The Days Will Come When the Bridegroom Shall Be Taken Away, and Then Shall They Fast

Everybody Oh, they went to uh to the other church. Oh, okay. You good? Good, sir. Okay, y'all. We going to go ahead and we going to get started.

We going to ask that the women cover your heads. Men, uncover your heads. And we going to stand and face the holy, beautiful Jerusalem, the city of the great king. Our father, our father, which art in heaven, which are in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done. Thy will be done in earth. In earth as it is in heaven. As it is in heaven. Give us this day. Our daily bread.

And forgive us our debt. And forgive us our debts. As we forgive our debt towards as we forgive our debtors. And let us and lead us not into temptation. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom. and the power and the power and the glory and the glory forever forever. It's in Jesus name we pray. The God Almighty, the God Almighty, author and finisher, the author and finisher, the Holy One of Israel, the Holy One of Israel. Today's reading comes from Psalms 110:es 1-3. The Lord said unto my Lord, The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand.

Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies until I make thine enemies. Thy foottool thy foottool. The Lord shall send the rod thy strength out of Zion. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. rule thou in the midst of thine enemy. rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

Thy people shall be willing. In the day of thy power. In the beauties of holiness. in the beauty of holiness. From the womb of the morning, from the womb of the morning, thou hast the do of thy youth. Thou has the do of thy youth.

I just read to y'all. 1-3. Have a blessed reading hearing of his holy word. In Jesus name we pray. One thing that I just took from what he just said, sisters and brothers, one thing that he said that was right. He said the people going to be willing in the day of Jesus power.

When Jesus sat on the throne, everybody is going to be willing and able to serve him no matter what. Sisters and brothers. That's right. See, right now, we got to kind of teach the law to everybody. We got to teach the Bible to everybody. But once Jesus come back and set his kingdom up on the earth, everybody gonna be willing because everybody that's not willing is not going to be here, sisters and brothers.

And now let's proceed with our Sabbath scripture. Let's proceed with our Sabbath scripture. Let's go to Acts the 13th chapter. Acts 13. Like I kind of talked about this week during the power hour that I've been trying to stream every other Tuesday night. We kind of talked about the Gentiles and how God is the God of all people.

Now, so that's what we want to understand. We know that it is to the Jew first, but it's also to the Gentiles because God is the God of all people. God, you have no control over what color you are when you were born. You did not have a say. So with the matter, so God knew that what you were going to be when you came out of the womb. So he is not going to destroy you because of your color.

And a lot of brothers that sit out and teach that other nations that's not going to get salvation, they just have not fully read this book all the way. So now let's go to Acts the 13th chapter. Acts 13. And we going to pick it up. Let's pick it up at verse 42. Acts the 13th chapter and we going to pick it up at verse 42.

Acts 13 and we go pick it up at verse 42. When you get there, my dear beloved elder, go ahead and read. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles sought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. So now when the Jews had went out of the synagogue, now that means they had kept the Sabbath and they had the other nations around. But see, at this time the other nations couldn't really come into the church like that. So they hung around and they heard the word of God while they were sitting outside.

But now notice what happened at verse 43. Now when the congregation was broken up, he said when the congregation was broken up, now go ahead. Many of the Jews and religious proelites followed Paul and Barnabas who speaking to them persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And that's what you going to get at Israel Church of the first born. Sisters, brothers, we are trying to persuade everybody now to continue in the grace that God has given you. He has given us this grace.

But you got to understand this grace is a free gift. But if you get out of line with God, God will take this grace away from you. So we want you to continue in the grace of God. So now what happened in verse 44? And the next Sabbath day, And the next Sabbath day, go ahead. came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

And Lord knows we are waiting on that day when everybody comes together to hear the word of God, sisters and brothers. But let's go to a different spot because we fasting today now. So we want to show you that one day we all going to be fasting as a nation. But for those that did decide to fast today, let's show you when you fast as a nation. And we also we also going to talk about fasting as a nation when we get into the lesson. But now let's go let's go to Ezra the 8th chapter.

Let's go to Ezra 8. Ezra 8. And we going to pick it up at verse 21. We want to throw some in about fasting because we going to talk about fasting all in this lesson. It's is three lessons that need to be taught at least twice a year. One is the dietary law, one is the Sabbath day, and one the other one is about prayer and fasting, sisters and brothers.

Because see when you pray and fast you are going straight to the father for whatever you want. Whatever you are seeking for you are going straight to the father to get it. But you got to get it in the name of Jesus. So now let's go to Ezra the 8th chapter. Ezra the eth chapter. This is what we fasting for today.

Let's go to Ezra 8 and let's pick it up at verse 21. Ezra 8 and 21. Then I proclaim the fast day. And so now he said he c because see the Jews was in trouble. Now they was going back to rebuild the temple. And when they went back to go and rebuild the temple, they ran into a whole lot of junk in trying to get this temple rebuilt again.

So he said, "Then I proclaimed they fast there." Go ahead and read at the river of a we might afflict ourselves before our God. to speak of him a right way for us and for our little ones and for all our substance. And that's why we have these fast uh uh once a month. Now, we know that the Lord is telling you only to only to fast one time a year. We all fast once a year. He requires everybody.

But we going to show you in this lesson today that the true people of God, they was fasting all the time. They was fast. That's why we have the first and the fifth and the sixth and the eight-month fast which goes along with the seventh month fast which God proclaimed for us to do. So he said then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Hava that we might afflict ourselves before our God to seek of him a right way for us and for our little ones. We fasted for our children and also for our substances that for the church to continue. Pray for your house.

Fast for your home. pray for the finances in your home that we might have a right way. So now read that verse 22. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us. They didn't they didn't get no help from the government. They didn't get no help from the king and nobody.

The only help that they got was from the Lord. Sisters and brothers. He said, "For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us." Go ahead and read. against the enemy in the way. Because we had spoken unto the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him." And that's what you got to understand when you really are truly seeking God. When you ask the Lord for it and you believe that he going to give it to you now.

That's how it's going to be. You don't have to ask the king or nobody else for no help at all because you already had asked the Lord for it. So now, keep reading. But his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this. And he was intreated of us.

So all of us that are fasting today, we hope that you are having a great fifth month fast. And we hope that all that you pray for to the Lord that you that he is intreated of all that we ask for, sisters and brothers. So I want to praise the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. and peace to everyone here in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. I want to say happy Sabbath to my Indianapolis family. I also want to say happy Sabbath to those that's watching us in Cincinnati.

I had an awesome time with y'all last week. We had a great lesson and a great time. And also those that's watching us in Connecticut and Arkansas. We also want to say happy Sabbath to you as well. And also those that's watching us via live Facebook and YouTube live. We also want to say happy Sabbath to you.

and we are glad to have you with us on the Lord's day. So, I want to give a round of applause for the brotherhood at the sisterhood. Once again, we made it through sisters and brothers like the one thing our beloved Elder Benny said to me when he came in, he said, "I'm still alive and I'm still breathing." And that's the that's the main thing on serving this God because you can't serve this God when you dead. So as long as you were seen and not viewed, you in a very good place. And that gives you more and more time to show your love toward the Lord and also to show your love toward the other people. So also we want to welcome our beloved sister Tiffany in here looking just like your mama.

Looking just like the one thing about Mama Linda, boy, she get her whole family up in here and that's what we asked for. See, that's what really makes a church grow. We can go out and tell people all the time to come to class. come to class. But what's going to really make the class grow or any class for that matters is when you start getting the families involved. When the families start coming and then that's when you see your knowledge and you see your faith increase and those that you love, they got a chance not to go to the lake of fire because they heard the word of God.

And also for the banging lesson that our beloved brother Joshua did. Such a good blessing. The message is so good that I called him the same day after they had did it, sisters and brothers. But see, that's what it's all about. And I really want to thank you, man, because when a lot of people didn't believe in me at all, you did. And I thank you for your help.

I thank you for all that you do. And you can rest your bottom dollar. It ain't going to be nobody else that's come up off of here going to preach besides me and you. And I promise you that. So now, let's get right on into the lesson, sisters and brothers. And today we going to talk about fasting.

Like I said, we we I I had another lesson that we were going to do, but you know, over there, I get caught up and I get drunk in doing a lot of history lessons all the time. So, I want to kind of do something that's a little bit in season about what we doing today. And we want to talk about fasting, sisters and brothers. See, we built this class on fasting. We built this class on denying ourselves of our worldly needs for one day a month in order to serve God. We chose 12 fasts a year with 12 being the day of atonement.

So it's a very very important thing and we going to show you in this lesson why we fast and we also going to show you in this lesson why you should fast. For one thing you need to fast to repent of some of the sins that you have committed toward him. This is the perfect time for you to go to the Lord and say, "Lord, I'm sorry for what I did. I repent of all of the times that I committed iniquity. I repent of all of the times that I transgressed against your laws and I transgressed against you. It's a good time to do that.

So, how do you get close to him? You deny yourself of the daily food and the daily water. See, the Lord only requires us once once a year to fast. But we going to show you that at one point in time Jesus was going to be taken away. We going to read about the bridegroom. And we going to show you now that when the bridegroom take it away, then shall you fast.

See, when Jesus was around, the disciples didn't really fast like that around him because they didn't have to fast. Jesus took the burden for everybody. That's why Jesus made a statement that the that the father should lay up for the children and not the children should lay up for the father. So Jesus took the burden of everybody. He took the burden of our sins. He took the burdens of when we went against God.

And anytime we had any infirmity, what did Jesus do about it? He fasted, sisters and brothers. He fasted. He got away from the daily food, the daily water. See, that's the true affliction. Because you got a lot of people that go out, they feel, well, I'mma I'mma afflict my body.

So, I go take a whoop and start whipping my own back. You got a lot of people that do those things really at the time of Easter. But see, God didn't tell you to afflict yourself like that. The only affliction that God tells you to do is go without no food and water. And for those that are fasting by the end of this hot day, you gonna see exactly what we talking about. Because once that hunger hit you and you can't go to that refrigerator and grab no food and no water, you going to understand that's a part of what the affliction is.

And also, I want to slide this in. Fasting also is is is great for your health. It's great sometime to clear your body out. To clear your body out of me. I've been drinking pop all week, so it feel good not to drink a pop today. Just give it a break one time and and let all that stuff get out of your body and let the Holy Spirit in.

So the title of the lesson is the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away and then shall they fast. Now they fasted in the Old Testament. We going to show you how they did it. But the reason why Jesus had said this, but we going to show you why. But the title of the lesson is the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away. See, the bridegroom is Jesus.

The bridegroom is a man on this wedding day. He getting ready before the event happened. That's who the that's who the bridegroom is. He's getting ready. So, like Mother Linda has said before the lesson, one day we going to have the marriage supper of the lamb. And that's what we talking about.

So, that's why we call Jesus the bridegroom now. So, now let's go to St. Mark the second chapter. St. Mark 2. And we going to pick it up at verse one.

St. Mark 2. And we going to pick it up at verse one. And for those that did not fast today, don't worry about it because we got news for you as well. The Lord said that obedience is better than sacrifice anyway. So, as long as you keeping the word of God, you still in good standing with him.

That's what the Lord want. You in good standing with him. And I'm going to say one more thing. We kind of said about the Sabbath day. Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don't do nothing bad on those days because you got to realize a man got killed for picking up sticks on the Sabbath day.

So why has God not killed you yet? Because the Lord said, "Let the wheat grow with the tear." And he gonna separate them at the harvest, sisters and brothers. He gonna meet you at the end of the line when you are polluting the Sabbath day. So you want to keep the Sabbath holy at all time. But now let's go to where Jesus had first started his ministry. Let's go to St.

Mark the second chapter. St. Mark 2 and we gonna pick it up at verse one. St. Mark 2 and we gonna pick it up at verse one. And when you get there, my beautiful beloved elder, go ahead and read.

And again, he entered into Capernium after some days. And it was noise that he was in the house. It was noise that he was in the house. Now, so we covered this in a lesson not too long ago. Capernium is where Jesus had started his ministry at. He was preaching in a little bitty old room kind of like where we are today now.

And this is where he started his ministry. And Capernaum was one of the cities of the Gentiles. That's why I started out reading Acts the 13th chapter. So Jesus had kind of dealt with the other nations, but he told the disciples to go not into the way of the Gentiles. And we going to show you that once we get at the end of this lesson, he was going to bring the Gentiles into the covenant later. But so he started his ministry in Capernium.

So now verse two, go ahead. And straight away many were gathered together in so much that there was no room to receive them. No, not so much as about the door. And he preached the word unto them. So it was so many people that followed Jesus at that time. But we going to show you in the end that that's not the case now.

So he had a real big following. So many people had followed Jesus that there was no room in there was not so much as about the door and he preached the word of God unto them. See Jesus was also a teacher, sisters and brothers, but he was the he was the giver of the law. So when he got all of these people round about him, he had preached a word unto him. Verse three, go ahead. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the policy which is born of four.

And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was. And when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sit of the poly l. Well, if you think this son, wait till we get in this lesson. Boy, they used to be looking for Jesus with a flashlight in the daytime. They was trying to find Jesus wherever he went. So when they found out where he was, all of the press, see the press meet, that's the people.

See, that's why when you get an athlete after a game, they got all of the cameras all in his face cuz that's the press now. So this was kind of the same way when Jesus was healing the people. So he was healing one that was sick of the pausy which was born before. And when they could not come not unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was. And when he had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the pausy lay. So now verse five, go ahead.

