Pastor Erik West: [00:00:00] Thank you Jesus. Jesus, you are heaven's righteousness revealed this morning. Thank you from faith for faith and from glory to glory. Father, we give you praise and honor and glory this morning. Father, we thank you for what you're doing in this nation. We thank you, Father God, what you're doing from our house to the white House, from sea to shining sea with. See, we thank you, Father God, for what this nation which you have called this nation to do. Father God, it will finish its course. Father God, we will. We will walk the path. We will walk with you as you walk in us and through us, and speak through us, and you and your actions, uh, are performed in us and through us. We thank you, Father God, that we pray for those who are kings and those who are in authority, those Father God that you have called into such offices. We pray, Father God, for wisdom and guidance. Father, we pray for Israel this morning. We pray, father, for the peace of Jerusalem. We. Father, we pray for its peace, its safety of its inhabitants, father God and Father God. For those who are in the military. Father God, we pray and we plead the blood of Jesus over their lives. Father, we thank you, Lord this morning that you are raising them up. We thank you, Father God, that you're you're showing them the strategies of the enemy, and their enemy's plans are being exposed this day and every day we command those hostages to be turned loose.
Pastor Erik West: [00:01:23] Let them go now, in Jesus name. Let them be discovered. Let them be safe from all harm in returning to their families. Father, we thank you, Lord. Father God, that you are sending laborers into Israel. Father God, and they are hearing the good news of Jesus Christ and the blinders that has been on their eyes for over a thousand of years and 2000 years are falling off. The scales are falling off their eyes, and they're seeing the truth. The true Messiah, the true Lord, has already come, and he's coming back for them. Father, we give you praise and honor and glory, for they know the time and the hour that we are now in. And we watch Israel. We understand that she is the timepiece of what's happening in the earth. And we know that Jesus is now coming very, very soon. And father, we thank you, Lord, that we are in a time of awakening, a great awakening not only in this nation, but in the nations of the world. We thank you, Lord, that the harvest shall come forth. We thank you, Father God, that a mighty harvest, a great harvest, a vast harvest, more than would ever been could be counted, or more than whatever would be thought or will come in before Jesus comes and receives his church, his bride unto himself. We decree this, we declare it.
Pastor Erik West: [00:02:37] We believe it. In Jesus name, Amen. Amen. You may be seated. Well, good morning and welcome to Gracelife Church. We're glad that you're here this morning. We are going to try to I don't know, I'm going to say finish because next week, as you know, is Easter morning. Praise the Lord. And we're going to have a big time next Sunday morning. But we'll get you out in time for the ham tries to burn. Praise the Lord. We've been talking about the unsolved mysteries, but today we're going to solve it. You know, it's not good to have something just unsolved. We need the solving of this thing. So I want to add also, uh, Thanksgiving to all your your generosity and helping us with the building. It's, uh, you'll see a you'll see a lot of changes after the first week of May. Uh, there'll be some painting here in April, and, uh, here, uh, you won't see you won't see what the electrician does this week where you might at night time when we're here, but have some lights put out on the outside so we can see better. And he's going to put some things in for us for the air conditioning folks to come do what they're going to do. It's not that we're putting that off, it's just what we can do in the next week. We're just saying we have one running and so six grand would take care of what she was saying.
Pastor Erik West: [00:03:47] The other things that have to do, the floor covering that's coming in, da da da da da da da, on and on and on. But it's always better. Like Charles used to tell me he's in heaven now. He was air conditioning guy. He was a member of our church for years. What a wonderful man he was and blessed us in so many ways. He said the best time always to change an air conditioner. He said, do you know when that is? I said, no, sir. He said, when the other one is still running, I said, oh, he said, it is. And uh, because, you know, the enemy tries, works that way to seem like most churches, the air conditioners tried to quit on quit on Saturday night or Sunday morning, but that won't happen here. So praise the Lord. So we want to retire her. She's 20 years old and they they sell them every day. Have you all noticed that they sell things most every day? Now we're going to go into the solve mysteries. I want you to go me to Colossians chapter two. We're going to read this from the King James. Then we're going to go to the message. Translation. I'm going to be going a little bit quicker today because I want to, uh, you know, you can never get through, but we're going to try to move in another direction. So I know I'm going to be giving out a lot, but it's all on tape.
Pastor Erik West: [00:04:54] So you can you can read it, you can watch it, you can listen to it or you can forget it. Either one you want to do. But I would suggest that you listen and take good notes. Colossians chapter two. And uh, uh, we'll start with verse one. I'm going to read down one through 15 in the King James first Paul said, for I would that you knew what great conflict I have for you, for them at Laodicea, and for many as have not seen my face in the flesh, for their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love, and to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of father, and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and I. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. Paul says, for though I be absent in the flesh, yet I'm with you in the spirit. Join and behold, in your order and steadfastness of your faith in Christ, as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord. So walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you've been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of this world, and not after Christ.
Pastor Erik West: [00:06:14] For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power, in whom also you have, you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, and putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. Verse 12. You have been buried with him in baptism, wherein also you have been risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, he blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was also contrary to us. He took it out of the way, nailed it to his cross. Verse 15. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly in it. So, you know, everyone has a king. James used the word philosophy. Everyone here has a philosophy, whether you want to say you do or not. I'm not saying you're a philosophical, but everyone has a philosophy which is kind of a, you might say, a basic set of rules or values that you live by, the thing that the choices that you make, the ideas that you have, the things, the information that you have collected through your lifetime, uh, you make decisions based on that, and then you filter what comes to your life through that philosophy.
