Joyce Meyer - The Battle Belongs To The Lord

Everybody loves that message, the battle belongs to the Lord. But, I do want to mention right up front that just because the battle belongs to the Lord that doesn't mean that you just get to sit down and do nothing while God does absolutely everything. So you're going to learn some things as we go through this in 2 Chronicles, I've studied this a lot. I've taught on it a number of times. We're gonna be in 2 Chronicles chapter 20, tonight, and we'll have it up on the screen for you or you can look at your Bible, which I still like to see people do. "Now it happened after this," verse one. "The Moabites and the Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat".

There's all these "Ites" in the Old Testament. I mean, everybody was an "Ite" of some kind. And I finally figured out that we've all got our own little brand of "Ites," the poverty-ites, the sickness-ites, the people-ites, the past-ites, grouchy neighbor-ites, the bad boss-ites, the confusion-ites the lonliness-ites, and I could just go on, and on, and on, and on. And any time that we have an enemy coming against us we, don't always do the first thing that we should do. The first thing that we should do, anytime we have a problem or an enemy coming against us, the very first thing that we should always do is seek God.

Too often, we run the people. And I'm not saying it's wrong to go to people, but I would not go to any person for advice until you had first asked God if that was the person you were supposed to go to. Because to be honest, there's a lot of people that you ask them what you should do, and they don't even know what they're doing. And so it would be much wiser to seek God. And maybe he doesn't want you to go to anybody, maybe you've been going to people too long and it's time now for you to learn how to hear from God yourself. Amen? Maybe every time you need a scripture you're not supposed to call a friend and ask him where it's at. Maybe you're supposed to dig around a little bit and find it for yourself. You'd be amazed the harder you work at something, the more you get out of it, the more you remember it.

I remember back when I first started teaching before we had the internet and so much information at our fingertips, let me tell you something, studying back then was a project. I mean, I'd have my Bible and I would have all these study Bibles, and I'd have have a vine's dictionary, and I'd have a strong's concordance, and I mean, it would take hours, and hours, and hours. But, you know, I don't regret those days at all because it actually gave me a strong foundation in the word, and now, it is convenient to be able to just, you know, not have to go to the concordance and find the scriptures and then look them up. Now, you can just put in the computer what you want and it pops up, in how many ever versions that you want it to have. But sometimes it does you more good to do a little digging, then it does just the click the mouse. Amen?

And so, the first thing we want to do, is go to God and go to God about everything. Jehoshaphat knew that, so in 2 Chronicles 20, verses 2 and 3, he says, "Then it was reported to Jehoshaphat, that "A great multitude had come against him from beyond the Dead Sea out of Aram (Syria): and behold, they are in Hazazon-Tamar (that is, Engedi)".

Now, you want to pay attention to that, because the place where the enemies gathered against him. The name of this place gets changed at the end of the story. And what it means right now, is not very pleasant. But sometimes your place of battle becomes your place of blessing. Come on. Sometimes, the place where you have to square off with your enemy, becomes the greatest place of blessing in your life. How many of you have learned more through the tough times you've gone through, than any other thing in your life? Okay. I wonder why we can't thank God for 'em when we're in 'em. We live life forward, but we usually understand it backward, we look back at it and understand.

And so, then it says in verse 3, "Then Jehoshaphat was afraid". We'll see, he was just like everybody else. First time we get bad news, when an enemy comes against, the first thing that comes up in our heart is fear, all these bad reports of what's going to happen. But look at what he did. And he "Set himself," he made a decision, "He set himself determinedly". Everybody say he was determined. "As his vital need". See I like to take this apart slowly and look at it, because he knew that seeking God in this situation was not just a little option or something he could do if he wanted to, he knew that it was vital for him to hear from God if he wanted to defeat his enemies. "He set himself to seek the Lord: and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah".

So, these people were getting serious. Now, they wanted God to speak to him. Tomorrow, I'm going to talk about divine guidance, and how to hear from God. I'm just going to say a couple of things tonight about that. Sometimes when you need to do something, or go through something, or God calls you to do something, he may just give you a gift of faith. And a gift of faith is a faith that's beyond ordinary faith and it enables you to do something or to step out into something, that should just scare you silly. But to you, it seems like a pretty normal thing to go do it because God's given you this faith to go do it.