When Jesus saw their faith, but notice what he said. He said, when Jesus saw their faith, go ahead. He said unto the sick of the Pauly, go ahead. Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. He said, sons, thy sins be forgiven thee. Which we covered this a long time ago.

Sickness has a lot to do with sin, sisters and brothers. So it's not necessarily that the person has sin, it's just the way of the world. Anytime some something sin, something have to die or something is born that's in form because the world is out of course. Why is the world out of course? Because of sin. We don't think about every time a man pick a prostitute up off the street.

Every time he get that woman off the street, you pollute the entire land by doing that. So sin can carry on in a whole lot of different areas that we don't think about. So every time something sin something die or something is born with infirmity or somebody catches diseases and it's all because of sin sisters and brothers. That's why when this person was sick he says son thy sins be forgiven thee. So now verse six go ahead. But there were certain of the scribes staying there.

Go ahead and reasoning in their heart. It was always somebody around Jesus trying to question what he was doing. Is he right? Is he wrong? So he said, "But there were certain of the scribes sitting there and reasoned in their hearts." Verse seven, go ahead. Why does this man thus speak blasphemy?

Who can forgive sins but God only? Who can't forgive sins but God only? But see, they weren't paying attention that Jesus was God in the flesh. When Jesus came, he was acting in the in the way of Melchzdc even when he was on the earth because he was the high priest. So just like what he just read, he going to be a priest forever after the order of MelzDC. Now, so he was on earth and he was acting in the form of God.

Why? Because he was the son of God. So now verse eight, go ahead. And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reason within themselves, go ahead. He said unto them, Go ahead. Why reason ye these things in your heart?

See, I want to kind of stop right here. You see how good, you see how cold God is. You ain't got to say a word. I already know what you think is. He said they over here. He said immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reason within themselves, he said unto them, why reason you these things in your heart that let you know Jesus know what you thinking?

You can't get away from him. You can't get away from how you truly are. Because when you have these unclean thoughts, guess who looking at them and seeing them with you? Jesus is seeing it, sisters and brothers. So now keep reading. Now whether is it easier to say the sick of the py thy sins be forgiven thee.

Go ahead or to say arise and take up thy bed and walk. So basically what he's saying which one you want me to say he going to get up no matter what you want me to tell him to take up thy bed and walk or say thy sins be forgiven thee. But either way he going to be he is going to be made whole when he walk away from me right now. So which one is it better to see. So now verse 10. But that ye may know, go ahead, the son of man have power on earth to forgive sins.

He says to the sick of the Paul, that's what he said to the sick of the Pauly. He said, but he said, "But that ye may know that the son of man had power on earth to forgive sins." He said to the sick of the pausy. So he stopped talking to them and start getting down to business. So what did he say in verse 11? I say unto thee, arise, take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all.

And so much that they were all amazed. And glorified God, saying, "We never saw it of this fashion." So before Jesus came, you had the scribes and the Pharisees still around. So with all of the praying and the laying on the hands that they were doing, they never did this before, sisters and brothers. So they had never seen this on this matter that a man was healed from the pausy. So everybody was even amazed even the scribes and Pharisees. Verse 13, go ahead.

And went forth again by the seaside and all the multitude resorted unto him and he taught them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Afas sitting at this recept of custom. So now he saw the son of Afases. Now he was sitting at the receipt of custom. The receipt of custom is a tax office basically is what he's saying. So that's where he saw Levi sitting at.

So now keep reading. It said unto him, go ahead. Follow me. And he arose and followed you. Because see, Levi was he was trying to get some money at that time. Now, so pay attention to what's going on.

He was trying to get some money. But see, money wasn't enough for him not to follow Jesus. So Jesus said, "Follow me." And he arose and he followed him. That means he gave up his life. He gave up what he thought was important to him just to go serve Jesus. That's what he said.

And that should give you something to understand. Man, don't worry about this world like that. Use this world for what it is for. But Jesus, what he gave him was a spiritual meaning. He said, "Follow me." And he arose and he followed him. He got up and he followed him.

Verse 15, go ahead. And it came to pass that as Jesus sat at me in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus. And his disciples. For there were many and they followed him. So can you. But now I'm going to say so he was sitting at me with all of the publicans and the sinners now.

So those are the people that we that we see today. The criminals, the one that standing out with the guns in their pocket. The brothers that was real that that that's real in this world. Now y'all know what kind of real I'm talking about. But now keep reading. 16.

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, go ahead. They said unto his disciples, "How is it that he eatth and drinketh with publicans and s because see they all pretty boy and all, you know what I mean? They probably sitting down and when they sit around criminals, they grab their purse a little bit tight and looking all around." But see, Jesus wasn't worried about none of that. His disciples wasn't worried about it because see, those are the people that he came for. Jesus didn't come for those that was already walking righteously. And he going to tell you that Jesus came for the sinners.

He came for the killers. He came for the He came for the for the for the street walkers of the night. That's who Jesus came for. Matter of fact, he had a couple of street walkers that walked around with him and they changed their life. Those are the people that Jesus was looking for. And guess what?

These are the people that we looking for. So now verse 17, go ahead. When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, Go ahead. They that are whole have no need of a physician. But they that are sick. You already walking right.

You don't need no physician. You don't need no healing bomb. So what that the that people that don't have no need of a physician. You got free will. You go do what you want to do when you want to do it. That's just basically what it is.

Now he said they that are whole have no need of a position, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous. He said, "I came not to call the righteous." Go ahead. But sinners to repentance. That's who he called to repentance. The sinners, sisters and brothers.

See, all of this going to tie into us fasting. Now, because see, when you sick, God want you to fast. When you dealing with some infirmities in your body, God want you to fast. If you dealing with some yolks that's holding you down, God want you to fast about it. He wants you to deny yourself and come to him. So now verse 18, go ahead.

And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast. And they come and say to him, why do the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples not fast? Not. So they fast not. So at this time, let's let you know. Everybody was still fasting.

Now that's why we tell you to fast. You you the only day he does require you to fast is on the day of atonement. But you need to be fasting frequently if you trying to get close to God. If you are truly seeking the spiritual walk with Jesus, you going to have to deny yourself, sisters and brothers. That's just all that count. So now verse 19, go ahead.

And Jesus said unto them, go ahead. Can the children of the bridegroom fast? He he said, "Can the children of the bride chamber fast?" Can the children of the bride chamber fast? Well, the bridegroom is with them. See, see what what's the bride chamber? That's the room containing the marriage bed.

That's what a bride chamber really is. If you go back and look at some of the old customs when people got married, they would have the ceremony and then after that they used to do it in Hawaii all the time. They would go in the house and everybody around would watch them go into the bride chamber and they would do their thing because the way we look at sex, they look at it differently from the way we look at it now. They was looking at it's a holy to produce. So that's what Jesus is doing with us. So he said, "Can the children of the bride chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them?" Go ahead and read.

As long as they have the bridegroom with them, go ahead. They cannot fast. Fast for what? Sacrifice for what? I got Jesus right here. Lord, I'm hungry, man.

Look at here. Let go some bread fish right there on the spot. So I ain't got to fast for nothing. I'm walking with the Lord. The Lord is with me. But now Jesus wasn't going to be here forever.

2,000 years later, Jesus was going to die. So now he gonna make this statement at verse 20. But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them. He said, "But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them." Go ahead and read. And then shall they fast in those days. This where we get the title of the lesson from.

He said, "And then shall they fast in those days." So we got to fast, sisters and brothers. It ain't no other way around it. You got to deny yourself and you got to get close to the father and you got to get close to the son. And while you fasting, you got to do it with some humility. And you got to become a new person. Because we going to show you, you can go without no food and no water all you want.

And we going to show you that he won't accept it. So the only way that God going to accept your fast is if you walking right and if you are a new creature. And verse 21, go ahead. No man also s a piece of new cloth on an old boy. Have you ever tried to do that? We all got I know if you if you being like me, I done had plenty of jeans and I done scrimmed in the middle and then try to put that little patch on the middle and then all of a sudden then that wear off the same way.

So the best thing for you to do is to do what? To get you some brand new pants. That's really the only way to do it. You can try to sew a hole up all you want. Eventually the hole going to come back. So he said, "No man also sewed a piece of new cloth on an old garment." Go ahead and read.

else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old. And the rent is made worse. So we I told you I wasn't lying about it because Jesus said and then the hole going to get bigger than what it was. So now what else did he say? Verse 22. And no man putth new wine into old bottles.

No man puteth new wine into old bottles. Else new wine do burst the bottles. Else the new wine do burst the bottles. And the wine is spilled. And then the wine going to be spilled. And the bottles will be marred.

But new wine must be put into new body. You got to become new when you do this now. You got to become new when you fast. You got something that you dealing with. You got some demons that's battling you and you don't have no way to conquer them. You going to have to become a new person before you take your fast to God.

Other than that, you just gone without no food and no water. So now, let's go now. Let's go now to St. Matthew, the 14th chapter. St. Matthew 14.

Let's go back to John the Baptist for a quick minute. Let's go to St. Matthew 14 and we going to pick it up at verse one. St. Matthew 14 and we going to pick it up at verse one. St.

Matthew 14 and you going to pick it up at verse one. Like I say, even even fasting bring health benefits. You after you fast for about 24 maybe 48 hours and you eat something, boy, your body going to be kicking them toxins out. Boom. Kicking them all the way out. So now God wants you to do that too.

We just cause because we keep the dietary law, we still be sitting down, tight, fat, sitting down. So anyway, let's go to St. Matthew the 14th chapter and let's pick it up at verse one. St. Matthew 14:1. At that time, Herod the Tatro heard of the fame of Jesus, and said unto his servants, this is John the Baptist.

He is risen from the dead. You see how when people do something bad to you, after a while they start feeling guilty about it because we but we not going to read the entire story, but he had John the Baptist killed now. So he knew John the Baptist was a great guy. But when he heard about the fame of Jesus, he said, "This is John the Baptist. He is risen from the dead." Go ahead. And therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him.

For Herod had laid hold on John and bound him and put him in the prison of Herodious sake, his brother Philip's wife. He tried to have his own brother's wife. He wanted his own brother's wife. So John the Baptist came around him and said, "Hey man, that woman belonged to another man, your brother, as a matter of fact, and here it is you trying to take her." And he knew that John the Baptist probably was going to expose him. So what did he do? He took John the Baptist and put him in prison.

So now his his his his granddaughter had a party and then she asked he asked her what was her request. So when their request he asked for John the Baptist head because her mother instructed him. Now so this is what happened. Let's go ahead on and read it at verse 11. So he had ended up beheading John the Baptist for his wife's daughter's sake. So now verse 11.

And his head was brought in a charger and given to the dam. And she brought it to her mother. They had his head. They cut his head off and she brought his head in on a platter. Sisters and brothers, a child did this now. But keep reading.

12. And his disciples came and took up the body and buried it and went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard of him, he departed by ship to the desert place of heart. And when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the city. And Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion toward them. And he healed their sick.

See, Jesus wasn't playing around when he was here. It was all about his father's business. And Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude and moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. So now verse 15, go ahead. And when it was evening, now when it was evening, now so Jesus always went by himself now when it became the evening time. So he getting ready to depart from all other people.

Keep reading. His disciples came to him saying, "This is a desert place, and the time is now passed. Send the multitude away that they may go into the villages and buy themselves victim." Go ahead. But Jesus said unto them, "They need not depart." Go ahead. Give ye them to eat. So he said, "Now, don't let them go away right now." He said, "They came out.

I healed them." He said, "Don't send them away yet." He said, "Give ye them to eat." So whenever you think you don't have enough, and whenever you think that you barely going to make it, let's read that verse 17. And they said unto him, go ahead. We have here but five loaves and two fishes. That's all they had. Now they had five loaves of bread and they only had two fishes. So what did Jesus say?

18 He said, "Bring them hither to me." And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass and took the five loaves and the two fishes. And looking up to heaven, he blessed them and break and gave the loaves to his disciples. And the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat. He said, "And they did all eat." Go ahead. They were filled.

And they were all filled up. Now all of these people out here, all of these people, and they only had five loaves of bread and two fishes. So who can only do that but God? So whenever you lose faith in your bills and you lose faith and you saying that you ain't gonna barely make it, why don't you ask for the Lord? We just read that off in Ezra the 8 that you also fast for the substances that you need. Now, so now verse So now keep reading.

And they took up the fragments that remained, 12 baskets full. And they that had eaten were about 5,000 men beside women and children. about 5,000 men besides the women and children. So they didn't even count how many women and children that it was. They only counted 5,000 men. So he fed all of these people with that.

That that let you know what Jesus you truly serving. It is nothing that's impossible for him. Whatever you ask for the Lord, it's not impossible, sisters and brothers. So now verse 23. Okay, that's it. Okay, that's it right there.

I'm sorry. Let's go to Psalms 35. Psalms 35. Thank you, brother. Let's go to Psalms 35 and we going to pick it up at verse one. We going to show you how often Jesus fasted and we going to show you what respect and honor that he got back after he fast for the people.

So, pay attention to what we read. Now, write this stuff down because this stuff is here to give you strength, sisters and brothers cuz we are Christlike. So, you want to be just like him. Let's go to Psalms 35. Psalms 35. And this Jesus speaking through the mouth of David now.

So, notice what Jesus is getting ready to say because he had many enemies. Didn't nobody love Jesus then and don't nobody love Jesus now. Don't get that confused. Psalms 35 and let's pick it up at verse one. Plead my cause, oh Lord. With them that strive with me.

