In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of seeing adversities and challenges in life as messages from God rather than the work of the devil. He encourages the audience to shift their perspective and recognize that God allows these difficulties in order to draw them closer to Him. The preacher emphasizes that only God has the power to change one's circumstances and that trying to change the environment on one's own is futile. He urges the congregation to listen to God's voice and respond with praise and thanksgiving, as this will lead to revival and a closer relationship with God.

This didn't make any difference what it was. It was, if it did, it was contrary to what I thought God's Word taught or what I figured it taught or what I felt in my own way of thinking. Beloved, it was from the devil. There's something that I didn't realize, and I didn't realize that man doesn't have the ability to change his environment or his circumstances. The only ability man has, by God's grace, is he can act right in the midst of his environment and circumstances. But only a sovereign God has the ability to change your environment and your circumstances. Consequently, every time God would speak in my environment and my circumstances in my life, I was misreading it, because I would say it was of the devil. But you know, there was something I didn't understand. I didn't understand that the devil was God's delivery boy. I didn't understand that the devil was God's slave. I didn't understand that the devil was God's servant. And I didn't understand, because of that, that my dear friend, the devil was a necessary evil for my good. And all the time I was praying, oh God, speak to me. Lord, I want you to help me. I want you to really do something in my life. I want you to bless me. I want you to fill me with the Holy Spirit. I claimed enough fillings to fill the Mississippi River a thousand times. And you say, what happened? Nothing. But my dear friends, let me tell you something. One day, I began to see that the adversity that I was running into in my environment, my circumstances, was of God, even though the devil was the delivery boy. And when I saw that, I began to realize that while I was calling on God, God was already calling on me. For you see, the very thing that I was missing was this. I could sense and see the fact that I had a need. I knew I had a need. But I thought my need was for these folk and people and things and situations around me to straighten out. I didn't know that God was talking to me. I didn't know, my dear friends, that that was His way of saying and letting me see that I had a need and I needed to be changed. You see, that's a little difficult to understand. That's a little difficult to see. Because when you see what I'm saying, if you find out this is true, that God never allows you to have any kind of problem that He doesn't already have the supply for. Now, I'll lay this out and tie some things together. In the economy of man, when you have a need, you start looking for the supply, right? But in the economy of God, God has the supply already on hand, and He allows the Holy Spirit and people and I, and most of all, He allows the devil to work in all kinds of situations. He allows dogs, cars, airplanes, mules, horses. Well, what, I mean everything. He allows all kinds of things in your life to just work habits so all at once you'll see a need. And when you get desperate enough about your need and quit trying to straighten everybody else out, one of these days you'll get to Jesus and you'll find out that this was Him allowing things to happen to you to create a problem in you so you'd get to Him where the supply is, and He's had it there all the time. Like, for instance, which one came along first? Which one came along first, the first Adam or the last Adam? The last Adam, for that's Jesus. And Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was before the first Adam. And before the first Adam ever came into the world, and Adam and Eve sinned, and there was a need for redemption, the God of atonement, of grace, and redemption, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was already available. And the fall wasn't a slip-up. Let's be honest with you, it was planned up. You say, did God plan it? Well, you settled it with God. I'm not interested in that. I'm more interested in the more practical parts of it, and that is the fact that God knew before Adam and Eve was ever created what they were going to do. And my dear friend said, He wasn't going to have a robot out there. He was going to have people who love Him because He's lovable and He wants to be loved like that, not like He should have made anyone a robot if He wanted to, but anyway, Adam and Eve, before they ever sinned and had need of a Savior, there was a Savior waiting for them to sin. And my dear friend, when they sinned, then I want you to know there was a Savior just waiting to meet the need of their life. And you know as well as I know that the devil got involved there, but everything the devil did turned for what? For good when Adam and Eve turned to Jesus. And my dear friend, the need they had already had a supply before they had the need. Isn't that right? And I've got news for you. The supply was there before there was a need. And many, many times in my own personal life I've got down on my knees and said, Oh God, where are you? I've got a need. And I didn't need to call on God. You know why? Because He was calling on me. That is what we need to learn, the voice of God. When we get in trouble, we start going and saying, Oh God, please, oh God, I've got to have help. If we'd just be quiet and get still, we'd find out that my dear friend, God is already putting His call in. You may be like I was. I was misinterpreting it because the devil was delivering it. And I could only see the devil. But beloved, when I got to seeing the fact that God was the vinedresser, the caretaker, and I was the branch in the vine, and God was covering and governing my environment and my circumstances, then my dear friend, I knew that He only allowed the devil and things involved around my life to happen to me, to expose me and let me see what was in me so I could see that my supply was in Jesus Christ. And I'll assure you today that every person in this building that claims that they haven't heard the voice of God in so long, if you'd just get