In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of following God's instructions and having communion with Him. He mentions that our safety does not lie in our own armaments, but in our obedience to God. The preacher also references the collapse of Soviet Russia as an example of how God can bring down powerful nations. He encourages believers to examine their hearts and ask God to reveal any weeds or sinful tendencies that could hinder their ministry. The sermon concludes with a reminder that God's power is not to be used for personal gain, but to bring healing, deliverance, and the preaching of the gospel.

This is what Nebuchadnezzar did. We got our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness. Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine. They ravished the women in Zion and the maids in the cities of Judah. Princes are hung up by their hand. The faces of elders were not honored. They took the young men to grind and the children fell under the wood. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music. The joy of our heart has ceased. Our dance has turned into mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe unto me that we have sinned. Jeremiah said it's because we have sinned, speaking on behalf of Israel. And Jeremiah did it. I mean, Nebuchadnezzar, and God was able to humble him. He used him to humble Israel. Bring them to their knees. And then God said, I can deal with him. And he humbled Nebuchadnezzar. So I don't doubt that God put the president there in view of the judgment that are coming. And therefore, to uphold him, not because of what he's doing, but in spite of it. If for chance God would have mercy in the time of his wrath. It's a prayer of the prophets, Lord in wrath, remember mercy. In wrath, remember mercy. When he went to see Clinton, he says, Mr. Clinton, when I heard of your policies, I was totally shocked. God told me to give you a message. Now, Rick Joyner, I think it's very probable that he puts it all together and interprets it in a way that maybe is wrong. And there's a danger in doing that, I think. When the prophecy comes forth, I don't think we should get together and try and figure it out or analyze it. Because when it happens, it's generally very different to what we imagined. So, I mean, I know we're going to have real trouble up where we are, too. I mean, I can see it brewing. A prophet whom I recognize as a valid prophet said there's a holocaust coming for Canada. And I couldn't see how it could happen when it came forth, but I can see it now. There's such unrest. One province wants to separate. It's like if California and Oregon decided we're going to separate. You know the effect it would have on the whole country. And the native people want self-government. And in places where they've had a taste of self-government, it generally hasn't worked. A lot of suffering, and many of the native people don't want it, but they're listening to the leaders. And I can see how trouble could brew there. But God's got a strong native church in Canada, and in the States. There's a strong native church. And I believe God's going to move my family. I just take it for granted. There's great trouble coming. As well as in ours. As this prophet said, dig deep and hide in the rock. Because God will have a place for his people in there. Time. We talk about, you know, the church doesn't get raptured right away. It goes through the tribulation, becomes a doctrine, and almost... Sometimes it becomes a doctrine like, no, I believe in free tribulation. No, I don't. I believe we're going through it, and so it's a doctrine. If we know we're going through trouble, we better be sure that... I don't mean to be survivalist in any sense of the word. Because God's disciples are not survivalists. Trying to survive, trying to run to the mountain, and dig a hole in the rock, and store up food and water. I mean, God's disciples do what God says. And if he says, stay here in Huntsville, where there's a danger of being blown up, you stay. But by the same token, if you're walking with God, he could say some evening, get in your cars and go somewhere. And we've got to have that communion with God. Our safety is not in our armaments. And God's going to demonstrate that to this powerful nation. As he demonstrated in Soviet Russia. That just almost overnight, the thing collapsed. In its present form, we don't know. It could rise up again as a threat to the world. And here they are in great trouble. And we look on, and it's a point of interest to see what's going on there. But you ever imagine that things like that could happen here? I think of Jeremiah, you know, warning and warning and warning the people. And refusing to defend. And then the elders come to him. And they sat before him to inquire of the Lord. Jeremiah says, I won't be inquired of by you. The elders of Israel. God's complaint in America. It's not with the judicial system. It's with the president. Any of these governors, God puts them there. I don't care how you vote. I've said that many times, and I know people think I'm crazy. I don't care how you vote. God's going to put a man there that's compatible with the hearts of the people in the nation. In the name of God. That doesn't mean