So you ain't got to plead it yourself, you ain't never got to plead your innocence before anybody. You got to understand when people come against you, you just let the Lord speak for you, sisters and brothers. Because see, you going to try to justify yourself. And when you try to justify yourself, you going to take all of the beating away from what's going on with you. All of the way, all of the time that Jesus said, "Let me fight your battle." And you don't let him fight them. And you stand in the way.

You take all that away from him now. So he said, "Plead my cause, oh Lord, with them that strive with me." Go ahead and read. Fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for mine help. Throw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute me. Say unto my soul, go ahead.

I am thy salvation. See, sometimes you got to say this to your soul when you get all been out of shape. You got to you got to say this to your soul because see he he said draw out also the spirit stop the way against them that persecute me now and say to my soul he said I am thy salvation. Sometimes you can get so weary with people coming against you that you forget what you in the walk for. You in the walk for salvation. You ain't in the walk to get a pat on the back.

You ain't in the walk for that. That's why Jesus did not seek no approval from man at all. He is he got it all from the father. So sometimes you got to you got to pray peace unto your soul. Say say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. So now verse four, go ahead.

Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my my soul. Let them be turned back and brought to confusion. That divides my heart. See you. Why don't you pray this sometime? Let them be confounded and put the shame that seek after my soul.

Let them be ashamed for trying to accuse me for something that I didn't do. And also let them be confounded. Confuse them. Lord, guess what he prayed for the people that fought against him. All right. Let them be as chaff before the wind and let the angel of the Lord chase them.

Man, you don't want to. Look at what you hear what he said right here. He said, "I ain't going to do nothing to him." He said, "Let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let them angels get at them. Let them tear them down. So, what else did Jesus say?

These were all of the people that came against them. Verse six, go ahead. Let their way be dark and slippery. Let the angel of the Lord persecute them. So, why did he say, "Let their way be dark and slippery. Don't put them on no foul ground.

Don't walk after they steps. Don't let their steps be a lie." Every time they take a step, he said, "Let it be slippery and let them fall down to the ground. And let their way be dark. Don't give them no light at all." Amen. And what else did he say? Seven.

For without cause have they hid for me. They're met in a pit. Which without cause they have dig for my soul. He said, for after that cause they have even dig for my soul. That's why we say you got to preach peace unto it, sisters and brothers, because they coming to try to even take your soul. He said, for without cause have they hid for me their neck in a pit, which without cause have they dig for my soul.

Verse eight, go ahead. Let destruction come upon him at unawares. And let his net that he has hid catch himself into that very destruction, let him fall. And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord. And shall rejoice in his salvation. See, that's Jesus praying this right here.

I didn't say this. Now, he said once his enemies fall and they be destroyed, he said, "And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord. It shall rejoice in his salvation. Keep reading. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee which delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him. That's what we looking for, sisters and brothers.

We looking for the Lord to help the poor. Don't nobody care nothing about the poor. No matter what they tell you. Don't nobody care nothing about poor people. That's why they giving them a time limit downtown. If they come by, if you at a place that you don't supposed to be, they giving you 48 hours to move.

If you ain't been if you ain't left at 48 hours, they going to get 60 days in jail plus a $500 fine. How can they afford $500 and they ain't got no money at all? So look at what look how look how people really treat the poor now. He said, "All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee? Which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him?" Go ahead and read. The poor and the needy from him that spoilth him.

And the poor needed from him that spoilth him. How do you spoil the poor? How can you spoil the poor and they ain't got no money? By taking their soul away from them, sisters and brothers. By making them feel like they ain't nothing. They ain't got no hope in the world.

That's why you got to say unto your soul, soul I am, that you are my salvation. So now go. That's how you spoil the soul of the poor. Verse 11, go ahead. False witnesses did rise up. They laid to my chores things that I knew not.

Every time somebody talking about you, you don't know they talking about you, right? You don't know what was being said when you weren't in their presence, but the Lord is a witness to it all. He hear everything that you have said. He said, "False witnesses did rise up. They laid to my charge things that I knew not." When they tried to condemn Jesus, they brought the people in one and two and together to try to find some lie that they tried to devise on Jesus, but they couldn't do it. So now, keep reading.

12. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. Once again, so now notice what the Lord say. He said, "They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul." The only thing that God require for you to do is act right. But they rewarded him evil to the spoiling of his soul. They taken away from him.

When you don't do right before God, you take it. You are taken away from his soul, sisters and brothers. So now, keep keep reading. 13. But as for me, go ahead. When they were sick, Now, and we just read all of that.

They came to him and asked Jesus that he said, "But as for me, when they were sick, go ahead and read. My clothing was sackloth." He said, "My clothing was sackloth." Go ahead. I humbled my soul with fasting. And my prayer returned into my own bosom. See, that's what Jesus was doing when he was fasting for the other people. They didn't care nothing about Jesus, but he cared about them.

And why he cared about them, he fasted for them, and they still rewarded him evil for good. and all his humility and all of his prayer had turned right back into his bosom, sisters and brothers. So now verse 14, go ahead. I have I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother. I bow down heavenly as one that mourned for his mother. But in my adversity they rejoiced.

That's what they did to Jesus. Now he said, but in my adversity they rejoiced. And gathered themselves together. Yay. The abjects gathered themselves together against me. And I knew it.

They gonna gather themselves against you, too. And you ain't gonna know nothing about it. They gonna plot against you. Now, this is what the Bible is telling you. They did tear me and cease not. He said they did tear him, sisters and brothers, and they cease not.

They never stopped talking about it. But I want to put this in though. A lot of these people that did go against Jesus when he died on the cross, eventually some of them people repented. Sisters and brothers. Same way what happened back in the days of Moses. Some of them people repented in the end.

So now let's keep let's keep going now. Let's go now to St. John the 6th chapter. St. John 6. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible now and we going to pick it up at verse 16.

St. John 6 and we going to pick it up at verse 16. St. John 6 and we going to pick it up at verse 16. So we all we all read about in the beginning how everybody had followed Jesus and they was all you know all happy. They was getting some real good food from him.

But we going to show you in the end was all of them people still there when he end when his life was getting ready to be on the line. No they were not. They all left him. So let's go to St. John 6. That's spirit of rejection.

Rejection is a spirit sisters and brothers and it's traveling real high in the nation of Israel and also in the world. You got to remember that we here to tell the truth because he said the truth shall make you free. So now let's go now to St. John 6 and let's pick it up at verse 16. St. John 6 and 16.

And when evening was now come, his disciples went down into the sea and entered into a ship and went over the sea towards Capernaum. And it was now dark and Jesus was not come to them. So they getting ready to look for him now. They going to be on the hunt for Jesus now. So he entered into a ship and went o over the sea toward Capernium and it was now dark and Jesus was not come to them. So now what else happened?

18 and the sea rose and region of a great wind that blew and when they had rode about five or 20 or 30 furongs that see Jesus walking on the sea and draw nigh unto the ship. And they were afraid. They were afraid of him. Go ahead and read what Jesus say. But he saith unto them, it is I. Be not afraid.

See, that's spiritual, sisters and brothers. A lot of times we get a little afraid to really try to just step on over there with the Lord. But God is telling you, don't be afraid of that. So he said, "Be not afraid." He said in his eye, he said, "Be not afraid." Verse 21, go ahead. Then they willingly received him into the ship. And immediately the ship was at the land where they went.

the day following when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that that there were none of the boat there save the one where unto his disciples were entered and that Jesus was not with his disciples into the boat but that his disciples were gone away alone they were all gone away alone so basically what they're saying now the people were standing on the other side of the sea and they saw the boat that Jesus was in now but they didn't see him and they did not see his disciples. So they getting ready to hunt for now. Verse 23. How be it? There came other boats from Tiberius. The sea of Tiberius.

N unto the unto the place where they did eat bread after the Lord had given thanks. And that's what we just read about. Now he said, "How be it there came other boats from Tiberius not unto the place where they did eat bread after that the Lord had given thanks." But now verse 24, go ahead. When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping and came to confer him seeking for Jesus. But told they on the hunt for him now. They looking for him.

But see, this is the thing. They looking for him for the wrong reason, sisters and brothers. They looking for a miracle or they looking for something to eat. They not really seeking Jesus for the right reason now. And Jesus gonna tell them that. And when they had found him on the other side of the seat, they said unto him, Rabbi, when thou hither?

Jesus answered them and said, They said, "Here he is. We done found him now. Here he is." So when they saw him, they said, "Rabbi, which comest thou hither?" So now verse 26, go ahead. Jesus answered them and said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, go ahead. Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled." That's the only reason why they were seeking Jesus. They were seeking something to eat, sisters and brothers.

Jesus was giving out that real good food and that good old hot bread that they had. So they said they wasn't even necessarily concerned about the miracles. They was all trying to just get something to eat. See this why God want you to fast sometimes. See, he knew this now. So now what did Jesus say to him?

27. Labor not for the meat which perisheth. But for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life. That's the meat that you endure for it. Now he said labor not for the meat which perish but for that meat which endure it unto everlasting life. Jesus want you to labor for that meat.

The meat that's going to give you eternal life. Sisters and brothers. Which the son of man shall give unto which the son of man shall give unto you. The son of man going to give it to you. He didn't even say the father right here. He said, "The son of man shall give unto you." Go ahead and read.

For him have God the Father sealed. So I guess he's saved at this time too. And he said for him that He said for him that God had God the Father had sealed. That let you know that the Lord know that he was going to make the mission and he knew that he was going to make the mission. So what we got to understand is you got to realize when you going to make the mission too. You got to realize it ain't no turning back.

Once you get this word instilled in you, the only way is forward. Sisters and brothers. Amen, brother. So now verse 28, go ahead. Then said they unto him, what shall we do? That we might work the works of God.

So now he said this, that what shall we do? That we might work the works of God. Now, so what did Jesus say? Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God. This is the work of God. That ye believe on him whom he has sent.

That you believe on him whom he has sent. That's the worst that you got to do. out. So, everything that God puts in this Bible, you got to live it to the fullest. And you got to live it to the best of your ability. You ain't going to be perfect with it, but you got to live it to the best of your ability.

And you got to do what? Well, we going to read that part a little bit later. I'm going to save that. So, now skip down. Skip down now to uh uh uh verse 63. Verse 63.

It is the spirit that quickth. I saw this all week on Facebook. He said, "It is the spirit that quickenth," sisters and brothers. Quickenth means give life. It's the spirit that quickenth. The flesh profitth nothing.

The words that I speak unto you, Go ahead. They are spirit and they are life. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. Like the Sabbath day, don't eat unclean foods. Love thy neighbor as thyself. That's spiritual, sisters and brothers.

That don't come by way of flesh and blood. Flesh and blood cannot teach you to do that. Flesh and blood cannot teach you not to commit adultery. The only thing that's gonna teach you that is a spirit. And how do you get in contact with the spirit? Through his word, sisters and brothers.

Through reading your Bible. So now verse 64, go ahead. But there are some of you that believe not. And he knew that. He said, "But there are some of you that believe not." Go ahead. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believe not.

And who's to betray him. Boy, I wish we knew some of that sometimes. I wish we had we had the mindset of what Solomon had when he can determine good and evil on the spot. But see, we don't have that no more. So, what we got to do? We got to do what we said earlier.

You got to let the wheat grow at the tear and they going to be separated at the harvest. So, now verse 65, go ahead. And he said, "Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my father." You can't even get to the father, sisters and brothers, unless you deal with the son. And you can't deal with the son unless you deal with the father. Because you got a lot of people that want to deal with the father calling that old Roman Jesus. And then you have people that only want to deal in the New Testament and don't want to deal with the father at all.

They just don't deal with what Jesus is. Well, you can't deal with one without the other. So now verse 66, go ahead. From that time, many of his disciples went back. They walk no more with him. They didn't walk with him no more.

They didn't want no more food. They didn't want nothing else from him. They forsook him, sisters and brothers. They forsook him and left. So that's why I say don't get caught up on how many people that it is. We think gain is godly, sisters and brothers.

But the Bible don't say that. The Bible don't look at the numbers. The the Lord look at the quality of the man or the quality of a woman. Whether it's a lot or whether it's a little, that's what God look at. So now keep reading. 67.

Then said Jesus unto the 12, will ye also go away? Then Simon and Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life. So anytime you mess up with the Lord, which you know you are, which I know I am, and all of us are, where you going to go? Well, there is nowhere else for you to go. You basically can't leave and go and be a be a law unto yourself.

So when you mess up, you need to you need to repent about it. Now, when you can't leave them the way everybody else leave them, just because that's what Peter said. He said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou has the words of eternal life." The words of eternal life. Verse 69. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the son of the living God?

Jesus answered them, "Have not I chosen you 12?" Go ahead. And one of you is a devil. So he said, "I ain't done yet. Now I got a few more to get rid of. So I got y'all. I got y'all 12 here, but one of y'all is a devil.

Now, one of you is a devil, but I chose you 12. Verse 71. He spake of Judas Scar, the son of Simon. For he is for he was that should betray him. Being one of the 12, being one of the 12. So, he going to have some people that was going to even betray him that was in his pack.

Sisters and brothers, that's all what Jesus had to go through. But now, let's go a little further now. Let's go to St. Matthew the 4th chapter. Now, St. Matthew 4.

St. Matthew 4, we going to pick it up at verse one. St. Matthew 4, and we going to pick it up at verse one. This one of the ones we like to use for the Sabbath prayer. That's why I didn't use it today because we going to show you fast and give you power, sisters and brothers.

