UMBC AM SERVICE - May 30, 2021

SO2 to all of you sitting here today, there's some of you here that have family, that that May have been affected. I'm just out of lift, lift you to the Lord today, and I always like to recognize the those who served in the military on a day. Like today you say why the reason is, is because they offered to pay that same price. If you served in the military stand for this morning,

What would give him a big hand this morning?

appreciate them so much, and

Talkin about battles that have been fought. There's one particular battle I read about.

You know, numbers play a big role in the time of battle is fart. and,

I do read wear on a particular day.

One man storm to heal. By myself.

With the odds, completely stacked against.

Name of the Battle Zone was called Calvary.

Brave. The hill. Basic anatomy. In one man in your freedom that day, you ought to give that Soldier a hand man. Watch tell you, you got your Bibles this morning. Miss. Let's get rolling that I tell you was good to see you this morning. Amen. Let's turn over the book of Philippians.

Sure. Hope to see one of you tonight.

Will be in the third chapter this morning.

Third chapter of the book of Philippians.

All week. I've been excited about.

Preaching this morning about being in the Lord's House.

Why you being? So if you could hold off on your nap for just a few minutes,

we're getting down to business, do you like what you see? You should know. I better quit. Hallelujah.

In the third chapter of the book of Philippians.

The start reading, reverse. Number 12.

God's word reads. It says, not as though I had already attained either were already perfect. But I'll follow after. If that I may apprehend that. For which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren. I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark, for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ, Jesus. Father, we love you today. We thank you so much for your grace and your mercy. We thank you today. Oh, Lord. For your word, I think you for just a beautiful day outside today and Father for each family. Each individual each homeless in your house today, may you be blessed today, Lord in a special way. Father, may you minister to our hearts today. God me to be a freedom and liberty hearing your house today. Lord, freeze. Anything in our mind today, may, you just give us Clarity this morning, that you word me. Find this Mark here in our lives today and before we walk out these doors today or But it's my prayer Lord. It is my prayer that we know that. We know that, we know that we belong to you today. Thank you for your love, your grace, and your mercy, with all that's with us, we give you the praise thee, honor the glory, in the name of Jesus and the church says amen. And amen. I tell you, I love the scripture reading this morning and I've read it time and time again, and and I will just kind of be simple with us today if that'll be. All right, I told Apostle, he knew he was a brother that had things in their right perspective. It was a time in his life when he really thought he was somebody. It was a time in his life when he felt like from a religious band Foreigner are are based on his religious accomplishments that he had arrived at a, at a lead level. And it's the most amazing thing that that after he met Christ. Jesus, he realized something that, that Elite status that he thought he had was nothing more than a guy that when he thought he was his greatest. He actually was at his farthest away from the Lord. And in so doing, he begins to testify a little bit about his, his, his relationship with Christ Jesus. And he says, something that I love today in, and then I'll just would like, to share with you. He says, when I think about it, he said, this is the place I'm mad. He said all those things which are behind me, you're welcome, and I'm leaving them, right? Where they are. And I'm reaching the head, a man to the things which are in front of a man. And I tell you all week, I just chewed on that it, I'm probably free stand myself, more hours, or more miles as we can going up and down the highway and they got better. Every time I probably, I probably got Steve 27 times this week from from Reading over these scriptures. But I just thought to myself what a beautiful truth because Put it to you this way. This morning we serve a God who is a god of new beginnings. I'm glad he is, I was talking with someone this week and they made the statement to me and they said, I'm so glad brother Brandon that God doesn't doesn't hold against the men are past failures. Our shortcomings rrr, shortfalls are mistakes are regret. I'm so glad Amanda not only. Does he not hold those things are, but when we call, amen, and he picks us up out of it, but it amounted to that, but they said that, when he picks us up, amen, he cleans us up. And what's in the past is in the past about it cuz you got to realize this this morning. I know, you know it but I'm going to say it for the sake of saying it, but the Apostle Paul was a Christian murdering scoundrel.

And he thought he was doing it in the name of the Lord, but he's in it, then when he meets Jesus, he realizes all my word, I had this thing wrong. I tell you. well, when I was An enemy of the cross. I thought I had it right, I thought I had it figured out, I thought I was justified. I thought all those things. but when I met Jesus,

I realize just how confused I had been. I realize just how. Short, I had fallen.

