WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Doubt Publishing Date: 2022-01-16T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/doubt/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:14.000 at present texting me. Okay, so Jeevan is saying it's good now. So guys, so I'm out 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:20.280 of self-isolation in about four hours. Looking forward to coming out because 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:26.480 the last time I remember not having human contact like this was when I was 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:33.160 in the womb. That's the last time I didn't meet people, real people, for five 00:00:33.160 --> 00:00:38.360 days. But ever since Wednesday evening and it was just this one day that I felt 00:00:38.360 --> 00:00:46.760 kind of tired, I thought too bad I'll have to stay home for five days. So just 00:00:46.760 --> 00:00:51.840 wanted to be responsible and just wanted to, in a way, set an example for the rest 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:57.720 of us too in case there's anything like that because we sometimes only use faith 00:00:57.720 --> 00:01:03.440 and do not use rules. So just be aware of that, eh? It is what it is. Okay, so let's 00:01:03.440 --> 00:01:12.320 start. I wanted to talk about doubt today, about doubt. And it's an extreme position 00:01:12.320 --> 00:01:17.680 I'm taking when it comes to doubt. So I don't think we have a choice but to take 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:23.560 extreme positions on the word of God. Man, the music sounded so good. I was thinking 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:27.560 to myself, there was a time when we didn't know how to do these things and now I was 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:34.200 listening to the music and it was so good. So great stuff, Jane and Brandon and the rest 00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:41.200 of the crew. And like it or not, you have to admit that Sheldon's a gift, eh? That guy 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:48.200 can play. Others can too but I was listening to him today and it was fascinating. Anyways, 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:57.200 so doubt comes from the word distazo, which isn't important. It means double and it basically 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:04.480 means wavering between two minds, eh? Wavering between two minds. And so on one hand, as 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:10.760 believers, when we doubt, we affirm our belief in God, but then we question God's goodness 00:02:10.760 --> 00:02:20.480 and weigh his motives and his character. So let me say that again. Doubt is to waver 00:02:20.480 --> 00:02:27.280 between two minds. And so on one hand, I affirm my belief in God because I'm a believer, but 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:36.040 on the other hand, I'm questioning God's goodness and I'm weighing his motives and character. 00:02:36.040 --> 00:02:46.960 And it's very hard. Doubt is unstable and when you let it rule your head or your heart, 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:54.400 you become the same way, unstable. Do you realize how unstable then we really are because 00:02:54.400 --> 00:03:04.600 we doubt on a daily basis? I'm talking about doubting what God says, eh? So doubt is unstable. 00:03:04.600 --> 00:03:10.800 So if I let it rule my head, I become the same way. James chapter one verse six to eight 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:16.960 talks about it, that a man who is double-minded, is wavering, is like a piece of wood tossed 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:28.280 about the ocean and should not expect anything because he is unstable. No one is immune to 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:34.640 being tempted by doubt. No one is immune to being tempted by doubt. And so, and I'm choosing 00:03:34.640 --> 00:03:41.240 those words very carefully. I'm saying no one is immune to being tempted by doubt. But 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:52.640 once you give it some play, doubt can grow roots. Doubt can grow roots. And when you 00:03:52.800 --> 00:04:00.840 allow thoughts that contradict what God has said in his word to remain active, when you 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:09.880 allow thoughts that contradict what God has said in his word, when you allow it to remain 00:04:09.880 --> 00:04:16.840 active, when you allow it repetitively to distort what God has said, when you allow 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:24.000 it to misinterpret itself, when you allow it to deny what God is saying, then it grows 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:37.120 deep roots, eh? But I can train myself, and this is the