Pastor Erik West: [00:07:48] Everyone has a philosophy, but what your philosophy is. Determines how you're going to respond to the adversity. So everything in your life is determined based on how you think. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. That's not up for grabs. That's now. That's now. It works on the odd days, but not on the even. It works that way every day. As a man thinks in his heart, that's exactly who he is. You could have ebbs and flows. You could rise a little higher above. But. But water always seeks its own level. And after you quit splashing around, you know you can go in the bathroom, go like this in the water for a few seconds. It'll go everywhere. But when you take your hand out, let it sit. Water will come to its level. And your philosophy is that whatever level it is, based on what you know, the knowledge of him and what you have chosen to do with that. Now, uh, I'm going to say things I've said before. I'm not saying things I've never said before, but that doesn't mean anything because we don't retain everything that we that we I mean, I've had Lord, tell me on, on numerous occasions this is not a compliment. He said, if you could just believe your own teaching. I said, oh. You can laugh at me.
Pastor Erik West: [00:09:02] But where does that leave you? No, but it's not funny. But. But, you know, sometimes we we forget because we we're not walking with with the spirit or we're not walking in the spirit. If you're not walking in the spirit, you're you're walking in the flesh. There's no. So what's the third choice? Not a there's not another choice. What do you mean? Walking in the flesh? I'm. You're walking by your senses. God gave us our senses to serve us, but not us to serve them. Many people serve their senses, and they get their information. They get their philosophy through their senses. Listen to what Paul said in the book of Philippians. Don't turn 121. Paul said, for me to live. Is Christ. Not ask. For me to live is Christ. Paul saw himself as someone who's dead to this world. Into human ideas and human philosophies and such as this. Paul said, my life is his life. He said, there is no other life but his life. See, Jesus is not is not a truth. He is the truth. He's not a life, he's the life. In Colossians three four, Christ is the Christ who is your life? Who is your life? So who's living your life? Well, I'm. You know, I go to church over here and didn't ask you that. See, the Christian life is a person. You know what's great? About what? Every day and next week. And many mainline religions like Islam, you have to die for.
Pastor Erik West: [00:10:48] For that God in yours, your God died for you. Amen. What Scripture did the Lord ask you? Ever ask you to die for him? How could that help him? Well, now I want to quickly go into to something in Matthew chapter four, uh, verses, and I'm going to read uh, Matthew four from the NIV, and I'm going to read about 11 verses, but we'll go really quick. I know you're familiar with the story because we're going to solve some unsolved mysteries. Then Jesus verse one was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. Your Bible might be might say, tempted by the devil. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. It didn't take me 40 days and 40 nights to get hungry. How about you? But after 40 days in the wilderness, he was hungry. And then the tempter came to him and said, if you are, if you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. And Jesus answered, it is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. So the devil is talking. He's using the word, the devil is using the word. And then Jesus, who is the word, answers him. You know, it's just not I mean, you can see the intelligence or the lack thereof of Satan who's going to talk to the word about the word.
Pastor Erik West: [00:12:11] Now if if he will talk to the word about the word. Don't think he won't talk to you about the word. You know, Satan and demons have studied people since the beginning of time. To see their habits, the thought patterns. They do things, then they see how you react to it. The scripture says he goes around as a lion seeking whom he may devour. How does he know he could devour? He watches your actions and listen to your words. He'll cause a little situation to see how you respond to it. That's how he knows who. That's how he knows. He doesn't have intuitive wisdom. He studies people. He wants to know what triggers them. So I would say avoid triggers. Verse five. Then the devil took him into the holy city and had him stand at the highest point in the temple. And he said in verse six, if you're the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, he will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Jesus answered him again, saying, it is written, do not put the Lord God to test him. In other words, what we do is we do not entertain or negotiate with the enemy. We don't negotiate with terrorists. Amen. Now, you have to decide this because if you're on the fence, you're. If you're on the fence.
Pastor Erik West: [00:13:44] You know, people say, well, I'm just, you know, I'm not I'm not this way or that way. I kind of like to go in the middle of the road. Well, that means you're on the fence. That means you're in the enemy's territory. Territory? And I want you to know he owns the fence, and he owns every fence sitter. Verse eight. And the devil took him to the very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. I don't know that he took him in the sense of he said, you're going to come with me. It doesn't really matter, you know, he uses your thoughts, your mind, your imagination. I believe that was the way that he took him. I don't think he led Jesus around on a leash and said, you're coming over here. I'm going to show you something. But in his imagination and your thought process, that's why he tells you to, you know, think on things that are good and pure and loving. In other words, he's activating the word, your knowledge and your imagination against the enemy, your holy imagination. And then the enemy said in verse nine, I will give. And all this I will give you. He said, if you'll bow down and worship me. He's not asking for much, is he? Bow down and worship me. Jesus said unto him, you idiot! No! I'm sorry. Away from me, Satan.
Pastor Erik West: [00:14:50] For here it is again it is written worship the Lord your God and serve him only. And then the devil left him, and angels came, and attended him. Amen. So we need to make war on the enemy with the Word of God. Now, one reason many people lose spiritual battles is because they turn to the scripture last instead of first. They try everything else. Then it says come down to praying. Oh my God, it's going to come down to praying. Now just because you're tempted. This is simple stuff, but I want you to remember just because you're tempted, it doesn't mean you're taken. Amen. It doesn't mean you're a hostage. Just because you're tempted with something don't mean you've you've taken it. God calls you to stand. Say it with me. God calls me to stand. God calls me to stand. Now the enemy wants you to start to fall. So was God's war. Warriors, there's just two options. You're either standing or you're getting back up. Because if you stand, eventually, even the Bible says at times we may all fall. So the two options is you stand or you fall. So you're either standing or you're getting back up from a fall. Amen. Amen. Amen. If you've been tripped up and you've been falling down. Get up because you're never down for the count. Man never quit and never stay down. Amen. Winning is not that hard. But it has to be persistent.