And we all want to be filled with power with God. You want the same power that the Lord had spiritually speaking. So now, St. Matthew 4, St. Matthew 4, and we going to pick it up at verse one. St.

Matthew 4:1. We going to break this chapter down a little bit more though. St. Matthew 4:1. Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. He was led up into and he was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

So you mean that the same thing that the Lord had allowed to happen to Job, he allowed it to happen to Jesus? You hear what you're reading about now? He said, "Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness." Now to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, go ahead. He was afterward and hungry. 40 days and 40 nights, sisters and brothers, Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.

But see what a lot of people got to realize once you get past them three or four days, it start to get a little bit more easier after that. But he was gone. He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights after what he was a hunger. So now who came to try to get him to go astray from God? Verse three, go ahead. And when the tempter came to him, he said, "If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Go ahead.

But he answered and said, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone." So now that's why we fasting. Now he said, "It is written." He said, "Man shall not live by bread alone." Go ahead and read. But by every word that proceedth out of the mouth of God, but by every word that proceedth out of the mouth of God, those spiritual words that we read about when he said the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. See, this what you live by. You might can go a few days without no food and no water, but you need the word of God every day. You got to eat the word of God and drink the word of God every day.

So now verse five, go ahead. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setth him up on the pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the son of God, cast thyself down. For it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning thee. And in their hands, they shall bear thee up. Lest any at any time thou d thy foot against a stone. So now he just said, won't you just go ahead on and jump up off of this temple?

Jump up off of this mountain and die. You the son of God. He ain't going to let nothing happen to you. So you just you really think that, right? So what Jesus say to him, verse seven, go ahead. Jesus said unto him, go ahead.

It is written again. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Don't tempt God. That's what we try to tell the people. That's what we need to tell ourselves. Don't tempt him.

Don't tempt him by doing something wrong that you know you don't supposed to do. Don't tempt the Lord that way because you might not make it out of it. He said, "It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Verse eight, go ahead. Again, the devil taketh him up into in a city high mountain, and show of him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them. And saith unto him, all these things will I give thee, if thou will fall down and worship me. And see, that's why you got to realize who you truly getting your blessings from.

Who is blessing you? Is Jesus blessing you or is the devil blessing you? If you doing it wrong, then it's the devil that's blessing you. If you following the laws and statutes and the commandments of Jesus Christ, then you know it's the Lord that's giving it to you. But a lot of people have given their souls to the devil in order to get some money here on this earth that you ain't going to have by the end of the month anyway. You going to spend it on bills.

We say we saving money like that. We can't really save no money like that no more. Everything's so high. So the only thing that you got to put your trust in is the Lord, sisters and brothers, not on some money that got some other man's face on it. So now keep reading verse nine. Is that it?

Then said Jesus unto him, "Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Go ahead. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Have you ever been tempted by the devil and all of a sudden you know you was tempted and you wanted to do it? You wanted to do it, but then you didn't do it. And have you ever noticed that after that event happened, you are you are more in in a holy mood than what you were before the tempter came because you passed the test. So after Jesus had passed the test, all of the angels had came and they start minister unto him.

You made it. You made it past Satan. So you can defeat Satan, too. All you got to tell him is get thee behind me, Satan. So now let's go a little bit further. Now let's go to St.

Mark the ninth chapter. St. Mark 9. Now, I'm sorry. St. Matthew.

Am I right on that? St. Mark 9. St. Mark 9. And we gonna pick it up at verse one.

I had one I took out of here because I had it in my last lesson. So, now let's go to St. Mark 9 and we going to pick it up at verse 14. St. Mark 9 and we going to pick it up at verse 14. St.

Mark 9 and 14. We talking about fasting today. We talking about fasting. We all need to do it. I try to do at least 12 a year. Let's go to St.

Mark 9 and let's pick it up at verse 14. St. Mark 9 and 14. When you get there, go ahead, Elder. And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the people when they beheld him were greatly amazed and running to him saluted him.

And he asked to the the scribes, what question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son which have a dumb spirit. And whethersoever he taketh him, he teareth him, and he forthes with him with his teeth. I hope I never run into no kids like this. I hope I run into no children like this. He said wherever and wherever he taketh him, he tear him and he foaming at I mean the child was foaming at the mouth.

Sisters and brothers like he had rabies or something. So you know you don't want to run up on this kid. First of all, he didn't talk. He never said nothing. But whatsoever he taketh them, he teareth him and foam it and nasheth with his teeth. Go ahead and read in pine way.

And I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out. And they could not. We covered this, but we gonna go through it one more time. Now we going to show you why the disciples couldn't cast him out. So it wasn't all because of their faith. It was a little bit more to it.

Now, but now verse 19, go ahead. And he said he answered him and said, "Oh faithless generation, go ahead. How long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me." He said, "Oh faithless generation," because they did have a lack of faith. Now, we can prove that.

But it was another reason why they couldn't cast him out. And we going to read it. He answered him and said, "Oh faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me." So if you can't cast him out, bring him to me. I'm going to show you how you do it.

So now verse 20. And they brought him unto him. And when they saw him, straightway the spirit tear him, and he fell on the ground. And wallow foam. He wallowed foam in. Now, so this is a real possession that you reading about.

This is a real possession. So now verse 21, go ahead. And he asked his father, "How long is it ago since this came unto him?" Go ahead. And he said of a child, he'd been dealing with this from his son when he was a young child, sisters and brothers. And what else happened? 22.

And off times it has cast him into the fire. And all time he had cast him into the fire. That mean he had burnt spots all over his body. Just think about somebody that has done been burned with fire and often time it cast him into the fire. And into the water and it also threw him in the waters. To destroy him to kill him, sisters and brothers.

And it's a spirit that's in him that's trying to kill this little boy. So often time it cast him into the fire into the waters to destroy him to kill him. But if thou can't do anything, have compassion on us and help us. Jesus said unto him, if thou can't believe, all things are possible to him that believe. Do you hear what Jesus said, sisters and brothers? He said, Jesus said unto him, if thou cast believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

That's what he telling you about your faith. Y'all had a lesson on faith not too long ago. You got to have faith in the Lord, sisters and brothers. And if you have faith, then all things are possible to him that believe. You can have a marriage that's going bad. Do you believe your marriage can go good?

Then you pray to the Lord for it. You might be dealing with a sex demon in you that you got have no control over no more. But if you believe in the Lord that he can take all of this stuff away from you. So when he said this, what happened in verse 24? And straight away the father of the child cried out and said with tears. He said he cried out and said with tears, "Go ahead, Lord, I believe." He said, "Lord, I believe." Go ahead.

Help thou my unbelief. You need to pray this to the Lord, too. You know what areas you strong in, right? But then you got to get help in your unbelief. The areas that you not sure about your unbelief. See, that's where you need strength from in the Lord.

So, he already know that you believe, but then this man said, "Help thou my unbelief." So now verse 25, go ahead. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, go ahead. He rebuked the foul spirit. See, he tried to do it before the people came now. So they said, "Oh, he going to go heal that bad boy." So everybody running to him. So he saw the people running to him now.

And he and he rebuked the foul spirit. Saying unto him, go ahead. Thou dumb and deaf spirit like to thee. Come out of him. And enter no more into him. Now, that's the power that you got to believe with the Lord.

When you cast the spirit out, don't let it come back into you no more. It can't come back. You once it once it's gone, it's gone. He can't come back in and say, "Y'all, I'm back." You know, you got to you got to He said, "But Jes, he said, thou dumb and death spirit," he said, "I charged thee, come out of him and enter no more into him anymore." That means that spirit can't come back because you would have cast it out. And the only way that that spirit is going to come back is if you let it back in. You got to invite them in.

See, the the master that Satan use on you is to keep you distracted. If I keep you distracted, then you can't bring forth fruit all the way because I got you distracted. So now, keep reading. 26. And the spirit cried and him sore and came out of him. And he was as one dead in so much that many said, "He is dead.

He is dead. Go ahead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could not we cast him out? Why could we cast him out? We've been casting out devils. We've been doing all of this now because you gave us this power.

But why could we not cast them out?" Yes, they had a little bit of faith, but this was the reason why. Verse 29, go ahead. And he said unto them, this kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting. Some demons, you got to pray and fast out. But we already, that's the title of the lesson. He said, you know, we when he said the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away and then shall they fast.

So even though the disciples was building themselves in faith, they weren't they weren't fasting like that. So some demons can only come out of you by prayer and fasting. Sisters and brothers, you got to pray and fast them out. That's the only way that they going to leave. And that's real talk. That's real talk.

You got to deny yourself. And that's the only way you going to get some of these demons that's been following us around since we were children, sisters and brothers. Some of us struggling with the same things that we have been struggling with when we was eight and n years old. And they still around. And we 50 years old now. They still with us.

So you got to cast them out. So how you going to get them out? Through prayer and fasting, sisters and brothers. So now let's go a little bit further now. Is that it? Now let's go to St.

Matthew 6. St. Matthew 6 now. And we going to pick it up at verse one. St. Matthew 6.

And we going to pick it up at verse one. St. Matthew 6. And we going to pick it up at verse one. St. Matthew 6:1.

You might want to take a time where you might want to do a individual fast by yourself. And those are the ones you might want to keep to yourself. You don't have to put it abroad. See, right now we fasting as a congregation. We ain't got no problem let nobody know. But when you do a personal fast, those are the ones that you want to keep to yourself.

And don't be working on your job when you do it. Don't be doing if you going to fast, you can't be fasting watching the basketball game and fight for world the world do that. When you fast, you can't. And we going to show you that when you fast, it's the same way like it's a day of atonement. You coming before the father that you ain't got no time for no pleasures at all. And I'mma show you that a little bit later.

But now let's go. Let's go to St. Matthew 6 and let's pick it up at verse one. St. Matthew 6 and1. Take heed that ye do not your arms before men.

He said, "Take heed that you do not your arms before men." You know, I had to stop that. I be on the rush. You know, Elder David to send in the exhortation. I'm on the floor. And so what I do, let me let me go ahead on and pray. I know cuz I know I'mma get back busy again.

No, I wait for everybody to leave the floor and go to pray. And then that's when I do my prayer. So he said, "Take heed that you do not your arms before men." Go ahead and read. To be seen of them to be seen of them. Otherwise, ye have no reward of your father which is in heaven. Therefore, when thou dost thine arms, do not sound a trumpet before thee.

Hey girl, I'm getting ready to fast tonight at sundown. I'm going to take it to the Lord. I know what you're doing tonight, but guess what I'm going to be doing. So now he don't want you doing it. He said, "Therefore, when thou doest thine arms, do not sound a trumpet before thee." Go ahead and read. As the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men.

Verily, I say unto you, go ahead. They have their reward. Yeah, you going to get your reward. All right. You going to get your reward, and that reward ain't going to be no good reward when the Lord apply you being a hypocrite to the end of your name. You ain't going to get no reward on that.

You going to get a whole different kind of reward. So now verse three, go ahead. But when thou doest owns, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. Like I say all the time, say have leave. Don't let thy left hand know what thy right hand is doing. Now verse four, go ahead.

That thine arms may be in secret. Whatever you do when you going before the father, you want to do it in secret. You want to do it in secret. It's not everybody's business why you fasting. It's not everybody's business what you fasting for. It might be something personal.

It might not be something that you want to confess to the congregation. It might be something that you want to confess alone to God. That's why he telling you here. He said, "But without doing," he said, he said, "that thine arms may be in secret." Go ahead and read. And thy father which s in secret himself. Shall reward thee openly.

I'm going reward you openly. You going through some stuff. You really sad about it. But you ain't gonna know that I'm sad about it. You ain't going to know nothing about it. The Lord might know what I fear, but you ain't going to know what I fear.

So now, keep reading. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, go ahead. They have barely reward. They just doing it for the camera.

Oh, look at this group. Everybody got their phone out. Look at them praying over there. You notice they ain't praying with you because you just over here doing it for a reward. You ain't you you doing it to be seen of men. You ain't doing it to be seen of the father.

So he said once again he said they have their reward. But now he going to show you how to how to do this thing. But thou when thou prayest enter it into thy closet. Do you have a specific place in your house where you pray? A specific place in your home where you go pray where ain't nobody around. Sometimes not even your wife or your children or your husband and children all around somewhere that you go to go pray by yourself and ain't nothing wrong with that because you in the house I'm pretty sure you praying for your wife and your husband and not you should be but sometimes you got to pray alone sometime Jesus prayed with the disciples all the time but sometimes he resorted to himself to go and pray by himself and they would have to wait for Jesus to come back.

So now go ahead and read. And when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret. And thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vainly repetition. So we ain't going we ain't going to even cover that today. And I done covered that about a hundred times.

We know what vain repetitions mean. He ain't saying that you can't ask for for for the same request over and over again. He talking about using vain repetitions. That's Mary, Mary, mother god, Mary, Mary, mother god, Mary, Mary. You just constantly saying that because that's what the Roman Catholic Church teach you to do. Now, those are the vain repetitions.

Go ahead and read as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. For their much speaking. Just go back to the days uh uh when uh Jazzy Bale false prophets was killing themselves when they was praying to Bael their God. They kept saying the same thing and he didn't answer. So then now you gonna hear me cuz I'mma start gushing myself with blood, right? Then then and they little and they little false pagan god didn't say nothing to him.