extreme position, I can train 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:46.240 myself to never doubt. What if I chose never to doubt again? Some of you might be sitting 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:50.200 there saying, yeah, yeah, I never doubt. I would say to you that there might be one or 00:04:50.200 --> 00:04:57.720 two areas in your life where you do not doubt. But otherwise, you do doubt. As a pastor who's 00:04:57.720 --> 00:05:07.480 known you for a few years, you do doubt. You doubt many other areas of God's word. Same 00:05:07.480 --> 00:05:11.760 applies to me. There are areas where I do not have doubt, but there are so many other 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:18.560 areas where I have doubt, where it's as constant as is true. Maybe God will have some intent 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:22.880 to some other reason, some other motive. So don't fight this from the point of, but I 00:05:22.880 --> 00:05:27.040 don't doubt, I just, I'm full of faith. I just believe whatever God says, I believe. 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:31.360 If that was true of my life, my life would appear so different to you, and your life 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:36.160 would appear so different to me. So I just want to demolish anyone who's thinking that 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:44.240 they are not riddled with doubt. That is the first place I start from, that father, 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:52.880 I am unfortunately someone who doubts, and I want to end up being someone who never doubts 00:05:52.880 --> 00:06:03.960 again. What a place to live, eh? I can choose never to doubt again. Not by spouting scriptures 00:06:03.960 --> 00:06:10.960 of faith. Sometimes I almost suspect that the more I spout scriptures of faith, the 00:06:10.960 --> 00:06:20.760 more I'm trying to squash doubt. I'm not talking about squashing doubt. I think it's an effective 00:06:20.760 --> 00:06:26.760 way to deal with doubt, where you quote scriptures, but I'm trying to get to a place where I can 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:32.840 never to doubt again because of who I think God is and who I'm becoming with God. 00:06:36.440 --> 00:06:47.320 One area at a time, perhaps. So how do we go about it? First, doubt is a liar, 00:06:47.400 --> 00:06:58.600 and it began with the author of lights. Doubt is a liar. Doubt is a liar, and it began with Satan, 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:09.960 the author of lights, the father of lights. Doubt is a liar, and it began with Satan, 00:07:09.960 --> 00:07:15.800 who's the father of lights. He's the first one who introduces doubt into the garden, 00:07:16.200 --> 00:07:24.680 the garden in Genesis chapter three, when he begins to suggest to Eve that God's motives, 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:32.120 God's character, God's goodness needs to be questioned. So when talking to a believer, 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:42.680 or talking to a believer who has faith, Satan always uses doubt about God's nature, 00:07:42.840 --> 00:07:48.840 or God's intent to do something, to do something he's promised, to do something he's written in 00:07:48.840 --> 00:07:56.280 the word. When talking to a person of faith, Satan always uses doubt about God's nature or intent to 00:07:56.280 --> 00:08:06.760 do it. That is one thing, but one of the things that really bothered me was Numbers 23 19, where 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:15.640 it says that God is not a man that he should lie. God is not a man that he should lie, 00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:23.560 and this really kind of settles it for me. God is not a man that he should lie, 00:08:24.760 --> 00:08:31.560 so doubting God is like calling him a liar, and I have decided that I won't. 00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:34.680 God is not a man that he should lie, Numbers 23. 00:08:38.680 --> 00:08:41.720 So doubting God is like calling him a liar, 00:08:45.080 --> 00:08:47.960 and I have decided that I don't want to do that, 00:08:51.080 --> 00:08:57.960 because otherwise I'm aligning myself with the original accuser of God, which is Satan. 00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:03.080 The very name means accuser. Let's just read Numbers 23. 00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:07.640 I know some of you know it well, but it's worth reading. 