you do everything they say. You might have to resist them. Then they go, you know, okay, live forever. But yet, and still, we will not bow down. We will dance with all things scripture to respect the authority. And to respect human beings. Because they are an image of God. But yet, we have a God beyond their authority. And not to rail against dignity. Not even against Satan. Rail against the power. Michael, the archangel, the captain of the hosts of the Lord, would not dare rail against Satan. But said the Lord rebuked him. You know, I know we're inclined in a far way, you know, even Christians. Maybe I indulge a little, poke a little bit of fun at some of the leaders in government. But I don't think you should. They're there, once again, in office. They're subject to principalities and policies. They're subject to those principalities. That's why we pray. According to the mind of God. You can't, you can't change the mind of God. But if people live in the spirit. They'll sense what God wants. And can pray and thwart those principalities and policies. It happened during World War II. Many times. Praying people thwarted what Hitler was about to do. Change his mind. And made him attack Russia instead of Britain. If he'd attacked Britain, the whole situation could have been different. And God does that. And I'm looking for the time when there'll be a church. A church in the earth. And in this nation that is non-political. And I know I've read Gerald Johnson's writings. And boy, he's against anybody. What are you going to do if this happens? And if this happens? And if this happens? Are you going to sit by and do nothing? I'm not saying do nothing. I'm saying I don't care what you do. You're not going to change anything. Until you have a vital relationship with the King of Kings. And Lord of Lords. And then you can do anything God wants you to do. And that's our problem. Not that we haven't got enough Christians around in governmental places. Because we don't have authority with the King of Kings. And Lord of Lords. Because we don't have that. Well, we've got to get the right governor, the right prime minister. And God isn't doing it. God's shown the church in America. He's doing what he's going to do according to his plan. And that he's there because of the state of the nation. And therefore, and particularly the state of the church. Particularly because of the state of the church. So our burden should be the state of the church. And not always to think that the church out there and we're different. You know when you read Jeremiah, read Lamentations. We have sinned. Daniel said we have sinned. We have disobeyed. A true prophet and a true priest of the Lord will identify himself with the people to whom he ministers. They have sinned. Well, Daniel didn't sin. But in his prayer, we have sinned. He's identified with them. So is Moses identified with the people. True priestly ministry is what God wants to bring forth for who identifies with the people. We're part of the church. I mean, I know we can't find fellowship there. We meet here. God helped us to know that he's simply calling us unto himself to be a priestly people who will be able to minister to our brethren. It's not that we're something special. We're going to make it. We'll suffer whatever the church suffers. But priests unto God, they bore the iniquity of the people. They went into the holiest of all. God said he would bear the iniquity of his people. And he carried them upon his shoulders and the breasts of their names. He went in there on their behalf. And I know we're all kings and priests unto God. But it doesn't mean that we're all functioning that way. And like I've been trying to emphasize, we read a scripture. Oh, we're all kings and priests. Fine. But there's more to being a king and priest than having the title. Nadab and Abihu were priests of God. They were sons of Aaron. Upon them would come the ministry of the priesthood. When Aaron died, one of them would become the high priest. They were priests unto God. Along with Eliezer and Ephemer. Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's four sons. God said they'll come into the holy place and minister unto me. But when Nadab and Abihu decided, well, my father goes in there and offers up fire. We're priests. Let's go in there and offer up fire to the Lord. And they did. And fire came out from the presence of God and consumed them. Right on the spot. Don't just boast I'm a priest as if you can do anything you want. If there's anything that's significant about the priesthood is that they're confined and restricted. Far more so than the people of Israel. They're confined and they're restricted to the way of God and to the plan of God and to the purpose of God. Restricted to that. And so, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them. Because the Bible says, because they did, they offered fire which the Lord had not commanded. Simple as that. The Lord hadn't told them to do it. And so everybody in the church is a king and priest. And all the evangelists and prophets and apostles and teachers and pastors, they're kings and priests unto God thinking they can do anything they want. No, because I'm an apostle, I can do this. I'm a prophet, I've got a