Pastor Erik West: [00:16:20] And that's where people sometimes fail to do. They don't stay persistent. The parable of the sower. Uh, Jesus said, you know, you have to understand this. He said, if you don't, you won't. You'll never understand anything. Remember, one one of the classifications of people, the seed sown, he said, they hear it. They get excited. They're like, man, this is awesome. I'm going to come here. I mean, this has never worked for me, so I've never had a visitor come in and they say, that was awesome. You're this, you're this, you're my pastor said, oh, I'll never leave. Two weeks. They're gone. If you're if you think you're going to stay, keep it to yourself because it never worked for me. Once a year you're greater than sliced bread. I said, that sandwich is about over. It's never worked. It's not about me. It's about him. All I am is. E.w. Kenyon said. I'm a signed pointer lock on the interstate. All day in your restaurant, three miles up. I'm just a pointer. Paul said, it's not me. It's not a palace. It's him. He said, God's the one who gives the increase. He said, we sow. We sow seed in the ground and the other one comes back, water or he'll do the I'll do the other one. But God's the one that gives the increase, right? Yeah. Paul said, my words were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and the power that your faith would not stand in the wisdom of men, but the power of God.
Pastor Erik West: [00:17:43] God doesn't want your faith to be in men. He wants your faith to be in him because men sometimes miss it. Then I've seen too many people that miss it and then, you know, hundreds or thousands, depending on the following. You know, they're cast by the wayside and their faith is all shipwrecked because a man missed it back in the 80s. We had plenty of that PTL and different ones, bless them. Thank God for his mercy and his compassion. But you have people that was just by the wayside for years. And then the ministries that were doing good, you know, it cut into their finances and some barely existed because of what 2 or 3 people had done. Well, you can't you can't make decision based on what people are doing now. You have to make your decision based on the Word of God, even if you have to stand alone. I'm going to tell you, there's times you're going to stand alone. There's times I don't even. I'm talking to someone right now. Sometimes there's times that you stand alone in your house and you know you do. But that's okay, because you're never alone. We're just hearing that last song. This is just as simple as easy. Just. And I'm used to hearing him. I can, you know, I don't mean audibly, but he said.
Pastor Erik West: [00:18:47] He said, I'm here with you. He said, I'm here today. He said, I know everyone here. He said, I know every one of their situations. I know the past life and their former life. He said. I know, I know, he said. I know every thought that's going through their mind. I know every challenge that presents them. And he says, and tell them before they leave today, tell them I am the way. This is, you know, and I'm just worshiping the Lord. I wasn't trying to. But he wanted you to know that. Amen. He's the way. Amen. Now. So we're going to get up now, the two options. You can either keep your eyes focused on your circumstances, your problems, your financial issues, your marital relationships, your problems with your children. Or maybe have a career with your crisis. I don't know, but I remember when Peter walked on the water. You remember that people said, oh, he sang well, but he walked. See a pessimist always go. But he well, he sang, but he walked. Have you ever walked on water? He walked. And then? And then he cried out to Jesus. He only had time for one word. Help! That was enough to get the help. Help? Why did he. Why did he sink? He was thinking. Those five senses showed him the storm. Well, what difference does the storm make? Can you walk on calm water? Nobody saw the storm that it says a man can't be walking on water.
Pastor Erik West: [00:20:14] He took his eyes off Jesus as soon as he did. He was right back into the natural realm and he started doing what anyone would do. The natural. He sang, he sang, he began to sing. He was overwhelmed with what he saw and what he felt. You ever saw something or felt something, doctor? Ever told you something? And you went to Google and they had you dead before 3:00. Worst thing you could do is go to Google and find out what the real problem is. Yeah, I've been in doctor's offices myself and I, and I don't know for this for a fact, but Miss Danish, you may know, Barbara. You may know different ones. You worked in medical community. I know they have places they can go and they can look at things. I've seen a couple of times, people looking on their phone to look up whatever, to try to find out what kind of medication to give someone. Well, I'm glad that at least they look instead of just throw something at you. But I'm just saying. But if you're going and that is your philosophy. Well, you know God, God wants me to use wisdom. So I'm just going to swallow these 17 pills and believe it'll all turn out okay. Well, it I hope it does for you. Praise the Lord. But when you get your eyes off Jesus, then your eyes has to be always into the things of the natural.
Pastor Erik West: [00:21:26] See your approaching a supernatural God. Everything about him. Supernatural. Everything. So why would you be surprised if he talks to you about something that doesn't make a lot of natural sense? This world didn't create his world. His world created this world. Amen. Amen. We know the Lords at all places, at all times. But you don't think he's taking notes from any minister this morning anywhere, do you? Just like. No, that's not he said. I wish I thought of that. If I thought that I'd put it in that book right there. No, he's not doing that. But he's speaking through people. Option number two, you can keep your instead of keeping your eyes on the situation, you can keep your gaze fixed on the Lord himself. Keep it. The acronym for Focused or Focus Fixed on Christ Unlimited Supply. Keep your gaze fixed on the Lord real quickly. Psalms 34 five. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces should never be ashamed. Psalms 34 eight. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalms 3419. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. All of them. Isaiah 26 three you keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Perfect peace is to those whose mind is stayed on him.