00:09:14.280 --> 00:09:19.720 God is not a man that he should lie, or a son of man that he should change his mind. Has he said, 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:23.720 and will he not do it? Has he spoken, will he not fulfill it? Purely, 00:09:23.720 --> 00:09:27.640 has he said, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, will he not fulfill it? 00:09:28.520 --> 00:09:31.880 Let me read it one more time. God is not a man that he should lie, 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:40.120 or a son of man that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:44.520 Has he spoken, will he not fulfill it? 00:09:44.680 --> 00:09:49.720 I mean, every time then I doubt God, it's like calling him a liar, 00:09:52.440 --> 00:10:00.680 and I've decided I just won't. Otherwise, I'm aligning myself with the original accuser of God, 00:10:00.680 --> 00:10:01.720 which is Satan. 00:10:06.280 --> 00:10:08.680 The second thing I have to do to combat lies is, 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:15.320 the second thing I have to do to combat lies is, how do I deal with my feelings? Because 00:10:15.880 --> 00:10:24.040 when my mind and my emotions are fixed on a problem, doubt begins to distort the voice of 00:10:24.040 --> 00:10:33.720 God. When my mind and emotions, when my mind and emotions are fixed on a problem, 00:10:39.640 --> 00:10:42.680 it distorts, doubt 00:10:42.680 --> 00:10:54.440 distorts the voice of God. 00:11:01.800 --> 00:11:08.200 So much so that, when you look at Mary, who was in the garden, 00:11:08.760 --> 00:11:14.360 she mistook the voice of Jesus, who she really knew well as a caretaker of the graveyard, 00:11:16.760 --> 00:11:24.840 than as Jesus that she knew. Because one can get so fixated, and I'm not saying 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:33.160 it's not natural, I'm just saying, for me to get out to a place where 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:37.720 I don't succumb to doubt, I have to at some point withdraw from the, 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:43.320 not withdraw, at least draw back from the intensity of the emotions of things, 00:11:44.040 --> 00:11:52.520 and how the mind is just so vortexed into whatever is happening. And if I don't, doubt begins to 00:11:52.520 --> 00:11:59.560 distort the voice of God. Usually, when I take back my thoughts, 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:07.160 usually, when I take back my thoughts, I take back my emotions. Usually, 00:12:07.720 --> 00:12:11.160 when I take back my thoughts, I take back my emotions. 00:12:14.920 --> 00:12:21.480 Because even if things are happening outside of you, what you rehearse inside your mind is what 00:12:21.480 --> 00:12:30.440 determines your emotions. What you rehearse inside your mind is what determines your emotions. 00:12:35.880 --> 00:12:39.400 So let's just take some time off, eh? Go back to the second point, 00:12:40.280 --> 00:12:44.200 I'll write it down, and just ask, just repent of it. 00:12:44.200 --> 00:12:50.600 Number 2319. 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:55.000 Read it, and then 00:12:57.960 --> 00:13:08.760 to doubt God is to say he is lying, and make a decision 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:13.480 not to do it anymore. 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:27.320 Just take a couple of minutes off, yeah? Go ahead. 00:14:38.760 --> 00:15:00.120 Okay, so just take this to heart. It just kind of impacted me like crazy that every time I doubt, 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:08.280 I'm actually beginning to say that, God, I can't trust you, you are lying. 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:10.680 And I don't want to do that anymore. 00:15:13.880 --> 00:15:21.000 Another thing we can do is dismiss doubt by disengaging from internal conversations 00:15:21.880 --> 00:15:27.160 and external conversations that feed doubt. This happens to us on a regular basis, eh? 00:15:27.160 --> 00:15:38.040 Okay, dismiss doubt by disengaging from internal and external conversations. 00:15:38.680 --> 00:15:46.200 Internal conversations are what go on in your mind, and it's this information highway in there 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:52.920 that just is relentless, that begins to conspire on its own. 00:15:53.480 --> 00:16:00.840 Whenever I want to touch the wrong side of my hair, I forget that it's a mirror image. Sorry. 00:16:05.560 --> 00:16:09.880 So dismiss doubt by disengaging from internal and external conversations. 00:16:11.880 --> 00:16:16.760 So whenever I see myself feeding myself doubt because of something someone said, 00:16:16.760 --> 00:16:22.120 because of something someone read, because of something that I have an inferiority or I have 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:31.880 a problem with, it just keeps feeding. And so dismiss doubt by disengaging from 00:16:31.880 --> 00:16:39.400 internal conversations because entertaining doubt just multiplies it. Entertaining doubt 00:16:40.680 --> 00:16:49.400 multiplies doubt. It adds to the confusion. So don't give it the time of day. 00:16:49.400 --> 00:16:54.200 Sorry, don't give it the time of day because that was Eve's problem. 