quiet and still enough and let God talk to you, you'd find out God's been talking to you and you may not have even known it. Do any of you in this building today have one single little problem? Do you? And most of you could testify the devil gave it to you. But friends, let me tell you, the vinedresser, the caretaker, the God of glory has allowed it. He's allowed it and He's wanting your attention. He's talking to you. Now, how are you interpreting that voice today? You see, while they heard the voice of God in the garden and the kool room, I just wonder if you are hearing the voice of God today. I've got news for you, He is speaking. He is speaking. And I'll tell you what that voice will do. If you realize He's speaking to you today in that adversity, you listen and I'll tell you what He'll do. He'll only expose that in you that's not right. So you can get your two and ten. You know, when you squeeze a lemon, what do you get out of it? Lemon juice? I read one lady who lived out there said lemon juice. That's not right. That's an opinion. It's a good opinion, though. It's a logical opinion, but it's not a real opinion. It's not a fact. I'll tell you what you do. When you squeeze a lemon, I'll tell you what you get out of it. What's in it? Now, that's a fact, isn't it? And you know something? When adversity comes your way and God is trying to get your attention and talking to you because He's got something for you, you know the only thing that's going to come out of you? It's what's in you. Can anything come out of you except what's in you? And you know if you're full of Jesus, you know what's going to come out of you? Jesus. And if something else besides Jesus comes out of you, you know what's wrong? You're just not full of Jesus. And so really, that thing which sort of squeezes you, that you're looking on as a problem right now, and you're saying that deacon is my problem, that church is my problem, that situation is my problem, that's my problem. No, your problem is your reaction to that problem. For the Lord has allowed that problem to come to squeeze you, let you see what's in you. So you'll get to the right answer. Jesus, and He is the supplier, folks. He's the supplier right now for all that you need. But you'll never turn to Him and get to Him and realize He's talking to you until you just really get quiet and still and realize that God, the vine dresser and the caretaker, the husbandman, will not allow one little thing to come your way that you don't need. And He's got it all planned. Now, Joe had a little problem. Of course, you say he had a problem with the devil, right? I don't believe he did. I don't believe Joe believes he had a problem with the devil. You say, why don't you believe that? Because he never did say anything about it. Isn't that strange? Do you know anybody in the Bible that ever worked on much of Job? Did Job ever say one word about the devil? I've seen you all, you read the whole book of Job, I guarantee you, you'll never find one place in there where Job ever acknowledged the devil. Now, if you and I had the problem that Job had, we'd say, man, the devil's about to kill you. Job never said that. Job never said that. You go back and look at that story. Sons of God went to worship, and the devil went with them. See, the devil does go to church, folks. And the devil got up there with Job, with the servants of God, sons of God, and God said to the devil, now God said to the devil first, have you considered my servant Job? You see, he asked the devil, what have you been doing? He said, I've been running to and fro here and there and so on. He said, have you considered my servant Job? He said, well, I want you to consider. You see, God wasn't upset, He didn't. You see, God had something more for old brother Job. It's amazing, folks, you know, these folks that are in these churches, you know, they throw sanctimonies, they say, bless God, hallelujah, I'm filled with the Spirit, I don't need, I don't need any more, but I got you for you, folks. You can be full of the Holy Ghost right now, but you can get more full of the Holy Ghost. Old Job was perfect, and he got more perfect. I've never been in a service where if God would reveal in a way that I never experienced Him, that I couldn't get more right, even though I was right. That's right. You take that Spirit in you before God will get you more right, too. And so, you see, God initiated Job's problem, not the devil. And all the devil could do was just what God, the vine dresser, the caretaker, the husbandman, would allow him to do. And all, my dear friends, that God allowed the devil to do. All he had to do was be his delivery boy. Amen. To make him more perfect. And if his latter end was about how many times better than the beginning? Great, isn't it? Do you want the double portion? Well, Jack, there's your good sermon, son, on how to get the double portion. All these preachers long time. You know what I think about that? I don't think you know what you're talking about. All these people want to get full of God today. I don't think they know what they're talking about. You say, why? Because the psalmist said, in this test, he enlarged me. And brother, before the resurrected power of glory can rest upon your soul and set your life aflame, my dear friend, you must go through death and come out to where you see, my dear friends, the devil in Job's place. And every adversity that touches your life is nothing but God enlarging you, calling you to that supply that he's had waiting on you, my dear friends, for eternal ages. As a way for the double portion, Job never recognized the devil. Did he? Not one time. Well, that's it. Now, he didn't understand, did he? But he said, though he slay me, I'll not forsake you. So precious. He didn't understand. But folks, he stuck in there. And he saw God, not the devil. Say, folks, in that little problem you're having today, who do you see? God or the devil? And it's going through my heart, beloved, what we call adversity in our life with God. The Lord speaking. We just didn't realize Him. And He's warning us. He's talking to us. And as long as you see it as the devil, my dear friends, you'll keep trying to change your environment, your circumstances, and you can't do it. You can change, do all you want to, but only God can change your environment, circumstances. What'd He say in Psalms? He said, unless God builds a