In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of drawing near to God. He encourages the audience to reject old traditions and wrong teachings that may conflict with the Word of God. The preacher uses the analogy of a vineyard to illustrate how God works in his church. He also highlights the power of the Holy Spirit and the importance of faith in the Christian walk.

When anyone receives revelation in the Word of God, it sometimes conflicts with what he has previously been taught. This causes you to have to deal with old traditions or wrong teaching. These tapes may contain some new light from God's Word, and it may be opposed to some traditions you have previously learned. Therefore, follow through these messages in your Bible, in sequence, in order that you may be able to make a choice for the Word of God rather than the traditions of men. This is tape number eight in a series. We urge you to listen to all the tapes in this series in numerical order, so that the whole teaching can be received and understood. Listening to a part of this series or to the tapes out of sequence can lead to a misunderstanding of the nature, the intent, and the importance of this series. I resist the proud. My grace goes to humble folks. Humble folks are not living out of the lust of flesh to be somebody. People who are dying to the lust of flesh are not exalting themselves. They don't think like a wolf. They exalt Jesus. That's a lamb. By the way, the lambs win. Now, therefore, congregation, I want you to know this. You can get all straightened out right here, congregation, and you can get healed. And by the way, I don't want to mess up your theology, congregation, but you will have to deal with a little sin before you get healed. Now, so here's the way it's going to be, congregation, in verse 7. First, you humbled yourself in verse 6, and now in 7, verse 7, the second thing you do is submit yourself, therefore, to God. Look at me. Now, we're going to take these one at a time. Submit to God. How do you submit to God? You choose in your heart, saying, My will, I give you My will, Lord. That's the only thing I can do, is give you My will and love you. That's all I can do. So I submit to the whole counsel of God there, Lord. I'm not picking and choosing. I like dots and tittles like you do. So I'll unlearn. You're my teacher. You're a Lord. I do what you say. I submit in Jesus' name. I submit from right here, not up here, Lord. Right here. I receive your word, and perform this work in my heart. All right, let's go on to the next one. Now, verse 7, and the next thing you do to have this good soul is you resist, you ignore the who? Of the devil, and he'll flee from you. That's not what it says, does it? It says you resist the devil, and he'll what? All right, look at me. I'm in Christ. Ain't coming out lust. I've quit lusting. I resisted that dart of lust. Try to put that picture of me when I went down to the shopping center again. Ain't lusting. Ain't living. I've died to lust. Bob shouldn't have done that to you. Ain't coming out unforgiveness and resentment. I resist you in Jesus' name, and unless no jump, I'm a forgiver. You know what he has to do? Flee. Can you hear me from where you're sitting? That's peaceful, isn't it? I wonder who ever taught us to ignore the devil, and he'll flee. That sounds like a doctrine of the demon, doesn't it? All right, now. Verse 8. The next thing is a fourth thing. You draw near to God, and he'll draw near to you. I tell you what, just throw an old-fashioned fit. I mean, I mean, it's something. I mean, he's more exciting than the cowboys making it. Touchdown. He's more exciting than turning out church early for the cowboys, and if you ever get where you're a little free, you know, and you can kind of get up there, and you ever hear this start? You're there, you're just, and you know you've already thrown a fit in your house before you got there, and you need to get there, and you start, and then all of a sudden something up there. Terry Brown is watching you. That's them. They're trying to stir up a little pride there in your image. After all, you've got your image and reputation. I'm not going to praise this holy God that made everything it moves. Because, after all, I'm Lord. Don't you? Go down to that altar and humble yourself. Terry Brown is watching you. See, you remember me telling you about the pastor? The pastor over here, when he gets, and he starts hitting traditions and everything, the one that can intimidate, that the devil can use to intimidate him the most, is the darts. It'll going to come to his mind right there, and all right, and so it is with you. When you start to get free, you'll get dangerous, and he knows it. It's spread. You, what is saying, Axe? The word's spread. Don't you know it's spreading? And so, the one that can intimidate you the most, when it comes to it, you know, humbling yourself like that altar. See, that's a war that you hadn't been in, showed up for. And the one it can, he can use to intimidate you most, you want his approval, and you may be intimidated and fearful, is the one that they'll shoot the dart, because they know. I told you there's more than one behind the bush, didn't I? That's how. So, you draw near to God. When you praise the God, he dwells in the midst of his praises. I mean, it's just one more point. Let me tell you one. You can get praise in God, you don't have to take the party over the devil. Because, where the presence of God is, you just fall over him, and you face it, and it gets so peaceful. That's what Satan used to do. He understand about some praise, didn't he? He used to lead it, and he don't like it now. Okay, the next thing you do is plunge your hands, you what? Plunge your hand of all this sin right here. Is he talking about sin right there? Huh? What did you mean, before you get to James 5 14? Yes, sir, you just read it right there. He said, deal with that sin before you get over in James 5 14 15. Because, you're living that, I have the lust to pledge what you said, and I'll not answer your prayer. Because, you're going to be fruitful. And then you ask, because the prayer of a righteous man, not an unrighteous man, a veiler, what? Much. There's a difference in praying, and knowing, and praying, and hoping. All right, now. So, you cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you what? Double-minded adulterouses that pretend obedience to God, and won't give the lust to pledge. Is that what your Bible says? Purify your hearts, before you get over in James 5 14 and 15. That's wrong. What do you think a person does? It gets down on their, their, their face, and crying out to the Lord. Crying out in a word there means repentance. And they cry out the Lord, and everything. They're cleansing their hands of sin, and they're purifying their heart by double-minded. And, and you know, when they start getting before God, and they're more concerned what God thinks, and what anybody else thinks, a brokenness comes to them. Is that brokenness? That's what the next verse says, right here. Be miserable, and mourn, and weep, and your laughter is going to be turned into mourning, and your joy is going to be turned to gloom, when you see how God all the time, and His grace, when you start humbling yourself before God, He'll show you what His love is there. And here you'll see all the rebellion in you, and all that laughter turned to gloom, and break your heart, because of the way all of us have acted before a holy God. And then, when this brokenness comes, do you know what's happening? And if any of you are right in that throne room, you can receive anything you want from God. Do you know it? That's what it's talking about in James 15, because in that manner, you get in the presence of God. You're not walking in the presence of God in the lust of the flesh. When your heart goes after the lust of the flesh, you're not getting in the presence of God. You've got your own motives. But see, this man didn't finish. This said how to cure it all. See, because God sits on the throne of grace right now. Does He? Well, one of these days soon, He's going to move over to the throne of judgment, and that's over. But right now, you could know if you fell down and get back up again, because He sits on the throne of grace. Just call it what the Word tells you. Because this man did. He cleansed his hand of his sin. He purified his heart. He double-minded, and then he was wept, and his laughter turned into gloom. Here, he was broken before the Lord, and we see the next verse in 10, he humbled himself because he was now where? He moved into the presence of the Lord. Now, I know it with all, and you will be restored in Jesus' name. The prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Amen? Now, let's just look at this situation, why there's no power in the church, in light