This sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding our covenant with the Lord and the need to walk in the light of His truth. It addresses the deception that can hinder believers and the power of grace to empower us to live according to God's Word. The message highlights the significance of being led by the Spirit to put to death the deeds of the flesh and the transformation that occurs when we choose to align with God's will.

You'll know, because that's the first thing you better know, that you're in covenant with the Lord. Folks, there's just so much deception. I want to tell you something. Let me just go ahead and tell you. We don't know too much. The Lord, in His grace, has just begun to open our eyes a little bit. Don't you believe that, Peter? Just a little bit. And if we'll walk in this light, it's going to be opened so fast and be so glorious. It already is. We have been deceived from top to bottom, deception. We're not going to fight to be sick anymore, are we? We're not going to fight to protect things that don't line up with the Word of God anymore, are we? Now, verse 3, or do you not know that all of us who've been baptized in the Christ Jesus have been baptized into His what? Death. Verse 4. Therefore, we've been buried with Him through baptism into what? Death. In order. Now, we're going to see what in order for what right here. That is, Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father. This is in order, so we too might walk in what? We're baptized into death so we might walk in newness of life. See, when you walk in newness of life, you're no longer walk, talking, and acting like the world and the devil. Do you understand that? Now, until you do understand it, you're going to be deceived by your thoughts and you will not take thoughts captive because you're going to think those thoughts are all right, those satanic thoughts. You can no longer do the things your carton pleases. It's supposed to die. All right, now, verse 5. But if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Isn't that right? Now, are we talking about the image of likened being conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ? That is the newness of life, that we walk into being conformed to the image of Jesus, which is where Adam fell and became the earthly, which is processed or reversed through the second Adam, that we're to become in the likeness and image of God. If you're in the likeness image of God, you know what you're doing? You're walking and talking and acting like God. That's godliness manifested in the flesh. Are you seeing that? Okay. Now, verse 6. Now, some people think that He just, Jesus already did it for us. Of course, He did, but I'm going to tell you what. That was not a license that He did it for us, that we turn around and say our words and walk away to walk, talk, and act like the devil. What He did for us right there is brought the power and the victory of Calvary, the power of cross, and the strength and the grace and the power to overcome sin and the devil and our walk, to walk in this covenant and in the likeness of God. Walking in covenant, it really simply means walking in the likeness and image of God, being like God instead of being like the devil. That's what covenant, who you make your covenant with. Let me just show you something else. When pride comes to talk to you, when hate comes to talk to you, when unforgiveness comes to talk to you, and you don't resist it, and you get in agreement with unforgiveness here in your heart, you make a covenant with Satan. Let me tell you another way to put it. Every time anyone ever hurts you or disappoints you, immediately a demon of unforgiveness or resentment comes to you and begins talking to you, she shouldn't have done that. As good as I have been to her, Mary, and everything, she shouldn't have ever done that. See, it begins building a case against that person. They're ready. They're watching it. It's unforgiveness. The Bible has always said to forgive, right? But you're like, Yeah, sure, Mr. Devil, sure. That's right. You're right. I mean, yeah, I hate her, too. Yeah, I sure do. Yeah, I sure do, Mr. Devil. Yeah, I want to murder her, too. Yeah, you. And you listen to this unforgiveness and see what happens is, it's unforgiveness. You listen to this case. You know you've had that to happen to you until you get an agreement with this. See, he gets you an agreement with him in your heart, and you know what happens? When you get an agreement with this unforgiveness in your heart, you know what happens then? He moves into your house with you. You know why he moves into your house with you? Because here's what God sees you doing. God, I find greater treasure in unforgiveness than I do forgiveness. And God says, Bang! You can have the other spirit then. You like evil? You get evil, and then you walk around in this unforgiveness, unforgiveness, resentment. And you go to bed at night, and it's all that's on your mind. Unforgiveness, unforgiveness, resentment. You wake up in the night, unforgiveness, unforgiveness. It's torment. You wake up in the morning, unforgiveness, unforgiveness, resentment, resentment, resentment. And you know what moves in then? A spirit of criticism. See, that just begins a family. Because anytime anybody has resentment and unforgiveness, then they become, their mouth becomes critical. And then that demon of criticism moves in there, and it's just criticism. Everybody's having one more walk in front of you. It's criticism, criticism, criticism, judgment, judgmental attitude, you know, just to criticize everything and move. Then the demon of hurt feelings. See, this is just one family moving in to that house with you. Do you see why I'm asking you what floor you live on? Then that hurt feelings. And you're hurt by this, and you're hurt by that. And he walked in front of me, and she did that. And then, see, that's torment, and it hurts. And then the next one, it moves in, there's old bitterness. You get on down there, and old bitterness comes in there. And there, old bitterness is. And you're just bitter. And bitter, and you'll stay bitter if you live to be 175 years old. You'll stay there until you repent and change directions in your heart. You know who follows bitterness? Diseases! And they just bring diseases into your body. Arthritis. So you can be free of arthritis. You're not supposed to have arthritis. It's no big problem to get rid of arthritis. A big problem is walking with Jesus. A big problem is being agreeable with God instead of the devil. See, everybody's been programmed to get your experience and get your flesh blessed instead of walking in covenant. Well, I'm going to tell you, you'll not be saved free from arthritis, or you're not saved free from anything else until you walk in covenant. Well, verse 7, for he who has died is freed from sin. You understand, when we understand how the powers of God, when we understand what they're doing and everything, and God did intend for us, is this Bible written to be understood? And when we have understanding, you know what's going to happen? You have to have understanding to be in a war, don't you? I'm going to tell you what, the Lord is going to open your eyes. This is so much between now and Saturday. You're going to see things. And immediately, then, it comes to your mind, your family, and people you love and everything. I'll tell you what you better concentrate on, folks. You better concentrate on lining your own life up with this Word right here, and then you'll become a tree of life and help other people. Amen? All right, now, in verse 11. Even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies that you should what? You don't obey the lust of this carton. You don't do the things that you please. Now, verse 13. And do not go on presenting the members your bodies to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourself to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you're not under law, but under what? All right, you're under grace. Now, may I tell you something? Look at me. Do you understand? Are you getting some comprehension about the grace of God on our lives? Do you know that everything that's good is just grace that God does to us? And you know that when you sin, or make covenant with the devil, or agree with the devil, you know what you're doing? You are sinning against grace. Don't that break your heart? When you sin, you sin against grace, the grace of God, the God kind of love, loving kindness. You sin against mercy. I do too. When I sin, I sin against mercy and grace. I sin against the God kind of love. Now, verse 15, what then? Shall we sin because we're not under the law, but under what? Grace. May? Here's your answer. You're ready now? May it never be. Is that plain? You know, when you start noticing, the Bible's saying the same thing all over the place, isn't it? It's a lot different when we're picking Jews, isn't it? Now, verse 16. Do you not know that when you present yourself to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey? Do you want to stop and meditate on that? We'll see who you're a slave of. Look to your fruit, look to your walk, look to your deeds. You're slaves of whoever you obey. Let me just tell you what. You're a slave of the devil or you're a slave of God? You're a slave of sin or you're a slave of righteousness? One of the two. You'll know them by their what? Fruit. You're a slave of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in what? Sin results in death. Or of obedience resulting in what? Righteousness. But thanks be to God that you, what's that word there? Arch, I want you to circle word. You were slaves of sin? That means you were, you're not anymore. You became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed. And now if you notice this comes from the heart. The heart from the heart man believes into righteousness, not the head up here. And having been free from sin, you became what? I'll ask you and you can answer that before the Lord. Are you a slave of righteousness? If you answer that before the Lord, are you a slave of sin or you a slave of righteousness? Because I want to tell you something, folks. We get back to the same old thing over and over and over. If you're not overcoming the world, the flesh, and the devil, I want you to know the world, the flesh, and the devil is overcoming you. Boy, I'm telling you, it's a new day and it's glorious. I mean, it is. Verse 22. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God. Are you enslaved to God? You derive your benefit resulting in sanctification. May I stop right there and tell you something about sanctification? When you're enslaved to God, another put this results in your being separated from the world. Sanctification is separation to God. Holiness. That's when you choose to become a slave to God. You get everything. Do you know that? Are you seeing a difference than living eternity and living for a piece of painted steel? You understand that love comes from here, the heart. You want to love the one who created you and loves you with a love that can't even be comprehended, that he loves you with a love, that he came here. He was spat upon in the face. He was hit in the face. His beard was snatched out. They put a crown of thorns. Nail the one who created you through Christ Jesus. All things are created in heaven and earth. Nailed him to a cross. Beat him until his insides were out. And then he could look on someone that did it and said, forgive them. Father, they don't know what they're doing. Do you want to shake your fist in his face too? But when it results in you becoming a slave to God, you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification and the outcome is what? Eternal life. For the wages of sin is what? Death. But the free gift of God is eternal life. I want you to know the wages of sin is death, front row, back row, platform. You going to remember that? See, because somebody comes to church, remember, they think that's a license. You know, to be a walking sin and walk away from the devil. That's a big deception. That's why people like Billy Graham and many evangelists look over and see the lostness of the church and they make a remark. As many people quote, Billy Graham is saying that 75% of the church is lost. The rub comes when you look them in the face and you tell them you're resisting the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. See, that upsets numbers. If your priority is numbers, then you don't want to mess with that because numbers is more important than getting people into heaven. Are you seeing the perversion? See, there are people when they know the truth, it's heaven or hell. Do you think people won't answer for that? God's not in 25 miles of folks where there's partiality, unrighteousness, or the seeking of a bride. Forget it. God's not there. Religious demons are. Fleshly living opens the door for a person to come under a demonic bondage. When a person chooses to live after this carton right here, the nature of it, the only thing he does is just come on in, Satan, because he's living under Satan's will. The nature's in agreement rather than the will of God. Are you seeing that? You choose. See, fleshly sin is choosing a God who pleases their flesh rather than a true and living God, because you understand that your flesh lacks demon talk. The demon doesn't always come and please the flesh. So that's what you're choosing. You're choosing the God, the God of this world, or the gods of this world, to please your flesh rather than true and living God. Are you seeing this? See, they come up here. This is what happens when we leave that scripture out. We don't take thoughts captive into obedience to be the likeness and image of God. We take these thoughts and receive them in them and act on them so we can be the image and likeness of Satan. Are you seeing this? That's what happens when you don't discern between good and evil. See, all fleshly sin flows out of the old man, the carton there. Satan appeals to the flesh senses. You already see this. He comes and he appeals to stir them up, come alive. Flesh. See, you're a tree of the field. Do you ever, you know in Isaiah where the trees of the field clap their hands? And you can tell who you listen to by your fruit. Now let me just tell you again. Is this seed? That is seed. If you receive God's seed and you, you know how you take something to heart, you know how you eat something to seed? You take it to heart. See, that's where the field is. And if you take this seed right here to your heart, then you're going to, you're going to bear fruit for God. It's going to come out because you're a tree of the field, right? What's going to water it? The Holy Spirit, right? All right, now, when you receive the seed of the devil, lust, murder, hate, unforgiveness, and you let that seed get planted in there, that's words. See, there's a word and there's words. Then that will also show up as the fruit on your tree. Amen. But you remember now what is the fruit of righteousness? The fruit of righteousness, which is walking right in God's eyes, seeing things before God's point of view, that is being righteousness. That is what is righteousness. The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life. And everywhere you go, you become a tree of life. Are you seeing that? And people come to get fruit off that tree. Now, I want to remind you again, it's Romans 13, 14. We don't, we don't turn there. We know we put on the Lord Jesus Christ and we make no provision for the lust of flesh, the fleshly desires, the will of God. We know it's covenant in the word and he says it, isn't that right? That's covenant. That's covenant. See, when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord, you know what you do? You take an oath that you're going to walk in covenant. Now, what is the purpose for you to come and pretend that you're going to make Jesus Christ the Lord while you're making covenant with Satan? Is that what they call double mindedness? Huh? Well, we only know in James one, a double minded man receives nothing from God. Isn't that right? Are you seeing the deception? Are you seeing what enemy can do to you when you're not in the war? Are you seeing how the whole world is puppets? Are you seeing how we've been puppets? But when you know the truth, what does it do? I'll tell you what, a church is going to have to be free. They're going to have to get out of bondage before they can walk with the Lord. I would just tell you that right now. They're going to have to get free. They're going to have to be free before they go. There's no walking with Jesus until they get free. They're going to have to get these lever pullers out of there. I want you to turn with me to Romans 8, please. Romans 8. You know that all we're doing right now, you're wondering, well, where are we going? I'm going to tell you, this is a foundation for us to get into something really exciting because I'm going to come to a place. I'm going to come to a place with you where I'm not going to do much talking. I'm just going to be reading scripture. It won't be important for me to say something. Just the Holy Spirit just speak to you right there. We just go through that thing and you're just almost going to leave here. I want to tell you, this is good news for the one that's receiving it. It's bad news, of course, for the ones that don't. A lot of people don't like this kind of bread. It's kind of dull. They like that soup line bread, don't they? All right, in chapter 8. Now, you know, chapter 7, Paul is talking about the spiritual warfare he's in. He finds himself doing the things he doesn't want to do. You remember that? You might want to read it sometime. But when he gets to the end, he says, Thank God I am set free through what? Covenant. He says, I'm free now in Christ Jesus from all that. So now in the first one, he says in chapter 8, there's now no longer no guilt or condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. He's free. And then you look in verse 4. In order that this was what went with over in Galatians 5, 16. In order that the requirements of the law, and God does have his law requirements, might be fulfilled in us who do not walk. I want you to mark that. Do not walk. We do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. I want you to know the requirements of God are fulfilled in the ones who walk after the Spirit, not the ones who walk after the flesh. Because the ones that walk after the flesh are in agreement with Satan. The ones that walk after the Spirit are the ones that the law is fulfilled in because they're in agreement to the image and likeness of God. Amen? For those who are... Let's talk about walking, verse 5. According to the flesh... Now, every time you see, is this where the war is up here, folks? Look at me. Look at me. Is this where the war is in your mind? Every time you come to mind right here, I want you just to make you a big old circle around it. Will you do it? Verse 5. For those who are walking according to the flesh set their minds... There it is. If they're walking according to the flesh, their minds are set on the things of the flesh. But those who are walking according to the Spirit, they set their minds on what? Things of the Spirit. Now, let me show you how you set your mind. You choose. You know, when you set that television on channel 12, you just set it there. It doesn't jump off, does it? It just stays right there. When you put that radio station on 100, you turn the dial, you set it, and that's where it's at. May I ask you where your mind is set? Is your mind set on things of the flesh? Is your mind set on things of the Spirit? Now, verse 6. For the mind, mark mind, set on the flesh is what? Death. But the mind set on the Spirit is what? Another way to say that, a mind that's set on temporal things and worldly things is death. But the mind set on the heavenly things and eternal things are where life and peace is. So you find people going to bars and they go to many places. They're trying to find peace. Peace only comes in one place. That's covenant and in the heavenlies. Now, here's the flesh, verse 7. Because the mind, there it is right there, mark mind again, set on the flesh, it's hostile toward God. It does not subject itself to the Word of God. It's not even able to do so. Now, are you beginning to see something? People who are walking after the flesh and not taking thoughts captive and living for eternal things, they come to this Word right here. You