And I became so much more appreciative.

Of the new beginning that he extends to you. The old Apostle. He said yeah what's behind me behind me?

But I'm looking at what's ahead and I'm reaching for it. You know, you can't even go there, you can go to the grocery store and you can go. Let's see, what I'll do. We all go down mostly. You can go down at Little Debbie.

San Francisco frankino produce seeds.

But I walked up in church. I mean, in the grocery store one time and All the way down a crossdresser. Wherever sister, Frankie. Say, I win. y'all know me, I love to scare people and sister Frankie's down there and and I she's doing something.

I was like the Pink Panther sleeping up there. Now use it behind

And more sister, Frankie turned around.

What you doing down here? She was testing the grapes to see which ones you want to cook.

Hallelujah.

And we have laughed about that over the years. Amen. But, you know, even sister Frankie down there. Don't let our all in great for us. She could lean tasted one of them, unless she reached. Out for you, feel me?

Or you can go down a little Debbie Isle and you recovered all them little simple boxes down through there.

until you actually, Reach out for it. The old Apostles said, the Glorious things which are ahead of me these beautiful things, which are ahead of me. These promises that I'm reaching out for them. Amen. Let me read something for you real quick. Over here in the book of Exodus, I'll tell you something about the Israelites real quick this morning. Sister, I'm Sorry by the way, at the end.

Lord keep me focused this morning. in the in the 12th chapter of the book of Exodus that first verse LOL. Ashley thought. We're going to read to versus up there. Verse one. And two Israelites, there they were down in Egypt. They were not down there. Enjoying life, they were slaves. They were held there. I'm going to say against their will, but but they've been there so long. They've been sleeping so long. That's all they knew. Their minds have been polluted by this. This, this off the wall pagan Religious worship that the Egyptians have come up with. Everything about them. As as as Hebrews has been infected by the Egyptian culture and lifestyle. And so they've cried out to God. They cried out to him because they've lost their identity then cried out to him because they are slaves. Who are handled spitefully by the Egyptians they cried out to God because they've never been nowhere but he certainly don't know where they're going to go. But we just know we can't keep going on like this and I don't know about y'all but I know in my life I've been at a point where I didn't know what I needed and I didn't know where I needed to go. I just knew that I didn't mean to keep going like I was going and so they cry out to the Lord and he meets Moses. Amen. On the side of a hill that day there, any fear them to him in a burning bush and I love what God said, he spoke to Moses. He said I have the prayers of crowds in the Affliction of my people and I have come down to liberate them a man and so and then I'm not going to go through all of it for time. Play today, but God dealt with the Egyptians in the in a harsh way. And on that tenth plague. And that's the plan where he sent the death angel across the land. And if the blood wasn't applied to a house, the doorpost of a house, when the death angel passed through there that night, the firstborn, son of that family, their life was was taken from them in. And you make no mistake about it, I promise you, you could have been miles away from Egypt the morning after the death angel passing you could have heard the cries, you could have heard the Wailing the Brokenness and and I mean it wasn't it wasn't just something that God did know. It was rough. It was tough.

But it was necessary.

Payroll has told Moses. Take those people, get them and get out. Get out in, and I want you to read. I want us to read this morning and the Lord spake unto Moses, and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, This month. Shall be unto you beginning of months. It'll be the first month of the year to you.

and if you look at the

The Jewish people's way of life. They've got two calendars, they've got a political calendar. And then they've got this calendar.

I will just wrap this up for you. What I love about it. Is Liberty with the Lord, produces a newness.

It produces a new beginning. And, and even here in the book of Exodus, when God liberates, the children of Israel From Slavery, he never raised from oppression. He liberated them from having to operate under this this Pagan worship. And when it liberates them, he goes a step further, and he says, today is a new day. It's a new month. I mean new year. He says, don't forget it and Mark it down and we're going to function off of this one going forward. Amen of new beginnings. He's a God. Amen. He's a God, and it smashed in the Divine Way that allows you, Amen to forget. I have all those failures in in, in the Embraced, a newness of life in Christ Jesus. You are to rejoice. The days that he's made that way for you, in it. So he text me Israelites and they leave Egypt. and just like, when he liberated you and I you look up in there is that Army following behind And it comes down there Mountain on the right Mountain, on the left of Maddie, Gyptian, Army behind them. In the Red Sea in front of them. And he speaks to Moses and Moses goes out stretches the staff out over the sea and all that night and East Wind Blows the next morning. Israelites, walk across the Red Sea and even get a little mud on her feet. Dry ground. And they come out on the other side. And just as they come out on the other side, they turn around. And God closed it. Couple of things happen when he did that. Number one.