And, I didn't realize it for many years, but God's given Dave and I gift of faith to run this ministry. If you had any idea how much money we have to have every month, see it sounds exciting. "Joyce is on television in 2/3 of the world, and she's on in a 105 languages," or whatever it is, and you know, all that stuff. "You got 26 offices," and everybody is... But, it all costs. And the thing is, is we have no debt, the bills are all paid. We've never had to borrow money, never paid one cent in interest, all these years that we've been in ministry, and I learned how to trust God for money way, way, way, way, way back, way back, when I was literally trusting God, to be honest for my underwear, and my skillets, and my washcloths.

And so, I didn't understand what was going on in my life. I didn't understand it at all, but I understand it now. And we don't have any concern. Back in 2008, when there was a, kind of a financial decline, and the stock market went way down, and a lot of people cut back their giving, and my older son David got a little concerned about it with the missions, and he said, "Well aren't you, concerned, aren't you worried about this"? And I said, "No". And he said, "Why"? I said, "Well, if God wants me to keep doing this then he'll pay for it, and if he's done then I guess, I might as well be done, because it's not gonna work without him anyway".

We can make it... Now, I'm sure, you know, if we would of had a crash, I might've not taken it quite that good. But, it is the truth. I mean, it's like, if God's not in it, it's not gonna work anyway. And if he is in it, then it is gonna work, and nobody's going to stop it, and so we need to keep our eyes on God and not on people. So, sometimes God will give you a gift of faith to do something and the other people around you don't understand it, and that's why they look at you like you are totally out of your mind, and just tell you, "Oh, you can't do that, you shouldn't do that," and you got to stick with God. Amen? Peace will come about what to do, or what not to do.

Sometimes, a divinely arranged encounter with someone who can provide what you need, or open right doors for you. Have you ever had one of those experiences where you met just the right person, and it seemed like such an odd thing that you met this person at just that time, and they happen to have just the ability to do just what you needed, and come on, see, that's called the providence of God in our lives. And then, sometimes God will slam a door in your face. No matter how hard you try to open it, you can't open it. You can't get any help to open it, that door is not gonna open because that is not what God wants you to do. Sometimes circumstances become such that, you don't have a choice. It's the only option open to you, so you do that, or you do nothing.

When God called me to teach years ago, I felt like he said that I was to hold out the Word of God to all men. So I never, ever from the beginning, felt like I had a women's ministry, or that I was supposed to just teach women. However, I wasn't doing much of anything, and I was offered the opportunity to teach a women's meeting once a week, at our church. Well, I didn't really want to do that, 'cause I didn't think that was really what God had called me to do, and so I went to God and said, "I don't really want to do that". But then, I realized that I wasn't doing anything else anyway. So, if that was the only door that was open, then, I mean, that was a door that I needed to walk through because I became an associate pastor there, I ended up doing most of the preaching when the pastor was gone, I taught Bible school there, and from there was where my ministry was launched.

And so, sometimes your circumstances will just demand, well, this is the only thing you can do, so go do that. That's all I'm gonna talk about, about hearing from God tonight. If you want to hear more of that, you come back tomorrow. Okay now, the things that we see Jehoshaphat do, they're just so interesting, how he went about getting this help from God. And so, the next thing you're gonna see that he does, is he talks to God about how great God is, and about how awesome he was, and how powerful he was, and how no enemy could defeat him. He hasn't asked God for anything. He hasn't told God about his problem. He's just right now, I don't know, maybe he was some kind of a little spiritual psychologist, but he was getting on the good side of God, right now with his attitude.

2 Chronicles 20:4-6, "So the people of Judah gathered together to seek help from the Lord: and indeed they came from all the cities of Judah". So, these people didn't just, you know, go a couple of blocks to seek God, they came from everywhere to seek God. "Longing for him with all of their heart". I love that, longing for him, with all of their heart. I think in the society that we live in today, not everybody of course, there's a lot of really committed, awesome, great, strong believers, but I think in many instances, some people's relationship with Jesus is just a tad too casual for me. And people don't want to sacrifice much to serve God. Everybody wants to be paid for every move that they make.

