, Father. I pray in the name of Jesus that every person that's a part of this church would set aside adequate time each day to spend in your presence over them. That we might pick up all those things that we've laid aside that we should not have laid down. Father, I thank you for the great and mighty callings and giftings that you've placed within us. That they are coming to fruition. That all the things that you revealed to us even years ago shall surely come to pass. We'll not grow weary and we'll not keep it cast aside any longer for this is the day and this is the hour of the greatest, mightiest move of the spirit of grace this world has ever known and you've called us to be a part of it. And you've called us to come up higher. You've called us to fulfill our destiny and not to set it aside in dark thinking. Lord, we repent today of dark thinking. We repent of dark thinking, wrong thinking. Satan, we bind you and command you to take your hand off of our minds, off of our bodies, off of our destinies, off of this church, off of our money. In Jesus' name you cannot tamper with the plan of God. We thank you, Father, that your plan is coming to pass. It shall surely come to pass. We thank you, Lord, Father. We thank you. We'll not allow ourselves to become absorbed with daily living, but we keep first things first. We thank you, Father, for it. Thank you, Lord. You know that song Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus? Do we know how to do that one? Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look for that wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely there. In the light of His glory and grace. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look for that wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely there. In the light of His glory and grace. We'd like to receive hands laid upon you for healing, or even for depression. Depression is nothing more than darkness that comes to put out the light. Anybody at all that you want to come forward Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. You know, if you've been believing for a healing, pick it up again. Cast it aside, pick it up. Thank you, Jesus. Let's stay in an attitude of worship. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord, in the name of Jesus. In the light of His glory and grace. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. The cool and wonderful face. In the name of Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Father. Hallelujah. Let's lift our hands and worship God, you know. He doesn't want us in darkness. He doesn't want us in depression. He doesn't want us in sickness. He doesn't want us to cast away our confidence. Lord, we worship you tonight. Thank you, Jesus. We worship you. Thank you, Jesus. We worship you. We praise you and thank you, Jesus. Now, the Bible did tell us that things would grow darker in the last days. And we have to not allow that darkness to put out our light. Amen. Praise the Lord. We have to really work at staying built up. Praise God. Hallelujah. Well, that's all, folks. We'll see you Sunday. God bless you.