of what we've just looked at there. Turn back to Genesis. Genesis 2. Let me ask you something. Do you believe it's kind of talking here to upset cartons? You know what cartons like? Carton talk. Carton talk. All right, now, Genesis 2, verse 9, And now that it is ground, the Lord God calls 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. May I ask you something? Let me give you a little example of something. Abner and Eve was totally innocent, were they? Isn't that correct? They didn't know anything about the evil, did they? Do you know that everybody in this world is a tree of the field? Now, you know what kind of tree they are, but what kind of fruit they bear. Now, let me, but who does God say the fellowship in the church with? It's those that come to the Lord with a pure heart. Is that correct? He says things, don't be unevenly yoked. Do not touch that which is unclean. Amen? He didn't say, get all the devils in here where you can have big numbers, because he didn't even let, in the parable of the Word, he didn't let those thousands even know what he's saying, for heart wasn't turned to the Lord. Isn't that correct? Why now, what happened? How do you eat the Word of God? You take it to heart. Do you think Satan has words? Sure he has words. They come up here and they come through folks that he controls and uses. Persecution, deflection, and many things. What do you think kind of trees you think they are? You go up and listen to one of these trees, they're just spewing out things of the world. They're spewing out things of the flesh. They're spewing out things of the devil. They're puppets. Let me tell you where they are. Adulteresses and foreigners, which is the world. So you don't receive their words. You don't take their words to heart. When you eat their words, you're eating off the tree of the knowledge. Now you just watch for that. When do you take the world's words to heart, Bar? When do you take the flesh words to heart? When do you take the devil's words to heart? You live off of every word. This is where you're a spiritual being. This is where you live. That's one of the temptations that came to the Lord Jesus, you know. All right, now let's just get through this right here. Okay, here's what the Lord said to him in verse 15. And then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. And then verse 16, And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, From any tree of the garden you may eat freely, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. For in the day that you eat from it you shall what? You're going to die. That kind of tree... Now look at me, look at me. That kind of tree that walks in that direction, adulteress and foreigner, it gives the fruit of what? Death, death, death, death. But the opposite from that, the fruit of righteousness, is of what? Walking right in God's eyes is a tree of life. There's the opposite of it. Do you see it? When you walk right in God's eyes, you walk in covenant, you're bearing fruit for God. I'm telling you what you slosh on. I mean, you've got a tree. The Spirit of God is all around you. You don't have to say any words that long or anything like that. Just say a couple of words and God moves all over everything. That's what James was talking about, what that fellow carries across. One of you say, yeah, author. Yeah. An author doesn't have to say too much. That's because of this right here. Because it's not author anyway. Author is just getting in on it. It's the Spirit of God. Because author, heart. Okay? Now, did I understand right there that you could eat any tree? You could eat the tree, but you do not eat off the tree, the one tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Isn't that what your Bible just said right there? All right. Then Satan makes his appearance in a word. Now, I'm going to tell you something right now. And, you know, most of the time, not in every case, but some of the times we're going to be looking at later on. Now, don't reject this. Don't reject something. I told you when I start down here, don't let something up there whisper and talk you out of it. You'll miss it. Boy, tie it together. You'll go home mad. And you won't really understand what made you mad. Now, sometimes when it's talking about the beast of the field, it's talking about the things of the wolves and the lions, which are a type of the powers of darkness. Let me give you an example. Paul, he wasn't wrestling some foxes over there in Ephesus, was he? Those beasts, the wild beasts, that was them. Jesus, you know, he was tempted in the wilderness. But Satan in, I think, Mark 1, verse 13, and the wild animals was with him. Those wild animals all down that corridor. But that's no big thing now. I just want to come back to this verse right there. I just want you to show. All right. Then Satan opens his mouth in this next verse for the first time in this Bible. Now, the serpent was more crafty than any of the what? Any of the powers of darkness, what it's talking about, which the Lord, that's no big thing right now. You just wait till I tie it together. Can you let me just drop that on you till I get a chance to tie it together? Thank you. Now, 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 comes. And here comes his mouth open, as God said. He says it to you all the time. He's talking to you every day. God couldn't mean that. That's what God really said. Oh, it couldn't be that way. If that's the way Dr. Brown or Reverend so-and-so or Billy Johnson or whatever. Yes, it's that way because he's wanting to lead you on all truth right here. But anyway, here he comes up and said to the woman, Indeed, hath God said. And there he started the conversation. At this time, she and Adam was in the image and likeness of God. Let's see how it happened. You shall not eat from any tree of the garden. Now, he's already twisted God's Word. God didn't say you couldn't eat from any tree of the garden. God said you don't eat from one tree that's in the garden. That's the knowledge of good and evil. You do not eat off of that tree. See, he twists the Word of God. He does it in your mind when you read it. You read the Bible. Now, if you don't know anything about taking thoughts captive, oh, he does it to smart folks too. Twist it. Now, and the woman kind of straightened up. The woman said to the serpent, From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said you shall not eat from it. And I didn't hear God say this or touch it lest you die. He didn't say you might die. He said surely you'll die. Is that correct? Okay, let's go ahead. Then the serpent said to the woman, You surely shall not die. Oh, God could mean it. It's not that way at all. God's not really that way. As a matter of fact, he's holding out on you a little bit there. And for God knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be open and you'll be like God, knowing good and evil. Well, you know, look here. Something started rising up in there, you know, kind of be like God. Now, this conversation should have already ended a long time ago, shouldn't it? Because these words now, she's already eaten off the tree. You know what I mean? When he starts taking these things to heart. All right, now, let me ask you something. What are the three temptations, what are the three things that Satan controls the world with? The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. Now, if he can get the heart going to these kind of things, see, he's got you. You're a puppet. Are you hearing me? You're controlled by the powers of darkness. And Satan's spirit is being expressioned through you. They're in there pulling the levers on you. And Satan is being, the spirit of the devil is being the expression of Satan through you. Now, that's a manifestation, that's a mystery of iniquity where Satan is manifested through the flesh. Now, you know, the opposite of that is when the spirit of the devil, the spirit of God is manifested through the flesh where the image and likeness of God. Amen? All right, let's go on. And then here's the three temptations that come to Eve when that woman saw that the tree was good for food. Well, right there is the lust of the flesh. It's good for food. And if you, lust of the flesh, I want you to mark that right there. It was good for food. And then it was a delight to what? There is a lust of the eyes. Now, you know, we've got the pride of life left. And the tree was desirable to what? To make one wise. There is a boastful pride of life. There are your three temptations right there that came to Eve right there. That's how Satan comes to you. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. This is how he controls the world system. And she took from its fruit. See, she received it. She took from the fruit and ate. In other words, she just took that to heart. And she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. So there, the first Adam, right then, fell. He was totally innocent. They were totally naked. And you see right there in the next verse that they went to get the fig trees. Their eyes were open and guilt was on them, obviously. And then we see in verse 13, Then the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you've done? And the woman said, What? Deceived. The serpent did what? Did what? May I ask you something? When you're warned over and over and over and over and over and over and over, Don't be deceived. Little children, don't be deceived. Little children, don't be deceived. Little children, you could be deceived. Do not be deceived. Do not be deceived. Who do you think God's warning you about? Now, let's just pay close attention when we come to this place that God says, Do not be deceived. So the first Adam was in total agreement with Eve, And he failed in the test of the lust of flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boast of pride of life. He failed. He was cursed. And you were in, Adam, when you hadn't been born yet. And when he was cursed, you were cursed. His sins came on you. Is that plain? Now, what I say we're going to find out why they went away without power in the church? Now, let's turn back over to Luke 4. The first Adam fell away and became earthly. Turn over to Luke 4. Luke 4. Let God be true and every man be a liar. The Lord just kind of shot that in there. I thought I'd just say it. Is that all right? Can you let God be true and every man be a liar? Sounds like Jesus is Lord, doesn't it? Okay. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ, this is the beginning of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, He's never cast out one demon or healed one sick person, starting in chapter 4. He's not done it. But the first thing He does, and I want you to mark this up there, is this the last Adam? Shake your head. What happened to the first Adam? He didn't pass the test, did he? He became earthly. Fell. All right. Now, the last Adam. He's supposed to be tested. I sure hope he passed, don't you? Okay. Luke 4, verse 1. And Jesus, full of the what? Spirit right there. I want you to mark that. He was full of the Holy Spirit. He returned from Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the what? Wildness. Where's the wildness today? All over the world. Where's the wildness then? Some mountain where there's some lions and foxes or something like that? Or is the wildness all over the world? Downtown Jerusalem. Okay. For 40 days, in verse 2, being what? He was what? He was tempted by the devil. Okay. He was tempted by the devil. Now, here comes a test. And you know what does the devil tempt with? The lust of flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. Is that correct? And he ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, he became hungry. Well, that's a good time to tempt. He hasn't eaten for 40 days. So the devil had a good time to come along and let him make the provision for him instead of God. And the devil said to him, if you are the son of God, tell this stone to become bread. Well, right there, if you care to, there is the first temptation to the last Adam. The first Adam fell. It's the last Adam. The lust of flesh. Mark that. The lust of flesh. And Jesus answered him, it is written. Well, what does he say it is written? That means he throwed up, look at me, the shield of faith. Satan come and said one thing, and it's opposite from what the Word said. No, you're not looking at me. You forget who the teacher is. Satan come with a... There's still two not looking. Satan comes with the lust of the flesh right there, and what does he do? He comes up with the shield of faith. He said, it's written. My heart goes to, it's written. Know what you're saying, lust of the flesh. Look what he says. He said, it's written. I shall not live on bread alone. It's written. I live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. I don't receive it lived by words. I receive it lived by the Word. There goes the shield of faith to get the flaming missile. Do you see that? Amen? All right, now the next one. And then he showed him all the kingdoms of the world a moment in time. There's the lust of the eyes. Now, you get parts of the world brought to you like that red piece of steel, and these things kind of brought to you all the time. All the time. Every day these things are coming to get your heart drawn toward them. And he led him up and showed him all the kings of the world a moment in time, verse 6, and the devil said to him, I'll give you all this domain and its glory, but it's been handed over to me. Now, this is what I said before. And I'll give it to whomever I wish. Now, you watch this. The Lord doesn't argue with him about it. It's been handed. Who handed it over to him? The devil. I mean, Adam handed it over to him. Therefore, if you worship before me, it shall be yours. In other words, look here. When your heart goes to the things of the world and to the lust of the flesh, you're bowing down your heart, you're serving Satan. Is that clear? And so, and Jesus answered and said to him, here comes the shield of faith again. Jesus just comes up with the word. He said, now, my heart's in the word, not in what your words. And he said, it is written. Have you circled that yet? He says again, that shield of faith. That shield of faith. My faith is in what God said. Not all these good things you're saying, Satan. It is written. You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only. Verse 9. And then, what is left there? The boastful pride of life? Well, let's look there in verse 9. And he led him to Jerusalem, and he had him to stand on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, now, you're the Son of God. Throw yourself down from here because, you know, all those folks see you down there in the courtyard, it's always full. And I'm telling you, when they see you down here, jump all the way off the top of that thing, all these signs and wonders and all these wonderful things that you do for God, you come off of that thing and saw the angels going to catch you and you can't dash your foot against the salt, you jump off that thing and jump down in that courtyard and that whole countryside, these people in this courtyard, go tell everybody about it, and then you can just take all these people over to God. The only thing wrong with that, that wasn't God's plan. God didn't have it worked out that way, see? Satan's trying to give him a program. And then, verse 10, now the Satan is saying, for it is what? Now Satan turns around and now Satan's saying, what? The Word of God, because he keeps coming up the Word, he keeps coming up the Word, so now he's going to kind of pervert the Word a little bit, right? See, if he can't prevent something, he perverts it, right? So now he comes and perverts it. It is written, He'll give his angel charge concerning you, to guard you, and on their hands shall he bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. And Jesus answered and said to him, It is said, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. May I ask you something? Did Jesus, the last Adam, pass ever temptation? He never healed a sick person? He never cast down a demon? He was filled with the Holy Spirit? And he went out to the fiery trials? If you've been reading in 1 Peter, you are to walk as Jesus walked. You are to die to the flesh. And he suffered in the flesh. We know in Hebrews that he learned obedience to God. And the Lord gives his Holy Spirit the same to all those who obey him. That's what it says. And he learned obedience. And that's his example. Did he come as an example to you, to walk as he walked? Is that what we saw? That you suffer in the flesh and you cease from sin? Did we see that before? That you no longer live for the lust of flesh, but you live for the will of God. Amen. And then we go over and see it today. Satan does not love the world, the things in the world, the lust of flesh, the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life, because all of this lust is passed away, but you who do the will of God are going to be the ones who remain forever. Is that correct? Because when you do that, that means where your heart is. Amen? You're getting all your prayers answered. Now let's see what happens right there. Verse 13, And when the devil had finished what? There was all the temptation. The first Adam fell. The last Adam passed all of them. Is that correct? And he finished every temptation. He departed from him until what? Think about it and check him out a little later on. But right then, I'm telling you what? Jesus Christ got promoted. Amen. I'm telling you, when you start to walk that way, you will get promoted every time. Because you can be trusted. You start getting your prayers answered. Just