Pastor Erik West: [00:22:55] There. Well. Someone's being healed right now. Of something that you've dealt with for many years. Many, many, several somebodies, perhaps. I'm supposed to tell you is what he's doing right now. Praise God. Praise. Amen. Jesus said, I came to set the captive free. Free, not half free. Free. And whoever you are call you healed in Jesus name. Will they come before your going with you? In Jesus name. Praise God! So you're free right now. That thing, that part of you that wasn't working or were not working too well. All of a sudden begins to work. That organ is about halfway. It's going now. Things that are damaged and broken are being restored to your life right now. I decreed in Jesus name, Amen. Your youth is being renewed like the eagle. That's not in here. That's in here. I'm just listening. I'm just listening. I was young, I used to do a lot of the talking, thinking. It was in the word, but praise God. I don't care if I don't get to any of this stuff. Hallelujah! We can lay on the floor and laugh and cry all day if I can. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Amen. Everybody sometimes in life gets knocked down. It's not whether you get knocked down, it's how fast you get up. But, you know, it's a lot harder to get up after you've been knocked down if you're comfortable in the pit. Hmm'hmm. Sometimes people have been knocked down.
Pastor Erik West: [00:25:26] Sometimes it's been more convenient. They think, for them just to stay down because they don't want to take another hit. They don't want someone praying for them again because they've been disappointed so many times. Paul said in Second Corinthians 489 he said, Paul said himself. He says, I've been troubled on every side. How about you? Okay, he said, yet not distressed. Paul said, been been perplexed but not in despair. Paul said they persecuted me, but not. I'm not forsaken. He said I've been cast down but not destroyed. Paul said I've seen a thing or two that were I know, a thing or two. The Phillips translation is excellent here, he says we may be knocked down, but we are never knocked out. Hmm. The Living Bible has it this way. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. Boy, that ought to be your motto. I've been knocked down this week. But I'm going to get up again and keep going. That's the mindset and the attitude of the heart of the Apostle Paul that he wants us to get today. He was knocked down many times, many times, but he was never permanently grounded. Through every hardship, through ever struggle, through every trial, through every persecution. God gave Paul the measure of grace. Gave him grace. Gave him grace. Gave it to me in abundance. To overcome every adversity. Now these are familiar verses. But listen to them. We're not teaching them, but they're.
Pastor Erik West: [00:27:00] They all fit into. We're solving this mystery. What is the mystery? There is no more mysteries. Christ was. The mystery, Paul said, has been revealed. Which is Christ in you. Amen. So what is our philosophy? What is your philosophy? Well, here's how I believe it. Well, we don't know how you believe it. And our granddaddy, well, we love granddaddy, but we're not here to get granddad's philosophy. You can get their grandma's recipe. You can make a strawberry jam or fig preserves. But when it comes to the word of God, well, now you know our on our side of the family, we've all had a little highs and lows. Blood goes this way and heart goes that way. And you know, everybody in our home had a little heart issue. Well you've been re fathered. Have you got new genes? You got fathered from a from heaven. Your father don't have any of that. Well, you know, I got to cut this out because, you know, my cholesterol is a little high. Who said who? Who said who said cut out what? Well, scripture you got. Well, that's just common sense. Who? Sense? Oh. Got a real quietness. Presbyterian church, didn't it? Presbyterian boys, you say? Now second Corinthians 12, verses seven through ten. And lest I should be exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, that buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Pastor Erik West: [00:28:22] For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it was might depart from me. And he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, Paul said, Then I'm going to glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore he said, I'll take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, and persecution in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I'm weak, Paul said, then I am strong. Now listen to the ninth and 10th verse in the passage. Translation. It's good. It's like Kim saying the graphics is good. Good. But he answered me, my grace is always more than enough for you. Now think about that. Who is who is he speaking to? Paul, have you been through what Paul's been through? You know. You know some of the perils he went through, right? Man lived in apparel. And he tells him, Paul, the grace, my grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness. So I will celebrate my weakness. For when I'm weak, I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. Look at verse ten. So I'm not defeated by my weakness, but delighted. Not defeated, but delighted. For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment, when I'm surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ, I'm made stronger.
Pastor Erik West: [00:29:56] For my weakness becomes a portal to God's power. Woo woo! Glory to God. Your human weakness becomes a portal for God's power to transform you through his grace. Who is that? God never promised you a rose garden. Who sang that? I forgot. Not that Barbara would know for sure. Right up there with my party and I'll cry if I want to. She used. But he never promised us a trouble free life, did he? So when the circumstances of life knock you down, always remember you're more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. Now, I want to give you a little advice. Don't get bent out of shape. That's what the enemy is trying to do. He's trying to bend you out of shape. Now. Uh, I read this thing about, uh, they said a well known CEO, Dean Becker of Adaptive Learning Systems, said more than training, more than experience, more than education, the level of resilience in a person's life will determine the degree of success he or she will achieve. He said this works in the cancer ward, it works in the boardroom and it works in the Olympics. The measure of resilience. Now the word resilience is really not in the Bible in such that word, but it clearly describes what resilience is. I mean, the Bible admonishes us to be resilient, although it doesn't use the word. The understanding of resilience is clearly throughout the Scripture.
Pastor Erik West: [00:31:34] For instance, like in James 112 where he says blessed, which means empowered to prosper is the man who endures temptation or the test. For when he's been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him. I looked up. Now, the reasonable Greek meaning of adversity means this. This is the original Greek of adversity means to putting to proof by experience of adversity. By putting to proof by experience of adversity. In other words, when you choose to believe the Word of God, the enemy says, go. Put that to proof. In other words, they prayed for my healing and I felt 50% worse. Don't think they're strange. He's not through there. This is. This is the tug of war. But he's a bluffer. He can't make you do anything. You said, well, the devil tempted me. Well, quit helping him. Let Grace do its work. Walk in the spirit and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh. Walk in the empowerment of his power. Quit looking to natural means to answer a spiritual problem. You can't solve a spiritual problem through natural means. They're temporary fixes might get you almost ten minutes worth. Billions of dollars are sold every year in all type of drugs and anxiety medications. Many pastors I don't know if you know this, but many pastors are on medication for anxiety because of stress, simply sometimes because they've tried to take on every problem in the congregation.