He fixed it where they can't go back. the number to, The enemy that's troubled. You ain't going to trouble. You no more.

Hallelujah. It sounds like God to me and nnn our lives friend. I don't know about y'all. But I, I know in, in, in, in living, for the Lord as they've been times that it did. I felt like an old black dog was following me around. You see what do you mean by that? I mean, some of the same old things that I thought I was done with that. I thought I was away from and you looked up and I know it seems like it seem like you just can't shake some of those things in and then but I've always been reminded ain't it ain't God, that's doing that to me. I mean, it's either me a men or it's either the adversary trying to jump me a man to go back with God, has no intention just like he had. No intention of those is going back to Egypt. God has no intentions of his people going back, and dwelling a man, and the stuff that gets us into trouble them again, with your serve a God. Amen, who paid them? Up on an Old Rugged Cross that you might be free and you serve a God, who gave his life, that you might have life and you, man, and I understand today. There's a lot of things that trouble is, I understand today. There's a lots of things that that bothers me, but God is a god of new beginnings, and God desires a new beginning in your life. God desires a fresh start in your life. Navarro's you to realize. They meant that, that that where you came just as the Apostle Paul says, amen is behind you and you're not worried about focusing on was behind. You remember Focus about what lies ahead of you now if you want to put it in a way where you can understand that since you're not grabbing. What I'm saying today? Go outside and get in your vehicle and take off driving in Reverse, looking at was behind you, I promise you something, insurance adjusters fixing to come, see you cuz he's a wreck waiting on you. That's not how this thing works. Amen, you're looking ahead. Hey, man. That what lies in front of you is a lot of things behind than me. But glory is not one of them, having is not one of them, a walk with Christ. Jesus is not one of them. Those things lie out in front of me, are those things? Like, head down this path that I'm walking and it's those things that I'm trying to hang on to this those things that I'm trying to reach out and grab a, hold up. Its that place. I'm trying to get to Who had an oxygen bar?

No Apostle said it because he said I'm Reaching Forward. I'm reaching ahead.

I tell you.

he's a guy that delivers, you,

from your demons to

For those Israelites.

When he closed that Red Sea behind them and he destroyed that Egyptian Army. I didn't mean that there wouldn't be people that they had to fight going forward. But you don't have to fight them. I don't mean there won't be somebody rise up. That's going to try to make war with you but you won't have to make war with them. He's a god of Deliverance. He's a god of new beginnings. He's a god who's who goes before you don't drag around badge.

No sleep for you. My goodness, you should be reaching forward to where he's at.

I would have been a real good is real life.

Why you say that preacher?

First time, things got rough. You know what the Israelites saying? I want to go back to Egypt.

I don't like it out here. At least back there. There was normality please back there. I might have been a slave but at least I knew the routine.

And they said that more than once. Wow, but that was the Israelites. Well.

After Jesus was crucified. one of the first things that Peter said was,

I guess I'll go back. Go fishing. I guess I'll go back and do what I used to do. I guess I'll go back and be who I used to be.

the word says, If any man. And I'm on a expound on that woman or child. If any man is in Christ, Jesus,

He is a.

Boy, y'all are on a roll this morning. New creature.

I used to hate sitting in church and have a smart aleck preacher. I used to burn me a

he's a new creature.

Swallow. Say it like this. I can't answer for you.

I wouldn't try to.

But I can answer for me.

Is I have left? The things behind me behind me, recollect them every now and then as a stepping stone to share with somebody. But guess what? In in and I had this before I say it it was just didn't happen overnight. There was a time when what was behind me. Get winding up in front of me. And the only way that can happen is because I'm just going in circles.