like we said. Amen. Now, you got your big pencil ready? He started out full of the Holy Spirit. Now watch in 14. And Jesus returned to Galilee. He passed all the temptations. And now He's in the power of the Spirit. Amen. Now, you got your big pencil ready? He started out full of the Holy Spirit. Now watch in 14. And Jesus returned to Galilee. He passed all the temptations. And now He's in the power of the Spirit. Amen. I mean, He's got power on Him. There's a power of the Spirit. And news about Him spread throughout the surrounding district. He walked right to the church house in verse 18. And He said, The Spirit of God is on me. The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He's anointed me to preach the gospel. I've come here to set the captives free. To claim release to the captives. To recover the sight of the blind. I've got the power on me. I'm open the sight of the blind. There is example for you and me. Die to the lust of flesh. Get the power of God on you. And I'm going to set free those who've been town trodden. Is that plain, church folks? Amen. Kind of simple, isn't it? But see, He had a problem. He still had a problem. And folks who live by this can't see it because they can't hear it. See, He had a real problem. He was a carpenter. Sure didn't have many credentials. And people who live here, first thing you'd see. Oh, kind of like a synabolic crash. You'd know no one after the flesh. You'd hear the voice of God. I'm listening and looking for Jesus. I'm not looking. Hey, God didn't give His revelation to the ones He's blessed with the most intellect necessarily. That doesn't mean they don't get any less than anyone else. But see, this is spiritual revelation. This is not intellectual. But watch what these folks did. Now, when God used you a little bit and got a little power around you, you know you kind of look good, don't you? Well, let's see what happened to them right there. This is good. And verse 22, "...and all were speaking well of him." Have you ever heard that, when God's using you a little bit? Oh, I have. "...and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from his lips." Boy, that's good and that's strong. And then all of a sudden, something's talking to them, and then they begin to say, Isn't this Joseph's son? Carpenter. My goodness, what are we getting upset about this for? Oh, my. It's Carpenter. You know something? He said, you know how many people he healed there? Not one. He didn't heal anybody there. He didn't set one person free of demons in that place. He said, that's what I've come here for. But, you know, they don't like Carpenter's talking like that. And so, but he did kind of drop something on them down there in 25. I'm going to use a few extra verses here, not only this. But he's dropped some things on 25. There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. What he said, can you go ahead and read it? There were many widows. But what is a widow? That someone is not the bride. Isn't that right? That's a type of not the bride. There were many widows. But he said, in Israel in the day of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when what came? A famine came to the land. You know what that famine is? It's a type of famine of the Word. There were many widows. It's a type of the famine that's today. The famine today. And yet, Elijah wasn't sent to none of them, but only to this one woman right there inside of him who was a widow. So he's saying, I wish you could open your eyes right here, you widows. I'm going to give you an example of that. I'm sure you won't hear it. But I want to tell you, God just kind of comes to those who really receive him. And this widow is a type of the lost people. And I want you to know, of all the widows there was, he only went to one. You see? And, of course, they didn't know what he's saying right there. He's also talking about the sick folks right there. And he's talking about Naaman. There were many lepers, but he only went to one, Naaman the Syrian, right there. So what he says, God don't have any problem passing up a whole lot of sick folks or lost folks. And he just passed you up. And see, when people get in the flesh, it's this sort of thing. Kill him! Throw him to death! Push him off a cliff! We don't like it. That don't fit in our traditions. That don't fit in our box. Wash your hands before you eat. Why, your heart is full of the fruit of the devil. And 1 Corinthians 2. 1 Corinthians 2. Now, I want you to remember something. And I'm fixing to say to you right here. Now, why don't you turn there and I want you to look up here just a minute. Now, when you've got it through, I want you to turn here because I'm going to say something. I want you just to really hear, please. Please, please just look up here just a minute. I had a friend that told me. You know, it's not real simple what he said. You can always tell when God's in a place because you see him doing something. And he said, God told me one time, he said, son, if you ever go in a place and you don't see me doing nothing, I'm not there. So, what is him doing something? That's called power, isn't it? Is that power? Him doing something? Is that what came on Jesus after the lust of the flesh? Filled with the Holy Spirit? And then the Holy Spirit empowered him. That was the grace that comes to us, empowers us to walk through the depth of the flesh. Amen? That is grace. All right, now. Do you think that people, a lot of people that never see the power of God, where is their heart? They don't see God doing anything? Their heart, a lot of times, is toward wise folks, intellectual folks. They have, you know, they have an appearance. They have credentials or what, any number of things. It's not on Jesus because look what he says starting in 1. Verse 1. Here's what Paul said. When I came to you, brother, I did not come with what? Circle that about eight times. I didn't come with superiority to show you I was much more. I didn't come with that. And are of wisdom that I was the one that's going to jump out, that all of it revolved around me. And I was a wisdom proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him superfied. I don't care where you, the bank president, the janitor. What's that got to do with it? It's all God. I don't care where you got three gold rings or not got any socks on. Three. Boy, I really got another brother with me back there, hadn't I? I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling. You know, Paul had a few credentials. I don't think he's flashing them too much. I think he might have known something, didn't you? Kind of like the lust of flesh and the boastful pride of life. And Paul goes on in verse 4. And my message and my preaching. Paul speaks and says something about it. Words of wisdom, not making decisions. He was making disciples instead of decisions. Do you understand that? I want to persuade you of something before I get you counted or get a good report on me so I can build up our image and our reputation and my career. But my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but is in demonstration of the Spirit. And here it comes! Power! Oh, Paul by his test, too, didn't he? He had power, didn't he? So he has one last word to say to us there, that your faith... We've been talking about that shield of faith, haven't we? That your faith... And I'm going to tell you, here's another good refrigerator verse. I'm going to tell you that your faith... Your faith should never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, ever rest on the wisdom of men, the intellect of men, but on the what? The power of God is not there, he's not there. Is that plain? You know, instead of having faith in the power of God and seeing the power of God... Now, you can always kind of watch the power of God when some man is getting the glory for him. A lot of times you see the power of God right there, and people go away quoting a man, talking about the man, his power. That's a bunch of junk. That power is the grace of God working through that man. When you ever see this power in everything, you ought to see the Jesus in the man, and not this carton, that's flesh. But let's have... You know what the object of having faith in the power? It's to be offended by the power. Where do you think that comes from? Right there. That's the way the Pharisees was. They were offended, they reacted to everything that the spirit of God did, because they were controlled by the lust of the flesh and the power of the darkness. They were controlled by them. Well, can you see the power comes when you begin passing the test? Because when you're passing the test, I don't remember, in John 15, you're bearing fruit. When you're bearing fruit, you're walking in covenant, and when you're walking in covenant, you ask whatever you wish, and it'll be done to you because your motives