The Connect Room
The Connect Room
A Prepared Faithful Heart
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It's a prepared faithful heart that is going to get you through the trouble like you never experienced it at all...The time to prepare for a battle is not when you are in it. It's before it starts.
Prepared, faithful heart. A prepared, faithful heart. And it just really struck me because you guys have heard me say this before about the time to prepare for battle is not when you're in battle, but before you go to battle. And what does that have to do with everything with the prepared heart? It means a prepared, faithful heart not only not only is with you during the battle, but it sustains you and maintains you and leads you through all the way to the end of the battle. Right? Like Psalms 23 says, I walk through the value of the shadow of death. Well, what makes that walking through easier and you sustain it while the rest of the world's getting on the worst of times, you're getting on the best of times. A prepared, faithful heart. Amen. Let's get into this tonight. But I do have a question for you. And this is something I want you to meditate on the whole time during the services. When trouble comes your way, who's the first person you think of, or who's the first person you call? When you're sitting right here today and trouble comes your way, right? When circumstances that you're facing aren't favorable, who's the first person that you call and that you think of? I pray it is, right? I pray it is. But this is what a prepared, faithful heart allows you to do that. Go with me to Psalms chapter 91, 3 through 5. Some of you may have the list, it's on there for you to read with me. Psalms 91, 3 through 5, then I'm gonna read 10 through 11. It says, Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wing you shall take refuge. Listen to what it's saying now. His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor the arrow that flies by day. It says verse 10 no evil shall befall you. Let that be the source, your foundation for a prepared, faithful heart, that no evil shall befall you. Man, what a statement. Right? That is a bold, faithful statement that no evil shall befall you. And the word says it, that means that settles it. That means that if it says no evil, that means no evil. Right? No evil shall befall you. And I love the boldness of it. I love that was just another fresh log onto my faith fire when I read that. Said no evil. God said, no evil. And we got to take it for what he meant by that. He means no evil shall befall you. Then guess what we should prepare our heart with? That no evil shall befall us, that no evil shall be successful against us. In fact, that word in the Hebrew refers to any kind of harm, any kind of calamity, disaster, and it emphasizes protection from destructive forces. All church catch that. That no calamity, no harm, no disaster, and it's gonna protect you from destructive forces shall befall you. So what are we preparing our faithful heart with? That no evil shall befall you or me. See, this is what we've got to get established on the inside of us so that man, no matter what situation you find yourself in, what circumstances may be coming against you, you can stand assured saying, Man, I don't have to retreat, I don't have to surrender. And if you so choose, do you don't have to slow down? Why? Because the word says that no evil, no calamity, no hard time, and it's gonna no, no, what did it say? No, no destructive forces shall be successful against you. Say amen to that. Come on, no evil shall befall you. Catch up hold of that, believe it today. In fact, I want to challenge you this. Keep saying it, saying it, saying it till you believe it.
unknownSorry, amen.
SPEAKER_00Right? You all heard my my youth pastor story that I tried to convince teenagers that two plus two did not equal four. And they were like, No, it always equals four. Well, how do we know that? Because since the book since you could talk, and before you could walk, somebody showed you an index card said, now little, now little Sandy, what's two plus two? Four, and they're like, Oh, good girl, here's a sucker. Right? It's the same mindset that no evil shall befall you. Right? And you're saying it, you're saying it, you're saying it until it gets deepest down into your heart, and it's in the abundance of your heart that no evil forces will be successful against me. There shall be no calamity in my life, no harm, and no disaster. Come on, that is a prepared, faithful heart. Right? Get a hold of that, believe it today. Believe that God wants to be God in your life, right? That's why I asked you from the very beginning. When things get rough in your life, who's the first person you call? Most of us, it's three people. You want who it is? Me, myself, and I. How do I get out myself out of this? Why is this happening to poor, poor, pitiful me? Right? When things happen, when rough things happen, the circumstances don't go our favor, we usually tend to call one of those three people. That's why it's vital you make it up in your life, in your mind, in your life, that the first person you're gonna go to when troubles are hard, when things aren't going your way, man, you're seeking the Lord because you've got a prepared, faithful heart that says, No evil shall befall me. Come on. That means the enemy's harm, his destruction, his his his col his disasters that he wants to befall you cannot happen. This is what you got to get to to have this prepared, faithful heart, right? And that God, let God be God in your life. What do you have to lose? You