Pastor Erik West: [00:33:37] Well, that can't even run their life. See the Christian life. Living the Christian life is not hard. It's impossible. In you. That's why Paul said, I don't live it. He said, for me to live is Christ, not me in Christ. Oh. It's Christ. This is his life. That's why Matthew 11 says, come, take my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Come watch me. The message says, watch the unforced. The rhythm, the rhythm, a rhythm of grace, the unforced rhythm. Grace has a rhythm to it. He said my yoke is easy. My burden is what? Light. So I always say, if it's not light and easy. You didn't get it from him. Hmm. How are we doing? So. Yeah. As soon as you believe the enemy is going to come. Put that to the proof. Always. Always. Always. There. Again. Parable of the sower. As soon as the word was sown, Satan come immediately to steal the word. Well, the moment you decide to believe. By his stripes, I'm healed. The enemy will make sure that you have another symptom. Two, 4 or 5, 7 or 8 of them. Something like that. He'll make sure the x ray shows that it's getting worse x ray. Now, I know most of the people here know this, and I learned this the hard way, actually. But years ago people used to come and they'd say, well, I'm going next Thursday and next going on next week.
Pastor Erik West: [00:35:13] They have an x ray. I want you to agree with me that my x ray will look good. I used to do that play right into the enemy's hands. In other words, we're going to take a natural x ray with a natural machine. Machine. And I want you to believe with me from the Word of God that by faith that the machine, all natural means will look good. And we would do that and never worked out. It was always worse. The Bible says, whose report will you believe his or an x ray machine? 1991. My father was told he had 24 hours to live. All the nerves in his body basically were destroyed from diabetes, which he waited too late to do anything about it. But within 24 hours he had all brand new nerves. Good thing we didn't go by the machine. They should call the family in. He might have 24 hours. We'll keep him as comfortable as we can. So we hit most of the family was there at a brother that lived in Atlanta. And so. Naturally, he had to naturally just. Not that they were wrong, but naturally he had. He. He was 61. Well. Well, he's basically my age. Yeah, and he's through. There's nothing they could do. Absolutely nothing. You know, he had a blood clot. If it moves at all, he's gone. He has staph infection, and he had nerves completely destroyed from the diabetes.
Pastor Erik West: [00:36:52] That went on too long, and he didn't know about it. So he told everybody goodbye. Pretty much. Then I went home and just asked the Lord. I said, does he have to die? And to my surprise, the Lord answered me. I wasn't expecting an answer and the room filled up with a light. Scared the willies out of me. I mean, I mean, I was just barely, you know, I was kind of a little worried. Church. I hadn't been to, you know, I just. I'm learning a few things about the power of the tongue. That's all I know. I mean, I'm still going to the index to find Matthew. Mark. But I grew up in church. But I've been out for ten years because I knew everything after I was 18. Didn't need any more help to about 30. I was. Now they get that at 14. They tell me now come to the fullness of all knowledge, 12 to 14 years old, somewhere in there. The Lord just gave me two scriptures. Supernaturally, I took him into the hospital, snuck in and found him. One supposed to be there, but I got to the hospital. I said, how am I going to get in? And I heard the Holy Spirit say, you go there, I'll get you. Personal cleaning person hit the button with his thing. Went in when he did. I ran like a rat on the baseboard and I looked.
Pastor Erik West: [00:38:14] And I found him and I said, Lord, he's got so much morphine, you know, because he's in such pain. He says, I'll take care of that. You just go, I went there, he's wide awake. And we had about 20 minutes together. I told him everything I was supposed to tell him, and I prayed for him and he had so much fluid. They said his feet, both of them were leg £19 apiece. He was a pitiful sight. Next morning, the swelling was gone. Next morning the infection was sleeping. Next morning they put him in the MRI machine and his body had all new nerves in it. I knew two verses, so I know, I know the Lord didn't use me because of my vast wisdom and knowledge, and I know he didn't do it for him because he was such a man of faith. I knew that. I knew that boy. I knew he'd accepted Jesus because he knew he was going. But I knew for a fact it wasn't his long and during Christian life that got him there. No, sir. And I asked. The siblings could attest to that. But he's in heaven today. I guarantee you that he knows more than all of us put together right now. Hallelujah! Now. So God says in James 113, he says, God clearly states that no one can say when he's tempted. I'm tempted to God, for God cannot be tempted by evil.
Pastor Erik West: [00:39:29] Neither does he tempt or test anyone. So people say, well, the Lord's testing me. No he's not. Why would he have to test you? Well, he's going to see or he doesn't know. If he knew you before he was born, then why would he have to test you to see what you're going to do? Maybe you don't know what you're going to do until you're in that situation. You ever thought about that? This is not you know, you're not an experiment in the lab with God. Aren't you glad of that? You're not a little rat on the wheel. God is love, not a rat killer. The enemy is one who brings adversity. He brings the stress and he brings the pressure. Now, how do you respond to it now? I'm going to say from here forward is very important. That's where resilience comes in. What do you do under pressure? That's where, like Jesus said, it is written, he was under pressure. What do we do under pressure? Well, let's define resilience. It said the capability of a body under compressive stress to regain its shape without deformation or rupture. We read that again. Resilience is the capability of something under compressive stress to regain its shape without deformation or rupture. So we could say, what do we need to do? Act like a tennis ball? When a racket hits a tennis ball, right? With enough pressure, it temporarily squashes and it loses a bit of its shape, does it not? It momentarily deforms.