are not on the carton. Is that just what you saw in the Bible? That's what God said, isn't it? Galatians 4. Galatians 4, starting verse 22. Now, let's see, look at me. So you've got a congregation in there. There's a church in the church. Are you hearing me? Shepherds, I hope you're hearing me. Boy, I'll tell you what, this is going to bless you, shepherd. I mean, you're precious. Boy, what a time. Boy, God's grace. God help these shepherds. Bless them, Lord. I'll tell you what, I don't believe there's anybody anywhere in this world that has authority like the shepherd has, the spiritual authority. And we're just now finding out how much authority in the spiritual realm that a shepherd has. Mr. Shepherd, may I just tell you something? The next time that gossip breaks out in your congregation, our fear, our tale, you walk right up to your little sickness in the nursery, why don't you just walk right up to this pulpit right there and stand before those people in the name of Jesus and say, I have authority over all the works of darkness in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, I remove all the works of darkness off this congregation right now as promoting this gospel and gossip in the name of Jesus. All these spirits come in on this congregation right now. God had given us a spirit up there, but power, love, and the sound man in Jesus' name right now, you're removed from this congregation in Jesus' name. We'll not receive this sickness in the nursery here, but the Lord sent His Word to heal us in Jesus' name. We receive this Word. This Word is life to us and health to all our foe flesh. In the name, power, and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, all the works of infirmity, destruction, and these works of sickness are removed off the nursery, and I speak healing over them in the name of Jesus. And now in the name, power, and blood of Jesus, over this congregation, I speak peace in Jesus' name. And you know what happens back. It's all over. Pastor, some man don't have to come to town to do that. You do it. In Galatians 4, one other thing. What do you think when you've got a bunch of devils in a congregation? Where did that come from? What part of the Bible is that, that the devils grow up in the church of Jesus Christ, in the covenant? They grow up in the field. You see it in Matthew, you look in the next chapter, you know the field's the world. It's not the body of Christ. Where it says the terrors will be obvious. Because why are the terrors going to be obvious? Because the wheat bears grain, which is fruit. You know that. Look at this fruit, you can tell. And boy, I tell you what, when you run into someone and you help together for truth, and you see somebody and you see the fruit of God on them, and you hear Jesus coming out of their mouth, you know you don't have to go ask somebody for God. You know the Spirit of God is in you. There are anointings in you. And I'm telling you what, you want them to be a success in everything they do because you know that they belong to the same One. You know that they're part of you, the fullness of Christ that filleth all of all. Amen. Now, when anyone's in the flesh, and part of a congregation, you mix them together like that, what happens? The demons start promoting. They start promoting those wise and intelligent, and wise in their own eyes, and boastful pride of life with their selfish ambition and jealousy. And they move them into positions of authority and everything in a church. And then you, Brother Shepherd, you go to another thing. And that's why I told you that you were like you walking in their own house. They're so rotten. They live a life of that flesh right there. They're so controlled by the powers of darkness. And they're the ones that come against you. They control you. They're the ones that run you off, Shepherd, every church you go to. And the powers of darkness... Persecuting your children, and persecuting your wife. And you come home and hear these things, and hear these things, and all this pressure just builds and builds. They just keep you running, and keeping you moving. And when you leave, you leave the flock. You left the church in the church. And the devils run you off. And the next place you go to, it's the same old rotten thing over and over. You get beat down and whipped down because you're caught up in something that you've been taught not to trust God for. You have to trust other things besides God for. It's been an impossible thing for you, and you just have to serve flesh everywhere you go. And all this flesh, and all this loss, and all these things, every time God tries to serve that flesh, 75% or 99% of what it is just comes against it. Comes against it. They'll kill everything that even looks like God. Because that's how you shed the blood of the righteous. That's how you spill blood. Because when you make them just like you, get them under the law, and then the powers of darkness attack them, and they come to kill, steal, and destroy them on your hands. In Jesus' name, it's on your hands. May I ask you one more time, who will harm him who follows after that which is good? Now, let me show them to you right there in 22. Galatians 4, 22. I want to show you what happens to you. For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. Which woman are we? We're a free woman. The one that's in the flesh is under the bondwoman. Is that right? Now, let's see how you mix these two together and see what happens. Verse 23, But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the what? Look at me, folks. Brother Shepherd, look here. You've got some of these folks up here. It's born right up here. It's in their mind. They're born again by the flesh. Born again after the flesh, after the flesh. They're the ones right there you was reading about in Jude. They follow after their own godly lusts. They's mocking, scoring everything you are. Brother Shepherd, look here. You've got some of these folks up here. It's born right up here. It's in their mind. They're born again by the flesh. Born again after the flesh. After the flesh. Hey! They're the ones right there you was reading about in Jude. They follow after their own godly lusts. They's mocking, scoring everything you are. They back you right off that word and they don't even know it. They're controlled by the power of the darkness. They're controlled and led by their ungodly lusts. There it is right there, the born again after the flesh. And the son of the what? Free woman, that is, through the promise. Now, here you've got the one born according to the flesh, and then you've got the free woman. Now, we're the free woman. The opposite of that is the flesh. Let's go ahead and look. This is allegorically speaking. For these women are of two what? They're two different covenants. And today I want you to know the flesh is in covenant with Satan, and I want you to know that we're, as a free woman, we're in covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ. You know it by the fruit. One proceeded from Mount Sinai bearing children who were to be slaves, and she is Hagar. Now, this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, right? For she is in slavery with her children, but the Jerusalem above is what? All right, in Hebrews 12, look at me. In Hebrews 12, what does it say in our church? We are in, right now, the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen? We are in the spiritual Jerusalem. We are the spiritual Israel of God. Romans 9 tells you very plainly, these are different than the flesh Israel and the spiritual Israel. Now, we are the Jerusalem above. She is our what? Mother. You know what mother is? Church. Church is the bride. The church gives birth. That is why. Isn't that what a mother does? That is why it's called the mother. The mother is the church because she gives the birth. Now, you can give birth to harlots. Do you know that? That's that old whore Babylon church. We'll look at it later. That's a world and a church that walks after the flesh, that doesn't go through the cross. Now, verse 27, For it is written, Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear. Break forth and shout, You are not in labor, for more are the children of the desolate than one who has a husband. Now, 28, And the brethren like Isaac are the children of promise. Now, let me ask you something. Do you understand you're Abraham's offspring? You're children of the promise through the covenant by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Generations, right? Now, let me ask you something. Do you know God's name? Do you know if I make covenant with brother Bob right here? I can't read your last name. Let me use Scott Fisher. I'll get that mixed up in a minute. Scott Fisher and I make a covenant together. And then, one of the things that we have a covenant meal, are