You know, if God gives me a song and you sing it, then I'd better get paid a royalty or I'm gonna sue you. And, you know, that kind of stuff, I don't like that. I mean, it's like, yes, everybody should get their due and everybody should, you know, be treated properly. And if you've written songs and that's how you make your living, I'm not to say that you shouldn't get your royalties, but wouldn't it be silly of me, if I heard somebody repreach one of my messages and I went and gave them, I mean your pastor already told me that's what he's gonna do. I mean, he said, "By the time you leave tomorrow night, I'll have several new messages". And so, that should be a compliment to somebody, not something that you harp about. Always be willing to sacrifice in the Lord's service. Always be willing to volunteer to do things. Your blessed if you can give some of your time and service and gifts to God, and not ask for anything. And long for the Lord with all your heart. Long for him.

"Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord in front of the new courtyard, and he said", and I really want you to pay attention to the way he talks to God, 'cause, to me, that's what makes this. "'o Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? And do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hands, and there is no one who is able to stand against you.'" he's working up to it, isn't he? You know, it'd be just like, if one of your kids came over and wanted somethin' and they rushed right in and said, "Mom, can you let me have a thousand bucks"? Well, chances are they might get a, "No". But, if they come in, "Oh, you are the greatest mom. You are so pretty, mom. You just, you're just awesome. Can I have a big hug? I love you mom. Is there anything I can do for you"? And, you know, "Can I help you with something around the house? There's nobody like you".

And, I don't know, maybe they're smart enough to go away for 30 minutes and come back and say, "By the way mom, could you lend me a thousand dollars"? Well, probably if I had to go get it from 20 places, I'd let him have it. How many of you know what I'm talking about? I know a few people... See they were interested in God, they weren't just interested in what God could do for them. I'm gonna to say that again. They were interested in God. They weren't just interested in what he could do for them. Now, see, I think if you're really interested in God, you seek him just as hard when you don't have a problem, as when you do have a problem.

Here's an example of somebody who worshipped God before he presented his problem. Matthew 8:1-3, "When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. And a leper came up to him and bowed down before him, saying, 'Lord, if you're willing, you're able to heal me and make me clean (well)'", but he bowed down, signifying worship and adoration, before he asked for anything. I don't think it would hurt any of us, just three or four times a day, to just stop whatever we're doing, wherever we're at, just... "Lord I love you. I need you. Thank you for being with me today. I just want you to know, that I know, that I'm nothing without you. I love you". And then, just get on up and... Thank God I can still get up. Hey, in the last 2 years, I've got 2 new hips. I'm like the bionic woman now. It's amazing what all they can give you, the new parts you can get.

Now, 2 Chronicles 20:7-11, he keeps it up. I think this guy was smart. "O our God, did you.". I want you to notice how many times he says, "You" and "Your". "Did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? They have lived in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying, 'if evil comes on us, or the sword of judgment, or plague, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you (for your name and your presence is in this house) and we will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear and save us.'" So, he's already said, "God, you are awesome. We belong to you, we're your people. This is your land. We're your possession. This is your sanctuary".

Now, he's finally about to tell God, he's got a problem. But look at everything that he's done first, before he did that. I wonder how many people are in this room, or watching by television, that approach God in that manner when they have a problem? Or if we just go, "Oh God, you got to help me with this. I need help God. I just, can't put up with this anymore. I can't..." You know, we might at least start with, "Thank you God, for all your blessings in my life. But God, I've gotta new problem and I need your help now". And I tell you the truth, every time I teach this, it convicts me. Because we get like that, we forget sometimes that praise needs to outweigh petition. Amen? And of course, then worship, worship goes much deeper than even praise.

"Now behold," verse 10, "Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from the land of Egypt(for they turned away from them and did not destroy them.)" So, he's saying, "They could have been destroyed way back here, and then they wouldn't be bothering us now. But, let's remember that you wouldn't let them, destroy them. Now, here they are, rewarding us by coming to drive us out of your possession".