Pastor Erik West: [00:41:13] But it never ruptures. That's because the tennis ball was built with inside resistance. I mean, you never thought I'd come church. I told you to start being like a tennis ball, would you? But still think it always regains its size of shape without deformation or rupture. It gets more than 2 or 3 hits. So what do you do when the pressure's on? Do you succumb to the pressure and get bent out of shape? That'd be one way to the degree that you are resilient. To that degree will determine what happens to you in hard times. Do come. Will you get bent out of shape if the difficulty lasts more than ten minutes? Never allow what happens to you to determine who you are or what you are. Never define your worth or value based on your adversity. See what the enemy is. Always questioning is just different questions that the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It's just different questions. But it's another way of saying, Did God say what he wants you to feel is, if God and you won't do this, you won't do this, but you have these feelings because you're good Christians and those of you who understand words and power, you won't do this. But you do think this. If God was love, where's he at? And it's not even your thought. It's the enemy's thought. Vaults have different origins.
Pastor Erik West: [00:42:51] You have thoughts. God certainly has thoughts and the enemy has thoughts. And a lot of times the thoughts that you have, because we've all had thoughts. There's I mean, I've studied this for years, and as I say, a human being has anywhere from 30 to 70,000 thoughts a day. That's that's a lot of thinking in it. That's a lot of thoughts to filter through. But a lot of times the things that you're thinking is not even your thoughts. It's the enemy's thoughts. You just hear it, you know, with your mind and you think it's you. Well, we've had we would even tell people some of the thoughts we've had for crazy. Just absolutely nuts. I've had everything tried on me since I was a kid. You're this, you're that, you're this, you're that, you're that. You're a homosexual. He. People. People struggle that sometimes their whole life. They said, well, I mean, those tendencies have always been there. Well, there's a reason why they're there, but it's not a state of birth, sir or ma'am. It's a state of mind. You're telling me you're saying. But I'm just a woman trapped in a man's body, or vice versa. But then you're telling me God made a mistake? I know your feelings are real and surreal to you, but you're telling me God made a mistake, that somehow you got on the conveyor belt through the assembly line and just boom. And that stark Michelle was talking about just dropped it off? That's how it works, you know? Stark comes, drops it off.
Pastor Erik West: [00:44:22] No. See, that's the philosophy. That's human philosophy, that's human thinking, that's elementary thinking, that's vain, vain thinking. Paul said, avoid all that. He said, if you can't help them, get away from them. There's people you just don't need to be around. You can love them, but you don't need to be with them. Because they can begin to affect your thinking. See, I like I love all people, but I love to hang out with people who's on my level thinking and above. Especially when I have the opportunity to get way above because it pulls me up to that level that sometimes I'm doing things. You're thinking about things and in a wrong way, and I'm getting with people who's who, who's who's walked with the Lord longer and seen and done more and touched more. And they'll say, what are you doing, I like this, why are you doing that? Well, I don't know. Well stop it. Let's go. Look, the Bible says this. I said, well it does, don't it? And they'll just pull me up to a higher level. Like the song. We sing, a higher level. Paul said, we have in the same spirit of faith. Amen. We have the same spirit of faith now. It could have it one day. Not in heaven. We have the same spirit of faith. Paul said, we believe that's why we spoke.
Pastor Erik West: [00:45:40] See, word of faith always had a backwards. We're just going to keep on speaking and speaking and speaking and speaking and speaking and speaking and speaking and speaking and speaking. Then one day, you know, we'll believe it in our heart. Now, Paul said, we spoke. We spoke because we believed. You confess in it. Don't make it so. You know, someone was telling me last year, so I'm just going to confess. I'm going to confess. Healing in. I said, baby, if it ain't in, it ain't never going to come in. It's in. That's right. It's just waiting for you to believe it. Well, how can I believe I'm here when I feel all this stuff? Well, that's the central. That's what's going to separate you from your heart. You're a person of two minds right now. Yeah. I didn't say it was easy. I didn't say it was easy. The struggle is not always easy. So we're going back to what we talked 7 or 8 months ago. Stop opposing yourself. Stop opposing your healing. You're waiting for your body to tell you you're finally healed. Through your through the sense realm. If you have pain, and I could take your senses away for a few minutes, you wouldn't know you had pain. You say, well, I guess I got healed just now. No you didn't. We just turned your senses down. If you could do that. If I asked you as a Christian, how do you know that that you've been funded? How do you know that you've been healed? If you if you point me anywhere but this word, where are you going? For your information.
Pastor Erik West: [00:47:12] Like Adam. Who told you you were naked? Who told you that? Who told you? Who told you you couldn't be healed? Who told you that you couldn't go forward? Who told you that? There's no way out. Who told you? It has to be this way. Who told you that you had to break down after you're 60 years old? Who told you that? You're elderly. Some of it's been in the news this week wanting to raise Social Security to 69. I don't care if they raise it to 109. It make me no difference. So you must have plenty of money, I do. I'm rich. You're rich? Oh, yeah. My God shall supply all my need according to his riches. He's going to share his Social security check with me. Jeez. 69. Now, see, I could offend a lot of people with what I just said. And if you looked at my financial portfolio, you might say, I need to start drawing yesterday. But you look, Jesus didn't need any money to pay the taxes until he needed it. So he just told Peter, go fishing. Yeah. Why are you assigning a your life away at a certain age? Well, it's time to slow down. No, it's time to speed up. You just now got some sense.