can go frown and be sad and be depressed tomorrow, but for one day, let God be God in your life. And rest assured that no evil can befall you. Or if you if you rest assured that no evil can befall you, then guess what? Man, you've got a faithful heart that not only can you can start the walk, but you can see yourself through that valley. Right? And the whole time that you're walking through that valley and the enemy's hit talking in your ears, thinking you're not good enough, you're not strong enough, you're too weak, you're gonna say, nope, I'm not believing any of that nonsense because no evil shall befall me. None of your lies, none of your tricks, none of that can come against me and be successful against me. That is a prepared, faithful heart. Now, do you see why it's so important to be ready, prepared for the battle before you go into the battle? Come on. All of us like, all of us like winning. Winning's addicting, winning feels good. Winning feels a lot better than losing. Come on. Right? I don't know how many fist fights you in, but I've been in enough, with my army days, I've been in a bar fights that it feels better hitting somebody than getting hit. It's the same thing with the enemy. We should know that none of his tricks or lies are gonna come against us. We have a prepared, faithful heart that we're the ones doing the hitting. With how? Our faith. Our faith. He doesn't like it that you're walking through that valley. He wants you getting right to that valley and getting so scared and shaking in your boots that you're saying, then I don't have enough in me. I'm not strong enough. I don't know enough word. God isn't, I don't know God well enough to get through this valley. That's where he wants you. Right? He wants you so so infilled with fear and insecurity and in and in and in everything else that he's put onto you that you're saying, Man, there ain't no way I can make it to that valley. I need I need to call my pastor. I need to call Sister Sally to come hold my hand to get through this. And I'm not telling you not to do that. I'm just saying that when you have a prepared, faithful heart and you're ready before the battle, before the battle comes, let me tell you, it doesn't feel like that. Right? That's why you've heard me say, living a life of faith. You shouldn't, why walking around like you're a whooped dirty dog? Like man, oh man, this faith stuff's hard. I'm believing God for it, and there you are, your last breath, your last bit of strength you've got. Why? Because your heart, you haven't learned to have a prepared, faithful heart. Amen. So just know let God be God in your life, let him be the big dog. How many of you have heard my two dog stories? Sitting on a porch, you feed one every day of the week, the other one you just totally ignore. Those two dogs get in a fight. What dog's gonna win? The one you feed every time, right? So let God be God in your life. Feed God in your life, feed yourself with the word. Why? Because he wants to be your protection, otherwise, he wouldn't have put it in there. He wants to be your security, he wants to be the first name you think of, the first name you speak of, and the first one you call. And this is the deal. He wants to be the one you trust. Trust to what? To look to, to answer to, that knows that, man, I truly believe that no evil shall befall me. Come on, right? And here's the good news: if you can do that, he will never let you down. Man, I feel like shouting, but I can't because there's a party going on next door. If you can do that, he'll never let you down. Again, the time to prepare for war is not when you're in it, it's before you're in it. Right? That's what brings you victory. It's a prepared, faithful heart that's going to get you through the trouble like you never experienced it at all. Right? I like, but people think, man, all you do, it looks like things don't bother you. Well, I learned a long time ago, don't sweat the small stuff. Because if you live a life sweating the small stuff, when the big stuff comes, you're gonna look crushed. You're gonna feel crushed, you're gonna speak and act crushed. And people say, Well, you don't look like you bugs me. Well, there's some things that bug me, but I just know that I'm prepared before I have to go into there. My heart has been as a prepared, faithful heart. So my topic tonight is I want to talk to you about faith being built ahead of time. Faith being built ahead of time. Father, thank you so much for tonight. Thank you, Lord, for your word. Thank you for these wonderful people that are gathered here tonight. Thank you, Lord, that they came ready for your word to allow your word to move in and through them, Father God, Lord. Lord, they're gonna come here and leave here tonight, Father God, Lord, more on fire, more ready and willing, Lord, to continue to walk through that valley because they're convinced upon all convinced that no evil shall befall them. Father, they're gonna leave here with a prepared, faithful heart. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen, amen, amen. Church, it's so vital that we develop a trust in God. Having faith in our God before trouble comes. Understand that. Having faith that no evil shall befall you, having the word prepared in your faithful heart before the trouble comes. Well, why is that? Because if your heart's prepared when trouble comes, trouble don't stick around as long. Right? You hear tithe messages all the time from people like Alan and Pastor Crystal and Diana. They talk about, man, that they're living in blessings because of what? They're tithers, and things don't tend to come upon them like they do other people. Why? Because what does the word say? Man, he rebukes the devourer for your sakes. What does that mean? I'm gonna prepare my faithful heart that I'm gonna do what his word says, that he's gonna rebuke the devourer for me. Well, what does that mean I gotta do? I gotta have a faithful heart to do what his word says to do. That's how you prepare for the battle before you go into battle. It's being fully sold out and convinced that you're gonna let God be God in your life. Not me, myself, and I. Oh, me, myself, and I is gonna do it's gonna keep you stressed out, gonna keep you balled up, it's gonna keep you in lack for the nicest way I can put it. It's vital we develop our trust in God, having faith in our God before trouble comes. Right? Because a prepared, faithful heart is going to get you through trouble like you never experienced it at all. Isn't that good? Man, that's good. The trouble can come on you, but it doesn't stay on you, it doesn't wrinkle your clothes. Come on, and your face don't get wrinkled up. Why? Because you have a prepared, faithful heart that no evil shall befall you. Right? And no matter what comes my way, I know you can't be successful. I know my God's my protector, he's my provider, and if he said it, he'll do it. And if he says that no evil shall befall me, then no evil shall befall me. What do I have to stress about? What do I have to worry about? What is gonna stop me from walking through that valley of the shadow of death? Nothing. I'm gonna be the one punching with my face as opposed to constantly getting punched in the face. Some of us, you've heard me say this, and I've done it before, in the spirit, some of us are just constantly living like this because the devil's just jabbing you constantly, constantly, right? Man, this this stuff, Christian stuff don't work. Where's God at? I need him. I'm having troubles in my life. A prepared, faithful heart. You learn to bob and weave, and you learn to be you learn to be proactive with it. Amen. Go with me to Proverbs chapter 3, verse 5 and 6, in the Passion Translation. It says, Trust in the Lord completely. What does that mean? It means let God be God in your life. Let him be God in your life, let him do what he wants to do in your life. Don't fight him, don't be disobedient. Let him do what he wants to do, and your life will be better for it. Come on, right? I told you on Sunday that man, Pastor Crystal's more in love with me now than she ever's been. Why? Because I'm letting God be God in my life. Right? She enjoys me more, I enjoy her more now. Right? When she talks, it's not like finger nails on this on the blackboard. Because he's, I trust the Lord completely. It says, do not rely on your own opinions. It says, with all your heart, rely on him to guide you. And he will what? Lead you in every decision you make. It says, become intimate with him, whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. I love that word intimate. What does that mean? Take him where everything you go, everything you do, take him with you. In fact, it would be just downright odd if you did something you didn't bring him with you. That's how that's how we should be living our life. That everything I do, everywhere I go, every decision I make, man, my Jesus that I'm intimate with, I don't go anywhere without him. I don't say anything without seeking him, and I don't do anything without seeking him. Right? I'm letting God be God in my life. Understand, this Bible verses isn't guaranteeing you an easy road. That's not what it's saying. This is saying it's all about guidance. It's all about guidance, preparing your faithful heart for when the truck, when the day of the Trump war comes, you're not getting prepared for it, you're already prepared for it. It's all about guidance, it's what he's talking about. The word is saying when decisions get hard and confusing, it's saying those two verses are saying, trust God, He's the one that keeps you from avoiding potholes. Right? If your wife's anything like mine, it's the world ends when you hit a pothole. Right? Johnny, watch what you're doing. Start paying attention. Trusting God keeps you avoiding every pothole and chasing and chasing every detour. Notice what I said. What happens when you chase detours? Right? You you go the easy, you look for the easy wrong instead of the hard right, right? Let me put it this way: it just means having peace even before the circumstances change. That's what those verses are telling me. If you're looking at every challenge, no matter how big or how long or how hot, right, is saying to it, you're saying to those challenges, my God is mine. My God is mine. Because remember, he'll be whatever you need him to be when you need him to be it. That's what you allow God to be, God in your life. God, I need, I need some strength, I need, I need a source of strength, I need a source of peace, I need to be loved, I need to be comforted, I need to be heard, I need to be directed and corrected. God will be what He needs what you need Him to be when you need Him to be it. Just let Him be God in your life. You want to learn to have a prepared, faithful heart. Well, that can't happen unless you choose today and make it up in your mind that I'm gonna let God be God in my life. Right? You'll find there's way more peace, there's way more joy, there's way more uh comfort, satisfaction when you allow God to be God in your life. Because what does He want? He wants to be your refuge, He wants to be your strength, He wants to be your help. I love this. He wants to be your present.