00:16:56.200 --> 00:17:04.680 She listened too long to the serpent, and the longer she listened, the worse it got. 00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:11.480 And the thing is, if you don't speak doubt, it usually aborts itself, 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:19.160 but when you verbalize it, it becomes more yours. 00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:24.920 If you don't speak doubt, it usually aborts itself, 00:17:27.560 --> 00:17:34.120 but when you verbalize it, it becomes yours. So can you repent of that too? 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:40.360 So not repent of it. Can you make a decision saying, I'll disengage 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:47.800 from internal conversations, so-called. So take time for that. 00:19:04.120 --> 00:19:16.760 Too bad. Okay, so guys, the reason I'm giving you time to repent or think about it is because 00:19:16.760 --> 00:19:27.480 you don't realize how riddled we are with doubt. Next, doubt uses time as a weapon. 00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:38.520 So when people, when I, oh, I hope I can be heard. Okay. Yeah. Doubt uses time as a weapon. 00:19:39.320 --> 00:19:47.000 So when people give up, people begin to give up when they don't see the manifestation fast enough. 00:19:47.320 --> 00:19:52.280 People begin to give up when they don't see the manifestation fast enough. 00:19:54.760 --> 00:20:02.040 It's a powerful weapon used by doubt. So do the opposite from now on, because what's our intent? 00:20:02.040 --> 00:20:06.440 Our intent is, father, I don't want to doubt you ever again. 00:20:09.320 --> 00:20:15.080 That's the extreme position we are taking. So do the opposite. When you're frustrated 00:20:16.040 --> 00:20:23.000 that the outcome is being hindered from manifesting, either by circumstances or the 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:29.640 devil or whatever the reason be, and you're frustrated that the outcome is not manifesting, 00:20:31.800 --> 00:20:40.440 just shift your faith into the next gear, because time is used as a weapon by doubt to clobber us. 00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:46.280 And so how do you move your faith into the next gear? You do that by speaking the word. 00:20:47.560 --> 00:20:54.040 You do that by calling forth what God has said in his word or things that he has promised, as in 00:20:55.240 --> 00:21:03.320 Romans 4, 17 to 21. You rebuke the condition. You rebuke the devil. 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:10.120 You rebuke the devil. You speak by faith as if it has already happened. 00:21:12.840 --> 00:21:14.760 We've talked about this when we talked about faith. 00:21:19.640 --> 00:21:26.760 At the end of the day, it is when I'm not seeing things happening, that is when I'm really defining 00:21:26.760 --> 00:21:33.000 Hebrews 11 well, where I'm living by the evidence of what and the substance of what I cannot see. 00:21:33.320 --> 00:21:40.760 So, I'm not saying that I'm not speaking it, but I'm saying that I'm not speaking it. 00:21:40.760 --> 00:21:45.720 May has a question. Dismissing doubt by not speaking it, but some legit concerns we have, 00:21:46.840 --> 00:21:50.600 how to differentiate this from platitudes and speaking things into being. 00:21:50.600 --> 00:21:54.600 Yeah, so when doubt begins to riddle you 00:21:54.600 --> 00:22:05.720 and it begins to ferment in your mind, learn how to not verbalize it because 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:13.640 doubts love being verbalized because they've begin to start this vicious cycle where 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:20.920 what I say now is what I hear is now what I think is now what I speak, and it takes on its own 00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:30.760 strength. So, that's why I would suggest to you that when doubts arise, I don't need to call you 00:22:30.760 --> 00:22:38.200 up and tell you about this could happen. What if, what if the more I verbalize it, the more I begin 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:45.080 to own it. What if I could kill it with the word of God? I'm not saying don't call a friend and 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:50.760 don't talk about your fears. No, tell people that you know well about your fears so that they 00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:57.640 walk with you and help you. I'm just saying we have this ability to start giving our doubts so 00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:05.640 much oxygen. And if we meet the wrong people, they'll add oxygen to your doubt, not faith to your doubt. 00:23:08.040 --> 00:23:10.440 I'm just appalled that a church that is 00:23:12.760 --> 00:23:16.520 well rooted in faith can still have sufficient doubt. 