Pastor Erik West: [00:48:38] What it is. Think about it. I mean, you I mean, I could offend a lot of people doing that. I remember someone telling me, um, I was 34 or 5 years old, and it was a church that that, uh, they'd been through their umpteenth on the pastor of a of a mainline denomination and they said, uh, someone said, we're using the crowd of people. And they said, well, I bet he could help them. And an elderly, elderly lady from that church, she she looked at me and she said, no, he told me, she said, no, they beat you up and spit you out. I'm thinking, you don't even know me very well. But, you know, she was right. Well, I haven't lived enough natural life. See? It. Moses needed to be in Pharaoh's house. Why? So he could think differently. See slaves. Don't. Slaves. Slaves don't. Free slaves. Mhm. Because? Because they all have slave mentalities. Moses was Hebrew, but he was he was groomed to be the next pharaoh of Egypt. Why? Because of how he was trained and how he saw himself and what he knew about himself and how he carried himself. God did that on purpose. Slave. Never free a slave. Only three people set captive people free. Mayor. What? Why did Jesus why could Jesus blood free you from sin? Because he hadn't sinned. God couldn't sin. A sinner died to save a sinner. There you go, Bob.
Pastor Erik West: [00:50:29] Wow. You needed. You needed royalty in your blood. You're an heir and joint heir with Jesus Christ. That's why I said Natural Man can't receive this book, he said. This is the craziest book they ever saw in their life. And they read it saying, that's crazy. That's absolute wild. Saying, I'm this and that. And the other, well, that's an absolute lie. God. God lies himself, says he's the man that don't lie. He's lying all time. Well, good Lord, I know my I know I have a headache. I know why I got this, I know why I got that. People say, well, you know, but but you need to understand DNA, too. You know, this stuff runs in our family. You probably does. So run it out. Run it out, I said. Yeah. What do you think the name of Jesus is? Well, it works for everything. But what runs in your family? What kind of what kind of thought is that? That the name of Jesus has to stop at your DNA. Really? See the song. We should come on up higher. Are we just going to sing and go? Come up higher. I'm not really going to do it, but we'll sing. Come up higher. No, I'm not going to do that. And we'll sway my arm. But I'm going to lower. Doing really good, aren't we? Um. The greatest temptations of a believer faces the face. And this is this is the danger here.
Pastor Erik West: [00:52:05] I want you to get this. Never do anything under pressure to relieve the pressure. Never do anything. To relieve pressure when under pressure. Looks like Lucy and Ricky. I'll explain more in just a second. Why? Because pressure comes from Satan. And when you do whatever you do in the natural to relieve it, then you give into his schemes. See he drew you there. To employ your senses to relieve some of the pressure. Now he knows your philosophy. Which will lead you to all sorts of natural thinking just to relieve the pressure. That's why every other marriage ends in divorce. They want to relieve the pressure. I'm not happy. They don't make me happy. She gained £12. Where she had four children. What? What did you think, Baba? I mean, I had a guy do that. You know, my first. I caught a lot of stuff in my first two years of pastor. It's a wonder I'm alive. I could have wanted posters out on me. I mean, I had people wanting to fight. I mean, I've been kicked. I've been spit on by women, everything. This is what I mean. John Osteen said one time, you heard me say it before he said the first two John, John John's death. He said the first 2 or 3, 2 or 3 years of Lakewood. He says, I think the devil sent everything he had just just to kill us while we were little, small.
Pastor Erik West: [00:53:48] And I thought, that must be what's happening here. And I had a guy from north of here just a few miles, and he was he said, well, I don't I came here, but I don't want no counseling. I'm not we're not going to stay together. She's over just crying. And I said, so what's the problem? He said, well, look at her. He says, she's a, she's a pig. I'm like, oh my gosh. She wasn't that heavy. He says he says when we got married, he says she had a stomach like a washboard. He said now she looked like the washing machine and she had three kids. She really wasn't, you know, that much overweight. And he says, I found someone who wants me. He says, and she's hot. I said, so is hell yeah. Now don't take this whatever. But, I mean, I just I wouldn't do this stuff. Well, who knows, I might do it, but I don't think I would. And, uh, he was pretty bald. He says, look at her. And I said, well, let me ask you this. When she married you, was you a bald eagle then, or did that happen later on? And he said, I watched his face go like this. He said, do what I said. And you're hard of hearing, too. Was you hard of hearing when she when she married you? He said, I ain't never hit a preacher. I said, well, today could be your first.
Pastor Erik West: [00:55:10] You won't go for it. I was about 34 years old. I didn't know if I could take him, but I didn't think it was going to be the worst thing ever happened. I went to just every pastor in that way. I can't say it was the Lord, but. But he backed down and she's always just a cry. Well, he was a truck driver, and he met someone in the truck stop who worked nights, and then he married her, and it lasted two months. She's happily married today. Has a rather good life. Hmm. What's your philosophy? You got one. Everyone has a philosophy. What's your philosophy? Well, I'll tell you how I believe it. No, I don't, don't tell me how you believe. Tell me what? Tell me what the word says. Yeah. All right. So be a tennis ball. So pressure might lead you to divorce or quitting. Huh. Stressed by origin is an engineering firm, isn't it? It refers to the amount of weight that a structure such as a bridge can accommodate, or a chair, utility, trailer ladder, or anything. So relationship refers. Relationship refers to your ability to handle pressure. Being under stress. People do all kinds of things to relieve stress. They eat emotionally when they're not really hungry because they're stressed. They smoke, they dip, they vape, they whatever. Why? Because it's become a crutch to him. They think that they need it. I covered all areas, huh? Amen.