Does anybody see this, what I'm seeing? I mean, he had to go to psychology school. He had to. "Driving us out of your possession which you have given us as an inheritance". So, first Jehoshaphat speaks of how awesome God is, then he relates the mighty acts that God has performed in the past, then he mentions his problem, as if it were a little side note. We spend most of our time talking about the problem and very little time on the rest of the stuff. Then he mentions his problem as if it were a side note, now, he gets God personally involved by reminding him that it's his possession that the enemies are trying to steal.

You will like tonight's message. I don't have to wonder if you will. I already know that you will because it's called the battle belongs to the Lord. See, I told you, you'd like it. Everybody loves that message, the battle belongs to the Lord. But I do want to mention right upfront that just because the battle belongs to the Lord, that doesn't mean that you just get to sit down and do nothing while God does absolutely everything. You know, God wants to see humility before he gets involved in solving our problems. God helps the humble and he resists the proud. He helps the humble, he resists the proud. And the proud is somebody who thinks they can do it and they don't need God.

And sometimes we think because we've done something successfully 200 times before, but now we're getting up to do it for the 201 time and we don't need God this time 'cause look at how practiced we are. You know, it would scare me silly to get up in this pulpit and try to say anything to any of you that made any sense if I wasn't totally dependent on God when I got up here. Remember what I'm saying, the humble get the help. God resists the proud. Let me show you in 1 Peter 5b, it's the last part of the scripture. It says, "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another tie on a servant's apron, for God is opposed to the proud the disdainful, the presumptuous", and that's somebody who thinks they don't need God. "And he defeats them, but he gives grace to the humble".

So, God opposes, frustrates, and defeats all of our efforts that are done in pride until we humble ourselves and then and only then will he help us. "God, I'm not capable of doing this. I wouldn't know what to do even if I tried, but my eyes are on you. I know you can do what I cannot do". And there's some of you that need to hear that tonight. You need to know that just because you have not been able do it, that certainly does not mean that God is not able to do it and he's been waiting for you to find that out. Maybe some of you have kind of lost hope because your thing hasn't been working. Oh, we pray these prayers, "Well, God, I just tried everything, but I don't know what you want me to do".

Well, that's the point. Everything you've tried isn't working so maybe he doesn't want you to do anything for a few minutes. Jesus said, "Apart from me, you can do nothing". And he said, "A broken off branch withers and has no strength of life". A great example pastoring a teaching sometime especially if you're doing like a series is bringing a little bush and break a branch off and lay it up here and let people watch how every day it dies a little bit more, and a little bit more. A branch off of the vine, which is talking about us away from Jesus. I mean, it only takes just a few days. I mean, I can do it in like a three or four part seminar. I mean, by the time you get to the last day, that thing is crispy and wrinkled up and has no life in it. It makes a great example. No wonder Jesus said, "The broken off branch withers up and dies". And you see, that's what happens to us.

Let me tell you something, you need God more than you need what he can do for you. Don't start your time with God with requests. Start with gratitude. Think about the people that God's put in your life that are a blessing to you. Don't start with telling them everything that hurts. Thank him for the things you've got that still work, amen? I have to do that sometimes. You know, we can always find something that aches and gives us trouble, but thank God there's more that works right than what works wrong. In 12 verses, Jehoshaphat got himself and all Judah in position for a miracle. It takes most of us 12 years and then we're still like millions of miles away.

2 Chronicles 20:13, "So all Judah stood before the Lord, with their infants, their wives, and their children". And they waited. Now, let me tell you something about waiting that you may or may not know. I always had a wrong misconception of waiting. I thought that waiting was just kind of like had to be the most boring thing ever and so when the devil would whisper in my ear, "Well, what are you gonna do"? I'd always come up with something. Don't you know the enemy sends out a little demon to sit on your shoulder every day and he whispers in your ear all day long, "What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? Well, what are you gonna do"? And pretty soon you start feeling like you need to come up with something or you're gonna look like a real dummy.