00:23:16.520 --> 00:23:21.880 Or that someone who loves faith can have a lot of doubt. 00:23:26.680 --> 00:23:34.680 It is when I'm not seeing the manifestation that the evidence and the substance of things unseen kicks in. 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:40.680 So, I would say refuse to be defeated by time. 00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:42.600 Refuse to be defeated by time. 00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:51.560 Wait time must not become worry time. Refuse to be defeated by time. 00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:00.360 The next thing I'd say is 00:24:00.360 --> 00:24:14.120 Larissa has a question. How do you not entertain doubt while coming alongside and helping others who are stuck there? 00:24:23.880 --> 00:24:28.120 How do you not entertain doubt while coming alongside and helping others who are stuck there? 00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:37.320 So, I don't know if I should go and help someone who is stuck in doubt if I am not in a position 00:24:38.280 --> 00:24:48.920 to stand in the truths of God unshaken and deliver to them help. Otherwise, it'll be like a non-swimmer 00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:51.560 rescuing someone who is drowning. 00:24:51.960 --> 00:25:01.720 So, if I am to help somebody in a certain area, I must be fluent and well versed in the truths of God. 00:25:02.600 --> 00:25:14.600 Otherwise, I can end up being like Job's friends giving what seems like godly advice when it can still not be God's truth. 00:25:14.600 --> 00:25:26.600 Which is kind of what I say in the next point where one of the ways to deal with doubt is to soak my life in the word and soak my life with the people of the word. 00:25:27.480 --> 00:25:36.760 Soak my life in the word and soak my life or surround me with the people of the word. 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:41.720 Soak my life in the word and soak my life 00:25:43.880 --> 00:25:54.200 or surround my life with people of the word. Which then means that you need to choose the people or the tribe you are with and your teachers carefully. 00:25:57.400 --> 00:26:02.600 Because I personally think that academia and denominational theology 00:26:02.760 --> 00:26:08.760 has sterilized faith and created more doubters than the devil. 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:14.760 That's a terrible statement to make. So let me make it again. 00:26:18.040 --> 00:26:22.040 I believe that academia and denominational theology 00:26:24.040 --> 00:26:28.840 has sterilized faith and created more doubters than the devil. 00:26:28.840 --> 00:26:38.840 In Luke 11 52, Jesus put it this way, you have the key of knowledge but you will not enter it and you will not let others enter it either. 00:26:43.080 --> 00:26:49.160 One of the things with doubt is doubt doesn't want the responsibility of believing. 00:26:49.160 --> 00:26:55.720 Doubt doesn't want the responsibility of believing. 00:26:56.040 --> 00:27:01.640 Because it's hard work guys. 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:09.240 Because the only way out of doubt is to go back into the word which then allows you to step into faith. 00:27:10.600 --> 00:27:15.960 And it's work. Doubt doesn't want the responsibility of believing. 00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:25.320 One of the ways to work around it is to create reading habits first and then keep up the habit 00:27:25.320 --> 00:27:31.080 as a lifestyle. I told you about this one preacher 00:27:33.560 --> 00:27:37.240 and the Lord told him for the next six months I only want you to read Psalm 91. 00:27:39.160 --> 00:27:42.840 And that's all he would read man Psalm 91 again and again and again and again. 00:27:43.560 --> 00:27:50.040 Six months. At one point he wanted to read 2 Timothy or 1 Timothy 00:27:50.040 --> 00:27:56.120 and as he began to read 1 Timothy his eyes began to blur because he couldn't read. 00:27:57.160 --> 00:28:01.640 And the Lord told him didn't I tell you to go back and read Psalm 91 for six months so why are you 00:28:02.520 --> 00:28:07.800 deviating from what I asked you to? But can you imagine what will happen to you if you read Psalm 61? 00:28:07.800 --> 00:28:13.400 Psalm 91 for six months. Can you imagine what will happen to you? 00:28:13.400 --> 00:28:19.480 Can you imagine the kind of person you'll become? That'll saturate you so completely 00:28:20.920 --> 00:28:27.400 that you'll be one of the boldest people on the face of the earth. COVID or no COVID? 