know what they do when they come to this Word. Now, look at me and listen to me. The carton is hostile. It doesn't like part of this Bible. But the carton is real religious. It'll take some, I'll take some of that. But the carton doesn't like these two chapters right there. So let's just skip that. I'm hostile. The carton's hostile to that, so we'll skip over that. They don't like that. We go over here. Yeah, I'll take that. I'll take those few verses right there, but I don't like that one down there. That's flesh. If you're in a spirit, you won't ever jot and tittle. Are you hearing me? As a matter of fact, if you're in a spirit, you fear God about not having ever jot and tittle. That's another way to put it. I want you to understand the flesh is hostile toward this Word of God because the flesh doesn't want to give up its life. It does not want to lose its life. Flesh does not want to make covenant because flesh is Lord. You have to choose death. And see, don't make any big thing out of it. You choose it, and God does it. He's already done it. You just get in on it. Amen? So when you start to do something, the enemy comes along, and he said, oh, have God said. You know that God wants you to enjoy yourself in this world. Have God really said. He couldn't. That's not the God I know. Well, you better meet the one we've been reading about in this Bible. Amen? All right. Now, 8. For those who are what? In the flesh cannot please God. Now, we got some more refrigerator verses here before. Now, I really would like to suggest you put this one at the top. These two right here, we'll fix a look at. Romans 8, verse 13. For if you're living according to the flesh, you must die. Is that plain? But if by the Spirit, the Spirit of God, you're putting to death the deeds of this carton right here, you will live. Is that kind of making a big thick line between life and death? Huh? It's not hard to tell where life is and where death is right there, if you can read, is it? What, do you ever wonder who the sons of God is? Well, the next verse tells you. It's plain. For all who have been led by the Spirit of God, these are the ones that are sons of God. Unless you've got something else worked out and you just found out the one that's being led by the Spirit of God is putting to death the deeds of this carton. Ain't that what he said? Let me say it again. The ones who are led by the Spirit of God are the ones that are sons of God. Did you read that in your Bible? Did you also read there in verse 13? If you're being led by the Spirit of God, you're putting to death the deeds of the carton right here. Ain't that what he said? Now, that's who the sons of God are. You're going to know them by their wife. You know what we're going to be looking at later on? Let me just give you a preview. We're going to look at false teachers. You're going to see a false teacher is someone that leads people after the flesh. That's why I told you there's never been a time of false prophets and false teachers there are right now. You'll receive it if you see it in the Bible, won't you? See, all this stuff is in agreement with Satan. We've been in a war, never mind. Every time you sit down and read the Bible, they're there too. See, when you receive a lie, wherever you receive a lie from, you reject the truth. And when you receive a lie, it becomes a stronghold in you. And this is why some people can't... They receive a lie about healing, and they can read this Bible from front to back. And when they come to anything that has anything to do with healing, they can't see it. It's blind to it. It's blind as a bat. They can't see it. You see, the enemy has set up these patterns where we react. Let me just share a little story. Several months back, as a matter of fact, I think it's close to a couple of years that I was in Dothan, and they were... Jim Hilton and Dudley were preaching in a revival, and they asked me to come down to just share with the pastors. And I thought there was going to be a few, but rather they were about 40-something pastors that showed up to this meeting. Why ain't they ever even heard of me? That's all right if you can hear God. Do you know it? And let me turn to it here. So there are about 40-something pastors there, and I walked up to the front. And they didn't know me. I didn't know them. And I got my Bible, and I didn't say anything. This is all I did. I just walked up, and I read. Now, I wish that you all spoke in tongues. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. And I just stood there for a little bit, and then I asked them, What's that rising up in you? Where's that coming from? If I'm not mistaken, I just read the Word of God, just God. Do you always react to the Word of God? You see, if you've got an idol, folks, or a gold calf, he starts right in there, and he begin to raise up, and when he gets right up in there, he'll kick you. And I explained to them, and I said, I'm still learning some things about gifts and tongues too, but see, I've always been a Baptist church like you have. But I said, I just want to point out something. You're in deception. You're in deception of the powers of darkness. And I can share some things. That's my part to help you. And I'm not trying to be smart or cute. I want to help you. I think it just kind of got proved that you need some help. And I lost 10 pastors. Let me ask you something. Does that change God? Do you have to have 40 pastors before you can have a meeting? Well, 30 of us had a great big time for three weeks. I want to tell you something, folks. Here's where we've come to. God knows what to call everything. There's no wisdom or counsel or understanding against God. I want to tell you something. Mankind is stupid, and we're going to see a lot of this stupidity each night. It'll get good tomorrow night. As a matter of fact, if you've got someone that you really want to help, tomorrow night what probably just might be so they don't get lost in this thing, they can still follow through. If it's someone, you just might make a note of that if you want to bring them with you, because the only way in there, if people are going to get help, they're going to hear the Word of God, or they're not going to be helped. But anyway, I'm going to tell you something. One of the most blessed things that the Lord ever did in my life happened one time. See, I'm in Cleveland, Tennessee, as a friendly carpet cleaner, and I had a story building that I was cleaning, and every year on the top floor was the officers in this organization, and as they would change, some of the officers and everything, and some of the houses that they owned, big homes, would become vacant, and sometimes I would be called to clean these houses. And so this particular time when I worked for these people, I want to tell you what I made sure it was done right, because I like this. I sent them a bill, and they just sent me the check, see, and that's good. And so this particular time, I was called to this home, and I walked in there, and I saw. See, I'm in the carpet cleaning business. I know carpet cleaning is my business. And so I looked, and I saw that the extra, this was going to need some real extra work to do what needed to be done on this carpet. So rather than the men that I had, I went to the theater, and I got Carl out of the theater, because Carl had more experience, and I said, Carl, I want you to be in charge of this now, because I couldn't be there, and here's exactly the way that I want you to do to clean this carpet. And I instructed Carl and them, and I said, do not be in any hurry, because I want this done right, because see, when you clean carpet, you get one shot at it, because if you don't get it clean the first time, you cannot come back and go back over it again, because you'll get the carpet too wet, and it'll pull away from the walls, and that's not good. So anyway, I left. I left, and I came back to check on them later, and they were loading up the equipment. I told you the carpet cleaning business is mine. I know how long it takes to clean carpet, too, and I knew before I walked in there, they couldn't clean that carpet and clean it correctly in that length of time. So I just walked right on past them. I walked in, and what I just looked at the pivot areas where you turn, and I looked, and I saw it. I saw dirt. I turned around. I go back out and get Carl. I said, Carl, come in. I want to talk to you. I said, Carl, what happened that you didn't clean the carpet? And Carl says, he opened his mouth, and he began just, see, I'm looking at it, and he just talk, and he talk, and he talk, and he talk, and he talk, and he talk, and he talk. It just kept talking and talking and talking and talking. See, I'm looking at it, and I thought Carl would never would take a breath, and finally, Carl took a breath. I said, hold it, Carl. Hold it. Hold it right there. Just hold it one minute. Carl, look at me. Look at me here. Carl, Carl, what's this in front of my feet? And Carl just dropped his head, and he said, dirt. I said, Carl, I sure am glad you call this what I call it, or you and I couldn't work together anymore. Now, wouldn't it be something? See, I'm in a dirt business. And if he's supposed to be, and he can't even see dirt, what good would he be for him, he and I to be working together? I would need to separate my money from him right then, see if he couldn't see it. What if he said nothing? What are you talking about? Carl would have had to go, wouldn't he? Is that right? He'd need to go find him another job. I'm in a dirt business. So I said, now there's two things, Carl. Number one, they pay us to get this out. And number two, anywhere we ever go, as long as you ever work with me, always get this out. Because, see, now we have to take all equipment, and we have to come back and clean this whole house again. And that's not good. And so Carl kind of repented, didn't he? And so Carl called it what I called it, didn't he? So I went back to my little truck, and I sat down. And just as I sat down in it, God spoke to me. You know how God can show you something like that, and it'd take you half an hour to explain it? And this is what he said. He said, now, Milt, he said, that's exactly the way I'm about sin. He says, I know what to call