Not too long ago, I had some health problems and I had a doctor tell me that I'd worked too hard for too long and he gave me this thing, he wanted me to rest for like this long period of time. And here's my first thought, this was my first thought, well, what does one do when they rest? And I'll still having a hard time with it. It's like, what do you do when you rest? Thus, that's how I've written 116 books. One doesn't rest much. But see, the word "Wait" doesn't mean just sit and around just do nothing and wait for a miracle. You're not busy physically, but you're very busy spiritually. You're trusting. You're believing. You're praising. The word "Wait" means to expect, look, and long for God. That's what the word wait means. Can you get that? To expect, to look, and to long for God.

In Isaiah 40:31, the scripture we all love, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles". Well, waiting on God gives us the strength that we need to do whatever it is that God's gonna tell us to do. That's why many times when you go to God with a problem, he doesn't give it to you right away because you need time just in his presence just soaking up his presence, gaining the strength and the wisdom that you're gonna need to pull off whatever it is he does show you to do. But what that means is you're not just waiting passively doing nothing. You're saying, "God, I'm expecting you to speak. I'm expecting you to show up. I'm looking for you. I'm longing for you".

You know, if I told you that I would come to your house tomorrow after I got done here for supper at 5 o'clock, would you let me come? Okay, well I'm not going to, but we're playing a game. Only 'cause I gotta go home. But if just as well as you know me, which we're not intimate. You know, you've watched me on TV, whatever. I mean, you probably hopefully know God a lot better than you know me. And so, but when 5 o'clock came, you'd be looking. See, "Kids don't make that mess. Joyce will be here any minute".

You see, you're gonna be looking and you're gonna be excited and you're gonna be waiting and that's what it means to look for God. We expect. You know, the word "Hope," I love the word "Hope". I wrote a whole book called, "Get your hopes up". I call it my happy book and to hope means to expect that at any moment, something amazing is gonna happen in your life. It's not some silly kind of like hope like the world has. "Well, I hope something happens". It's not like that.

So, 2 Chronicles 20:13, "So all Judah stood before the Lord, with their infants, their wives, and their children". Nothing brings the worst out of us like a good wait. Pastor said, "You can say that again". It does, I mean, if you want to find out what's really in you, just get into something with God and have him make you wait about six months for an answer or to where you feel like he's a million miles away and you're never gonna hear from God again. By the way, let me just throw this out, the longer you walk with God, the less feelings you're likely to have. Some of you didn't get it, did ya? In other words, the longer you walk with God, the more he expects you to walk by faith and not by signs, and wonders, and confirmations, and miracles. You know, if God tells you put a thousand dollars in the offering tomorrow, you don't need three confirmations. I'll give them to you, do it, do it, do it.

I remember back when I was, I mean, I was just brand new at all this so 40 years ago. I felt like God wanted me to give some girl $10 and I was like, "Now God, if you really want me... I mean, God, if it's really you, if you really want me to do this, God". 'Cause see I was really hoping it really wasn't him because I really wanted to keep my ten bucks. And I was just learning how to hear from God and I heard him speak in my heart and say, "You know, Joyce, even if I'm not really telling you, I won't get mad at you if you bless somebody". So see, you don't need a confirmation to do something good for somebody. You don't need a confirmation to be nice to somebody. When you're expecting to hear from God, don't always be looking for some huge supernatural big explosion.

All right, let's go back. Nothing brings the worst out of us like a good wait. Okay, now we're gonna get to the part you all love. 2 Chronicles 20:14-15, "Then in the midst of the assembly the spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph". I wonder if these people were around today if they would have as hard a time pronouncing our names. You know, now Mike here, he's better at a lot of this stuff than I am so I'll ask him how to pronounce names and then I forget by the time I get up here anyway so, anyway. "He said, 'listen carefully, all you people of Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and king Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you.'"

First of all, it's good that Jehoshaphat was humble enough to listen to the prophet. God didn't give him the word directly, he gave it to somebody else to give to him. "'Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.'" Now you can clap and make noise. "'Take your position, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord.'" Okay well, what is your position, you know? I never was real clear about that but if you keep reading, it becomes very obvious. "'Go down against them tomorrow.'" So, we clearly see here he gave them something to do but it was after they waited and it was not until he spoke to them. "'Behold, they will come up against you by the ascent of ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley, of the river valley in front of the Wilderness of Jeruel. You need not fight in this battle.'" Okay, so I'm just gonna go down and stand and look at all these people, and I'm not gonna fight. "'Take your positions, stand and witness salvation of the Lord who is with you, o Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed: tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.'"

