2020-08-15 On the Border of Canaan - Edwin Meelhuysen

but once again bride-to-be wall here and I think it was only a few months ago that I was here and I was preaching to people online but also pretty much done here. It was just the people back there and done that a few times. I've been working as well and it's not it's much much better when there's people out there. So I'm really glad that you guys are here praise the Lord that we can get together and and at least at least be together a little bit, right? I'm again, I'm Edwin male highs and I was a long time ago a multi-year a tender here for a little while. And we just moved up to to Mossyrock about a year ago and the process of building a house there. I thought I would be done a long time ago and you all Snicker because we all know right whatever whatever you think it's always going to take a lot longer than we expected. So we're getting there and God has been so good. I'm in his blessed us so many in so many different ways and you know part of the sermon today. It's speaking to me myself as well because faces something that we need and that's kind of the underlined part of what were we talking about today? But but really look me some stories at 1 at a couple of chain of events that occurred and then I'm going to ask you To put your your contempt live had on if you will because some of the points that I'm going to bring out today are just a few there are many many more points that can be brought from these stories because I know I'm going to presume I don't need to ask you the question. Are we close to the end of time do I? I sure hope not I I usually do and then sometimes we hiked it to lay out all the chain of events for you. I don't think I need to do that. I need to look around here and see everybody with their faces covered right to note for us to know and you all know that that wasn't just out of the blue, but it was just another event in a long series of events that have been occurring rapidly, right? And so we're told that the final events will be what rapid one so we know that we are right on the border of Canaan, right? So we're going to look today at some stories and we're going to look at those this events that occurred when the children of Israel were given the message from God and the message was it's time to move forward. They had taken what should have been a few months journey and turned it into a 40-year sojourn right? Why?

Because of their lack of faith, right? and I would say that we have much to learn because we as modern-day spiritual Israel can learn from our namesakes if you will write because there's nothing new Under the Sun is Solomon said everything there as we are told often was given to us as an ensample or an example or something to tell us what we should look for in the future. So we're going to talk a little bit about this. But before we do, I'm going to invite you to pray with me one more time. Okay. I really need prayer because I expected to be done with my house long ago. And so preparing to share a message and finding people to help me out with things like insulation and sheetrock. All these things are in an everything is going on in the world today. It is beers down. And so I I'm depending on God In His Holy Spirit to to help with what we need to share today. So would you bow with me one more time? I'm just going to kneel down and pray father. We we come before you this morning as a people who are desperately in need of your spirit. We know that we are on the borders of Canaan Lord, and we do not want to fall into the same traps that the children of Israel did but we also know that we have a very Wiley enemy and so we just lay ourselves at your feet. We give ourselves to you. We ask you for your Holy Spirit. I especially asked that everything that is shared today will come through your Holy Spirit Lord to touch our hearts and our minds and to give us what we need in these times in Jesus name. I pray amen.

So God told Moses is time to move towards Israel it sometime or not Israel to move towards Canaan, right and he gave me some instructions and I'm going to go through this story fairly rapidly. We're going to be looking at a lot of versus I might be reading a number of different quotes today as well. They'll be some on the screen some not and but I'm going to tell you you can go back and read the whole story because it takes a couple of chapters this first part. It covers much of Deuteronomy 2 and 3 and basically God when he gave them to the instruction to go up and possess the land he gave them some special instructions. Now, I'm going to ask you to look for key little things that say and his example has God given us as his end time people any special instructions. Right, do we ignore them at times? Or should I say do we ignore them often? Do we let books and things like that sit on a shelf unread when we've been given special instruction, but God sexual instruction to his children of Israel. I want you to go up there and I want you to leave the certain people alone. One of that groups was the group of Esau's descendants around Mount seir. Then he also told I want you to leave the ammonites in the moabites alone. Don't harass them and when you go through their land, I want you to ask permission and I want you to stay on the highway and don't bother them because they're a bit afraid of you to some degree and and I want you to pay for that what you use I want you to pay for the food. I want you to pay for the water. I want you to treat them with respect. And they did.