Pastor Erik West: [00:56:58] Always. You know, I've never been mad at cookies. And Barbara's never made a cake that I said, I'll never do that again. That's the naughty spit, by the way. Hallelujah. People do all kind of thing because they're looking to manage stress. Stress is the culprit for the top 4 or 5 killers in America. Stress. You know, heart disease. On and on and on. Stress is the culprit behind it. What's your philosophy? You know, but you could build your build your resilience that when the enemy comes and he will come, that you put pressure on him. Why don't you put pressure on him? He's always putting pressure on you. Why don't you put pressure on him? He wants to talk to you about your, you know, your future wants to talk to him about his. He just don't look that good. He don't look good when trouble and affliction, persecution. All this designed for you to lose your focus. Change your perspective. To change your mind. To decide to give in to pressure instead of building up your resilience. Got two minutes. First Peter 412 says not to think of these strange things when they happen, when these strange, when these things come. He said, don't think it's strange. It's come, it's come to test you. He said, that ain't strange. He said it'd be strange if it did happen. And the frame is a prophet of God. He'd been in heaven for a number of years, and he always said, he says it's always a little.
Pastor Erik West: [00:58:27] It's always concerned me a little bit. You know, when life is too smooth for too long, we just sit there like, you know, I'm very young in the ministry. I'm taking notes. He says he's concerned when things aren't going bad. Sometimes. I said, huh? So I started making notes, he says. So when? When it goes too good for too long, he said, I found the best way, you know, to. Change the dynamic of that. And we said, well, how do you do that, brother Frank? He said, well, when it's going too good for too long, he says, just start something yourself. You know, then you'll increase the odds, you know, when it's going to happen again. Like the odds of you getting on an airplane and someone has a bomb on it. Well, it's one to millions. Now you say? Well, yeah, but there's still that one chance. Well, if you take one on yourself next time, it'll go even further. You'll increase the odds even further. And we might come see you sometime in prison. But anyway. And, uh. But Peter said. But to endure. Endure means persisting without change. Can we endure without change? Can we? Is it possible? That Peter says not to think of it strange when trials come to endure. Do we endure? Are we resilient? Are we like the tennis ball? Is squash for a moment.
Pastor Erik West: [00:59:50] It gets bent out of shape a little bit, but it's not deformed. It doesn't rupture. You know, decompress, compresses and decompress and it gets knocked all over the place, right? So to persist without change when the pressure is on, don't do anything to relieve the pressure. The pressure came from him. Now he'll study you to see what you'll do under the pressure. See if your confession is always the same. Always the same every day, no matter what's going on, whether it's good or bad, whether you feel great or whether you feel terrible, whether the money's up or where the money is down, whether they like you or whether they don't like you. If your confession is always the same about who you are in him and what he has done for you, in you and through you, the enemy has no way to gauge how effective he is in your life, because you always say the same thing. How would he gauge it? He puts some things out there and you're and you're saying, you know, my my God always caused me to try. Always by his stripes, I'm healed. He who was poor became rich. That I, through his poverty, might be rich. I'm supplied on every side. Amen. Praise the Lord. Just like remodeling this building, he said. You don't even know what's. You don't even know what's happening. Better get ready. Better get ready. You're not prepared. Better get ready. Hmm'hmm.
Pastor Erik West: [01:01:24] How you do that? Well, he said, do it. See the the ability to do something. Is in the directive to do it. The enablement. To carry out what? The plan. Is it is in the directive of. If that's you bid me to come on the water. How could he walk on the water? It was in the enablement to do. It was in the word come. So when he says get this building fixed, the ability to do it was in doing it. If you'd asked me, can you raise this kind of money and a church aside in that short time, I said, there ain't no way in the world. Well, I mean, I could ask my accountant, look at things. He says, you better go to the bank. You know how much the bank wants? 10%. Today, the day on interest rates for a commercial loan. You know how much we borrowed to do this? Nothing. You know how much interest is on nothing borrowed. Boy, y'all are a quick study. Y'all are quick. All right, let me finish right here. James 124. See if you've ever done this, my brethren. Count it all joy. You ever counted joy? How many of you had to count more than one joy? You know why? You know. You know why. James would have to tell people to count it all joy. Because it ain't. You don't have to have people when it's all joyous. Paul said, count it all joy when you fall.
Pastor Erik West: [01:03:01] Oh, when you fall into various trials. Various. And there's more than one. Joseph got thrown into pit. You might be in seven. Knowing this, or we need to know something that the trial of your faith produces patience. But let patience have her perfect work. Patience is not the ability to wait a long time for God to do something. Patience is the fruit of the Holy Ghost, the fruit of the spirit that undergirds your faith. It holds things steady. While faith is actively at work in your life, patience will help faith. It comes together as a force of God to forces that patience and faith come together as twins. The Copings used to preach that that comes together as a dynamic force for God. So even while you're being patient, patient ain't just sitting. Patience is you're waiting, but you're patiently. You know, your expectation is working. Anytime you see the word hope in the Bible, just, just just change the word and you won't be changing anything. Put the word expectation. My hope is in the Lord. My expectation is the Lord. His hope won't be cut off. My expectation will never be cut off, Smith said. God will pass over a million people if he asked you to find one person believing him. He jumped a few people. Simply put, if you don't quit, you win. Be like the tennis ball that momentarily is squashed under enough pressure. It gets a bit bent out of shape, but because it's resilient, it never deforms ruptures. What I'm saying is stay in the game. Amen.
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