right to do this. There's a higher ministry than an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher. And that's the ministry of priesthood. And it's not another ministry. These ministries are supposed to be that. Whether you be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher, the overall ministry of all God's people is priestly ministry and it's higher than those offices. And so it's wonderful when you see an apostle who's a true priest, or a prophet who's a true priest. Ezekiel, a prophet, who was a true priest. He was a prophet, yeah. A priest. His concern was for the people. He wasn't out to prove that his prophecies were right. I mean, he just prophesied the word of the Lord. One occasion he prophesied the word of the Lord as God sent him to reprove Israel and the man fell dead. Ezekiel was shot and cried out to God for mercy. How many prophets would cry out to God for mercy? It scares me when I see some of these mighty men. I haven't seen him, but I heard about this man. Somebody was doing something he didn't like and he says, for that! Down he falls on the floor. Oh, what a mighty man of God. Where's the priestly ministry? He might have power. Where's the priestly part? Moses said, Lord. God said, I'll have to destroy this nation. It's alright Moses, I'll still fulfill my word. I'll still fulfill my word. I'll make you to be the head of the great nation. And I'll make you to be a greater nation than Israel. I'll wipe them out and I'll make you to be the great nation. Moses wouldn't have it. He wasn't an opportunist. Is that priestly heart in us? Is it in the leadership in the church today? He's failed, but I'll wipe him out and I'll exalt you. God, purge our hearts. Look deeply within and uncover the secret motives, attitudes, intentions of the heart. That's why David was a man after God's heart. He didn't only search his heart like you and I do. I search my heart and this is what I find. But he says, God, search me and know me. Try me and know my thoughts. Search me out, Lord, because there could be things there that I'm not aware of. See if there be any wicked way in me. Lead me in the way everlasting. God's after the heart. He's looking for the right heart. We're out looking for some way to enlarge our ministry, make it successful, make it to be approved. Longing to be accepted, longing to have power and authority. Searching God for it, seeking God for it. Really, that's what I fasted and prayed for. Because brought up in Pentecost, you're not Pentecost until you have the power of God. And I didn't have it. Sought for power. Innocently. And yet I prayed even while I was seeking it. Lord, don't give me any kind of power or authority until you know I'm ready, able to receive it. I still pray that. And if necessary, let me die praying it. I don't want to have a power if I'm not ready to handle it. Some of you know what I'm talking about. You look around and you see people that have great power. Brother was telling me, why is it? Use mightily of God. Tremendous miracles, tremendous ministry, tremendous results. Yet, this happened. We don't understand. I understand it. I think we should all understand it if we read the scriptures. That having the power of God and having all the gifts of the Spirit and great manifestation does not make a man spiritual forever. It can do the very opposite. It can do the opposite. Having a great manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit and the power of God in our lives can do the very opposite of God's intention. It ought to humble us and bring us down and make us meek and lowly if the heart is prepared of God. But if the heart isn't prepared, it can do just the opposite. It can build up pride, conceive, self, establish the human ego. Those gifts from God can do it. Doesn't God send forth from his heart every good gift from himself? Isn't it all good that comes from God? Yes, James says that. But I'm talking about the effect it has on the unprepared heart. Longing for the rain, isn't it? Isn't it good? Yes. But what if there's a wrong seed there? Well, it won't affect that. Is that right? It'll cause that wrong seed to burst open and sprout and grow. The rain from heaven, God's precious rain from heaven, will nurture the weeds, the tares, the thistles, as well as nurturing the wheat and the barley and the flax. I never saw that and I really got it because of something that William Branham said many years ago. Before he went out in the ministry, the Lord told him to go to a certain place and observe. And as he observed, the Lord pointed out a man. Vibrant, enthusiastic, praising God. He says to look at him. He was just like another brother that the Lord pointed out. Doing the same thing. He says they look similar. Very bright, vibrant, loving the Lord, praising him, hands raised, whatever they do at any cost. And the Lord said, this man's heart is right. He loves me. He's got a pure heart. That man's heart is totally corrupt. He found out at the start. And God spoke to him about Hebrews 6, and I never forgot that. Hebrews 6. For the earth which drinketh in the rain, verse 7, that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs made for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God. The earth drinketh