sin. See, I was having a few problems then. He said, I know what to call sin. But when you just justify it, then talk and talk. When you justify it, not only you condemn me that I don't know what I'm doing, but it prevents me from going on. See, I know what to call it. And see, when you call it dirt like I call it dirt, then you and I can go on. Do you see what I'm telling you? Do you know, until you call sin in your life, I mean now, what God calls it, you'll ever go no further than what you are right now. Because that is what the enemy in your life is holding on to right there. He has a ground to be there, and he'll laugh at anyone that comes along to try to move him. He will not be moved because he's holding right on. I wouldn't be involved in 75 percent of the people I've been involved with in deliverance had I known what I know right now. See, if a person does not repent and walk with Jesus, it becomes a despairing thing for them to just cast out demons because they'll decide later on it just doesn't work. I don't deal with demons in people until they come and sit in the Word of God and ready to walk with Jesus, as obviously someone's going to spend all week, and then you spend all day Saturday. That's why God is going to do a bunch in you, because he likes that. Because you obviously have a desire for God and this kind of bread to come and sit there, and he honors it, and he moves. And I never know exactly what all he's going to do, but I always watch him do it. It's so glorious and so wonderful. And don't get to lay hands on anyone, which means it's all right to, but see, until we get in a place where we get quit glorying in these cartons and everything, and we start, we, man has a word, we glory in the man with the word instead of the word in the man, see? And it just stops, it just hinders God. God wants to do so much, folks. You know, we're going to stop all that, aren't we? Because the worst disservice anybody could ever do to me is to say, I just feel so sorry for some people that come up and just figure, well, he's got power. You can just see it. They're not going to get nothing from God. They ain't got their eyes on Jesus. It's that old poem, we might as well forget that stuff, folks. That's why the Lord leads me to have people to pray for themselves. You're going to pray for yourself. You're the one that's supposed to be in covenant with God. Don't your prayers mean anything? If you're not in covenant, then it's not going to do any good to pray for you anyway. If you're not right before him, your prayers are no good before God. What's my prayers going to do for you? You're in rebellion. Repent. Amen? Oh, I love you. I sure do love you. That's going to get good tomorrow night. The Lord is good. My brother Danny, are you going to sing, You are Lord and Jesus is Lord, brother? Let me hug on you. Amen. Well, it's good to see you again. How many of you had the scripture going through your mind this morning? Well, lay it down. That's great. Well, tonight we're going to get right on into the word because I got behind something. It's good to make choices between the natural and the spiritual, isn't it? You get to find out where you're living at, don't you? Where your heart is. Well, let's just get right on into it. Do you remember what he's talking about? How do you overcome the devil? You overcome by the blood of the lamb, which is victory at Calvary. The word of your testimony, which is the word of God. That's covenant. And we love not our lives, flesh, carton unto death, right? They're already sitting around with me today at lunchtime and they're kind of, somebody says something, they're kind of doing this a little toward one another. In James 1, it says, if you're a double-minded, you'll receive nothing from God. A double-minded man receives nothing from God. John 6, 63 says the spirit gives life, but the flesh profits nothing. You remember Jude 23 said, hey, even the garment polluted by the flesh. So now we were looking at the example of giving place to the devil, which is just one of Satan's, Satan has many schemes. And what I would like to look at now is just one of these schemes. One of the schemes of Satan, just one. In other words, let me put it another way. This is how you can get a demon even if you sit in the front pew, all right? We turn, turn with me to Matthew 18. What the covenant of God does is protect us from the powers of darkness. That's one of the purposes of making covenant. Now, as you're turning there, I just want to talk to you about Matthew 6. It says, if you do not forgive men, then your father is not going to forgive you, your transgressions. And we know in Mark 11, 24, he won't even hear your prayer. I mean, 25 and 26. But if you want forgiven, what the Lord tells you for you to forgive, isn't that right? So anytime the enemy comes to build a case against someone, as we've talked about, well, see, we immediately stop this. We resist the enemy because the word is already said, forgive, right? All right, the Lord says, I forgive you, you forgive others. If you won't forgive, then I won't forgive you. See, it's a big waste of time to try to minister to people who won't forgive, who have all an unforgiveness and won't repent. Now, in Matthew 18, let's begin looking in verse 21. Then Peter came and said to him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? And Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to 70 times seven. In other words, you do not quit forgiving. Isn't that what he's saying? 23, for this reason, we're going to look at this reason. The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a certain king, and you know that this is a parable about the Lord, who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one owed him 10,000 talents. But since he did not have the means to repay us, Lord commanded to be sold along with his wife and children, and all that he had in repayment to be made. The slave, therefore, I want you to mark this, he was falling down and prostrating himself. He's humbling himself before him saying, have patience with me and I'll repay you everything. And the Lord of that slave felt compassion, released him, and I wish you would mark this, he forgave him the debt. Now, may I ask you, is that what King Jesus did for us? That is the way we humble ourself before him, and he forgave us of the debt, didn't he? All right, now, and when he forgives us, he tells us to go and forgive others, is that correct? All right, now let's watch and see what this slave did here at 28. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him 100 denarii. He seized him, began to choke him saying, pay back what you owe. And his fellow slave fell down, began to entreat him saying, have patience with me and I'll repay you. He was unwilling ever, but went and threw him in prison till he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported their Lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his Lord said to him, you wicked slave, I forgave you all the debt because you entreated me, should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even if I've had mercy on you. Now look at me, please. The Lord forgave them when he came and asked forgiveness before the Lord. He fell down before the Lord, he forgave him the debt. This slave turned around and he would not forgive someone else, is that correct? Now, what is that a type of? That's a type of us when we won't forgive, isn't that correct? Now, I want you to watch what happened to this slave in the next verse that would not forgive. And his Lord moved with what? Now, it's an important thing that you mark anger because when you see anger in the wrath of God, you can always know he's fixing to say, sick him. Now, this is just the beginning of it. I'm going to show it to you all over. He's moved with anger and he handed it over to who? Sick him, the torturers. Who do you think those are, these tormentors are? That's them. He handed over the tormentors, the torturers until he should repay back all that was owed him. Now, here is a promise for you and it could be another one of these refrigerator verse. We run into a lot of them, it's 35. So shall my heavenly father also do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart? Now, that's how you get a demon. You can sit on the front of you and get one. It'll move right in. You just make a covenant with him. See, a covenant is supposed to be with God, not with forgiveness, not with unforgiveness. Now, let me show you what happens again. When someone hurts you or disappoints you, immediately the enemy comes and begins building a case. Bill shouldn't have done that. It's you've done such and such for Bill and Bill shouldn't have. I've just been so good to Bill and Bill. See, that should have already been shut off. See, building a case, see, the unforgiveness and resentment. And then you start getting an agreement with that and then he starts right here and he gets your heart in agreement with him and you make covenant with unforgiveness. You make covenant with the devil. See, the Lord has already said forgive. You have covenant with forgiveness, but then you listen to the devil. You want to change over and make covenant with unforgiveness. You choose against forgiveness and you choose to make covenant with the devil in unforgiveness. And immediately, this is what God says, sees. He's saying, you say, God, I find greater treasure in unforgiveness than I do forgiveness. That's what he sees you doing from your heart. And when God sees this, he does this. Good, you can have the other spirit. And then you just, the unforgiveness moves in and every time that you move, it's unforgiveness, unforgiveness, unforgiveness, resentment, resentment, resentment. And then here starts a family of demons. One family moving into this house that you live in and they move in there with you. And you'll notice that when after unforgiveness and resentment, Mr. Criticism moves in and you become, when you've got unforgiveness, resentment and he makes you critical. He makes you critical of everything that happens around you. Your mouth just becomes critical. Then hurt feelings moves in there. It's just one right after another. Hurt feelings and someone walks in front of you. It's just hurt feelings. Here