They was just standing there bloody. And then they got a little bit more bloody when all of the people killed. So now keep reading. Hey, be not be not ye therefore like unto them. For your father knoweth for things ye have need of. Before you ask him.

before you ask of him. He know I pray all the time for my house in this church and also the people in the church all the time. Then sometimes I be Lord, you know I I'm have to holl at you one more time about my f about my family in this church now. Now I want you to keep us now. I want you to keep us going, Father. I want you to know that, you know, we we trying to we trying to preach the gospel like everybody else is.

Give us everything that we need for it. So now keep reading. Now, after this manner, therefore pray ye. Our Father, which art in heaven, go ahead. Hallowed be thy name. That's really all you got to do.

If you don't say nothing else, you can say this three times a day. He said, Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. You're not going to heaven. He said, "Thy kingdom come." What you going up? And he telling you that it's coming.

Why are you going up in the sky for? He said, "Thy kingdom come." Go ahead and read. Thy will be done in earth. As it is in heaven. And that's when Satan had cast out his dominion which we read about. But I'mma save it y'all because the Lord showed me something when we did that lesson that I'm gonna reveal that Satan did not have his part in the creation.

But I'mma save I'm gonna save that for another lesson at another time. You bust me with that. But now keep reading. 11. Give us this day our daily bread. You know I'm trying to be in this job forever.

I need I mean say ain't nothing wrong with you thinking like that but you might not be there. He said give us day by day our daily bread. You pray for what you going to have today the food that you have today. Go ahead and read verse 12. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debt towards you. He said forgive us of our sins as we forgive others who have sinned against us.

So if you want to be forgiven by God, first of all, the people that have did you wrong, you got to forgive them. And I know people have done you very bad in your life. I know they have to me. And I'm not by myself. You have had some people that have betrayed you before, that have betrayed your trust, that have left you, forsake you, and left you for dead. But guess what?

If they come back and they repent to you, you got to forgive them, sisters and brothers. That's just what life is all about. You the one killing yourself through that unforgiveness and anger. You killing yourself. How can you build a house when you got holes in the house? How can your house be whole and you ain't put up the other side of the sheetrock to keep you warm?

You ain't going to build at all cuz you got a hole in your heart. Keep reading. 13. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

When that woman coming up to you and she trying to get you to lie with her and and you know that this not your wife, God ain't leading you there. He said, "Lead us not into temptation." Lord, I'm going to drive to work on the expressway. Please don't let me have an accident. Please don't let none of my children get killed today. That's delivering you from temptation. All the other temptation come from the devil because see God say I can't be tempted with e.

So now he said lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. For if we forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses. Moreover, when ye fast, Go ahead.

Be not as the hypocrites. He said, "Moreover, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites." Go ahead and read of a sad calendar. Of a sad. I used to work with a Muslim. He was he was a Ramadan guy. And you know they ain't really all the way fasting.

They drinking and doing some other stuff. So he would come to me just so I can go do the work. Oh man, like I four hours and I need to go and go pray now. I need to go get away. So he was always trying to make himself of a sad countenance when he fast. So he said, "Moreover, when you fast, be not as a hypocrite of a sad countenance." Go ahead.

For they disfigure their faces. That they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, Go ahead. They have their reward. So he they go to the Gentile boss and now he's a he's a Muslim. So we going to go let him sit down and eat.

He in the break room watching fight watching the World Cup. But you know at the same time, but he just do they do that stuff just to get out of working. And they believe them on that. So God is telling you don't disfigure your face and be that way. So he gonna tell you how to act when you fast. Verse 17, go ahead.

But thou, go ahead. When thou fastest, anoint thine head. And wash thy face. Regardless of the situation that you're going through now, he said, "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face." Go ahead. 18. That thou appear not unto men to fast.

But unto thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret, Go ahead. He shall reward thee openly. He is going to reward thee openly, sisters and brothers. That's what we expect from the Lord now. So don't be around here all sad like right here. I my stomach my stomach touching my spinal cord.

But we ain't gonna be up here. Oh man, I'm so hungry. We got to sit down and eat. No. Get up here and preach the gospel because we eating right now. We just eating spiritually.

So now let's go to Isaiah the 58th chapter. Isaiah 58. I know we can't go through this chapter, do this lesson without reading this, but I'm going to explain it a little bit more. We going to go a little bit more into detail when we talk about this Isaiah 58 because see, Israel was fasting to the Lord and they were fast all the time, which we going to read about later with the scribes and the Pharisees. They was fasting all the time, too. But see, God was not recognizing when they was fasting.

And we going to show you why God did not recognize when they was fasting. Let's go to Isaiah the 58th chapter. Isaiah 58 and we gonna pick it up at verse one. When you get there, go ahead and read. Cry loud, spare not. Lift up thy voice like a trump.

See people over there. He talk loud. Oh, he talked so strong when he preached. Well, I get it from the book. The book told me to do it. He said, "Cry loud, spare not.

Lift up thy voice like a trumpet." Go ahead and read. and show my people their transgression. And the house of Jacob their sin. Show them their transgression. We got people in the word right now. Everybody going to go do something for the 4th of July.

Have you ever thought what's going on on that day? What's truly happened? You was three fifths three-fifths of your houses was counted. Do you remember the 13th amendment? Do you understand when they declared 1776, you was good in plantations at that time? You got people polluting the Sabbath day for it.

You got people cooking pork for it. All of this for this day. All of this for a day that wasn't written up really. Really 1776 was not written for July 4th, but it was written for May the 1st because doing May the 1st with the guy named Army Weising Hunt. That was the start of the new world order which was in America today. It started in May of 1776 because it was the very first amendment to have freedom of speech and to have freedom of religion.

That's what they was fighting for. See, they want a utopia, one world order. At Atlanta, sisters and brothers, that's what they were looking for. So they tell you that it it was independent on July the 4th. I'm not saying that the day is sin, but you saying that today because it's on the side. So everybody go home tonight because the dudes gonna be out here popping firecrackers and shooting guns all night long.

So now he says, "Show my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins." Verse two, go ahead. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways. They seek me daily and delight to know my ways. As a nation, they did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of me the ordinance of justice. They take delight in approaching to God.

Don't you hate this? See, this is a bonafide hypocrite. What you reading about a straight up hypocrite? What Jesus just called them when we was off in in St. Matthew, this is a hypocrite. He said, "They seek me, David.

They delight to know my ways like they doing the right thing. They forsook the law of God and they asked for justice and they take delight in approaching to God. But see you doing something wrong. You God is contending with us somewhere. So what did he say? Verse three.

Wherefore have we fasted? Say say they. He said wherefore have we fasted say they? And thou seeest not. We fasted but you don't see it Lord and thou seeest not. Wherefore have we afflicted our soul?

And thou takest no knowledge. Behold, in the day of your fast, you find pleasure and exact all your labor. He said, "In the day of your fast, you you you find pleasures and exact all of your labor, sisters and brothers." See, that's that's what they were doing. See, Israel had servants that was working under them. So, they was making the servants work. They exacted all their labors and they also found pleasures on that day.

That's why we tell you if you going to fast get away from your job. Get away from doing any pleasures on that day. Because this is what the nation was doing. They was trying to fast but had all of they serve working. So they say in the day of your fast you find pleasures and exact all of your labors. You do all of your labors now.

So what did God call they fast? Verse four. Behold ye fast for strife and debate. You fast for strife and debate. You you you you are fasting to be seen of men. You fast for strife and debate.

And to smite with the fist of wickedness. Ye shall not fast as you do this day. To make your voice to be heard on high. No. He said, "Behold, you fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness." I know I'm doing right. I know I'm fasting right.

That's how you smite your hands with your fist. That's what he talking about. You know, when we use our hands and get to doing that, we think that we bringing more attention to ourselves where people going to believe us more. So now, but keep reading now. Verse five. Is it such a fast and I have chosen?

So a fast, he said, a f a fast is a fast that pleases God is one that's driven by humility, repentance, and active compassion, sisters and brothers, rather than just a righteous show. You just trying to show yourself to be righteous to other people. No, it's to bring humility. It's to bring compassion. That's what fasting is for. So now, quick read now.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cut you off. A day for a man to afflict his soul. Is it to bow down his head as a bull rush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will thou call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the bass that I have chosen?

To to loose the bands of wickedness to loose the bands of wickedness, sisters and brothers. You to loose the bands of wickedness in the world and also in you. Don't think you ain't got no wickedness in you. You got it in you. That's why you got to keep it at bay. That's why I like to use I like to use uh Blade all the time.

Blade knew he was a vampire. And if he did not take that serum, which is the word of God, he would go back to being a vampire again. And you will do the same thing. That's why you need the healing bomb. You need the serum in you. And the serum is the word of God.

That's the serum. That's what's going to keep you in place. So now keep reading. To undo the heavy burden. And to let the oppressed go free. Oh, go ahead.

And that ye break every yoke. You know, to let the oppressed go free, that you break every yoke. You know, all of the oppression that's going on over by the horn of Africa. Why they get mad at the Somalians because they sitting up here hijacking their planes. But they not understanding that these people fish out of that water now. And what they do, they take all their trash and all the Europeans and they throw their trash in the waters that they fish in.

So what the Somalians do? The pirates those people they they started hijacking because they oppressed. So we need to pray that the oppressed be let that stay water. They fish out that water. What you doing throwing your trash and and human feces all in their water for? And that's why they start robbing them ships over there, them pirates.

But now keep reading. Seven. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry? That's what Jesus did. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry? That's why they was following them.

And that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house. And that thou bring the poor that are cast out of thy house. When thou seest the name, Go ahead. that thou cover him. And that thou hide not thyself from thy own flesh. So while you helping everybody else and you fasting for everybody else, don't forget about you.

Don't don't don't cuz you a basket case. I know I am. So I know I understand that I need these fasts to get better. We need these fasts to be better people to get closer to God. Now he said, "When thou seeest the naked that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh." So once you do this, what's going to happen? Eight.

Then shall thy break forth as the morning. And thine health shall bring forth speed. Thy health shall bring forth speedily when you fast. Lord, I might do a little bit of smoking, but if I don't smoke on this day, and if I don't smoke when I fast, you might save my lungs. You might save me on that because you watching what I'm doing. He said, "Then shall thy life breathe uh spring break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth speedily." Now go ahead, read, "And thy righteousness shall go before." See, that's the most important part to me.

The important part to me is, "And thy righteousness shall go before thee." That's the main reason why I fast. No, the health benefits, they just fall in line. Really, I'm doing it and we're doing it just to become more righteous people. Just to become more righteous. The glory of the Lord shall be thy reward. Then the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.

Sisters and brothers, go on read that verse nine. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer. Thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Go ahead. Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thy of thee the yoke, he said, if thou take away from thee the take away from thee the midst of the yoke, now this what you got to take out of you. and putting forth the finger.

He said, "Putting forth the finger, blaming everybody else for your problems. You you you the reason I'm in this situation right now. If I wasn't with you, I'll be further ahead than where I am." Right? You ain't going to be nowhere. You still going to be calling borrowing money. You need to be You need to be happy with what you have.

He said, "If thou draw," he said, he said, "Then shalt thou call and I shall answer. Thou shalt cry. He shall say, here am I. If thou take away from the midst of the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, go ahead and read. And speaking vanity, and speaking vanity, talking crazy all the time, get that stuff out of your spirits. Get that stuff out of your soul.

Get it out. Come on. Get it out of you, sisters and brothers. Go ahead and read verse 10. And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, Go ahead. Then shall thy light rise in obscurity.

and thy darkness and be as the noon day. Then thy darkness shall be as the noon day. So remember, we got problems, sisters and brothers. We all got problems. We not might not have the same problem, but we all got something we struggling with. And when you get that taken care of, guess what?

Something you ain't done in two, three years going to pop right back into your system. Now you got to work that out again. So it's a daily reprieve. That's why you got to be instant and continue in prayer. So now let's go. Let's go now to Deuteronomy and be nine real fast.

Let's show you how you fast. Some people I'm going just fast for eight hours and I'm going do this and I ain't going to eat. I mean I ain't gonna, you know, I ain't going to necessarily tell you you wrong on that. But if you're going to do a biblical fast, if you're going to do a prophetic fast, you got to go from sun up to sun down. Period. That's a prophetic fast.

Some people they fast for for diet reasons. And I'm not going to tell you you're wrong. I ain't going to throw you under. You go eight hours without no food and water. If you want to call that a fast, fine. But if you trying to get close to the father and you trying to do a biblical fast or prophetic fast, it got to be a whole 24-hour period with no bread and no water.

So now Deuteronomy 9 and let's pick it up at verse 7. Deuteronomy 9 and 7. Remember and forget not how thou provokest the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness. So now he said remember and forget not now how thou provokeest the Lord thy God in the wilderness. Now provoked him means that you tempting him. You provoking him.

So you want to remember that. So you don't don't don't forget when you used to fornicate. Don't forget when you used to deal with pagan gods. Don't forgive don't don't don't forget when you used to c cuss people up up down and sign through the middle. Don't forget those things. because you need to keep that in your remembrance so you can know what you cannot go back to.

Like I said, I even gave up the N word now. I'm like, but why did I give up saying the N word? Because I was using it like a cuss word. I wasn't cussing no more. So every every word was the N word, boy. You get that end in a minute.

Well, now the Lord done took that away. And I wasn't even thinking about it. I wasn't even thinking about it. I just looked up one day and I just You know what? I told my wife, man, I ain't saying word in a long time. But anyway, keep reading.