And so then they came to the land of the I want to say let me forget to get this right this way is losing my thing here the amorites right? They came to the land of the amorites. I from is something in my head keeps saying amalekites, but it's the amorites and they sent a message to the king of the amorites and basically said we would like to travel for your land. We want to stay on the beach one road and we want to pay for our food we want to pay for our water and we don't have any means to bother you at all and the response they got from the King was no way we're coming after you and we're coming after you now. Now I want you to understand something. This was a group of people that have been living in the desert for the met last number of years. And for the most part they have been fairly under arrest. They've been way out in the middle of nowhere. These were not Warriors by any stretch of the imagination any amorites were these were a well-trained army. Okay, so imagine Luxembourg wants to go through, Texas.

Okay, and they say no way and the US military is heading down, right? Okay. I want you to imagine that in your mind. And what did God tell the children of Israel he told them what? Go forward. I will give them into your hands.

I want you to think about that. What that would feel like as a people we say. Oh great. God said go forward but he's told the same thing to us, but do we get afraid God says go witness to people do we get afraid. It's it's a lot of things us. And we ask that question we could go ahead and then he goes and they would have happened in that battle. They they win but also God told Moses told the people I want you to prepare for battle write. This was a little different than that take Jericho. We should prepare for battle. So they did the best that they could they went to war and they won God delivered the amorites into their hand now they come up against the next Pho and this is not just a faux. This is the photo of foes. This is the people of Bashan. Think it's how you say it right let by King hog. Now the Bible tells us to his bed was really big. It was not just a California king. All right, it was a big one in this was a group of giants living in cities of a massive built. Stone unturned impregnate impregnable, right impregnable. And these were a fierce Warrior people and if you read the story and Patriarchs and Prophets, it says that not only were they are a fierce Warrior people who were huge and powerful and strong. They had the geographical advantage. They were on the Hills up high in the way to get to them was very narrow little roads and you know, just not a thing you wanted to deal with but again, God said to the children of Israel what? Go forward.

And to make a long story short they did. And what happened? God delivered that Kingdom into their hand and they possessed all their land.

God also told them I'm going to start delivering this people. Into your hands so that it will create what in the people of Canaan. Here because they're going to know. That I am with you.

So we see that story that occurs and we realize that that God is the one who won the battle for them. Right? God is the one who went for them. He's the one who told me to go forward now for me, this was helpful because there's a lot going on in this world right now a lot if you haven't paid attention So much to the point that I'm starting to try to quit paying attention. Do you know what I mean? Because it can be depressing it can be fearful you look at the Anarchy that's going around the the lawlessness the things that the Bible says that they're going to call that which is good. Bad and that which is evil. Can we see that? We see people riding and destroying things and then people make me excuses saying it's okay. No, it's not it's not okay. It doesn't mean that that we don't have reasons but the reality of it is we're living in a world that God's hand is being withdrawn from and we are going to start seeing full force. What a satanic sinful world looks like without God's restraining hand. That is scary. We're dealing with this virus is going around in all these different things that are going on in this political unrest like we can't imagine. These are things to be afraid of if we are looking at it from a human perspective.

But what does God say? Go forward move ahead. I have given you special instruction. Right and it's not easy and let me tell you friends. I got a call this last week from a friend of mine who also happens to be my financial planner and he's an Adventist person and he was talking to you a little about what's going on right now in the markets and all these other things with with my retirement and he said, you know, it'll calm down it'll get better and that's half the time I said, you know, that's not true. I said, I'm not changing anything that you know, we still have to be wise but we know that's not true. It's not going to get better. There may come a little time of peace with friends. This is our warning. We are on the border of Canaan and we have a job to do we have things that we have to learn. So we need to look at that God is the one that won the battles God is the one who goes with us. We have nothing to the fear for the future, right? Except for we forget that God has led us to this point. So now we come to the next story. It's the story of Balaam. So we're going to ask you to turn with me and your Bibles or maybe on the screamer to look at numbers and we're to go to Numbers chapter 22. Bear with me I do not see well for some reason. I have my glasses. I keep getting stronger ones, but I think it's the lighting that seems like that but where is starting verse? I believe 7, right? Yes. Reynolds vs 7 we're going to read through a little ways so the Elders of Moab, so I'm going to stop for second. Remember the fear. What did God tell the children of Israel about the moabites? Don't bother them leave them alone. I have given them their land they are the descendants of lot, right? But do the moabites fear God follow God? No, do they have faith so they are what right now? They're afraid right. So that's that is the that's the background here where we're starting. So so the Elders of Moab and the Elders of Midian who are close relatives departed with the diviners fee in their hands. So they have decided they're going to call Balaam, right who is a prophet of God to come and curse the children of Israel. So they come there with their with their money in their hand and it came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of balak and he said to them lot and Balaam said to them Lodge here tonight and I will bring back word to you as the Lord speaks to me. So the principal have stayed with Balaam then God said to bail him and said, who are these men with you? So balum said that God will balak son of zipper king of Moab has sent them to me saying look at people have come out of Egypt and they cover the face of the Earth come now curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and dry them out and God said to be a limb. You should not go with him. You shall not crucify people for they are. blessed so balum Rose in the morning instead of the Prince of Bel-Air pay attention to your okay. Go back to your land for the Lord has what refused to give me permission to go with you.