in the rain, that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth vegetables, fruit, suitable for those, intended for those, by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. And I hadn't noticed until I heard him say this, that it's a result of the rain in even days. Is it not? You say, oh, God's blessing couldn't do that. It can. God's blessing can blind the heart. Because he's blessing me. I can talk in tongues, I can prophesy, I can heal the sick. I've seen it. I've seen it happening. Oh, I could name different ones. A mighty ministry. And their hearts were not right. I'm not judging whether or not they repented in the end, or if they were hypocrites from the start. I have to leave all that. But this one man, I had me visit in his church. I was there for a few days, and he'd be around laying hands on people and prophesying. He had a big church, a couple of thousand people. And then I heard later that things weren't quite right, and I didn't know for sure. I hoped it wasn't so. Finally, one man came to me and said, you get out of this city and never come back. If you come back, you'll be put in jail. He said, I mean it. He had reason for saying that. The man disappeared. He knew what this was all about. The next thing I heard two or three years later, he was gone. One man, under 50 I think. It's unbelievable, really. Of course, we've heard of other things. Gone on. We ponder, how can that be? We shouldn't ponder it anymore. The rain comes down from heaven, and waters the weeds that are there, as well as the good seed. And our prayers should be like that. Lord, search me. Know me, try me. That I might know where to pluck up these weeds that are growing. I might pluck up those thistles that are growing up. Those things that could ruin my ministry. Search me and know me. Try me. Know my heart. We don't like to pray that. Lord, try me. We feel we've had enough of it. But God wants to try people, that he can bestow upon them fullness of his presence. People will go forth in the image and likeness of Jesus. Jesus went down into the Jordan, and John baptized him, and he came up out of the water, and John saw the Holy Dove descend upon him, and remain upon him. So it wasn't just a passing experience, it abode upon him, the blessed Holy Spirit, and a voice from heaven said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And he went into the synagogue of Nazareth, and opened the book. Word was written in Isaiah, the spirit of the Lord God is upon it, because he has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, unto the poor, to open the prison doors, and set the captive free, and so forth. But I didn't mention one thing, and I purposely left it out, to show that God had anointed and imbued him with the Holy Spirit, that he might go forth and heal the sick, and raise the dead, and cast out devils, and set the prisoner free, and preach the gospel of the kingdom with power. But before God allowed him to do that, he drove him into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And I don't hear much of that, in these great ministries that are coming forth. And I ask myself the reason for that. Did God give them that opportunity? Did God want them to go into that wilderness? Did he make them to know that he wanted them to go into that wilderness? Or did they somehow, just ignorantly, get this great power, and feel they didn't need the wilderness? Or was God seeking to leave them there, and they thought it was the voice of the devil? Because I've got the power of God now. If the power of God doesn't do that, I don't know, I have no idea. But I do know that that's the reason they fall. The reason any of us would fall, could fall, will fall, if we haven't known the dealings of the Lord in the wilderness experiences. Forty days and forty nights, he was tempted of the devil, there with the wild beasts. I believe they were literal beasts, but I don't doubt they were beasts of a satanic nature also, that were running around, trying to terrify him. And the tempter came to him. After forty days, he was a hundred. The tempter came to him and said, will thou turn this stone into bread? You're hungry? Take this stone, which is the son of God, you're hungry? Turn it into bread. Why would that be a temptation? If a man's hungry, and he hears a voice saying, well, don't you realize you've got a gift of miracles? You could pick up that stone there and make bread out of it. What's worse, what's worse, what's more wicked? Would you say it would be wicked to turn a stone into bread, or to turn water into wine? Would there be any difference in it? Any difference really? To turn water into wine for a wedding feast? Or to turn a stone into bread if you're hungry? I wouldn't see any difference in it. Then what was the difference? The Father did not tell him to turn the stone into bread. Nadab and Abihu offered up fire which the Lord commanded not. God had told them to do it. The priesthood is under restriction to do only what God says. It's under that restraint. Confined. The priesthood is confined to the will of God. Confined to the sanctuary in the days of their ministration. Because they took turns in Israel. The ministration of the priest took turns. When the time came that