When you when you a holy man or a holy woman, they looking at everything. So you got a total line. So now pick it back up at the top again. I'm sorry. Verse seven. Remember and forget not how thou provokeest the Lord thy God to wrath in the wilderness from the day that thou didest depart out of the land of Egypt until ye came into this place.

Ye have been rebellious against the Lord. They've been rebellious against the Lord even since he bought them out. You keep on helping them out. Keep on giving them what they want. But then they still keep turning around and being rebellious unto the Lord. So now verse n verse eight.

Also in Horab. You provoked the Lord to wrath. Also in Horeb, you provoked the Lord to R. What is Horab? That's Mount Si. That's where he came down and gave the ten commandments on Pentecost.

And they was cutting up the end. They was still cutting up as a people. And these are the people of God. out. He said also when Horeel you provoked the Lord to ride. So that the Lord was angry with you to have destroyed you.

When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abd nor drink water. See, Moses was another soldier 40 days and 40 nights. He didn't eat bread, no water. Now that's a biblical prophetic fast. So you can't we ain't going no 40 days and 40 nights cuz once his son go down, y'all know what picture coming up in the brotherhood text. But you know Moses went 40 days and 40 nights.

Now he neither did eat bread nor drink water. And the Lord delivered me two tables of stone written with the finger of God. And on then was written according to all the words which the Lord spake to with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. In the day of the assembly. Now go ahead. And it came to pass at the end of the 40 days and 40 nights that the Lord gave me the two tables of stone.

Even the tables of the covenant. The tables of the of the covenant was the two stones and the covenant was the ten commandments. Sisters and brothers. Those are the commandments. out. So now let's go to Esther the 4th chapter.

Let's go to a let's go because see one day we going to be all fashioned as a nation sisters and brothers. Let's go now to Esther the 4th chapter. Esther 4. And we going to pick it up at verse one. We going to go read a little bit in Esther. And we all you can we we going to kind of skip in this because this is a kind of a long story but you can read it on your own.

But anyway, this Haynan guy and this Haydan guy that tried to destroy the Jews, uh, this guy was an Edomite. You can go look that up as well. Hanan was an Edomite. And they wanted to try to destroy the nation of Judah now. And then we gonna show you what they did because, see, they all fasted and we going to show you how they fasted as a nation. So now, let's go to Esther.

Esther uh 4 and we going to pick it up at verse one. Esther 4. And we going to pick it up at verse one. Esther 4 and one. When you get there, go ahead, Elder. When Mori perceived all that was done, Mori, this was Esther.

Now, Mori was Esther's uncle. So now Mori, he got word that Hayman wanted all of the Jews to be killed. Now he wanted to hang all them up in the gallows. So now Esther for he said, when Morai perceived all that was done, go ahead. Morai rent his clothes. and put on sackcloth with ashes.

So now this is the way that they mourned in the Old Testament. Now this why Jesus told you don't fast like this no more. Don't put on sackcloth and ashes. He said wash your face and anoint your body. Now that's how they did it in the New Testament. But in the Old Testament they will put on sackcloth and ashes now and that was a form of fasting for them and also no food and water.

We going to show you that too. and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud and a bitter cry and came even before the king's gate for none might enter into the king's gate closed with sackloth they couldn't even clothe coming to the king's gate clothed with sackov now verse three go ahead and in every province where the king's commandment and his decree came there was great mourning among the Jews go ahead and fasting and weeping and dwelling and And he laid his sac. So everybody was fasting now because see the Jews was being oppressed now. They was being oppressed over in this land. So now everybody was fasting. But now read that verse four.

So Esther's mage and her chamberlins came and told her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved and she sent Raymond Raymond and to clothe Morai and to take away his sackloth from him. But he received it not. No. He said, "No. Oh, now you know I love you now.

I gave you I even gave you away to the king." See, Mori and Esther was really, really close. Mori almost was like her father because her father died. So, she was real close. Morci was over and he was her uncle, but like her dad. But now, we're not going to read all of this. Let's just skip down to what we here for.

Let's pick it up at verse 15. Verse 15. Then estab return Morai answer. Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shu Shush and fast ye for me and neither eat nor drink three days night or day. So now once again we showing you how you fast in the Bible now. So they fasted for three days and three nights and they had no drink nor water all of those days.

I also in my maidens will fast likewise and so will I go in unto the king which is not according to the law and if I perish I perish. She was even ready to die for her own people sisters and brothers but he don't she was too pretty. You could you wasn't letting her go nowhere now. He even gave her head for the king. So now keep reading. 17 So Mori went his way and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

He did all of what he had commanded him. So he obeyed. Sisters and brothers, let's go to another spot. Let's show you where the nation fast. Let's go to Jeremiah the 6 or 36. Now Jeremiah 36.

Jeremiah 36. And we going to pick it up at verse one. So at this point in time, uh Jeremiah, he got banned from being at the temple. He couldn't come and preach in front of the temple no more. See, that's what Jeremiah doing. He was also crying aloud and sparing not.

He was also standing before the temple as when the people went in into the temple, he was telling the people to turn from their evil ways. The people that was going to church, he was talking to them. So keep that in mind now. Keep that in mind. And these people thought they was holy before the Lord. So now Jeremiah 6.

Now Jeremiah, he shut up in the court. Jeremiah 6. Let's pick it up at verse one. Jeremiah 6 and1. 36. Oh, 36 and1.

I'm sorry. 36 and one. Thank you, mama. And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Take thee a role of a book, and written and write there in all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel. and against Judah and against all the nations from the day I spake unto thee from the days of Josiah. Even to this day.

You see, you see what Jeremiah is. See, one thing about Jeremiah, he was an equal opportunity destroyer, sisters and brothers. He didn't care who you was, who what nation you came out of. When the law went up, no matter what, you can get these. He said, "Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations from the day I spake unto thee, even the days of Josiah, even unto this day." Verse three, go ahead. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I propose to do unto them, that they may return every man from his evil way.

That I may forgive their iniquity and their sins. That's what you got to understand about the Lord. There's always forgiveness there. There's always forgiveness when you sin. Now, the only thing you got to do is acknowledge your sin. So, no matter what all of the house of of Judah was doing, he was still ready to heal them, sisters and brothers, because Nebuchadnezzar had already came through here by once.

See, by this time, Jeremiah had already been prophesying for about 23 years. So, now keep reading. Four. Then Jeremiah called Barut the son of Nia. And Bar wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord which he has spoken unto him upon a rock of a book, a roll of a book. And Jeremiah commanded Baroo, saying, I am set up.

I cannot go to the house of the Lord. Therefore, go thou and read in the robe which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the Lord in the ears of the people in the Lord's house upon the fasting day. Upon the fasting day. So, we just want to show you because you know we all we say and we all know that the Lord only commanded that we fast on the day of atonement. We all know that. But see, they had fasted months the same way that we have fasted months.

So then in this case, this was the ninth month that they were fasting in. And we going to show you this again once we get off into Zechariah. So basically, I'm reading this to show you that we need to be fasting all the time. One day you are required to fast, but then you need to still be fasting throughout all of these months until you get up to the new year again. So now he said, "Therefore go thou and read in the ro which thou has written from my mouth the words of the Lord in the ears of the people in the Lord's house upon the fasting day." Go ahead and read. And also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of this city.

It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord. See, that's what fasting is for, sisters and brothers. We read that in Isaiah 58. He said he may be they will present their supplications before the Lord. And will return everyone from his evil ways. And we'll return everyone from his evil ways.

That's why we said don't forget about your own flesh when you fast now because this is the fasting day. Keep reading. For great is the anger and the fury that the Lord have pronounced against this people in Baroo the son of Nia did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him. reading in the book the words of the Lord in the Lord's house. And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehookim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month. In the ninth month.

Now, so they already passed the sevenmon fast. We know the sevenmon fast is what? That's the day of atonement. Now, so this is the fast of the ninth month. Go ahead and read that they proclaimed the fast before the Lord to all the people in Jerusalem. and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

Then read Barro in the book of the words of Jer Jeremiah in the house of the Lord in the chamber of Jeremiah the son of Shan the scribe in the higher courts at the entry of the new gate of the Lord's house in the ears of all the people. So that's basically what they was doing. So now at this point in time, Israel was the ones that was on top, but the nation was dirty. So they asked the nation to proclaim the fast before the Lord. That's why we do these fasts every month because every month you should fast, sisters and brothers. Every month you should fast.

It's your choice if you do it or not. But just make sure that you are fasting and fasting often. So now let's go to Leviticus 26. Leviticus 26. Now what we just read the people didn't do. So we going to go back and read the law of Moses of the curses that he put on us now because while you in this captivity, he will be a little sanctuary unto all of us if we repent of what we have done that's wrong.

So now let's go now to Leviticus 26 26 and we going to pick it up at verse 40. Leviticus 26 and we going to pick it up at verse 40. Leviticus 26 and we go pick it up at verse 40. If thou shall confess their iniquity, notice what he said there. He said, "If they shall confess their iniquity," go ahead, "and the iniquity of their fathers with their trespass which they trespass against me and that also they have walked contrary unto me." So, I just kind of want to stop right here. Let's go back and think about something real fast.

Now he said, "If they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers with their trespasses which they have trespassed against me, and they also have walked contrary unto me." So who in the Bible was praying not only for him but was praying also for the nation of Israel and was fasting at the same time? Daniel, sisters and brothers, Daniel's the ninth chapter. We talked about that when we did the lesson in Gabriel. So, so Daniel is reading what Moses had wrote in Leviticus 26 and verse 40. So, he was confessing also his sins and also the sins of his forefathers. But now verse 41, go ahead.

And that I also have walked contrary unto them. He had to do it. He had to walk contrary unto us. And have brought them into the land of their enemies. You are in the land of your enemies, sisters and brothers. You don't believe me?

Just look outside. You in the land of your enemies right now. You are not in your land. Your land is all the way over yonder across the sea. So now keep reading. If then their uncircumcised hearts be humble.

See, that's why we talked about you. That's why he said a fast that pleases God is one that's driven by humility. First of all, you got to be humble. You got to realize you ain't got it all. You got to realize you got to have a humble spirit. So now go ahead and read.

And they can accept of the punishment of their iniquity. See, that's a big one. And that they accept of the punishment of their iniquity. Because you going to be punished when you sin, you might as well accept. All right, I know I did wrong. I know I'm going to turn back to the Lord, but I know I'm also going to be punished for breaking the law.

Whatever he do, you got to remember that. So now, go ahead. 42. Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob. And also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember. And I will remember the land.

And he said, I'm going to also remember their land. Sisters and brothers. Keep reading. 43. The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her Sabbath, while she lith desolate without them. and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity, because even because they despise my judgments, and because their soul have my statutes, go ahead.

And yet for all that when they be in the land of their enemies, go ahead. I will not cast them away. So now, even when you in the land of your enemies, now he said, I will not cast them away. Neither will I abhore them. to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them. For I am the Lord their God.

But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen that I might be their God. I am the Lord. These are the statutes and the judgments and laws which the Lord made between him and the children of Israel and Mount Si by the hand of Moses. By the hand of Moses. Like we say all the time now, Moses was the prophet and the lawgiver to all generations, sisters and brothers. But let's show you the Lord ain't going to forsake you in the land of your enemies.

Let's go to Ezekiel the 11th chapter. Ezekiel 11. And we going to pick it up at verse 16. We going to read just a few verses right right here. Let's go to Ezekiel 11 and we going to pick it up at verse 16. Ezekiel 11 and we going to pick it up at verse 16.

He's still going to be He gonna still be with us, sisters and brothers. Even though we in the land of our enemies, God still going to be with us. He going to save his children from afar one day. Ezekiel. And let's pick it up at verse 16. Ezekiel 11 and 16.

Therefore say, thus sayith the Lord God, although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. Where they shall come, we in America. Guess what? The Lord is everywhere. The Lord going to be with us, too. Now, he said, although I have cast them a far off among the heathen, that's why we were slaves.

That's how we got on that wall right there, sisters and brothers, because we have we stopped doing the laws, statutes, and judgments of God. So he scattered us all over the countries now. But he said, "Whether you going to be scattered, I'm going to be a little sanctuary in the countries whether they shall come." Verse 17, go ahead. Therefore say, thus said the Lord God, go ahead. I will even gather you from the people. He said, I am going to gather you from the people.

and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. You ain't going to get the firmament of heaven." He didn't say that. He said, "I will give you the land of Israel." Verse 18, go ahead. And they shall come dither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof, and all the abominations thereof from them. They going, it ain't going to be no Christmas trees hung up no more. No, sir.

It ain't going to be none of that foolery that you see around and looking for eggs. And you ain't going to be seeing none of this stuff no more. He said, "They shall come hither and take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from this." Verse 19, go ahead. And I will give them one heart. That's what I'm looking for. I'm waiting for all of us to be on one accord.

Not to defend something that's wrong because you believe in it, but that we be on one accord, sisters and brothers, according to the Bible. He said, "And I will give them one heart." Go ahead. And I will put a new spirit within you. I'm going to put a new spirit within you. So you that old wine, that new wine that you try to pour in that old bottle, it ain't going to work. It ain't going to be there.

He said, "And I will put a new spirit within you." You got to become new. And I will take the stony heart out of their flesh. And will give them a heart of flesh. That they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and do them. And they shall be my people. And I will be their God.

That's what we going to go back to. One day it's going to happen. So the only thing that we got to rest for, we got to wait on. We just got to wait on and hope. Sisters and brothers. He said that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and not only keep them, not only hear them, but do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God.