the wine and the bread. The bread, when he feeds me the bread, that's me taking him into me. And then when I feed him the bread, that's him taking me. We're becoming one, identifying as one. See, that's kind of a hangover, you see that? And the wedding cake, when they make, you know, come together, they feed the cake, that's where it's taken from in covenant. And then, when we're drinking the wine, we drink the wine, see that's, we're becoming one blood. We're becoming blood brothers there. All right, now, Scott and I would exchange names. And then, because we become one, I'd take part of his name. I'd then be known as Milton Fisher Green. And he'd be known as Scott Green Fisher. Now, when Abram, you know Abram, when he's making covenant with God in Genesis right there, then he and God exchanged names. You know, God's name was Yahweh. So you take the A-H and you add it to Abram, and then he has a new name. God took part of his name and gave it to him, and he became Abraham. And then God took, then, Abraham's name, and he became known the God of Abraham. So that is a children of promise, and we're Abraham's descendants. Okay, now, verse 29. But at that time, he who is born of the flesh, now, what's those two words? I can't hear you. Persecuted him who was born according to the what? Of those after flesh is born after the flesh. Persecutes those who's born after the Spirit of God. Now, also, now, how's that for mixing up with a bunch of devils who won't repent? Making terrors comfortable. Making devils comfortable. Adding enough water to the word right there. You don't upset flesh. Now, what do you think God's doing? Nothing. That's the reason we count. Now, Brother Shepherd, put this on your refrigerator. Verse 30. But what does the Scripture say? Cast out the bondwoman and her son. I tell you, all you have to do to cast them out, just say what God says. You don't add any of this right to it, you can't move one of them with a stick of dynamite that they're going. Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we're not children of the bondwoman of flesh, but we're the free woman. Amen? You know right over in 5.13 it said, You were called to freedom, brethren. Oh, no, do not turn your freedom into opportunity for the flesh. Well, I think that's plumb good. Let's turn over to Philippians 3, please. Philippians 3. If it gets any better, I can't take it. Boy, I praise God. Philippians 3. Now, they're circumcised. What do they want to do? Look at me. They want to get you into flesh, get you out of the law. You get out of the law, you're not in grace and freedom. There's an enemy there, you're in the flesh, and that enemy can war against your soul, your mind, will, and the nose. Is that what we've seen? The hedge is down. The breach is down. You're not back here in Christ in peace, are you? Amen? Okay. Okay. Now, let's look in chapter 3, verse 2. Beware of the dogs. Well, who's a dog? He doesn't say he doesn't believe in the Word. The dogs don't believe in it. Beware of the dogs. Beware. And here's another beware. The second beware. Beware of who? Evil workers. What does evil workers do? They walk out of the flesh. Beware of the what? Of false circumcision. Now, where are we circumcised? Right here. Right here in the heart. Now, he's going to tell you who these are right here, starting the next verse. Verse 3. We're going to see who the true circumcision is. There's the false things. Beware of the false circumcision. Are you warned about beware of the false circumcision? I can't hear you. All right, now, verse 3. For we are the true circumcision. The true circumcision. He said, Beware of the false circumcision. But here's the true circumcision. Who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. Amen. Ain't no big shots in that bunch. It's that plain. There's no confidence in the flesh. All the glory goes to the Lord Jesus Christ. They worship in the Spirit. That is the true circumcision. Beware of evil workers. False circumcision. Here's the way they walk. For many, verse 18, walk. We use circle walk right there. Walks. They're fruit and deeds. The many walk of whom I've often tell you and now tell you even weeping that they're enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite, flesh, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. You know what happens? These kind of folks don't have to trust God for anything. They go to the world and get everything they need. Whoa, do you, do you go to Egypt for help. Don't have to trust God for anything. Well, turn to 1 John 2. 1 John 2. I want to run a little test by you, see if you know Christ. Hope you pass the test. If you don't, get up. 1 John 2, verse 3. And by this we know. Either you know or you don't know. We know that we have come to what? Know Jesus. If, if, if, there's a condition. You know Him. If we what? If you keep His Word, you know Him. Is that what your Bible says right there? Now, if there's anything you don't like, remember, just take a knife, get you a little scissor, just cut it up. The one who says, I have come to know Him, and does not keep His commandments, a liar. Is that plain? And the truth, or the Word, is not in him. Now verse, now the, here's the, a good in Christ Scripture right there. You can just block it in, and put in Christ's hatred, because I want you to see, this would be an in Christ. For whoever keeps His Word, that's doing the will of God, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. That, that does what? That keeps His Word. That's a doer of the Word. By this we know that we are what? You're in Christ if you keep His Word. Amen. Is that plain? Now, six, the one who says he remains in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as the Lord Jesus Christ walked. Amen. Now if you get another Jesus, just add you some water to it, some words, get you some religious spirits, be religious, have a form of godliness, and help God out in the flesh. Now, while we're there, look in verse 20, 1 John 2, look in verse 29. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who what? Practices righteousness is born of Him. If you're practicing righteousness, it's born of Him. Is that plain? Let's look in the next chapter, right there in verse, now remember when the Lord says, Do not be deceived like Eve. Eve was deceived. You could be deceived. Little children, do not be deceived. When God says that, do you think y'all listen? Adam and Eve didn't listen. Jesus listened. You better listen. Now in verse 7, Little children, let no one deceive you. There it is. Which means you could be deceived about something. The one who practices righteousness is what? Now if he practices righteousness, that's walking right in God's eyes, and that's not walking right according to another Jesus. Are you hearing me? That's walking right. Now remember what Paul said about that church in Israel in Romans 10. He says, I pray for this church, for their salvation. They have a zeal for God, all right, but it's not according to the Word. They're being ignorant of what the righteousness of God is. They establish their own righteousness, which is self-righteousness, another kind of righteousness, and they do not submit to the righteousness that comes from God. And that righteousness that comes from God is walking right in God's eyes, putting to death the flesh. We've already looked at it doing the will of God. Amen? Now the one that may deceive you, the one that's practicing righteousness, is the one that's righteous. Now in verse 8, the one who practices sin is of the devil. Well, may I ask you something? Is not dying to the flesh, is that practicing sin? Well, what does it say in Galatians 5? The works of the flesh are evident? What does it say happens to those that practice these things? They say they're going to see the kingdom of God right away? Well, does it say that if you have the Spirit of God in you, you will not practice sin? Well, amen, because His seed abides in you. Isn't that right? Well, let's go on in verse 8. The one who practices sin of the devil for the devil is sin from the beginning. And the Son of God appeared for this purpose. He's destroyed the works of the devil that you won't sin, verse 9. No one is born of God practicing sin because His seed remains in him. He cannot sin because he's born of God. Now sin is walking after the lust of the flesh. Here it comes, 10. By this, the children of God and the children of the devil are what? They're obvious. Anyone who does not practice righteousness, that's walking right in God's eyes, is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. May I ask you something? What do you reckon all this faction and division that's today where you speak against one another, where do you think all that comes from? Could any of this come from here? Well, who do you think stirs that all up, the divide where we don't