Did you guys catch that? DC the nuances in this story. It's really helpful. If you read through the story of Patriarchs and Prophets who gives a lot of help, but you see the little nuances there first of all. Did Balaam was he did he have his head in the sand did he know that there was an epidemic or pandemic going on did he know the coronavirus was going around? I mean what's in the news they know about rice the street. It's not a secret for the children of Israel were right. So he knew who they were right, especially he was a prophet of God. So they show up and they tell him why is here and what did he say? Then? What use First Response have been right then in there as soon as they showed up. Excuse me. I'm sorry. I can tell you right now. I'm not even going to go to the Lord with this one. This is a no-brainer. Right, but feeling wants what? See Balaam had a pasta sides to a degree. He was still a Christian he well by name so to speak before they were Chris, you know, I'm saying and try to bring a modern here. He was that. But he said willing to go talk to God about it. And God says so he comes back and says God won't let me go. I mean that's kind of how it was. Right God won't let me go is refused to give me permission to go and so That's what he says. But so they go back to Bailey can be like those. Okay, send more send bigger higher dignitaries more money, and then we read on And we're going to go on here and we're going to look at versus 15 starting with versus 15 get here in the light. And they came to be on this a second time and said to him they like the scent of zipper. Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me for I certainly I will certainly greatly honor you and I will do whatever you say to me there for please come Cruces people for me then Balaam answered and said to them to the Servants of bela-bela queer to give me the house full of silver and gold. I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less note to do less or more. So he's all of a sudden have a real change of heart here, right? I mean, he's now really espousing is integrity why I could never do that God's already told me no.

but we read on but around for a little while. I might go ask God again. It's what he said. That's my translation. Sorry and the verse 19 and God came to be home at night and said to him if the men come to call you rise and go with him, but only the word which I speak to you that you shall do. So what happens the next day do the ban of God come to him? I'm not really the Bible does make a super clear. But if we look in we read different verses we realized that won't you know what they really didn't they said, you know what we know where this is going and they left and went home to bail and gets up the next morning Caesar. Goes. Well, I lost my opportunity and we all know the story of Balaam in his donkey, right? So to make a long story short because I want to get you a number of points this morning. They go with him. He chased them down. Right? We have the whole story of Balaam and his donkey and he goes there and then we realized that they try to he tries to to curse the people four times and what comes out nothing but blessings. All right. I have a question for you in modern day. How many times do we have to ask God for something when he says no.

Do we do that as a church sometimes? Can you think of any issues in our church that keep rising up and we study it out and we look at it and we see good things on both sides, whatever but do we come together as a church? And we earnestly get our needs we pray we say God show us your will what you want and we say, okay and then we cast lots know. We don't have spots with it cast votes and an answer is given. I certainly couldn't be God that gave that answer because there is no power in prayer. Right and I'm not whatever the issue is. I don't care whether what side we all on if we go to God, you know, we've done everything he's told us he when he gives us an answer. Do we sometimes keep going back? Are we any better than Balaam when we do these things sometimes?