Let's go a little bit further now. Let's go to St. Luke the 18th chapter. This one of our favorite chapters right here. Let's go to St. Luke the 18th chapter and we going to pick it up at verse one.

St. Luke 18 and we gonna pick it up at verse one. St. Luke 18 and we gonna pick it up at verse one. This one of our favorite ones, but like I say, let's break it down a little bit more what he is talking about. So, as we read this, just think about what we just read off in Isaiah the 58th chapter.

Let's go to St. Luke 18. And we going to pick it up at verse one. St. Luke 18 and one. And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint.

I'm telling you now, you better hear what he said in this verse. Now, he said that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Not to just listen to the Bible all day or just read the Bible all day. You got to pray, too. You got to pray without ceasing. Because when you praying, you are taking your word straight to Jesus.

Sisters and brothers. You taking all your requests to him. So, they got to always pray and not to faint. Verse two, go ahead. saying, "There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded him man." Neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, "Avenge me of mine adversary." See, one day, that's one question that I'm going to have with the Lord when I see him.

Why does everybody always be messing with the widow? Why everybody be always bothering the father, a woman, her husband have died? Why do they always pray on them? Because see this widow woman, you f to read about this widow woman got tired of these people messing with her. And he get ready, she getting ready to pray to the Lord about it. Now he said, "And there was a widow in that city and she came unto him saying, "Avenge me of my adversaries." You can even go back and read in the law of Moses where he said, "Take her to widows and the fatherless." But now verse four, go ahead.

And he would not for a while. But afterward he said within himself, go ahead. Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleeth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming, she wearied me. So she always kept going to this unjust judge now. But this unjust judge didn't believe in God, but he got tired of the woman bothering him. Now, so basically what this judge did, I'm going to avenge this woman of her adversaries, and I'm going to do it immediately.

Now, so now what happened? And the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge say, and shall not God avenge his own elect which cried day and night unto him?" Go ahead. Though he bear long with them. So now, if the unjust judge is going to do it, what you think God going to do for the ones that believe him? the ones that truly serve him. He said, "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with him?" That's why you got to always pray and not faint.

Now, so what is God going to do? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? See, I always question myself when I read this right here. God faithful to all of us, but are we faithful to him? Are we going to stop doing what we said we going to stop doing a hundred times and then you turn right back around and start doing it again what God told you not what you told God what you wasn't going to do.

So he said I'm going to do this for you but once the son of man cometh shall I find the same faith on the earth. Answer yourself that question. Verse nine go ahead. And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. that they you know they righteous and despise others like the scribes and the like this guy the scribes and the Pharisees was why Jesus why you eat with these publicans it says right keep read don't 10 two men went up into the temple to pray the one a Pharisee the other a publican the other was a publican now like Levi was Levi was a publican he was sitting at the tax office go ahead the Pharisees stood and prayed thus with himself God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners, unjust, adulterers. Go ahead, or even this publican.

Or even as this publican. But now this what he said. Read that verse 12. I fast twice in the week. So what? God don't see it.

He don't see your fast. He didn't see they fast back in Isaiah the 8th chapter. And this is the reason why. Notice how he worded it. At verse 11, he said, "The Pharisees stood and prayed thus with himself." He didn't pray with God. He praying for himself.

He trying to justify himself. Trying to make himself be more righteous than anybody else. You ain't nobody. So he said, he said, "I fast twice in a week." What else does he do? I give ti of all that I possess. I give tithe of all that I possess.

I mean, we love when people pay tithes. We need people to pay tithe. But like I tell people, if you not going to look at the lessons, don't tithe nothing at all. what you tied for and you ain't listening to the lesson. I told my father that and my dad got plenty of money. But if you not gonna listen to the lesson, just keep the money to yourself.

We'll struggle because we also I want to see my father in the kingdom, but it ain't looking that good right now. But now he said, he said, "I fast twice in a week. I give tithes of all that I possess." Verse 13, go ahead. And the publican standing a far off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven but smoke upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner. That's what we ought to be saying. God be merciful to me a sinner because we all done fell off with him sisters and brothers.

Verse 14. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the others. For everyone that exaltth himself shall be abased. And he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. He that humbleth himself shall be exalted, sisters and brothers, when you humble yourself. So you humbling yourself with fasting.

That's what Jesus did. He humbled himself. But his prayers return back into his bosom. But yet in still he humbled himself. Verse 15. And they brought unto him also infants.

Let's put some little Let's put something on this now. And they brought unto him also infants. that he would touch it. But when his disciples saw it, go ahead. They rebuked it. So why why rebuke a baby?

I mean, obviously we see he ain't baptizing the baby either. But see, you got to realize what mindset that they are coming from. Now, he said that they brought unto him also infants that he would touch them. But when his disciples saw it, they rebuked him. The reason why they why they was doing it because they know a baby is innocent. They know a baby ain't going to have no sins at all.

He ain't even he don't even know what's going on. So when they were praying in the infant, they was like, "Man, hold on up with the baby, man. The baby ain't did nothing wrong." But see, Jesus is giving you a message right here. What did he say at verse 16? But Jesus called them unto him and said, "Go ahead. Suffer little children." He told He said, "Suffer little children to come unto me." Go ahead.

And forbid them not. For of such is the kingdom of heaven. He said, "For so of such is the kingdom of heaven." You got to humble yourself just like a infant is, just like this baby is. Cuz we all babies before the Lord. Even though we grown men, we good and grown on this earth, but in the eyes of the Lord, you still a baby. We say that all the time.

So that's why he said that about the infant now. But read that verse 17. Verse 18. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. You ain't going to enter it in if you don't receive the kingdom as such as a little child, sisters and brothers. Verse 18, go ahead.

And the certain ruler asked him, saying, good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why callst thou me good? None is good, save one that is God. Thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery. Those are the commandments.

Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. That's also with your mouth. Cuz you can kill people physically and you can also kill people spiritually with your tongue. And if you don't believe me, I dare you to go read first John 2. So now he said, "Thou shalt not kill." Go ahead and read.

Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Don't be sitting around here lying all the time. Do not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy mother. And honor thy father and thy mother.

If you do these things right here, you farewell, sisters and brothers. So now, let's go to Proverbs 15. Now, Proverbs 15. And we going to pick it up at verse 33. That's why we stress humility. We haven't done a lesson on it in a while, but what we going to do, we going to slide it in the lesson.

Let's go to Proverbs 15 now, and we going to pick it up at verse 33. Proverbs 15 and we going to pick it up. We going to pick it up at verse 33. Proverbs 15 and 33. We got two of I wrote two of on there because they only one verse. So Proverb did I say okay I said 13 I meant 33.

Proverbs 15 and 33. 15 and 33. You know what? Go ahead on read that verse 13. Read verse 13 first. That's good that we read that.

Anyway, go ahead on and read that verse 13, then we'll go back. Let's slide this in for us to read that verse 13. A merry heart maketh a cheerful count. So, I'm we just throwing this in for a little flavor. He said, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance, sisters and brothers, when your heart is merry." Go ahead and read. But by sorrow of the heart, go ahead.

The spirit is broken. By sorrow of the heart, the spirit is broken. So you got to learn to be a little bit more of a cheerful countenance even when things go bad. So I'm glad we slide that in there. But now let's throw in the fear of the Lord. Verse 33.

The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the instruction and wisdom. Now go ahead and read. And before honor before honor, go ahead. Is humility. Before you get your honor, you got to be humble first.

You got to be humble, sisters and brothers. So now, what's that other one that we got on there? Let's go to Proverbs 22 and let's just read that verse for Proverbs 22 and we going to read just one verse. We going to read that verse four. We want to show you the importance of being of having humility. Proverbs 22 and pick it up at verse four.

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. That's how you get your riches. That's the real riches. That's the real honor and the real life. That is eternal life. How do you get it?

Through being humble, sisters and brothers. A meek and humble spirit will take you a long way. So now, let's go to Acts the first chapter. Now, let's go to Acts one. Acts one and we going to pick it up at verse one. We going to read a little bit about Cornelius the Italian here real soon.

But let's show you what the Lord left us when he when he descended up to the right hand of the father. Sisters and brothers, let's go to Acts the first chapter and we going to read verses 1 through 11. Acts one and we going to pick it up at verse at verse one. When you get there, go ahead and read. The former tree have I made, oh theopos, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up. After that he was through he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen.

To whom also he showed himself alive after his passing by many of infallible proof. Infallible proofs. That means it can't be broken. It's infallible. That means that it's totally true. being seen of them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith, which saith he, Ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. not many days since he was going to baptize them with the Holy Ghost. And that happened in Acts the 2 chapter, sisters and brothers. That's why he told them, "Y'all just stay right here in Jerusalem." Now, so now verse six, go ahead. When they therefore will come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, would thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?

And he said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father have put in his own power." Go ahead. But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria. Also in Samaria. Now, so notice at that time, Samaria was mostly a gentile province at that time. You had other nations that was in Samaria at that time.

And unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and the cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. So these two men that stood by them in white appear, we all know that these are angels now. But what did the angel pay attention to what the angel said to these people at verse 11? Which also said, ye men of Galilee, go ahead.

Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? Why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. as you have seen him go into heaven, sisters and brothers, he is going to return back the same way. So we say ain't no need in you looking up here no more because when you come back and look again, those heavens going to be on fire and the moon going to turn to blood, sisters and brothers. But now let's go to Acts the 10th chapter.

Now let's go to Acts 10. Acts 10 and we going to pick it up at verse one. We only got a few more after this. Let's go to Acts the 10th chapter and we going to pick it up at verse one. Acts 10 and1 when you get there go ahead and read. There was a certain mania called Cornelius a centurion of the band called the Italian man of the band called the Italian man.

Now so this guy was a warrior too. Now he said there was a certain man in Queseria called Cornelius a centurion of the band called the Italian band. But now what did he we just read about how his spirit was verse two. A devout man. He was a devout man. And one that feared God with all his house.

And he was one that feared God with all his house. Sisters and brothers, we already just read that the instruction in and wisdom is the fear of the Lord. So he was a devout man and one that feared God with all his house. Which gave much arms to the people. And prayed to God always. So he gave much to the people.

He always helped the people in Jerusalem out. And he always prayed to God always, sisters and brothers. What we just read in St. Luke the 18th chapter, how men should always pray and faint not. So now verse three, go ahead. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him, Cornelius.

And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, "What is it, Lord?" He was afraid. He said, "What is it, Lord? Go ahead." And he said unto him, "Thy prayers and thy arms are come up for a memorial before God." Go ahead. And now send men to Joah and call for one Simon whose surname is Peter. Whose whose Simon is surname is Peter. Now, like I say all the time, Japa is modernday Tel Aviv in in in and and and in in Israel right now.

Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv was the capital until uh Donald Trump when the last time of his presidency declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. Now, but now keep reading. Six. He lodged with one Simon and Tanner, whose house is by the seaside. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually. And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Japa. On the tomorrow, as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour. So he went up to the housetop now to pray about the time of the sixth hour. So now verse 10, go ahead. And he became very hungry and would have eaten.

But while he had made but but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and a certain vessel descending into him as it had been a great seat knit as of four corners and let down to the earth. wherein were all manner of forfeit beasts of this of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fouls in the air. So it was all kind of beasts that was there. So we all know what the dietary was about. We had the clean and you had the unclean now. So when he saw these sheep that was down, these for-footed beasts and wild beasts and creeping things and even fouls of the air and some of these things was unclean animals.

So now verse 13, go ahead. And there came a voice to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." Go ahead. But Peter said, "Not so, Lord." He even rebuked the angel now. But Peter said, "Not so, Lord." Go ahead. For I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. You see how serious the dietary law is to a true disciple of the Lord.

They ain't going to eat nothing unclean. Not even when the angel, this was a holy angel now, that came to him and he told him no. But it was only because he did not understand what the vision that he saw meant. But he saw, he said, I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. Verse 15, go ahead. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, what God hath cleaned.

That call not thou come. Well, you got people take this verse and run with it. We told you you can eat any and everything that you want. They ain't talking about that, sisters and brothers. He's not talking about that. No.

He said, "What God has cleansed that called not thou common." He was talking about a nation of people and the Bible going to bear that out. So now verse 16, go ahead. This was done thrice. He they had to do it three times for Peter to listen to it. And the vessel was to see up again in the heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean behold the men which were sent from Cornelius have made inquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate and called and asked whe the Simon which was surname Peter were lodged there.

So they was trying to find Peter. Now so now verse 19 go ahead. While Peter thought on the vision, the spirit said unto him, "Behold, three men seek." See, that's the reason why the vision had happened three times because they said three men seeking unto him. Now, verse So, now let's skip down to verse 28. You can read the rest of that on your own. I was going to keep going, Israel.

But skip down to verse 28. Skip down to verse 28. And he said unto them, go ahead. Ye know how this is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation. But God has showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. He was common or unclean.

Sisters and brothers, we can't call no man common or unclean. So this is when the Lord was bringing the Gentiles and even the other nations into the covenant. Now because this was the mystery from the foundations of the world. So now verse 29 go ahead. Therefore came I unto you without gain sake as soon as I was sent forth. I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me.

And Cornelius said four days ago I was fasting until this hour. So notice what Cletus was doing. What was he doing? He was fasting sisters and brothers. He was trying to seek an answer from God. So, and Casus said, "Four days ago, I was fasting until this hour." Go ahead.