there would be courses of ministry. There were twelve courses in the year. So their course was at a certain time. They were confined to the sanctuary. Somehow the thought is liberty. If you've got power from God you're a priest unto God and you've got the anointing where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. And they pervert the meaning of liberty in the things of God as if liberty meant doing anything you want. The liberty to do God's will not to do anything you want. Freedom to do God's will. I mean we're finding difficulty in doing God's will because we search for it. I'm not sure God wants to bring us into a liberty where we'll be free to do what he says because you'll hear his voice clearly. So that was the test. You're the son of God. Because I'm a son of God am I going to do these wonderful miracles? That seems to be the concept of what's going to happen when God manifests his son. They'll just you know they'll just overthrow everything on the earth. They'll just go forth in power and might and just wreck all the kingdoms of darkness and just I mean just devastating everything that's not of God. Is Jesus doing it in the heavens? King of all kings and Lord of all lords has all power in heaven and earth to do it. But God said rule in the midst of your enemies. For how long father? Perhaps he doesn't know. He might know now but on earth he didn't even know when he was coming back. But the point is this he has all power in heaven and on earth but he knows he has to await the day of his power. So for two thousand years he's been ruling in might and power over the universe and over all nations and I know a lot of people don't believe that. They believe he's coming back to Jerusalem to reign and I read where he tells sit at the father's right hand till all enemies are subdued under his feet and at his feet is the church and that the kingdom of God doesn't come with observation but is planted in the earth and grows and at the end of the kingdom he says the end time is the harvest. The kingdom the messianic kingdom that they talk so much about and that Jesus came to establish was not delayed two thousand years. He set it up when he has sent it into the heavens and sent it to God's right hand he could have set it up in earth and that's what they wanted that's what everybody expected he would do the people said it would be glorious when he comes back and sets it up in the earth he went away so that he'd have a power over the earth and over the heavens because that's where our real problems are principalities and powers in the heavens the Lord said unto my Lord sit at my right hand till all enemies are under your feet quoted from the New Testament or referred to eight or ten times as what happened when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven far above all principality and power and might and dominions in every name that is named and hath put all things under his feet put all things under himself until the time would come when God would say subdue the last enemy which is death so that hasn't been subdued yet so we know that there are many other enemies that haven't been subdued yet little by little along through the church age there has been a manifestation of the power of the king of kings and who rules in the heavens ruling in the middle of his enemies ruling in the midst of his enemies ruled all in the midst of their enemies well we won't come to that right now but the thing is he had to learn obedience he had to learn the voice of the father he wasn't here he didn't have this power just to do wonderful things he was under constraint he was a priest of God he was under constraint to do the father's will he wouldn't turn the stone into brick as the father had told him he could have done it but you you see a great miracle how could a man do a great miracle like that unless he had the power of God probably he couldn't but was he supposed to do it Solomon thinks that God will give a man great power will give a prophet great power and he can abuse that power and use it for wrong purposes I had a talk with William Brown once and he said now mind you he says I'm just speaking to you as a friend I have an older brother than you he says you got to do what God says he says if any prophet tells you to do something or he says if I tell you to do something you still got to know the voice of God yourself and do that he said a prophet can be wrong and then he said something I've pondered over ever since he says Elisha was wrong when he cursed the young people that came out and made fun of him but he shouldn't have done that I don't know but I mean he was saying a prophet can be wrong I mean the greatest prophet of this century said a prophet can be wrong I mean and we know a prophet can be wrong we know that Jonah was wrong God corrected him and so God help us to know that the power he gives is not a release to use it as we will that's why God is showing us these things because he wants to lay upon his church the full presence of God by which we can do anything God wants us to do but unless our wills are so constrained and so broader the dominion of the Holy Spirit we ourselves will do wrong things to our own sorrow and to the sorrow of the church we've seen it happen