Think about it. In enemy know I understand sometimes like okay, we got it, but repeatedly over failing the same thing over and over again. We take things and we want to ask God for it and we're told

There are thousands of present-day when are pursuing a similar course, they have no difficulty to understand their Duty and if we're in harmony with their inclinations, it would be no problem. If it is plainly set before them in the Bible is clearly indicated by circumstances a reason because he's evidence that are contrary to their desires and their inclinations are least how they think it should be they frequently set them aside and presume to go to God to learn their Duty. I can read on but we have nowhere to go but the bottom line is is that we've seen that in multiple times think of the children of Israel. They wanted a king right and they kept begging for one. So God finally did what he gave it to him, but was it to their better mentor to their detriment? Okay, let's learn from that. Let's learn from that. Let's move on Balaam price a curse them four times and what happens? He only can he only can bless them now. Does that make balok happy or unhappy? It makes him very unhappy.

but when Bailey was called The Curse the Hebrews he could not buy all his enchantments bring evil upon them for the Lord had not beheld iniquity in Jacob. Neither had he seen perversion in Israel that's from numbers to 20 or 23 2123. So because why couldn't he?

Because they were being obedient, right? So now another plan is hatched then you're going to have to you have to go with me a little bit here cuz I got it. I'm going to read something to you because my friends it's so much easier for me to read this to you. Then. It's right to his story. Okay. So the children of Israel now had come through. Did they know any of this was going on with Balaam? Right cuz he was up on the hill trying to curse them in the children of Israel were down there. And what were they thinking they were excited because what had just happened in their lives? They had just defeated who? The amorites and the kingdom of Bosch on right and so they had just got head work miraculously for them. So now they were in the veil. It was called the veil of shittim where they were used to treat Casey Groves and so on and so forth and they were there waiting for the next step to occur. So they had no idea any of this was going on. Alright lesson for us. I made these attractive surroundings. They were to encounter an even more deadly than Mighty host of our men or wild beasts of the Wilderness that country. So rich and natural Advantage have been defiled by the inhabitants in the public worship of Baal the lean deity the most degrading and iniquitous scenes were constantly enacted on every side replaces noted for idolatry licentiousness. The very name is being suggestive of the violinist and Corruption of the people these surroundings exerted a polluting influence upon is the Israelites their minds became familiar with a vile thoughts constantly suggested their life of ease and an action produced at demoralising effect in almost unconsciously to themselves. They were departing from God and coming into a condition where they would fall easy prey to temptation. At first there was little intercourse between the Israelites and there he the neighbors but after a Time median eightish women began to steal in the camp their appearance excited no alarm and so quietly where their plans conducted at. The attention of Moses was not called to the matter. It was the object of these women in their association with the Hebrews to seduce them in the transgression of the law of God to draw their attention to Heathen rites and customs and leave them and idolatry these motives worst studiously concealed under the Garb of friendship so that they were not suspected even by the Guardians of the people at Balaam suggestion to grand festival in honor. Their gods were appointed that the balaam's suggestion by the king of Moab and it was secretly arranged that Balaam should introduce the Israelites to attend. He was regarded by them as a prophet of God and has had little difficulty in accomplishing his purpose great numbers of people join him in witnessing the festivities, they ventured upon the Forbidden ground in were entangled in the snare of Satan beguiled with music and dancing in the Lord by the beauty of Ethan best. They cast off their feet peel tea to Jehovah as a United mirth and feasting Indulgence and wine be cleared of their sentences be plotted their senses and broke down the barriers of self-control passion had full Sway and having to file their conscious by luniz. They were persuaded to bow down to Idols. They offered sacrifice upon Heathen authors and and participate in the most degrading writes. It was not long before the poison ivy spread like a deadly infection through the camp of Israel those who would have conquered their enemy in battle were overcome by The Wiles of the Heathen women.