unknownCome on.
SPEAKER_00Present what? Help. He wants to be your. I don't know many people that are saying, hey, call me if you need to help a movie, a movie, a heavy couch. Ain't nobody come up to me and says, Pastor, if you ever want to move a heavy couch, you call me. Or if you ever want to move something heavy, call me. You ever want to till your backyard? Call me, I'll be there for you. Right? But you, this God that wants to be God in your life is telling you, I want to be your present help whenever you need it. Right? And this is what he's telling you, saying, Hey, I'll be what you need me to be when you need me to be it, and I guarantee you, guarantee that I will perform and back my word up, and that no evil shall befall you. See, you gotta ask yourself, if there's some things that are some things that have befalled you, you gotta ask yourself, do I let God be God in my life? Or was it more me, myself, and I?
unknownRight?
SPEAKER_00Because me, myself, and I is gonna give you temporary satisfaction or gratification to your flesh. It doesn't deal with the root. God deals with the root. When he says he wants to be your present help, that's what he's talking about. So, my three points for you tonight, if you have the notes, they'll be on there. My point number one, in no particular order, is he can handle all the dangers that surround you. Come on, let him be God. There's nothing bigger, more powerful than him. I don't care how bad they are, he can handle them. That includes yourself. The second thing is no evil shall have no evil shall happen or occur to you. And the third thing is faith prepared ahead of time lets you have peace ahead of time, regardless of the circumstances changing. You could be walking through something, going through life, all of a sudden, circumstances change. That should not change your peace, that should not change the victory you're living in, that should not change your prepared heart. Because I tell you, when you're going through things, they can change more than once. But when you have a prepared, faithful heart, it keeps you prepared in peace regardless of how many times your circumstances change. How many of you just today, how many times these circumstances change today? Right? Lots come on, lots of times, numerous times, a prepared, faithful heart keeps you in peace, keeps you in love, keeps you in victory, regardless of how many times those circumstances change. That's why you can look at me and say, hey, you don't sweat small stuff. No, I don't. I don't because I have prepared a faithful heart. Now, don't get me wrong, I still fall short sometimes. There's some things that if I'm not quick, they'll jump on me and I'll call I'll be I'll be responding out of emotions. But those three points, I'm gonna give you a perfect example to close with tonight. And I love this example of those three points. Remember, he can handle all the dangers that surround you. He doesn't care how bad they are, he can handle them. Remember, no evil shall happen or occur to you. And listen, a faith prepared ahead of time lets you have peace ahead of time, regardless of the circumstances changing.
unknownThat's good.
SPEAKER_00That means. You leaders, you managers, you could be sitting in front of somebody coaching them or counseling them, and you already have peace because your heart's prepared before that meeting, and they can respond to you in three, four different ways out of emotions, and it doesn't steal yours. I don't know about you, but I don't like leaving, I'd never like leaving some of those conversations and just feel like, man, I have nothing left to give to anybody. Right? Come on, it's it's all about your prepared, faithful heart. Let me show you in Daniel chapter 3, verse 16 through 18. You'll be able to find all those three points in these verses. Daniel 3, 16 through 18. It says, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer to you in this matter. If that is the case, our God, listen, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fire furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand. Why don't we talk like that anymore? None of it, none, myself included, we don't talk like that when trouble comes our way. Oh, you you bad boy, God's gonna deliver me out of this. What do we do?
unknownWe don't say that.