it's learned from what we've observed instead of wondering how could it happen maybe they were right I mean God's given us understanding to know it's not right to stand before the people and say this thing reported it's wrong send in this money send in this money or God's going to take me home surely if we have a little bit of discernment we know that God doesn't speak that way Christian people send in the money keep it going for us I'm not criticized I'm not forbidden God wants us to understand in love understand let us love them so much that we'll have true discernment because I discovered that love comes out of out of love will come true discernment proposes I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment which means discernment I pray that your love will abound more and more in knowledge and in discernment that you may approve the things that are excellent love so let us pursue love let that always be our pursuit no matter what other area we're talking about let the love of God be our pursuit the real love and so we can't go wrong you can go wrong if you have a gift of discernment where someone says that man's heart's corrupt you can go wrong I know a prophet that went very very wrong because he was a prophet and he had that kind of discernment and it awed people to think that he had that first thing you know he had a cult had total control over them it wasn't for the fact that he got in trouble with the law might still have been going but he was a prophet whose heart was not motivated by the love of God pardon me but a heart that's truly motivated by the love of God will have true discernment so that when you when you see those things some of which I mentioned and I trust I trust it will be received in the right way I'm not trying to criticize I'm just using an illustration I'm not their judge God'll be the judge but when I heard of things like that and the power of this great prophet and the attitude I I just don't I don't find that relieving I can't I can't relate to it and others can't relate to it we don't want to judge no we don't but let in love let discern that your love might abound more and more in knowledge and all discernment in love and if there's a chance the time comes God sends you with a message to such one fine but he's God's servant he's not mine and may there be love and compassion for those who we see may be going astray and if God sees fit go to them with the word but let love be the word of God because true love will sometimes be very harsh sometimes get thee behind me Satan he said to his beloved Peter because there was something there a temptation to avoid the cross Jesus knew it had to be and he told him I got to go and down he sensed the wrong spirit there not you Lord no you're going to be the king you're going to reign get thee behind me Satan and so the temptation you see that the wilderness we have to go through to come to this place where God can entrust us to go forth he said I got the anointing I know Jesus had it and he got the anointing before he went through the wilderness he wouldn't turn the stone to bread to the mountain to the pinnacle of the temple to cast yourself down for it is written he will give his angels charge over thee to keep thee lest thou dash thy foot against the stone Jesus replied thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God ask thyself down the angels will oppose you tempting God I've heard preachers say put God to the test do this thing that I'm telling you maybe it's an offering you want maybe you don't have the money put God to the test write out a check for a thousand dollars and prove God test him the Bible says thou shall not test the Lord thy God if he tells you to write a check for a thousand dollars fine you're walking in obedience but you say I'm going to do it I'm going to test God in this that's wrong they tried to throw him over the hill when he came out of the synagogue Nazareth was just walked away from him God protected him they tried to stone him I don't know what happened whether they just bounced off him it wasn't God's time he was walking in the will of God nothing could hinder the purposes of God as a man walks in his will but to go to the temple because Satan challenged him you know that much of the strategy of the church is built on meeting the challenge of the devil he does something we don't like we're out there to challenge him at least to respond to his challenge are we supposed to be confronted with Satan yes in God's will in God's timing in God's methods by God's leading I know David accepted the challenge of Goliath but he was sent there in the will of God his brothers were approving him he says there's a cause if they're not a cause God had ordained that didn't mean from that day forward he had all power of the kingdom to go and establish the kingdom for which he was anointed in fact the very sword he used to slay Goliath was taken from him but when he needed it when he was ready for it when God's time came he got that sword back again thrown him running for his life running from Saul but he needed a weapon and he went to the priest and he said haven't you got a weapon here? he said well just the one you used to slay the Goliath with he said give it to me