When Balaam was called the Crusaders, he could not buy all his enchantments bring evil upon them for the Lord had beheld iniquity in head not beheld iniquity and Jacob but went through yielding to Temptation a transgress God's law that the defense department their defense departed from that when the people of God when the people of God are faithful is 2 Commandments. There is no enchantment against Jacob. Neither. Is there any divination against Israel? Hence all the power and Wiley Arts of Satan are exerted to seduce them into sin if those who profess to be the depositories of God's law become transgressors of its precepts, they separate themselves from God and they will be unable to stand before their enemies. quite a story I couldn't candy wordy and I can tell stories but I don't think I could mail it as well as that was just nailed when I talked about what was going on. What are some important points for us to learn from that? Let's talk a little bit about Balaam because we're going to talk about these people were going to point to them. But I want us all to look at ourselves our lives our church our nation our country our world our Humanity all these different things and look at how it affects us and what applies to us. What was balaam's downfall.

What is it that Balaam love more than anything else?

money Fame prestige what are we willing to sell for those things?

In friends, I'm not talking about the ultra-wealthy. I'm not even talking about any of that. I'm just talking about, you know, I mean how often I ask myself the question you walk into a store and they give you a little bit too much change and you're halfway to your car and you realize that and you ask you so it's just a little bit right, you know the per second question. I asked myself when I see that occurred. So, is that what your integrity is worth? I have this battle, right, you know the whole thing on one side nothing on the other side and you know, it's like is that what your integrity is worth? And we ask ourselves a question sometimes, you know with what we have and what we do valence issue his downfall was covetousness. Another thing that we saw here. It said it and if you notice about what was his real doing at that time when this all started?

They were vital right they were waiting. They were just sitting around putting themselves in a position. Point number three

What curses could not do iniquitous practices did?

right

another point

their surroundings exerted a polluting influence upon them.

Any of this sound familiar? Do our surroundings. Have the potential to have a polluting influence upon us. I was talking with a friend of mine a few weeks ago. He's telling me a sad story. But you said we were talking about it was just an honest and open conversation and you just talking about how difficult it was in the past years ago for him to drive down the road. because billboards people walking around dressed and certain ways all these different things was a constant temptation to him in his mind. Praise God, he was the point of the whole conversation with how God had changed him completely. But those things occurred they happen we go home and we turn on our television and I don't care how careful you are with what you choose to watch. There's commercials in between. Is there a polluting influence if we watch the news? Does it pollute our mine sometimes, you know, it's not really news anymore. It's all iPads. Right? Remember no matter where you go. You know that opinions mate is everything pushed in and work. We are we are given propaganda if you will on all sides and and all these things are all putting our mind. We walk into any store anywhere and what is playing Music there is music that is out of my life for years. I walked away from all that stuff. But you know what I go back there and you know, it comes back into my head because this is all the stuff, you know, and now I got to work together. Are these polluting influences having an effect on our lives? You know, what? Is there a reason why God counsels us to be away from some of these things. Okay. I'm not going to be label. I need to be the labor any of these too much but it was weakened by all that and it's marked as interesting. They were they were weakened by the music dancing wine and lusting after rule Italy lost and I can spend time talking about those specifically cuz we all can be right but let's talk about prophetically write in Revelation. What is a harlot represent?

Put in Revelation. What does it represent? It represents a false Church? What is wine represent? False Doctrine. Well Doctrine is really if he's pure wine is Right Doctrine if it's intoxicating wine, but that's what this was clearly intoxicated because it affected them right. So do we see how we as on the border of Canada can be affected by the wine of Babylon? Do those things to enter our lives our church do we read things and pick up things? That sound really good. Are they intoxicating do we know the effect? It's having on us or we checking it by the Bible. Are we looking things over and comparing them? Because I tell you there's a shaking that's going to occur and is occurring that we know is coming.

All these things lead to baldness and send it was a progressive thing that got that came along the way. And I want to say this one thing. This is really important. We are not smarter than they then we are narts. Not smarter than we were.

You. That means even though we have more information, even though our knowledge base is greater doesn't mean that we're smarter or better we often think we are more enlightened, right? I think I'm going to say something. I think all of you will be able to agree at least most of you most of us agreed that we were more enlightened than our parents. Right. I mean we didn't really always go to our parents for advice about we go to war. Because you know what maybe we did in some cases but a lot of times, you know, we just think that were more enlightened every generation that goes by thinks that we have a little bit better understanding those old fogies don't really know what they were doing both at church in the fifties and sixties was so.... I wanted them to do it, you know, all those different aspects and that's a lie of the Devil. He's kind of creating this idea and it's the same thing today. If you listen to the what's being share in the world is said and these people are talking about the stuff passionately about what they understand it and you're looking at going how in the world. Can you believe that that makes no sense? But that's kind of how it goes. And it's the same thing that occurred in the children of Israel. They became bold with what they were doing. And these are things that we look at and we need to be aware of that that That we're not smarter. And here's the other part that no Turkey Point if we do have a role to play.