SPEAKER_00Ah, we try to logic everything. Why is this happening? Come on. We don't talk like we don't talk like those three guys do. And why is that? I'll tell you, because we choose not to. Listen what they said. They said, oh king. But if not, let it be known to you, O King, we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. When's the last time you told anger? Anger, I don't serve you.
unknownCome on.
SPEAKER_00When's the last time you told offense? Offense, I don't serve you. When's the last time you told yourself? When's the last time you told me, myself, and I, I don't serve you. Again, we're talking about being prepared for the battle before you go into the battle. And if you're still serving yourself, there's gonna be lots of things that's gonna keep you in that battle a lot longer than you're called to. Church, the Bible tells us that we're not to taste or ever live in defeat. But it takes, it takes you and me living that way, right? Alan said something the other night that just or last night that just said that's pretty good. Man, things just don't magically appear. Right? Church, you've got to understand. In fact, go home tonight and get in front of the mirror and practice talking like Shadrach, Meshach, and Tabedigo. He shall deliver me. Right? But if not, oh fear, oh worry, oh stress, I don't serve you. Here's the backstory, in case you don't know the story. King Nebuchadnezzar started feeling himself way too much. He built a 90-foot gold statue of himself, right? 90 foot. And every time the people, every time they heard the music, they had to bow down to that to that statue. And again, this is a perfect example. Let God be God in your life. You don't have to give in to your circumstances, your stresses, your fears, your worries, your anxieties, the problems wherever you're in your life. You don't have to serve them. You don't have to bow to them and then keep bowing and staying in a bowed position for any length amount of time in your life. Because a prepared, faithful heart knows that no evil shall befall me. A prepared, faithful heart speaks back to those situations and says, I do not serve you. Right? I do not serve you. And if I don't serve you, I don't have to give you one moment of my time or my life allowing you to reign on my parade. This is where we've got to be. This is how we've got to start talking like these three guys. Right? That'd be awesome. Now, it goes on to say, if you fail to do so, everybody knew what the consequences were if you failed to bow down to that statue. What was the consequence? They'd get thrown in the furnace. So it wasn't a secret to anybody. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that the moment they didn't bow, they'd be thrown into that fire. The moment they allowed that statue to be bigger than God in their life, they would be, they would, they'd be thrown in the they wouldn't be thrown in the fire. How many times do we give situation and circumstances of our life to be bigger than God? How many of you sitting here today with unforgiveness in your heart? How many of you sitting here today with a fence against somebody? How many here somebody today have given up and judged somebody? I'm here to tell you that right now, that circumstance you've allowed to become a 90-foot gold statue in your life. And the music is playing if you're still bowing. If you so choose, right, you're still bowing in front of that 90-foot statue in your life. Why? Because you've given it a control and forcing you to keep living with unforgiveness, keep living in offense, keep living in anger, keep living in doubt or worry. And what did these three jokers say? King, my God's gonna deliver me. And even if he doesn't, I don't serve you.
SPEAKER_01Come on. That's good. Come on.