the chain begins. The family begins, death is working in you. And then you finally get to bitterness and there is bitterness. And if you live to be 175 years old, you'll stay just like that. Bitter until you forgive from your heart. There's no way you'll ever be free. No man or nothing can set you free except galloping. And you'll stay right there and bitter and you will forgive from your heart or you'll stay that way and you'll die that way. But then after bitterness, then moves in diseases. Then comes diseases into your body. Things of the nature of arthritis and things like this. So when unforgiveness and resentment moves in there, before you go to bed at night, that's all that's on your mind. You're laying in bed. You're fixing trying to go to sleep and all that thing is building up all over again in your heart and you're hurt all over again. You just hurt. You can't get it off your mind. You can't hardly get your mind on anything else. There it is. But Bill did. Bill did this and here you... And then finally you go off to sleep. You wake up in the night and there's old Bill. Bill did this and Bill did that. He's in there pulling that. He's moved in there with you and you're just loaded with it, see? And then when you wake up, you finally go back to sleep. You wake up in the next morning. The first thing that comes to mind is Bill did that and all through the day and it just builds and builds until bitterness is there. See, folks, you know what they call that? Torment. That's how you're tortured because you choose against God to make covenant with Satan. Is that plain? Now, that is one scheme of Satan. He has these kind of schemes working against you all the time. And when you have something worked out besides walking in covenant with God, you get loaded with them. And that's what's happened to the church. Top to bottom. Top to bottom. But not walking in covenant. Will you turn to 2 Corinthians 2, please? That's why I could go into a church and start with a staff. A form of godliness is not godliness. Did I say 2 Corinthians 2? I meant 2. Everyone got there but me. All right, now, 2 Corinthians 2, verse 10. By whom you forgive, verse 10. By whom you forgive anything, I forgive also, right? And we're talking about forgiveness. For indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ. Here it comes. Get your big pencil ready in verse 11. In order that no advantage be taken of us by who? Satan. And see, when you're seeing Satan right there, you might as well say demons. Satan, when you see one, it's synonymous. When you're talking about one, you're talking about the other. See, that no advantage be taken of us through Satan. We're talking about forgiveness. For we are not ignorant of his what? See, there is one of the schemes of unforgiveness. And see, that's what we're just looking at over in Matthew 18, wasn't it? So, now, I want you to turn with me to 1 Peter 4, please. Now, Peter was quite right in what's coming up, folks. I mean, I just can't. There's no way you can put it in words. There's no way to put it in words what God is going to do this Saturday. I mean, he's already, as you've been seeing the Word, you have noticed a freedom come in your life. But I'll tell you, that it's very important. I can't tell you how important it is, Friday night and Saturday, that we spend together. Now, as a matter of fact, Saturday, we won't sell any tapes and won't permit any taping to be done. Of Saturday's meeting, because, see, you cannot go drop on people. They can't handle it. If they can't come to sit through the whole thing, they can't handle what's going to be happening what we're going to be looking at Saturday. And so, we won't be taping Saturday, but we're taking order. Now, this is a good ministry to help someone else to put the tapes in someone else's hands. Because the only way they're going to know is to follow through the Word of God and everything like you have. They are taking, got to mention it a while ago, but they aren't taking orders for the tapes if you may want them here. And individual tapes are ready even now. But if you're going to want to sit, they'll take your order out there. But anyway, in 1 Peter 4. Now, when unforgiveness comes to me, look at me. When unforgiveness comes to me, I have a choice. I'll either resist the devil, and if I choose to resist the devil, he'll have to flee. But when I begin resisting, Bill has hurt me. He's hurt my carton. And my carton wants to go up beside of Bill's head. See, that's the nature of the carton. But see, when I choose, I'm in covenant with God. I have a blood. I have sworn. I have taken an oath to walk in this, that I'll forgive. So when I choose forgiveness, instead of listening to this, my flesh suffers. This carton suffers because it doesn't feel that way at all. And so I suffer. And then I might even do something like this. You know, over in Hebrews, the Scripture tells you, you know, when you're tempted to come before the throne of grace, and I say, my Lord, I choose with my will to obey this word. Now, folks, I'm going to fix and tell you something very profound right here. I'm going to tell you. It's some hard learning. Lord, I choose with my will to love and forgive Bill. I call it your word. Now, I'm suffering in the flesh. And now, from your throne, Lord, I receive grace, love, and forgiveness. It's flowing through me to Bill. And you know what happens immediately? Now, you don't just say something like that and start listening to the demon again saying. No, immediately after you say this, you get your mind on restoration. You get your mind on making the success out of Bill. Because you have to understand what caused Bill to do this against you. Who's just like when Jesus looked off at Calvary. You know, when you, if you don't immediately put your mind on restoration, that is the walk of love. After you have, after you have asked for this grace. Now, when you ask for it, love and forgiveness is flowing through you. But it'll stop the moment you start listening to that thing again. So immediately, you know, sometimes it's, here's what I do. I immediately, I do this and I take a walk. I get away from everything and everybody and I begin taking a walk. And I begin thinking, I begin, I get my mind on how I can restore that person. And how I can restore a fellowship, how I can love him. And I will not let anything else come into my mind. Now, I want to tell you something. When you do that, a hedge goes up all around you. And I'm going to tell you what, a demon can't get near you. You'll have peace and love all over you. You know why? Let me tell you why. When you chose to forgive him and suffer in the flesh what you're doing, you reached up and you took the Father by his neck, around his neck. And you're saying, Father, I love you more than I do my cursed, this cursed self. And you know what happens when you do that? That is when you always see the comforter get into it. Because the comforter begins loving you and comforting you. And that's what moves the comforter. You don't move the comforter until you line up with the Word of God. You choose against yourself. That is covenant. Jesus chose against his self and you'll choose against yourself. You will make no provision for the flesh when you put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen? And so the comforter, that is God's way of loving you when you choose to line up with the Word. But see, you don't just say words. I'm telling you what, you immediately think in restoration. You get your mind in restoration or that same demon will come back and he'll deceive you. And you think, well, it didn't do any good to go to the throne of grace. It didn't do any good to go to the throne of grace because you've let that deceitful spirit deceive you. But you're not turning around and following through and thinking in terms of love. You want love and forgiveness to flow through you. Then with your love and forgiveness that's flowing through you, think in terms of love and forgiveness how you can restore this brother who has hurt you. Amen? All right, any time where it's lust come, flesh wants the lust. Where it's anger, where it's wrath, all these things, the flesh suffers. Now, you're going to begin seeing what happens to you when you choose this way. See, grace is something that empowers you to be something and do something that you're not. In other words, to walk in His covenant. Now, here's some interesting scripture. Chapter 4, 1 Peter 4, verse 1. Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, have you marked that suffered in the flesh? Arm yourself also with a what? Same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. Is that what we just said? And if you don't, see what I said over in Romans 8? The ones that are sons of God are being led by the Spirit of God. If you're led by the Spirit of God, you're putting to death the deeds of the flesh. Is that what we read last night? That's kind of saying the same thing all over the Bible, isn't it? Unless you've got something else worked out. All right, now, verse 2. I hope you're marking as you go. So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the what? We no longer live for the lust of men. We're in covenant. We're in the heavenlies. We're in covenant with God. We're the image and likeness of God. We're no longer the image and likeness of the devil anymore. We no longer live for the lust of men, but we live for what? I didn't say to analyze it, did it? Said to walk in it. Over and over and over and over and over. You watch who goes to heaven, the whole thing. I'm telling you, see the people that walks in covenant. You do the will of God. While we're there, just close by. Look back at chapter 3 there in verse 14. Now, see, that looks like a weakness in the world. Scoffers laugh at things like this in the world. You know why it convicts them? Their old rotten hearts. That's why they hate you. Makes them want to go and hide like Adam and Eve did. Now, verse 14. But even if you should suffer for the sake of what? Righteous, that's walking right in God's eyes from his point of view. You are blessed. That's better than being cursed, isn't it? And do not fear their what? I hope you mark that about four times. And do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart. In other words, separate yourself. Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that's in you. Yet with gentleness and reverence and keep a good conscience so than in thing in which you are what? Slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. I've never been talked about in my life. I've been one of the sorriest outfits that ever walked on two feet. And I have never been slandered more in my life than I am right now. Glory. Praise the Lord. I feel like leaping. Boy, I'd rather have God's approval. I was telling Scott tonight, and I was getting ready. A man came up to me, and he was just going, if the Lord had showed him, give him some revelation about me. And he was going to impart it to me, and I'm ready to listen. I need all the help I can get, brother. And he said the Lord had showed him that I was a man pleaser. And I told Scott if he could set anything like that, I would, I'd be a homosexual 10 times over before I'd ever be a man pleaser from what God has brought me out of. And I just had to tell that brother he sure didn't miss it. I mean, he missed it there. He might have said something else. But I'm telling you what, it was no man pleaser. Because I know from where the grace of God has done me. I want to please God. I make no secret. I just don't care. I mean, I care. You understand what I mean? I'm not saying that smartly. But I'm telling you, it so thrills me to please God. It's so remote what people are saying or what they think. And one of the worst traps that anybody can get in is start conversation about what people are saying or what they're thinking about. And because that is just another trap and a perversion of the enemy. Because any time you're ever walking with the Lord, I want you to know this Bible says you will be persecuted. You will be slandered. So what? How can you get the approval of the devil? All right? In chapter 4, verse 12, I mean you suffer while for the Lord. Glory be to God. Verse 12, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you. What? Boy, they test you. I want you to back off here. Back off there. Back off that word. Back off. For you're testing, although some strange thing were happening to you, but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, that you share the sufferings of Christ, that you walk as Christ does, that you overcome as Christ, that you share the sufferings of Christ, you keep on rejoicing, that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you're a vow for the name of Christ, you're blessed. That's where the blessings are. Unless you want the approval of the world. But cause the spirit of glory and the God rest upon you. Is that plain? Now, chapter 5, verse 8. It's... Here's what I want you to know. He's talking to the brethren right here. He's saying, Brethren, you're going to see here in verse 8, Be a sober spirit. Will you bark sober spirit and right above that put serious. This is serious. You be serious. You be on the what? You be on... He said you better be watching for them. We're fixing to see them right here. You be on the alert. You're adversary of the devil. Will you just be real bold? And just right above that the demons or them where it says devil. I mean, that's a whole bunch. They're synonymous. You're talking about all of them and they're all around. You're adversary of the devil. You be serious. You be on the alert. You're adversary of the demons. They prowl about like a roaring lion. There's your beast of the field. Seeking someone to what? Nevar, verse 9. But ignore them. Will you please resist him? You resist the devil. Firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of what? We keep running in this suffering. When you're standing against the enemy, don't you? Your carton kind of has to go through something, doesn't it? When you get your mind renewed, all right, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your what? All right, now he's talking to the brethren. You're understanding that, aren't you? The brethren who are in the world. I mean people who resist the devil suffers. Those who resist sin suffers in the carton. But look here after you've suffered a while. You know what happens? Boy, is it beautiful. Boy, I'm telling you what, this is so good. See, I already know what he's going to say. Verse 10. And after you've suffered for what? You need to mark a little while because I don't want you to read back through that and miss a little while. You're just going to suffer a little while and then look what happened. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself. After you've suffered a little while, he's going to put a little one right there, perfect you. After you've suffered a little while, put a little two there. He's going to confirm you. After you've suffered a little while, number three, he's going to strengthen you. Get tested. And then after you've suffered a little while, the fourth thing, he's going to establish you. Is that good? And then when you go through these kind of tests, you jump down in 2 Peter, verse three, and you're walking these kind of circles now. Chapter two, I mean 2 Peter chapter one, verse three. Seeing that his what? The divine power has granted to us what? Everything. Boy, you're talking to me tonight. I like that. I'll be glad when you can get over at Merritt Island and they can hear you. That his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Don't get puffed up. Granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness what? Through the what? The true knowledge of him. Brother, I mean there's only one knowledge of Alba Jesus. That's a true knowledge of him. Who call us by his own glory and excellence. Verse four, for by these, boy, I'm telling you what, this makes chills on top of chills on me in this verse. I mean, it's just good, isn't it? You think it's good? Praise his name. Verse four, for he has granted, put already granted. You put already on top. So next time you read it, you know it's already done. He's already granted to us his precious and magnificent promises. If we didn't work on a tight schedule here, we'd just stop and praise the Lord for about three hours. I'll be glad when we get off the clock, won't you? He granted to us his precious and magnificent promises in order by them. Now, this is a different kind of them right there. That's them promises you might become partakers of what? A divine nature, not a devil nature. There's a difference. You're going to know them by the what? Having escaped the what? Corruption that's in the world by what? I'm telling you what, that world's got traps all over it. Forget your heart. You're tested. You know you're tested. I don't turn to any of these. 1 John 5, 19 said, All the power of this world lies in the hand of the evil one, Satan, and his demons. Of course, that's pretty obvious. What do you think the Lord said? Keep yourself unspotted from the world. And we look at that and you know they, Oh, hath God said? You know, you read your Bible, you see that. Hath God said? Oh, God couldn't really mean that. He loves us so much. He really wants us to enjoy. He knows we have to live in this world. That's them. Every time you read the Bible, they're there. They write commentaries too. I don't want you to start listening to the Holy Ghost. Let's look in James 4. Why did the Lord say whoever's a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God? Do you think it really meant that? Always just have your scissors around. If you find something you don't like, just cut it out. And see how much of the flesh you are. Don't turn there. I already told you what it says. I'm going to tell you what it says and look for. Satan said, I'll give you all, told Jesus, said, I'll give you all the kings of the world if you'll worship me. Now, we're going to look there later on. Now, you recall that Satan told Jesus that? Satan claimed rulership of the whole world and Jesus didn't dispute it, did he? All right, now let me ask you something. I want to show you what a sleepy, sleepy church does. How worried are you when you wake up in the morning that you're going out in the midst of the evil system controlled by God's enemies? Where's your heart? See, Satan used the world system and lust the flesh to get a person to live for himself. And he gets a person to live for himself. He's got him. He's Lord. Satan's Lord. Satan's the father. See, the flesh agrees with Satan. Isn't that correct? Now, let's see that in the Word. Just turn over another, turn over to 1 John right there, please. 1 John 2. 1 John 2, verse 15. God's Word, God is saying to you, do not love the world. Don't let your heart go after the world. Is that what your Bible's saying? I'm going to tell you what. If your heart ever starts going after something, you better get rid of it. Let me give you an example of that. I was in Dixon, Texas, which is outside of Houston in the suburbs. And I was dealing with a man. I mean, he had a compulsion. If he walked in a house or room, if he carried on a conversation with you, I mean, whether he heard it or not, he's just like a robot. He got to go over and turn that television on race. But he blistered. It just has to be on. Everywhere he goes, he just has to turn them on. Of course, you've never seen anybody like that, have you? He got a little deliverance. And he saw how the televisions had gotten his heart. You know, they called it down there in Tennessee, they called it the sheriff down there. He was a constable. And Joyce and I were staying in his house that particular week. We got up the next morning. He got free. I mean, he's happy about it. We sent him into the kitchen table. And all of a sudden, I heard a shot outside. And I walked out and he had a .45 and just shot his television. He wasn't passing that out alone to someone else. I mean, brother, he put a hole right in the center of it. Verse 15, if your heart goes after something, shoot it. 15, do not love the world nor the what. That was a thing, wasn't it? All the things in the world. And I said, see, now this is a serious thing. This is what they come to talk to you about to get your heart. You remember the little painted piece of steel? That's the Lord of your life. I mean, you just follow it around and you get it parked over where you can get