love? What do you notice that God in His Word, I hope you're not receiving death, I hope it's life because if it's life right here, what it does, you draw it together and it doesn't matter what kind of labels or anybody said it, if you've ever had on you anything, you're drawn together one thing, you become a bond, you held together the truth and you love one another. All of a sudden, you're not, as James said, you're not sizing one another up. All of a sudden, the only thing that matters is Jesus crucified. Is that right? That's exactly right. Well, the one who practices righteousness is righteous. Now, please turn with me to Revelation 12. You remember that Paul in 2 Corinthians 2 said, I'm not like many people that peddle the Word of God, but it's from sincerity. In other words, Paul said, I don't have the wrong motives. I just say what God says. I do everything inside of God. God's looking right in my heart. I say it in God's sight. I don't peddle the Word of God. I don't peddle it and try to get glory, rewards, or this sort of thing. That's what Paul is saying. Now, in Revelation 12, if you look with me in verse 9, I want you to look at something. And the great dragon has thrown down the serpent of old who is called devil and Satan. And what does he do? Do what? Let me ask you something. I want you to circle that there. He deceived the whole world. And I want you to look at me here just in a minute. Now, how do you think that Satan deceives the whole world? I want to tell you how Satan deceiving the whole world right now is exactly what I've been telling you here for this last several hours. I've been telling you and I've been showing you in the Word of God, do not be deceived. Do not let your mind be led astray. Abstain from the lust of flesh. I've been telling you that you... This is how he deceives. This is how the whole world is puppets. I showed you in Ephesians 2 that they're led by the world system, the lust of flesh, and the God of this world who is Satan and the spirit that works in people who walk after the lust of the flesh. That's where they walk and that's where they live. They're puppets. They're controlled. They're in darkness. Deceived. Now, you know I told you there was a mystery of godliness? There is a mystery of iniquity. The mystery of godliness is how the Spirit of God works and is manifest through the flesh. The spirit of iniquity is a process in how the spirit of the devil has manifested Satan through the flesh. So you're either one tree or the other. And it all depends on what seed you receive and eat and take to heart in your field right here. Now, God has a Word and Satan has words. They're opposite. One says, Forgive. The other says, Unforgiveness. And that sort of thing. One says, Love. The other one says, Hate. One is iniquity. One is godliness. One is after the lust of the flesh and one dies to the flesh and lives after the spirit. Right? Now, God, does He have a river or a living? Well, let me just give you an example. I've been born again into a living hope of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I'm a dead. My inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for me and I'm kept with the power of God through faith and through salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. What is coming through me? Rivers of living water is coming through me in the most vivid way. Where does it come from? It comes from God. It's a living Word that's coming through. It's alive. It's a living Word. Now, the opposite of that, see, that comes from God's mouth, what I'm saying. Is that right? Shake your head. You're the awfulest bunch that are trying to get to agree with someone. All right, now, the opposite of that is the words that come from who? Satan. Now, there is a river of words coming from Satan. Amen? And they're opposite to the contrary to this Word. And in the midst of all this, your heart is what? Tested. Amen? Now, let's look at it. You'll see it right there in verse 15. And the serpent poured what? Who's the serpent? Satan. Thank you. He poured what? He poured water. What is that water? Words, like a what? River out of his what? Mouth. Words, a river of words is coming out of Satan's mouth after the who? Woman. Who is this woman? The church. So they might cause her to be swept away with the what? There it is, the torrent, the flood of words. Isn't that clear? Isn't that plain? Well, now I want you to turn back to Luke 6. Now, let me show you where that river of words comes to. It comes into your thoughts. And you have to have the Spirit of God to have your senses sharpened and to know the Word of God, to have the Spirit of God, to have your senses sharpened that you can discern, discern, to know the difference in good and evil. Amen? And the devil will make a fool out of you and out of me without the Spirit of God. And you don't get the Spirit of God to cooperate with your flesh or pleasures. Is that right? The Spirit of God is cooperating with those who bear fruit, who walk in covenant and said, anything you ask, I'll do it. Is that right? Now, don't try to go some other way. Don't build you no towers like they did in the Bible because you will go to the cross. Because He who wishes to come after me will deny Himself His flesh. He'll take up His cross and follow me. I'm telling you that's where the glory is. Because this momentary affliction you go through right here is not to be compared with the glory of what I have not seen, neither did it in the heart of man, that God has prepared for those who love Him. If you love Him, you will obey His Word, He said. Unless you've got something else worked out, like a tower. Now, in Luke 6, look with me in verse... And this is a pretty good question. If you're doing what this river of words from Satan is doing, you're obeying Satan. It's after lust of the flesh. If you're doing what the Lord said, you're dying to the flesh and Jesus is Lord. That's what makes Him Lord, right? All right, now, here's a good question there in verse 46. He says, Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say? Now, how's that one on your door post? All right, now, we're going to look at two houses right here. Look here. You're looking. I live in this house right here. You see this carton right here? I live in this house. This is my house. Now, this house could be standing on two different foundations. Now, you're going to look at two houses right up here, two people, and their foundations are different. They're both looking right, but they've got different foundations. Now, you're going to see what comes against them there in verse 47. Everyone, Jesus said, number one, put a little one right there where it says, Comes to me. That means come to Jesus, okay? Number two, He hears my words. Number two, He hears the Word of God. Number one, He comes to Jesus. Number two, He hears my words. And number three, He speculates and analyzes them. No. Number three, He acts upon the Word. He's walking in covenant. Is that right? Now, here is the first house. He acts upon the Word of God. He is a doer of the Word. He does the will of God. I'll show you whom He's like. Verse 48, He's like a man building a house who dug deep. He dug deep in the Word and He laid the foundation. What? Look at me. He's laying His foundation right here. He's not persuaded. Persuade for your bargains and doctrines of demons and traditions and everything. Right there. Let God be true and every man be a liar. If it don't line up here, it's not going to work. And I have confidence in God. He said, He'd lead me in all truth. And I know I don't have to look toward intellect. It's not an intellectual thing. This is a spiritual thing. The natural mind doesn't understand the thing of God. He'd lead me in all truth. God's responsibility is to show me the truth. I'm seeking it in my heart. And this man here, the first man, he has his foundation in the Word of God. His heart isn't somewhere else. I don't believe there's any middle man right there. He's standing right in the Word of God. Amen. All right, now, let's see what happens to him. Well, I lost my place. That's a bad place to lose your place. Now, when the what arose? Oh! That's them! Here they come! Here comes this blood of words. This man's standing on the rock. Here they come. Here's the fiery trowel and the river, the torrent burst against that house and he could not shake it because he put up the shield of faith and it was well built. That's where he's standing and living in the Word of God. Amen. Now, let's see what this other fellow looks like. He had this other house right there. But verse 49, But the one who has heard, number one, he hears the Word of God, but number two, he doesn't act upon it. He's a specialist at analyzing that, speculating, and he judges God and everything right there. He just knows all about it and it's right