SPEAKER_00Church, that's what a prepared, faithful heart that's prepared for battle sounds like and refuses to compromise. Right? So I'm gonna ask you what 90-foot statue have you allowed in your life? That you keep going around and around, and every time a certain day or a certain anniversary or a certain situation comes, the music starts playing, and there you go battle. Instead of saying, I don't serve you, a prepared, faithful heart is ready for the battle before it comes. Right? Listen, listen to the way they talked. Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. Talk to the hand. There was no fear in them. They weren't thinking about how the flames were gonna fill on their skin. They weren't thinking about, whoa man, what are we gonna do if we don't? I mean, what there was no worry. Their heart was prepared that no evil shall befall them. Man, I want to be like that. I'm not there yet. I'm just being honest with you. I'm not there yet, and I'm sure if you are, write a book so I can read it. But I know somebody who is, and he has a book written already. That if we can prepare our heart with these words, man, then we can be prepared, our heart can be prepared for any battle or any stress or worry. But you gotta ask yourself, what 90-foot gold statue have you allowed in your life? And I'll tell you a lot of it. Number one, pride. I ain't gonna forgive. I can't forget. No. That gold statue's right there, the music's playing the whole time you're bowing. Church, we've got to get to the point and convinced that no evil shall befall you. We've got to get to the point that we're gonna believe that God wants to be everything He you need Him to be when you need Him to be it. So that our heart is prepared with faith that no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, it's not a matter of if. It doesn't matter, it's not a matter of maybe, it's a matter of we're gonna get through the other side. The problem is we want to continue to identify ourselves as struggling people, as struggling Christians. No, the Bible says that we are winners, we're overcomers, we're conquerors. Man, we're not called to be stuck in the middle of the lake battling and in fear. We're called to be on the other side, smiling, thiving, and profiling. That's where you've got to have your heart prepared. Too many of us we find ourselves getting splinters on our butt from that wooden boat that we choose to stay in. That's why a prepared, faithful heart is vital for your victory. Vital so that man, no matter what circumstances may change in your life, your peace, your love, your joy, and the smile on your face never changes. Regardless of how hot the king says, I'm gonna make that furnace. Go ahead and make it hot, buddy. It ain't gonna affect me one bit. Come on, you don't have to like me. Don't like me. I'm not gonna lose sweat sleep by you not liking me. Because I don't serve you. Come on. I want to encourage you tonight in this world. There are many furnaces everywhere you look, right? But I want to challenge you, you don't need to be moved. You have the you have faith, right? You don't have to be moved to have your faith shook by what you see and what you feel and what you hear. Because remember, the king after Shadow Meshach Abednel said that to him, and they found out they didn't bow. What did he say? He said, Go make that fire seven times hotter. Some of us will be like, Okay, I'll bow next time the music plays. We'll compromise. And where does the enemy get us to compromise the most? Our finances. Because why? Because Jesus has so much to say about finances, He can get you to die. Why are so many of us broke and just barely surviving? Because we've compromised. Come on, we've gotten to the point where man, we can't stand this heat. I'm tired of being being uh buried under all these bills. Let me compromise. Next time the music plays, I'm gonna bow. Right? Think about it. That's why so many of us are just surviving. If I can just make it to next December. In fact, Pastor Chris and I were talking about a situation in our life. We're thinking, man, we only got 13 months left till we pay that last bit of debt off. You know, I was thinking, well, and for a while, that's what we talked about lunch, what I told you we were doing. Right? And for a while, it was like, man, I I could hear the music playing. Thinking, okay, I just got to make it 13 more months. And I was thinking, no, I do not serve that debt. Right? And I reminded me when I was prepared, I was starting talking like Shadrach, Meshach, and Bible, Dad, I don't serve you, you serve me. You can play all that music you want, you ain't gonna get me to bow. And see, check out what happened to in Daniel 3, verse 23. I love it because they there was, if they were begging and pleading for the life, the word would have had it in there. But if you read this verse, what'd they do? They threw them in there, they threw them in the furnace. All right, man. I say that to you because even when bad moments happen, it's your faith, it's your trust, and it's your prepared heart that's that stops bad moments from gaining momentum in your life. Because it's bad moments that want to gain momentum in your life. Understand that. But it's your choice when bad moments happen in your life to not let them gain momentum in your life.
unknownThank you.