house, it's built in what? Vain. He said, listen, unless God watches over the city, the watchman really watches in vain. He said, listen, that watchman can't keep that city. God has to do it. He said, a man can't build that house. God has to do it. And my dear friends, listen, you can't change your circumstances and your environment today regardless of what they are. You can't do it, but God can. There's no problem. Too hard for God, is there? You name it. Is it too hard for God? Is it too big for God? Is it too difficult for God? Is it? No, sir. Not one. But you see, you've got to come to the place where you could try and change your environment, your circumstances, and get to the simple place, my dear friends, where you see that those of the person that you have, they're God. And they have the simple place. And the devil possibly is the delivery boy. And I admit, if you look at them in the human sense, it's all you're going to see today. But if you'll get to looking at them as God sees them and see God in them, the first thing you'll know, you'll like life. You'll, in all things, give thanks. You'll praise God. You'll know it's God speaking. And you'll say, Lord, what are you saying to me? And you'll quit jamming the line, because you'll get out and say, oh, God straightened out that preacher. God straightened out that deacon. God straightened out that person. God straightened out this one. And you'll say, God, I'm listening. What do you have to say? And see, when you get what God has to say to you, you become submissive to God. Then you come to the place where you can resist the devil and he can pull you. But you can never come to that place until you've come to the place of submission to God. See, in God, in all things. Remember what Joseph said? He said to his brothers, he said, you did it for him. But what about me? He said, God is with me all the time. Amen. Now friends, haven't you been praying that God would fill you with the Spirit and use you and make you more usable? Haven't you? Well, when the adversities and difficulties and problems start to come in your way, why do you run? Why do you rebel? Why do you say they are of the devil? Why do you reject them? All the Lord can do is answer your prayer. He's pruning you. He's enlarging you. He's making your capacity larger so you can be a greater container here and enjoy the glory and the praise. Of God in your life. It's difficult, isn't it? Paul, and I'll share this in quotes, because I realize that we're over time and I know that you're tired. And you probably already heard more than you're going to live now. And that's very tragic to hear so much and not live it. In fact, folks, that's dangerous. But you see, there's a little secret in Paul's life. One day at Philippi, he was beaten. Paul could have said, I'm a Roman citizen. Why didn't he? Why didn't he say that? They would not have beaten him. Why didn't Paul say, I'm a Roman citizen, even as he was beaten and put into jail? Why didn't he say, I'm a Roman citizen? They would have taken him out of jail. Why didn't Paul say, I'm a Roman citizen, to the jailer? They would have bathed his back in oil, put him in the best motel, fed him the best lunch, and said, please, Paul, don't say a word about it. No, they committed a crime. Why didn't Paul say that, Fred? You know why I believe Paul did not say that I'm a Roman citizen? He didn't see the devil in that. He saw God. You see, in Romans 8, 29, it says, He has predestinated us to be conformed to His image, that He might make us, or that He might be the firstfruits among many brethren. And, beloved, if the resurrected life of Jesus, the power of the Holy Ghost, is going to rest in and upon your life, He's going to have to bring you to the place of death. For there is no resurrected life without death. And there's got to be a constant death in you, that there might be life through you for others. There's got to be a constant experience like this. And my friends, Paul, I believe, realized that God was the bind dresser and the caretaker, the husbandman, and that he could not govern his circumstances and environment by his actions, personally. He could have changed it. But I believe he knew God. And I believe he knew that God was allowing death to be worked in him. Now, you couldn't say that God literally put those lashes on Paul's back because God doesn't do anything like that. But, my dear friends, I've got news for you. God was in every bit of it. But the devil did it. And you know where those lashes, where that jailhouse experience took him? To a point of death. Where only resurrected power could get him out. And he allowed it. He didn't say a thing about the devil, did he? The only count you have of it is at midnight he said, Silas, let's sing. Let's praise God. And at midnight they started praising God. And you know what happened? They had revival. Sure, they had revival. You know why they interpreted the voice of God? They interpreted the voice of God. Now, people always tell me, they say, preacher, God's just not speaking to me. Yeah, he's speaking, folks. We're just not listening. He's speaking. We're just not listening. We're seeing Satan. We're seeing people. We're seeing things. But we're not seeing God. We're not seeing God. The Lord is speaking. There's not one little problem that you have in your life at this very instant that God hasn't arranged. And he's knowledgeable of it. He's allowed it. And my dear friend, you are either seeing it as God talking to you and inviting you to Him, or you see it as the devil to destroy you. And how you look at that problem is going to determine what that problem is going to be for you. And how you respond to all of that is going to determine how Jesus is going to act for you right now. More folk in this building this afternoon are nearer God than they think. But they wouldn't acknowledge it. I can stand here. If I hadn't preached along this line, 15 people would have walked by evening, maybe 30. Maybe half the congregations had time. And say, listen, preachers, pray for us. I've got a problem. Amen. I've got a problem. And not realizing, folks, that it's God that's talking to me. Father, we thank you for this fellowship. Lord, you're the God of glory. You're going to handle and run our affairs. And I'm grateful that today we are able, ready to handle the situation. And thank you for doing it in Jesus' name. Amen.