I'm going to stop for a few minutes here and I just want to I want to say something that's heavy on my heart and I hear it all the time because I believe I I won't use the word heresy, but It's closed at Disney taught consistently in our church and all across the world. And that is that there's nothing we can do to be saved. Right. Have you heard that? It did people get after they say they say to us. They said is there anything you can do to earn salvation? And what do we say? Because salvation is is a gift from God right? We are saved by grace. I'll try to not step off a thing. We are saved by grace through faith. Not of ourselves lest any man should Write it. Do I believe that? Yes, that is the absolute truth. We cannot save ourselves. Do we have a role to play? Absolutely because many people are told now there's nothing you can do and that is a lie. We must surrender we have to choose to allow God's power to fill us. We have to choose to go to the altar of sacrifice. We have to choose to walk through the sanctuary service every day we have to do is there biblical basis for that? And there's a lot of versus and I don't know if if if can put them on their we're not going to go through them all but I'm going to I'm going to throw them up there with his zip through it because we know there were saved by grace through faith, but the lot of the same as policies that I would not have known what sin was except by the law. So it's what tells us how we're doing right? It's what tells us what's right and wrong. I don't know that I'm speeding if there's not a speed limit sign as soon as there's a speed limit sign. I know that's a speed limit, right if I'm flying down the road at 80 miles an hour. And it's really only a 60. That's a problem when you say well there's nowhere to ya go to Utah. This place is like that the speed limit 80 but how are we judged or judged by our works right that tells whether we're in a relationship with God Romans 2 6 3 7 basically says, you know render each one according to his deeds. Do we go onto 2nd Corinthians 5:10, or is it through these really fast? We must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ at each when they receive the things done in the body according to what he has done whether good or bad it goes on and on then we go to the next one, which I think is 1st Corinthians 4:5 there for judge. Nothing before the time the Lord will bring light into hidden things of Darkness review of the council The Hearth in each one's praise will come from God. So again, he's looking at what's going on for moving on 1st, Peter 1:17. If you were call Byron on the father who with out partially judge of the court in each one according to their Works conduct ourselves throughout the time of your stay here, and then we go through all these things that we realized. That here in Revelation 20. I saw the dead great and small and another book was opened and the dead were judged according to their works by the things they were in the book. So we are judged according to our works works. Don't save a man. They don't they just testify of whose heart who has her heart. That's all. Bright, you can be married and have horrible works, right? You can be unfaithful to your spouse. You can be nasty all those things like that. You're still calling yourself, but you're not in a real marriage right real marriage is one where they're works. If I tell my wife, I love her in my Works don't testify of that. Is there a problem now the next piece of that that's really important for us to understand is that the good news is we talked about this last time is that God is the one who comes in and does it and I don't have time to go into all the details, but you know what? I do a Shameless plug here. I don't know if any of you watch any of it is written stuff. But this morning John Bradshaw was preserving this weekend is called power and he talks about how we have the power to overcome sin in our lives and it's really about that constant connection with Christ we talked about this last time I was here with you having a seal of God on your forehead the character Ezekiel says, right and I will by then God will give you a new heart. I will put a new spirit within you so that you can walk in my judgments in my statutes and keep my judgments. I will do that. But we have a role to play in that is what to surrender to God to give it to him to let go of it when we see those things entering Our Lives say once more after fall at the The cross and ask for forgiveness constantly being connected with God but so much of this heresy is out there says you don't have to do anything. Don't worry about telling time in your Bible. Don't I'm reading don't worry about you know, letting your working in your life to change things and that's just not true. Yes. We are saved by grace through faith. There is no question, but just like the children of Israel. What was Moses doing? Well, when all this was going on. In the in a capitalist or when this first started happening the most didn't realize is going on. What was he doing? Remember that little line in there? He was preparing to enter.

the Promised Land

is that just something for our leaders to do?