00:28:33.800 --> 00:28:43.400 So if I am to help you in an area where I'm struggling with doubt then I should either 00:28:44.040 --> 00:28:53.400 reinforce myself or take someone with me who is less prone to doubt in that area so they can really 00:28:53.400 --> 00:29:00.680 help you. Otherwise it's quite possible that you will drown despite my help and that I will drown 00:29:00.680 --> 00:29:05.640 with you. If that is any company so be it but that isn't what you were looking for. 00:29:09.320 --> 00:29:10.120 Here's another one. 00:29:10.120 --> 00:29:17.720 Doubt grapples to understand. When things are not happening, when a promise of God that you are 00:29:17.720 --> 00:29:23.640 trusting in hasn't come to pass, you wrestle to understand. You almost feel like if you understood 00:29:23.640 --> 00:29:28.040 why it would be fine. It would all work out. You would be able to handle it. 00:29:29.800 --> 00:29:34.440 Doubt grapples to understand but in our grappling to understand, 00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:42.600 we dig a deeper hole. If you want to overcome doubt, you must realize that it is okay not to 00:29:42.600 --> 00:29:51.000 understand. When things happen despite you not deserving it. When things happen despite 00:29:52.200 --> 00:30:00.840 you living an exemplary life. When things happen despite you not deserving it. When things happen 00:30:00.840 --> 00:30:11.240 despite you living an exemplary life. When things happen despite the faith you've so clearly shown. 00:30:14.600 --> 00:30:21.160 I'm not saying you shouldn't ask, father, what's happening. I'm saying it is not important to 00:30:21.160 --> 00:30:30.680 understand. Understanding can come later. At the end of the story, Job still didn't understand 00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:39.320 why. It's we in hindsight know why. At the end of the story, Job still didn't understand why 00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:51.880 but he got caught in the last chapter of Job 42 verse 5. Let me read it. It's so beautiful. 00:31:00.680 --> 00:31:05.480 Let me read from verse 1. 00:31:07.640 --> 00:31:13.320 Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours 00:31:13.320 --> 00:31:19.800 can be thwarted. I'm reading from the ESV. I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of 00:31:19.800 --> 00:31:26.360 yours can be thwarted. Wow, man, what a statement, eh? Who is this that hides counsel without 00:31:26.360 --> 00:31:31.640 knowledge? Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand. Things too wonderful for me, 00:31:31.640 --> 00:31:36.360 which I did not know. Here and I will speak. I will question you and make it known to me. 00:31:37.160 --> 00:31:44.600 Well, I love this next slide. I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes 00:31:44.600 --> 00:31:51.000 see you. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you. Not because he 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:55.560 actually saw God, but because he came to this place where it was not important for him to 00:31:55.560 --> 00:32:02.440 understand. And then God begins to respond and he says, I'd heard of you, but I really see you now. 00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:10.440 There was a grasp that Job had. Doubt tries to destroy that. Doubt makes knowledge more important 00:32:12.120 --> 00:32:15.800 than God. The knowledge of what is happening more important than God. 00:32:15.800 --> 00:32:23.400 Soren Kierkegaard, there's a quote from him that I heard recently. He said, 00:32:24.120 --> 00:32:31.400 life is lived forward and understood backward. Life is lived forward, meaning we keep living life 00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:36.600 forward, but we will understand it backward. When we look back, we can understand it later. 00:32:37.320 --> 00:32:44.200 Doubt wants to know and understand now, and it is not important. 00:32:44.200 --> 00:32:47.800 Yeah. 00:32:47.800 --> 00:32:51.800 Does this take time to 00:32:55.480 --> 00:32:59.800 destroy the weapon of time that has been used against many of us, 00:33:01.080 --> 00:33:10.600 that has created the world, that has created the world of God, that has created the world of God, 00:33:10.600 --> 00:33:18.520 that has created doubt. The problem with doubt is this, guys, doubt in one area 00:33:19.320 --> 00:33:24.760 will then lead you to question God in other areas, too, that you are trusting him for 00:33:25.800 --> 00:33:27.560 and that you've been quite confident of. 00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:35.400 It's almost like, okay, he didn't deliver in this area, so he'd probably 00:33:35.400 --> 00:33:43.560 choose not to in the other area too. It worms its way into different compartments of your life. 00:33:43.560 --> 00:33:56.080 So just take time off right now to destroy doubt as a weapon, to destroy doubt using time as a 00:33:56.080 --> 00:34:05.360 weapon in areas where you haven't seen things happen. How do we do that? We said when we get 00:34:05.360 --> 00:34:12.920 frustrated because of things being hindered from manifesting in our lives, we'll put faith into 00:34:12.920 --> 00:34:21.120 the next gear by speaking what the Word says, by calling forth what the Word says like Abraham did, 00:34:21.120 --> 00:34:27.040 calling things that God