up here in his head. He hears the Word of God. What he doesn't act on, accordingly, is like a man who built his house and he doesn't have any foundation. He doesn't have anything to stand on. He can't make it. He can't make it when they come against him. Absolutely. If he doesn't have a covenant partner strong in him, he can't make it. And here they come and the river bursts. There they are against it and immediately at what? There comes the river of words and it collapses and the roof of that house was what? And it fell because his heart was not right here standing in this Word. He had a form of godliness. He hears the Word of God, but he just picks and chews and doesn't act though. Now, you know, we're pretty close to it. Back up there to 43 just a minute. I did things right there. Well, I'll tell you why we're backing up. Back up to verse 22. How about Genesis 1? All right, 22. Blessed are you. Now, here's a blessing. You want God's blessings? Blessings are you when men what? Whoo! Boy, is that strong. You'd rather be blessed by men or blessed by God? I'm going to start living right here and you can be hated. Blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you and they cast insults at you and spurn your name, say you're evil. You're against churches. You're against pastors. You're against everything for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy for behold, your Lord is great in heaven for the same way your fathers used to treat. That is, the true prophets got treated this way. Now, the false prophets sit down here in verse 26. Woe to you when all the men speak well of you for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets. Because false prophets are making a name for themselves and they want the approval of folks more than they do the approval of God because they're building up the wrong image. Now, in verse 43, we're just close by. 43, For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit. You're going to know him for the truth. No, on the other hand, is a bad tree which produces good fruit for the tree is known by its own fruit for men do not gather figs and thorns nor do they pick grapes from the briar bush. Amen. You don't see briars growing on an alpha tree, do you? You're going to know them by the fruit. You're going to know which kind of river is getting in there when you see the fruit. Amen. All right, now, let's turn back to Isaiah 14, please. Now, in Isaiah 14, let me just tell you who we're talking about. We're talking about Satan. I'll just give you just a few scriptures where you'll see right there in verse 12. How you've fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, sun of the dawn, that's Jesus. You've been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations. That's what he's doing now, weakening the nations. But verse 13, you said where? You said in your heart. Now, look at this, I, me, my. What's this curse? What's this thing? Just like flesh is. I will ascend to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of Gethsemane and recess the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High. He said, you said that in your heart, Satan, and he's an expert at coming around and telling you how to do the same thing. I, I, I, I, I, me, my. Nevertheless, you're going to be thrust down a shield to the recesses of heaven. Who are we talking about here? The king of Babylon. It's Satan. Let's back up there in verse 4. Back up verse 4. That you will take up this throne against the king of Babylon. That's Satan. How the oppressor is seized. How the fury has ceased. The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. Now, the Lord But this is what is going on right now. Which used to strike the people in fear with unceasing strokes. Exactly what He's doing right now. Which subdued the nation in anger with unrestrained persecution. Unrestrained persecution. That's exactly what He's doing right now. The whole earth is at rest and quiet. They break forth in shouts of joy. This is to come together later on. 8. Even the cypress trees rejoice over you and the cedars of leaven saying, see, since you, Satan, were laid low, no white tree cutter comes up against us. And see, He will be laid low. And He and the tree cutters are going to be done away with. Now, I told you that the demons, the powers of darkness and Satan are synonymous. When you're talking about one, you're talking about the other. Now, I want to show you how they're turned loose to cut trees down. Turn with me back to Isaiah 5, please. Isaiah 5. Isaiah 5. Now, we're going to look at the Lord's vineyard. Are we the vineyard? Is the church a vineyard? Okay. Let's look in verse 1. Let me sing for my well-beloved. I wonder who he is. A song of my beloved concerning his vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill, and he dug it all around and removed its stones. Don't you think that's what the Lord comes to work in his vineyard? Huh? I can't hear you again. All right. Now, let's see how he comes around and works in his vineyard. Now, I want you to hold your hand right there. Please turn over to Luke 13 and let's look at something together, please. In Luke 13. Luke 13. We'll look at a few verses and we'll go back to Isaiah 9. We're going to look at the Lord working in his vineyard. Verse 6. Luke 13, verse 6. And he began telling this parable. A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for what? He came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard keeper, Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this tree. Did not find any fruit for the Lord without finding any. What does it say there? Cut it down. Why does it even take up the ground? And he answered and said to him, Let it along, sir, for this year too until I dig it around, kind of move some stones and put it in to fertilize it. And if it bears fruit next year, bears fruit with the Lord, fine. But if it's not, it's kind of an unrepentant and stubborn heart. Sick him! Cut it down! Because he wants to bear fruit out of the lust of the flesh. He doesn't want to put the flesh to death. Now turn back to Isaiah 5, please. We are looking at the vineyard of the Lord. Verse 2, And he dug it all around and removed his stone and planted it with the choice of his vine. And he built a tower in the middle of it. I wonder who that power is. It would be Watchman, wouldn't it? Pastor? He built a tower right in the middle of it and hewed out a wine vat in it and he expected it to produce good fruit. He expected it to produce good fruit, but it only produced fruit of the devil, worthless fruit. You see that? Worthless grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard, or you can judge between Jesus and traditions. That's another way to put it. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good fruit, fruit for God, did it produce worthless fruit, fruit for the devil? Why is it happening to there? So, I've done all I can do in it, what else can I do? So he goes ahead and produces fruit for the devil, so he said, verse 5, So let me tell you what I'm going to do to my vineyard. I'm going to what? I'm going to what? I'm going to remove the hedge. There goes the Lord's protection. I'll move the hedge and it'll be consumed and it's going to break down its whitewashed wall and it's going to become what? Look at me. This ground is going to get trampled, folks. The hedge is removed. That's how I said, the Lord says, sickened. He comes looking for fruit and he wants fruit and you don't have the protection and a person is not going on and walking in the Word. He's living after the lust of the flesh. Instead of dying to the lust of the flesh, putting the flesh to death, he's not bearing fruit for God. He'll say, cut it down. The Lord removes the hedge, sickened. Now, verse 6, He said, I'm going to lay it waste. That's that trampled ground, that field. It'll not be pruned or hoed. In other words, he's going to let the heart harden. You hear? He's going to let it become a hardened heart and briars and thorns are going to come up. There's not going to be any fruit for the Lord. He's just going to let the fruit of the devil. That's a depraved mind. Do you see that? Your thorns and briars are a depraved mind. That's the wrong kind of fruit. I will also charge the clouds. The clouds are the Holy Spirit to rain, no rain. See, the rain doesn't come down to cause the growth of the seed and the Word. See, the Holy Spirit. You know, He said, it's three months to harvest time and there's no rain. Do you know what that time? What is three months to harvest time? That's the summertime when the fruit-bearing time has come, and there's no rain and the Holy Spirit, the person, cannot bear fruit. This concludes tape number eight. Please fast-forward this tape to return it to the beginning. Please proceed to tape number nine where this message continues.