In the day that I chose. To be focused strictly ahead of me and leave one behind me behind me was one of the best days of my life, a me. And I stand here today and say that, hey, I really was behind me a men behind a meaning when Christ Jesus for Daisy. Amen. Of who I used to be a menace cast, those things and into the sea or when he's did, just what he said, he was going to do it, which is remember him. No more Langan, remember him? No more. Neither a man. When I looked at the worst and I said I can't answer for you but I'm going to answer for me. I realized. Amen that in Praise Jesus. Amen. And you say why how do you get in? Praise Jesus. Amen, you submit yourself. You repent, you surrender your life to heal a men and in the word said that he takes a bold. Amen. Within a person's very hard with in that person's very Soho. Amen. So when I became a new when I became Praise Jesus will then I became a new creature, a man in in in one of the most beautiful things. Amen was to realize, I don't have to be who I used to be anymore. Hey, hey man. Okay, where you can be that person, but that's what Jesus liberated me. Amen. Jesus Set Me Free in the word, says whom the son. Set free is free. Indeed, part of the problem is most Christians today. Glory be to God. You don't know that you're free. You don't know, you've been liberated. You don't realize that what's behind you is behind, you don't realize that. All you got to do is reach your hand to the things which are meant for you. You don't realize that the enemies that was trampled, you he's please put them out of out of sight and out of mind, you do realize that he's called you on to a higher calling, amen, a deeper walk. A more focused purpose. A man because you are indeed a new creature in Christ Jesus, say men and one more thing that I do know and I know this and you know what, you know, but I know what I know. And that's this right here, that there is a place glory be to God. Amen. Called There's a place called Heaven are there is a place that I like to call it home. Amen. In that place has been prepared. Amen. For you. And I, and now you can go where you want to go. You go to Walmart, or you go down a little Debbie, I'll or wherever else, you want to go, a member. My intention is to get down this road of life, amen. To to, if I got to crawl, a man, if I've got a water whatever, I've got to, do to go forward reaching unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Because I wanted make Heaven, my home and I want to do one more thing more than anything else, cuz I want to look on the face. A man of the one who is called me a man out of the darkness glory be to God into this marvelous life. And I'll tell you today, Today.

The binky is.

Greatest blessing in my life.

To belong him. Mr. Is the greatest assurance.

And I know that is behind me.

And to be free of that guilty. Is most liberating? Feeling a little person. Can experience.

The Apostle said it. I'm already at one last time.

he said this one thing I do, I'm forgetting those things which are behind.

And reaching forth unto those things which are before. Oppressed. Toward the mark.

He calls it, a prize. For the prize of the High Calling of God. In Christ and cheese.

Are you are you reaching out for that prize this morning?

That's a fair question. Are you? He said I'm pressing on, I don't know about you, but when I read that word pressing on, I see a sense of got to be intentionally. He don't say, I'm just casually strolling. He said, no, I'm pressing on meaning. I'm working, I'm trying, I'm giving it all up.

Cuz I want to win the prize, what's the prize is Jesus.

Is this is Jesus.

You know, in this morning.

I don't know, maybe

Maybe, maybe we share some things in common in life, Maybe. Maybe you, you've been at that place where they like you going in circles.

Were you just can't? You just can't get on track. You just like you spinning your wheels.

Were you you take a step forward and then you look up and see like you took two or three backwards.

I want to tell you today.

I knelt in an altar prayer. So many times and pray.

Pray that I could get out of that rut praying that I could quit spinning my wheels. Praying that I need you to change so bad.

and every time I did,

I think I'm just going to tell you how I feel every time I did it seem like, when I stood up, all I had done was knelt and spoke some words.

But the moment I knelt. And truly surrender my life.

The moment, the word speaks of us crucifying the old man in the moment that I went up there and murdered it.

the moment I cried out that, that I'm completely yours if you just have me.

Was the moment. It my life change.

I want to stand this morning.

when I asked Ashley to, Put the song Moana.

If you've got a need this morning, all friend, Don't let this moment pass you by this morning. You got a new, didn't you lie?

If you need Liberty, you need Freedom, if you need purpose, We'll just say it like this, if you just need. Forgive.

I just love for you to come to the well this morning. Father, we love you how we? Thank you. How we praise you. Lord, Frieza need in your house this morning. I just pray today if that need, might be mad cuz they wanted a Lord that even now sitting there struggling with. Should I slip out of this seed or not? May you may you give me strength may give me the courage to just make that first step.

May you give them the assurance that they will not return. Who I am that, you'll be waiting with open arms. Just like you did The Prodigal Son? Is my prayer this morning.

just,

Spray.

It is truly amazing.