SPEAKER_00Because one bad moment's all it's meant ever meant to be is one bad moment. Too many times we want to settle with it, we want to drink it, we want to live with it, we want to soak in that bad moment so that man's momentum can happen. And before you know it, one bad moment leads to several bad moments. One bad moment is never supposed to create momentum in your life. Why? Because you have a prepared, faithful heart that says, I do not serve you moment, and I curse you at the roots, and I declare, My God, and no harm shall come upon me, my God will deliver me through this. I'm not gonna sit one moment, debt, stress in my life, worry in my problem, my marriage. I'm not gonna sit one moment sitting in the middle of the lake when my Jesus said, We're going to the other side. Right? Quit bowing to the music. Change the music, okay? Change the station. Change the music. Right? When bad moments happen in your life, be prepared. I've got a prepared, faithful heart that no evil shall befall me, stress, everything. I say it five or six times because I want you to get it. That no, you do not serve that bad moment. Right? It's not a 90-foot statue. Go to go to uh verse 27. Because remember, it's a faith, trust, and your prepared hearts that stop bad momentum from happening in your life. Verse 27 says, and the satraps, administrator, governors, and the king counselors gather together. Look, it's the who of who have gathered together. Look at look how good God is here. He says, and they saw these men whose bodies the fire had no power. The hair on their head was not cinched, there were no garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Church, it is possible for you to go through hard times, and it looks like it has not effect on you whatsoever. How is that possible? You having a prepared, faithful heart, determined and sold out that no evil shall befall you. And this fire was seven times harder. So, what does that mean? The enemy's best shot cannot defeat you. Church, choosing faith always and having a prepared, faithful heart lets you get in in the best of times where the rest of the world is getting on the worst of times. The who's who were like, What? What's going on here? What they were perplexed, they were probably stressed, thinking, What's going on? How could this be? There was no faith in their hearts, right? They were they were gathered around thinking, man, we're gonna see the very worst. But here's the whole point for tonight. In fact, go to verse 25. While the rest of the world is getting on the worst of times, you're getting in the best of times. Verse 25 says, Look, he answered. This is the king. I see four men loose. What are they doing? Walking around in the fire. What does that mean? I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Right? A prepared heart is always, always putting in work, is always working, is always showing the enemy that your best shot is not good enough to keep me down, to keep me secluded, to look meet for me looking for off ramps. They were walking around on the enemy what he thought was going to take them down. Come on. Again, here's the whole point. It was the moment that here's the here's what you got to know. This was the moment when the king saw them walking around in the fire. That was the moment that the devil bowed because he knew he was just defeated. What he meant to get you to bow with, if you choose to bow, if you stay, if you have a prepared, faithful heart, and you allow this that God, no evil shall befall me. What the enemy meant for you to bow with, he'll be the one bowing. And you'll be the one walking around in victory. Smiling, styling, and profiling. Looking like, man, yeah, he's trying to come against me, but because my faithful, prepared heart, man, when the hard times come, it doesn't change my peace, regardless of the circumstances that happen in my life. Come on, praise God. So no matter how terrifying things are around you or how terrifying they seem to get, trust God. Let be God be God in your life. Church, it's not it's not an accident or luck that you're here tonight to hear this message. Right? Let be God. Some of you, this may be for one of here today. Let God be God in your life. Right? Where you have a where you have a failure to lead, let God be God in your life and allow him to teach you to lead. Right? This is where we've got to be. Why? Because he'll always, he is always faithful. You'll never call him and say, Hey, let me call you right back. He'll never say, Hey, your situation is too big for me. And this is the part that I love about my God. He'll never say, Didn't we talk about this before?
SPEAKER_01Yes. Come on.
SPEAKER_00Right? You got to remember condemnation and guilt, that's all from the devil. Conviction and redemption and righteousness is all from our Jesus. He's never gonna get on the phone and say, Man, why do you keep doing that? You've got to understand that he'll always answer your call, he'll always put you to the front of the line, and he'll be what you need him to be when you need him to be it. Come on. You need a mama's voice, God will be a mama's voice for you. You need a father's strength, God will be your father's strength. You need a compassionate heart, God will be that compassionate heart for you. Why? Because he wants you to win and he wants you to live a life where that no evil shall befall you. And he wants all of us walking in life through situation and circumstances with a prepared, faithful heart. Come on, he'll be right there to deliver you from any problem, any catastrophe, any kind of devastation, he'll be there to deliver you. And again, let him prove it. Let him prove it. Come on, you can go back to being sad, lonely, and fat, fatigued and tired tomorrow. Give him one day to be God in your life. I promise you this. You'll like yourself more, you'll feel better, you'll be happier, and here's the thing: people will probably like you more. Right? Trust God to be God, and I'll leave you with this. Trust and prepare your heart in the fact. Trust and prepare your heart in the fact that no one can deliver you like He can. Trust and prepare your heart in the fact that no one can deliver you like He can.