If we if we are preparing to enter the promised land, what does that look like?

It looks like connecting with God. Having faith. So for me personally, I got to share real brief story. We're almost done. I'm building a house. And I'm doing it pretty much all myself. I've had some help and I we haven't I haven't had a lot of Subs. I've had a person help with the big part of the framing, but I did a lot of the framing. I had some people help with Roofing. I've been blessed beyond compare with other people who have stepped up. I have a friend who came and helped me the other day. He's a possibility his own house, too, but he happens to be a heating and air conditioning installer, and we're putting in ductless systems and he came and spent a few hours with me and helped me blessing. But there are Parts I'm to the point now with insulation and sheetrock. And if anyone's built, you know that those are just two things. You just really don't want to do yourself.

And I've been I've had I thought I had some people lined up when you're working through things in the biz came back way higher than I expected for the sheetrock. And there's just a lot of different aspects to it and to make a long story short. I I'm at that point now and I didn't have it lined up and I finally got ahold of the insulator who I've worked with and I talked with a long time ago. Every time I connect with him, I get a pretty quick response and it just when responding.

But God isn't working on my heart through this whole process and learning about faith is without faith. It's impossible to please God but we SS believe that he is and he's a diligent. He's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So I I just take everything to God. There's been times. I've been working at my house. I need to share this last time. We're all come back and Deborah like, how are the how's it going while we work on this issue is we I said we got tonight because it became a situation where he was by my side. Tell me what to do a lot of times in certain situations. So anyway, I'm getting to the point. I still have a ways to go but I'm like, okay God, you know. So I get an email yesterday morning cuz I emailed that I finally emailed the company. I have a couple of day or so ago and said, hey just checking following up. Do I need to look for a different insulator or you guys can be available? Because I just need to know and I get a response back will be there Saturday. And so I emailed back and like oh and sorry is not going to work. You know, I just said I missed a birth Keeper in and the referral person was also and they knew him and so and then I saw the email it said Monday because we were running a little behind and and I said Monday would be great. Right, you know God is you know, the saying God is never late but rarely early I'm experiencing that and so then I get another email and said we'll be there today. I'm like today. I'm like, okay good thing I taken the day off from work, but then I get a call at one of my therapist had gotten injured and I need to go in and see some patients. So all these things are happening and it you know, what and a minute and it's you know it with some praise the Lord. He's he's to the point where I just smile, you know, it was kind of crazy yesterday, but I was smiling because I was just watching him and I'm expecting them waiting for the sheetrockers in because I've been working with it when she Rock her and everything is gone silent and I don't know if he's not the right one. I need to call someone else or whatever and I'm going to be ready for that in a week or two or three or whatever maybe two maybe sooner and I still don't have one but I'm excited to see what he's going to do because I'm trying to prepare to enter Canaan. Because I I know that these little events that we deal with in life are that which prepare us? Because I have to trust just like the children of Israel going against bashing and going against the Emory that doesn't matter who it is or the next to the next door will be the children of the Jericho, right? And we know what that turned out like, right? Big city big walls March around falls down, right? Who did that? God right who rules your life Who's going to take care of all these little things in our life? What do we learn from this story? We learn to stay away from the world. We learn to stay away from those things that are going to keep us from having faith and trust in God we learn to stay away because remember that little statement is said,

What curses couldn't do?

Senator in a different way right would work why because they were being obedient because iniquity wasn't being found. I just want to finish up with a real quick story. I think you've heard it.

There was a young man who had deceived his father. Convince him that he was his brother cuz he was supposed to get this, you know birth right thing. So he had to flee right and he's pulling away and he lays down on the ground and he puts his head on a stone and God gives him a dream. And what was that dream? Is about a ladder.

and

Or read something to you.

Facts about Jesus because when we leave here today, I want us to remember that it's Jesus who gets his from here to there. That it's the father who wins our battles for us.

Even though we talked about we have a role to play is that connection with him is that surrender is letting go of ourselves.