puffed up like Satan, huh? And run it and then it gets your heart, you know. That same one gets your heart over and get to go in and get all these threads and things and put them on and get your carton, you know. You buy clothes, they're talking to you all the time. What do you think God's doing in your life when you're not taking these thoughts captive? Not too much. All right, now here is the verse right here we're coming to. Why? God says you better not love the world of things in the world. Here's the reason right here. Verse 16, for all. I want you to mark that all. Let me just tell you everything in this world, everything that you see in this world is going to pass away. Everything you see right in here with your eyes, all these cartons are going to pass away. Do you hear me? That big, nice pin up there, that shiny paint is going to go. Everything you see here is going to go. It's temporal. You're living for eternal things, not temporal things. For all this is in the world, the lust, the flesh. Put a number one right there. That's what Satan comes to stir up the lust, the flesh. Lust, the lust, the flesh supposed to be dead, isn't it? Shake your head. All right. All this in the world, number one, the lust, the flesh, and then put a little two right there, the lust of the eyes, right? And the next, the third thing there, the boastful pride of life. We put a little three there for boastful pride of life. Let me just tell you what that is. You know, that's who you know and what I've done and what I have and who I am. Do you notice when you just talk, you know, you've been in trouble with the world, you just look at me. You just kind of just drop it in on them. Just kind of, you know, just not, you know it too, or just kind of, just kind of ease it in there, who you know, you know, what you've done. Kind of let them know what you, what you have. Just, just, just kind of, just drop it in there somewhere. That's called a boastful pride of life. It's not from the Father, but it's from the world. And the world is passing away, and also it's what? Did I just get to tell you it's passing away? That's what God says. And also it's what? That's the lust of these cartons right here. It all goes. But the one, here it is. You get ready? Get your big pencil ready. Here it is. You're going to get to find out who abides forever. The one at what? What's that say right there? Did that say analyze God's word good? No, it said the one that does God's will is one that abides forever. Now, let me just say it again. Unless you've got something else worked out. Now, I'll say that again. I'll say it over and over. I'll show you what it says here, and then say unless you've got something else worked out. It does the will of God means you walk in covenant. Is that right? If you don't know what God's will is, His word's His will, isn't it? Now, turn with me to Colossians 3. We're going to look at covenant. A covenant walk. What you do when you're in covenant. Colossians 3. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Had a lady tell me it's General Electric Power Company. Colossians 3. Everybody there? Verse 1, if there's a condition. If, have you marked that yet? If then you've been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things where? But if you haven't been raised up with Christ, just live after the world and the temporal things. But if you're raised up with Christ, you seek the things where? Above. For Christ is seated at the right hand of God because that's where you're supposed to be. Now, verse 2. Set your mind on things what? All right, I think I already mentioned to you. Set channel 12. It doesn't jump off of it. You set your radio station on 150, brother. That's where it is. You set your mind on heavenly things. And you have a choice. You set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have what? Will you circle God and right above that covenant? That is covenant. You die to make covenant. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Is that correct? You're in Christ in God. You're with Christ in God. Is that right? Okay. Verse 4. When Christ who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. And there in the fifth verse, therefore consider the members of your earthly body as what? You've died. They're dead. Mark that. As dead to what? Immorality. That covers a bunch of things. Impurity. That covers a bunch of things. Passion. That covers a bunch of things. You're dead to evil desire. That covers a bunch of things. You're dead to greed. That covers a bunch of things. Which all amounts to what? Idolatry. For it is on account of these things that the what? The wrath of God's coming because of these things right there. And then you also what? You once walked. Mark once walked. So it means you're not walking there anymore if you're in covenant with the Lord. You once walked. When you were what? You were living in these sort of things. But all these old things that passed away. All things have become you as Jesus Christ is in the world. So are you now. So verse 8. But now you also put them all aside. You put aside anger. You put aside you're dead to wrath. You're dead to malice. You're dead to slander. You're dead to abusive speech from your mouth. That covers a little more territory than drinking and smoking and chewing and cussing, doesn't it? Now, we're going to look right now and see why the church today is powerless. We're going to see why they sit over here and count each other all the time. I mean, you have to get excited about something. In Genesis 1. That's really the truth. In Genesis 1. Now, do you think God wanted to create a man so he could be rebellious toward him? So he'd act like Satan? Who do you think, if you had a son, you was going to make someone you wanted to be like you? That's exactly what he did with Adam. And then in verse 26. 1.26. Verse 1.26. We see now. Then God said, let us make man in what? Our image and according to what? All right. Now, if you make something in the image of God and likeness God, who's he going to act like? You're going to know him by his what? Yeah, you can see where he walks and what his deeds are and tell who he belongs to. Now, verse 27. And God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him male and female. He created them. He created them in his own image. And God what? He blessed them. And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply. Y'all, I think we've already discussed this. Only way you can be fruitful and multiply is obeying God and everything that is multiplied at the hands of God when you're walking in covenant with God. All right. Now, in Genesis 2, will you please look with me in verse 9. And out of the ground, the Lord calls to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food. Now, the tree of life. Now, see, when we see these trees, when we think of a tree of life, we want to just think about, you know, the barren fruit. We think about a pear tree or apple tree or something like that. But why don't you look at it in a spiritual, out of spiritual point of view right here? Because are we trees of the field? All right. Let me just tell you what you are. You're either a tree of life or you're a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You understand that? Let me give you a second to think about that. You know that people, you know that I can go to a foreigner. That would be somebody in the world. I can go to a adulteress. That's a pretender. That's the one that pretends obedience to God. And I can eat their words. I can eat off their tree. You know how you eat off somebody else's tree? Take what they say to heart. That's how you eat the words of God. You take it to heart. Are you following me? And then when you take the words of a foreigner, that's the world, or the words of adulteress and take them to heart, what do you think you are? What do you think it's done to you? Do you think those, when you take it to heart, those seeds working on you? You better be careful how you what? Listen. Amen. That's what it says in Luke 8. When it's talking about the parable of the word. It said, if you don't understand this parable, how are you going to understand any of the parables? Which makes the parable of the word more interesting. I mean, more important than the other parables. Now, let's look here. This, I'm saying this down here. Okay. Now you just wait how that comes together what I'm telling you. Okay. The Lord caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food. The tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Verse 15. Then the Lord God took the man. He put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded a man saying, from any tree of the garden you may eat freely. Did he say you may eat freely? From any tree in the garden. Watch very carefully what he told him. He said, you can eat from any tree of the garden. But he fixed and tell him, but one tree you can't eat from it. But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. For in a day that you eat from it, you're going to maybe perhaps someday could be or surely die. You're surely going to die. Well, then we see Eve in chapter 3. The Satan makes his appearance into the word of God here. And the serpent was more what? Now he's crafty. He has schemes. Hear me? So he's coming with his schemes as he comes to you. He's more crafty than any of the what? Now, let me just go ahead and tell you that it doesn't mean that Satan here is smarter than bears or lions. See, this means something else. See, later on, now you can't receive this right now. I'm just going to tell you down here. So just relax until you see it. Don't feel like you have to say anything. You don't need to come down until God shows you in the word. I'm having to tell you down here because you don't want to turn back here later on. Every time it mentions beasts of the field in the word, it does not mean powers of darkness. But you're going to see where it does now in the rest of the week. Because, you know, when over in the word, when it makes reference to the wolves, makes reference to the lions, that's who it's talking about, the powers of darkness. You know that when Jesus, in Mark 1, 13, that Satan tempted him and he's a wilderness and he was with the wild animals, that doesn't