And at the ninth hour, I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, "Willians, thy prayer is heard, and thy arms are had in remembrance in the sight of God." Go ahead. Send therefore to Japa, and call him the Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodged in the house of one Simon at Tanner by the seaside. Who when he cometh shall speak unto thee. Immediately therefore I sent to thee and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

Commanded thee of God. So the angel could have told pe told told Cornelius whatever he wanted to tell him now but he had to go find Peter the Israelite and they wanted to to hear all things that are commanded of thee Peter of God. So now verse 34 go ahead. Then Peter opened his mouth and said of truth I perceive that God is no respector of persons. And I love God for that man. If there is nothing that I would say the Lord thank you for thank you for not being a respector of persons.

Thank you for judging every man and every woman equally in your sight. So now verse 35, go ahead. But in every nation, he that fearth him and workketh righteousness, go ahead, is accepted of him. He said, but in every nation, he that fearth him and workketh righteousness is accepted of him. That's why we say you ain't got no control over what color you was born, but you do have control over what God that you serve. So if you choose to serve Jesus, no matter your nationality, you going to be saved, my sisters and brothers, sir.

So now, let's go to 2 Corinthians 2, and we only got a couple more after this. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 2, and we going to pick it up at verse 22. 2 Corinthians 2, and we going to pick it up at verse 22. 2 Corinthians 2 and 22. Let's go deal with what Paul had to deal with, sisters and brothers. Let's show you Paul just fasting sometimes.

Let's show you how often he did it. And we need to follow the same example that Paul left for us because we all know Paul had a crown laid up for him. And we trying to get the same crown that Paul had. Oh, yeah. Second Corinthians. Is that it?

Second Corinthians 2. Oh, I wrote that down wrong, y'all. Second Corinthians 2. Let's Let's come back to it. Josh, look for the one where I said fast is off. I just had it in the lesson.

We'll come back to that one. Let's go to Joel 2. I ain't got time to look for it up here. Let's go to Joel 2 now and let's pick it up at verse 12. We'll come back to it later. Let's go.

It's in 2 Corinthians. I think it's 2 Corinthians 6, but we'll come back to it. Let's go to Joel 2 first. Joel 2 and let's pick it up at verse 12. When you get there, Israel, go ahead and read. Therefore also now says the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping.

So notice what Joel said. He said, "Turn unto the Lord with fastings and with weeping." Now that's why we tell you you got to fast off. And with mourning and ren your hearts and not your That's what you got to ren. You got to re your heart. You got to uncircumcise your heart. And you got to let the Lord in.

Now keep reading. and turn unto the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful. That's the type of God that we serve. He is merciful. He is also gracious. What else is he?

Slow to anger. He is also slow to anger. We got to learn that. Now, the Lord is also slow to anger. And of great kindness, and repent of him of the evil, who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him. That's what we want from the Lord.

If you repent to the Lord, we pray that he leaves a blessing behind him. Now go ahead and read. Even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God. Okay, now let's go let's go to Zechariah 8. It's 2 Corinthians 11. Let's let's double back, y'all.

Let's go back to 2 Corinthians 11 and then we'll go back to Zechariah 8. The rest of them pretty short. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11 and we going to pick it up at verse 22. Thank you, young L. 2 Corinthians 11 and we going to pick it up at verse 22.

I wrote that down wrong. I don't know what I was looking at. 2 Corinthians 11 and let's pick it up at verse 22. We had this in a lesson not too long ago. This was in the bearing the body of Christ lesson. So now 2 Corinthians 11 and pick it up at verse 22.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. So basically Paul was trying, you know, he was telling the people now to bear with him in his folly a little bit cuz he was going to boast himself. He said, "Are they Hebrews? So am I." Go ahead and read. Are they Israelites?

So am I. He said, "Are they Israelites? So am I." Go ahead. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?

I speak as a fool. I am more. Sometimes it'll make you feel that way when you constantly laboring. Now, so I understand Paul's spirit why he is saying this. He said, "Are they minister?" He said, "Are they ministers of Christ?" He said, "I speak as a fool. I am more." What was he?

And labor is more abundant. We always laboring more abundant. We ain't always asking people for money, but we are always asking for more laborers. We looking for more people to labor in the vineyard. He said in labors more abundant. In strikes more above measures.

He was in stripes above measures. In prisons more frequent. In death's off. If you all you ever know a man that every time he know somebody, somebody around him done died again. Somebody done died again. See, that's what Paul went through.

So now keep reading. 24 of the Jews five times received thy stripes saved once. Thrice was I beaten with rods. He said, "Thice was I beaten with rods." Go ahead. Once was I stoned. Thrice I suffered shipwreck.

A night and a day I have been in the See, that's how I understand. If you truly serving God, you supposed to be going through this. When you truly serving the Lord, you ain't going to have no easy cakewalk, sisters and brothers. It's going to be a hard walk. He said, "Thice was I beat with rods. Once was I stone.

Thrice I suffer sip wreck. A night and a day I have been in the deep. What else happened? Verse 26. In journeyings often. Why was he in journeyings often?

To preach the word of God. And perils of waters. And perils of robbers and perils of my own countrymen. And perils by the heathen and perils in the city and perils in the wilderness and perils in the city. And perils among false brethren. And in perils also among false brethren.

know I mean Paul went through it all sisters and brothers he did but what else did he go through go ahead and read and woriness and painfulness and watching often go ahead in hunger and thirst and fasting's often so that's what we here for in fastings often sisters and brothers this why we tell you that you got to fast often and fasting often go ahead and read and cold and nakedness and cold and nakedness verse 28 go ahead beside those things that are without that was coming upon me daily, the care of all the church. He had to do all of this stuff and then still had to take care of the church, sisters and brothers. Yes, he still had to do it. Verse 29, go ahead. Who is weak? I am not weak.

Who is offended, I burn not. If I must need glory, I will glory in the things which concern my infirmity. That's what he gloried in. Now, if I must need glory, I will glory in the things which concern my infirmities. Verse 31, go ahead. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed forever more, knoweth that I lie not.

Knoweth that I lie not. So, with all of the things that he went for, we just wanted to show you how Paul was in fasting often, sisters and brothers, sir. And that's how we need to fast. So, now let's go to Zechariah 8 now. Zechariah 8. and we go pick it up at verse 13.

Zechariah 8 and we gonna pick it up at verse 13. We got one more spot after this. Zechariah the 8th chapter and we are going to pick it up at verse 13. Let's show you that we we even going to be fasting in the kingdom, sisters and brothers. It's going to be a lot of people that's going to be fasting. This why we choose monthtomonth fast.

We we we fast from the first month to the 12th month and we start all over again. Let's go to Zechariah 8 and pick it up at verse 13. 8 and 13. And it shall come to pass that as you were a cursed among the heathen, oh house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong. Let your hands be strong.

For thus sayith the Lord of hosts, as I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, sayith the Lord of hosts, I repented not. So again, have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear ye not. These are the things that ye shall do. Speak ye every man the truth to his name. That's what we got to do, sisters and brothers.

He said, "These are the things that ye shall do. Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor." Go ahead and read. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates. And execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates. If you do this, sisters and brothers, you farewell. So now verse 17, go ahead.

And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor. And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against your neighbor, sisters and brothers. Don't be around here saying you hung us on trees and when we come back we going to hang you on trees. Don't imagine evil against your neighbor. So now keep reading. And love no false.

For all these are things that I hate said the Lord. And the word of the Lord of hosts came unto me saying, "Thus say the Lord of hosts, the fast of the fourth month." He said, "The fast of the fourth month." Go ahead. And the fast of the fifth month. And the fast of the seventh month. And the fast of the 10th month. You see how they fasting from month to month.

You see they always fasting. That's why we choose our monthly fast, sisters and brothers. Thus sayith the Lord of hosts. The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh. And the fast of the 10th shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness and cheerful feast. Therefore, love the truth and peace.

That's what he want you to do. He said, "Therefore love the truth and peace, sisters and brothers." Verse 20, go ahead. Thus says the Lord of hosts, "It shall yet come to pass that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities, and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily and pray before the Lord interce." Every people going to go. That's why I'm glad you read that uh Psalms 11:0. He said people gonna be willing in the day of his power. So now you said it that because this is in the future.

So now verse 22, go ahead. Many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. And to pray before the Lord. So now let's go to St. Matthew the 9th chapter. St.

Matthew 9 and we going to pick it up at verse 14. St. Matthew 9 and we going to pick it up at verse 14. This going to be the last spot. So we want those. If you didn't get a chance to fast today, just make sure you get a chance to always work you a fast in because it's for your benefit, sisters and brothers.

Amen, brother. Let's go to St. Matthew 9 now. St. Matthew 9 and we going to pick it up at verse 14. We going to end the same way that we started.

St. Matthew 9. Let's pick it up at verse 14. Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast off, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, "Can the children of the bride chamber mourn? As long as the bridegroom is with them, but the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast." And then shall they fast.

And I hope you got some understanding in Jesus. Thank y'all for your time. Thank you for your time. So, we going to call We call the King Fish up here to read the law. All right. Thank you.

Exodus 20:es 1-1 17 Ten Commandments. And the Lord spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which had brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any great image of anything of any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

the Lord. Wait. Thou shalt not take the the name of the Lord thy God in vain, which the Lord would will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days thou shalt labor and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.

In it thou shalt not do any work. thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man's servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hollowed it. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not coveret thy neighbor, his wife, nor his man's servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbors. In Jesus name.

Okay y'all, we don't have too many announcements. Just letting everybody know that we are going to have a family day on July the 19th at Eagle Creek. We going to go back down there. You know, right now they say we really don't have to reserve it. It's really first come, first serve where we going to be. But I'm gonna check on that one more time.

So, I'mma give y'all the directions of where we going to be in Eagle Creek when we get in. So, we gonna just have a little fun day. Maybe play a little volleyball or maybe throw a play a little hacky sack and we going to grill and we can swim, fish, and all that out there. So, we can do all of that. So, we just ask for the area where they fish at. My brother Malcolm is gonna be right here to the side where we can go.

All right. So, he off I might be out there. So, yes, sir. So, we gonna have a we gonna have a good time. We going to bring a couple of elders down from Cincinnati, too. So, that's really all we have.

We want everybody to stay in the faith, keep learning, keep praying, keep fasting, and keep believing in Jesus. So, that's really all I have. and we can go ahead on with the regular announcements. Israel church of the firstborn announcements. Peace and blessings in Jesus holy name. We pray you have been edified by today's lesson and that you increase your knowledge and understanding.

Women and men should wear models of prayer to class. Women should wear dresses or skirts. Men should not wear sweatpants. Women must wear a head covering for 1 Corinthians 11-7. Men must have their heads uncovered. Anyone desire to be baptized as according to Acts 2 and38, please see Elder Asa.

Any prayer request as according to James 5:13-20, please see Elder David. If your young child becomes noisy, please remove him or her to the back room located by the men's bathroom. Please put any ties or offerings in an envelope and place in the box located near the podium. Tithes and offerings can be mailed to Israel Church of the Firstborn 1724 Horfield Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana, B6260. Please visit our Google page at www.israelchurchoftheirstborn.com where you will find our zil and cash app usernames. Come worship with us at Israel Church of the Firstborn, 6350 West Haven Drive, Sweet K, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46254.

Services are held every Sabbath at p.m. Eastern time. Have a blessed Sabbath in Jesus name. In Jesus name. That's all we got. Any question, comments, or concerns?

I have a comment. Some Bose is set out over here. We wanted to take some Okay. I'mma show Send me a bowl. I wrap up. All right.

Anything else? Anybody any questions, comments, or concerns? If that's it, we can go ahead on. We know Go ahead and uh go on and bless it for those that did. Thank you gracious and merciful heavenly father for today's blessing. Those who came for today in the word lord thank you for this meal that we've received by the hands of our sister and Lord let be nourishment to our bodies in Jesus name we pray.

Okay we going to go we also this is our fifth month fast so Elder David going to also lead us in prayer. Dear Lord, my gracious and merciful heavenly father, we thank you Lord for gathering us here this day, Lord, to give praises and glory unto your holy and precious name. Thank you for sending your only begotten son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of the world. Yes, Lord. That we may draw nighth to him as we accept him into our lives as our Lord and Savior. That and if we endure until the end, we may be saved.

This we believe Lord for you wrote it in this book. And if we read this book and we follow all your commandments, Lord, this is the things that we shall have. We shall get that crown that you promised us, Lord, if we endure all the way to the end. And I ask you to strengthen us, Lord, that we may endure. Give us strengthen us, Lord, where we are weak. Make us stronger where we are strong.

Let us, my father, reach out to others, my father, who are weak and read your word unto them and share your word unto them that they may draw nigh unto you through your holy and precious word. For like you said, these words that you speak, they are spirit and they are life. And these words will get us to the kingdom if we accept him into our lives. And this I pray that each and every one of us that are sitting here this day and those who are listening to us may do that my father in Jesus holy and precious name I pray for this church. Our father. Our father which art in heaven which are in heaven.

Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. Thy will be done in earth in earth as it is in heaven. as it is in heaven. Give us this day.

Give us this day our daily bread. Our daily bread. And forgive us our debt. As we forgive our debt towards as we forgive our debt towards and for and lead us not into temptation. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom. And the power and the power. and the glory and the glory forever forever in Jesus name we pray in Jesus name we pray the God Almighty the God Almighty the author and finisher the author and finisher the Holy One of Israel the Holy One of Israel Amen. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord God of Israel. In Jesus name.