nothing like that one it's been laid up there in the sanctuary for a long time be encouraged if you were used mightily of God once and now it doesn't seem to be happening be encouraged God's got any weapon you need laid up in the sanctuary which you will receive in God's time and it'll mean more to you then than it did in the time of your youth when you were depressed filled with pride and zeal and ready to go and get the job done and you did one mighty work and everybody marveled and started to puff you up and God says no this I can't let David have this kind of exaltation cause David was a man after God's heart whom he was preparing to be after his own heart whom he would send into a wilderness for many many years before he would be able to rule as a righteous and merciful king so he knew many wilderness wanderings he had to go through the wilderness before he could manifest this kingly power it's consistent with God's ways Moses had to go through the wilderness Joseph had to go through his wilderness before they were prepared best to use the power that God had for them so you don't test God you don't tempt God along the way but recognize he will test us and he will tempt us and that's his prerogative but it's sad when they reverse it and test God and that's what God said to Israel in the wilderness you tested me and you proved me and you saw my work 40 years they tested God when God was testing them they turned it about and tested God God was testing them and withholding water and withholding bread and withholding some of the good things that he had for them he was testing them in that and in the error of their hearts in the darkness of their hearts they turned it about and tested God and said can God furnish a table in the wilderness is the Lord among us or not have you brought us out in the wilderness to slay us they were testing God when God was seeking to test and approve them to be a nation approved of God to go into Canaan as conquerors Jesus wouldn't test God let Satan taunt all he will you say you're the son of God throw yourself down on the mountain that will prove whether you are or not you're God's son the angels will uphold you wouldn't test God he wouldn't go by Satan's instructions he wouldn't try to meet the challenge of the devil he would yes he would in a sense in God's way he quoted a scripture which Satan had pulled out of context he quoted the scripture that applied in that situation the applicable scripture in that situation was not throw yourself down and the angels of God will look at you the applicable scripture in that situation was thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God temptation three he showed the son of God all the kingdoms of the world at a moment of time all the glory of the world I read where one man said he had hallucinating dreams out there in the desert no this was very real God subjected him to that it was a test he was a man fasting 40 days very weak we fail to understand this we think of him as the son of God you know the devil couldn't he couldn't possibly defeat him but it was a real temptation and we know in God's election he couldn't fail but as far as the situation was concerned at that time he was vulnerable God was approving his son and he let Satan have the power to show Jesus all the glory of the kingdoms of men I don't think necessarily as it was then but throughout until the end of time he showed him the glory of the kingdoms and glory that has caught away many of God's servants in the church the glory of the world about us he said don't have it all you'll serve me you and I say well we wouldn't accept a thing like that we wouldn't we wouldn't go for that we don't think it a great thing that Jesus refused it but it was a temptation so I know that in his state of weakness and vulnerability it is a real temptation because the Bible says he was tempted of rebellion if you'll fall down and worship me I'll give it all to you here again God had all the kingdoms of the world for him and the time will come when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and the kingdom of our Lord and the and the kingdom of and the kingdom of our Lord and the kingdom of our Lord and the kingdom of our Lord and the kingdom of our Lord and the and the and the and the and the and the and the kingdom of our Lord and the not a strange thing. Something that the temptation comes and they're not ready for it because they've lacked the wilderness experience. Intended of the Lord to confirm our allegiance to the Lord Jesus the Noah's voice so well that open doors nothing to do with it. Appearances is nothing to do with it. What seems right in the eyes of the church or maybe your godly friend in the ministry or maybe some great prophet or apostle might seem right to them. You and I've got to know that because it is true and I've talked with Paul Kane and I believe he's a true prophet of God and I think he'd be quick to acknowledge that a prophet of God could miss God. That he'd be quick to acknowledge that. He needs to be of help because he's subject to a lot of advice and counsel from a lot of people and rightly so. He brings us into fellowship but we've got to know the voice of God clear enough that we're not going to be swayed by it.