Now, they needed some faith for this journey, wouldn't you say so? I want you to watch what happens. See, they had experience with God. They knew what their position was. 2 Chronicles 20:18 and 19, "Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping him". So, we gotta get this picture. Mike, can you come up and be Jehoshaphat? I get the younger people to do the bowing. So now, here we've got Jehoshaphat the big guy. He's bowing down with his face to the ground. Okay so, that's his position in battle. That's his battle position, okay? And then there's all kinds of other people running around worshiping God, and it says, "The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice".

So, some of them got really loud about their praise. Can you ever get loud about your praise? A friend of mine, she still works for me. She's worked here just about as long as I have. She always had terrible fear in her life and one day she got so fed up with it, she was on the highway and she rolled her window and stuck her head out the window and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Praise the Lord". And she said that broke off of her and she didn't have a problem with it after that. See, Jehoshaphat, yeah, he's been there a while. 2 Chronicles 20:21, "When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised to put on their (priestly) attire, and they went out before the army, 'praise and give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.'"

So, here you got Jehoshaphat bowed down. You got people praising loud. You got people worshiping and then you've got these singers, I don't know how many, and they're just walking around going, "O, give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endures forever". Can anybody imagine this scene? And I guess the enemies are looking going... We have to remember that we wrestle not with flesh and blood. But with principalities and powers and wickedness in high places, and the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they're not natural weapons, but they are spiritual weapons and praise, and worship, and gratitude, and giving, and all of those things are spiritual warfare. And here's the super duper good part. "When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah: so they were struck down in defeat".

Now, the classic amplified, which they've now redone the amplified Bible but that used to say that the enemies were self-slaughtered, in other words, they got so stinking confused about... Just imagine the devil, he's... Jehoshaphat, you can get up. He probably had rug burn on his forehead. I mean, just think about it, I mean, the enemy's throwing his best shot and all he can get you to do is sing, and worship, and praise, and tell God how great he is, and how mighty he is, and maybe give an extra big offering in the middle of it and I'll tell ya what, when you behave like that, God will show you if there's something he wants you to do. And if there is not something that God shows you, then be smart enough to wait until he does. I have found in my life, and I'll share this with you, I believe this with all my heart.

I believe that giving, loving people through meeting needs that they have and giving, especially when you're having trouble yourself, I think it's one of the highest forms of spiritual warfare that you can enter into. I believe every act of love helps bring healing to your body. I think every act of selfishness, and hatefulness, and meanness takes away our energy and eats at our healing and our strength. The best thing that you can possibly do is to be good to people. Did you hear me? The best thing you can possibly do is to be good to people. And I'll get into this just a little bit tomorrow but just in case you're not gonna be back here tomorrow, let me tell ya something, if you need a miracle and you have got unforgiveness in your heart, you are barking up the wrong tree, amen?

Do you know how many angry people there are in church? It's sad and a lot of them are mad at the person they came with. And that's really bad when we do that. I know 'cause I used to go to church and be mad at Dave. Rant and rave all the way there but as soon as we saw the first parking lot attendant, "Oh, praise the Lord". And you know we get all, "Glory to God". And I bet God is going, "Really, how much longer am I gonna have to put with you"? I mean I would sing the songs, and clap, and jump up and down in church and, "Praise the Lord," all the way out of the building, get back in the car, and fight with Dave all the way home.

Come on, how many of you know exactly what I'm talking about? Or you gossip about the pastor and his wife at lunch. You have a sandwich with a side of pastor and his wife, but then when you get a bad report from the doctor, man, the first thing you want to do is go get the pastor to pray for you and lay hands on you. Come on, is anybody home in the house tonight? God's got so much that he wants to do through us and for us. You seek first the Kingdom of God and all of these other things will be added unto you, amen? Alright.