mean he's on the top of that. He'd been downtown and building the wilderness. Downtown Titusville is wilderness. You understand that? But the reason he put the wild animals in there, that's them. You know, when Paul fought the wild beast in Ephesus, he wasn't out wrestling some foxes. That's them. Okay, now here we go. And the serpent was more crafty than the beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Indeed, here he opens his mouth, hath God said? And says that to you all the time. God couldn't mean that. God said, yes, he said it. You read it in the word all the time. If anything up here ever says something opposite to what you're seeing with your eyes right there, you know that you're supposed to take that thought captive. What do you think they do to people that don't take thoughts captive? That's wise in their own eyes. They get them puffed up over their knowledge or get them puffed up over their education or get them puffed up because of the fact that God has blessed them with a little more intellect than he has other people. They'd have people believe that they got most of the revelation because they had the most intellect. Because he's made them wise and lifted up in their own hearts. Indeed, hath God said? Now watch this lie. You shall not eat from any tree of the garden. May I ask you something? Was the word of God twisted then? Did he twist it? Did he lie? He does the same thing to you. If you're not in a war, if you're not taking thoughts captive, he's... God said you'll not eat... You can eat from any tree of the garden except one. And right here, Satan said, you shall not eat from any tree of the garden right then. That conversation should have ended. That should have been the end of the conversation right there, right? But it didn't. Let's see what happens. And a woman said, the serpent. She kept on talking. From the fruit of the tree is the garden we may eat, but from the fruit of the tree... She's going to get it partly right. From the fruit of the tree of which is in the middle of the garden, God has said you shall not eat from it or what? I didn't watch him say her that, did you? He didn't say or touch it. Boy, I mean, she's got a... She and Satan kind of got something going there, hadn't he? Going to touch it or what? Lest you die or you could die. He said you will die. You'll surely die. It's not maybe or perhaps. Eve. God said it. See, we can get her conception of God wrong. We need a consent... We need a change of conception to what this word says, not what we think or what we've been taught. All right, now. And a serpent said, the woman. As God said, you're surely not going to die. You surely... I mean, God just got to hold down on you. And for God knows in a day that you eat from his eyes, you're going to be open. You're going to be like God knowing good from evil. Boy, I'm telling you what, you see? She keeps listening. You know how you start listening to them build up a case against somebody? Pretty soon, you just keep listening. Hey, listen. You know how lust... Everybody in here knows that when you get in the thing of lust, you know how it draws you and draws you? The same way sexual lust would draw you. That's the way the enemy of God... And then, I mean, there's no control. You just listen as she is listening right here. And watch what she does. And when the woman saw that... Now, looky there. The tree was good for food. Now, where it says good for food, would you put a little one up there and put lust of the flesh? Here comes the temptations. Here comes the temptations for the first Adam. And that it was... Now, here it is. There's a delight to the eyes. Do you see the lust of the eyes? Do you see it? Write it just above it. Number two, lust of the eyes. And that the tree was desirable. Boy, there's the desires. To what? Make one wise. There's the pride of life. Number three, there is the three temptations. Do you see it? Well, now, he's doing this with Eve. Let's watch what Eve does. And she took from the fruit and what? Ate, and we find out that Adam is total agreement with everything that happened here and she gave also to her husband with her and he also what? He made a covenant with the devil. And right then, they were totally innocent of all evil. They went around naked. They had no knowledge of any conscience toward being naked. And immediately when you sin is in your life, you immediately guilt is all over you. Do you hear me? Guilt is all over you. Now, watch how she acted. Watch how they acted. Then the eyes of both of them were open and they knew that they were what? They were naked and they sewed thick leaves together and made themselves loincloths. You know what they had to go do then? They had to go hide. When you got sin, you got to go hide. You don't like to hear things like this. Now, the guilt came. Now, I want you to listen very closely. I want to show you the first order because the rest of this Bible is reverse the order to bring man back into the image and likeness of God. That's what we're trying to do, what the Lord's trying to do, to conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ in the likeness of God. And the only way he's doing that, he'd walk in covenant, not analyze it. Now, do you remember in chapter 7 of Romans that the warfare that Paul was talking about, the warfare at the end, he found himself doing the things he didn't want to do and everything? Well, you're aware that Paul overcame that, didn't you? How did he overcome it? We see in the very last part of the book, he became, overcome it by being in Christ Jesus. He put the power of the cross to it. And when he's in Christ Jesus, now I want you to watch what happened in Romans 8 verse 1, because now there is no guilt or condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Well, now, there was no guilt or condemnation in them until they sinned. Are you seeing the reverse? Huh? You know, I told you, get back in Christ, get all your sins right. You've got peace around you and you walk in peace. You stay in peace. And the devil comes along, he shoots a dart and just tell him, ain't coming out, devil. Ain't coming out, lust. Ain't coming out, anger, unforgiveness. Ain't coming out, I'm in Christ. I'm not coming out. And in there, there is no guilt or condemnation because everything's hidden in Christ. You're in him. Now, let's look at verse 12. We watch Adam become an accuser and a woman. And a man said, the woman whom thou gavest me, blaming it all, accusing Eve. She gave me from the tree and I ate. And then watch what Eve said. Then the Lord God said to the woman, what is this you have done? And a woman said, the serpent what? Now, you're going to remember that. I hope you mark that deceive me. Because when you listen to the devil, you get deceived. The serpent deceived me and I what? All right, now, I'm not going to turn there. She did get deceived. And you know that they were cursed and it became earthly. And because they listened to Satan. Is that correct? Well, then I'm not going to turn to it. But in Genesis 5, verse 3, it said, Adam became a father of a son. Well, let's do it. We're close. Look at it real quick. Genesis 5, verse 3, when Adam had lived 130 years, he became of the father of a son. Now, Adam had been in the likeness and image of God, right? Now, look what this says. And he became the father of a son in whose likeness? And now this is his own likeness, according to what? His image and he named him Seth. Well, his image was no longer like the image of God, was it? His image and likeness changed, didn't it? Now, let me ask you something. Where were you when Adam's in and was cursed? Let me just tell you. You were in Adam, just like Seth. You hadn't been born yet. And in the same way, when you were born, you were born in the likeness and image of Adam. Earthly, smoke on you, serious. You dead even while you breathe, walk in God's eyes. All right, then there was a provision made for you. And we're going to find out in just a minute it was a second Adam. But right now, let's just... to bring you back into the image and likeness of God. But every man in the flesh became the image and likeness of Satan. All of you and millions of others that's ever born. Everything Satan is, I want to remind you, you are in the flesh. Satan is deceitful, you're deceitful. Satan is pride, you're full of pride if you're not died to it and in covenant. Satan is rebellious, you're rebellious if you're not died to it in covenant. Satan is full of ego, you're full of ego. Satan is accuser, you are accuser if you're not died to it. Satan is selfish and he slanders, so are you selfish and you slander if you've not died to it. Satan is immoral and he hates and he murders, so are you immoral. And you hate and you murder if you haven't done to it, it's there, you're cursed. Satan is an idolatry, gossip and resentment, so are you if you haven't died to it. Unforgiving and anger and etc. and so on. You're everything Satan is if you haven't died to it because your nature and the nature of Satan is the very same. And it's always everybody that walks in this world right now. They're the image and likeness of Satan. They walk and talk and act like Satan. I want to tell you something, I want you to listen very carefully what I'm saying. So we might find out how much salvation has been perverted today. We know some of the things it is and some of the things it isn't. But I want you to know that Satan got kicked out of heaven for doing the things our flesh does. And we somehow think that we're going to just make mental assent to God in many, many cases and then go back to heaven walking and talking and acting like the devil that got kicked out of there for that. Is there something wrong with that, folks? Does it sound like deception? Huh? See, when you hear things like that, it'll make you like the Word of God more than it will a ballgame on Friday night, won't it? I hope so. It does me. So the second Adam came, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. And he is the exact image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. And in him and through him, all things are created in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominions, rules or authority, everything is created through Jesus Christ. He came.