has said are going to happen even though at present they haven't 00:34:27.040 --> 00:34:35.240 happened. Rebuking situations that aren't from God, rebuking conditions, rebuking the devil 00:34:35.240 --> 00:34:41.360 were required, speaking out faith, decrease of faith. We've talked about this in the past. 00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:52.120 This morning I was thinking of that scripture and actually woke up with this song, 00:34:52.120 --> 00:35:06.600 I know I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able, it's an old English song. 00:35:06.600 --> 00:35:15.520 Anyways, that was one song that I woke up with. I'm persuaded that you have said it to God and 00:35:15.520 --> 00:35:20.160 you're able to do it. So that's one thing. And then the other one is, I will talk about this a 00:35:20.160 --> 00:35:27.280 little later. But it is important to, we'll talk about it later, I can get there later. 00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:35.440 Let's just take time to just stop allowing the enemy to use time as a weapon. So I'm going to 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:41.000 mute again and take a couple of minutes for you to just talk to God about it. 00:37:51.160 --> 00:38:11.760 Okay. Doubt is blunted when faith and patience plow in tandem. Doubt is blunted when faith and 00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:28.800 patience plow in tandem. So faith and patience, faith plus patience, put them on a plow together 00:38:28.800 --> 00:38:41.240 and doubt is blunted. Because faith carries with it immediacy. And patience has this idea of 00:38:41.240 --> 00:39:00.200 eventuality. And doubt works here. It's in this space that doubt begins to work. But if I can get 00:39:00.200 --> 00:39:06.680 these two to plow together saying, Father, I understand that there's an immediacy to faith, 00:39:06.840 --> 00:39:16.680 that you're a now God. That when I ask according to your will, then I must also have the confidence 00:39:16.680 --> 00:39:24.920 that you hear me and if you hear me, then I can receive as my present possession what I have asked 00:39:24.920 --> 00:39:32.440 according to your will. So there's that on one side. On the other side, there is this thing of 00:39:32.520 --> 00:39:39.400 eventuality where for reasons, and there's so many different reasons we won't go into, 00:39:40.120 --> 00:39:45.800 it takes longer for it to manifest. And it is in that gap that doubt begins to work. And so 00:39:46.360 --> 00:39:58.520 when faith and patience plow in tandem, that is when doubt is blunted. This is what transpired 00:39:58.520 --> 00:40:03.960 in Abraham's life. On one hand, he changes his name because he really believes he'll be the 00:40:03.960 --> 00:40:12.520 father of nations. On the other hand, it's taking time and he refuses to allow this gap to grow. 00:40:13.080 --> 00:40:19.640 He refuses to allow this gap to grow. And one of the ways he does that is the song that I 00:40:20.200 --> 00:40:25.640 sang a little earlier, I was trying to sing, which you see in Romans chapter four. 00:40:28.760 --> 00:40:41.160 Verse 19 and 20 and 21. He did not weaken in faith when he considered this gap, 00:40:43.400 --> 00:40:48.360 when he considered his own body which was as good as dead, or when he considered the barrenness of 00:40:48.360 --> 00:40:56.760 Sarah's womb. The unbelief did not, no unbelief made him waver, but he grew strong in his faith 00:40:56.760 --> 00:41:01.320 as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 00:41:03.960 --> 00:41:08.280 Faith and patience working together, immediacy and eventuality. 00:41:09.960 --> 00:41:17.560 This is the process of maturity, eh? The Bible says that patience must have its full work 00:41:18.200 --> 00:41:19.800 before you can be made perfect. 00:41:23.080 --> 00:41:31.080 Listen to this again, Jacob, patience must have its full work before you can be made perfect. 00:41:32.520 --> 00:41:38.120 And let me not forget that the ultimate intent of God on the earth is to raise up mature, 00:41:38.120 --> 00:41:43.720 perfected sons and daughters. 00:41:47.880 --> 00:41:53.560 So even the idea of exerting faith is not so much for the release of an outcome, 00:41:53.560 --> 00:41:56.120 but first the maturing of his sons. 00:41:58.760 --> 00:42:05.800 And so blunt doubt with this amazing weapon called patience. 00:42:08.120 --> 00:42:17.320 You might say, but Jacob, I've waited really long, I've been really patient. I don't deny it, man. 00:42:17.880 --> 00:42:21.640 But this is one of the things that you're called to do along with the other things that we've been 00:42:21.640 --> 00:42:29.080 talking about. One of the cool things about teaching online is one, you don't have to wear 00:42:29.080 --> 00:42:31.560 a mask and two, you don't have any idea of time. 00:42:31.720 --> 00:42:33.720 Anyways, just a few more points and we're done. 00:42:36.120 --> 00:42:44.120 Guys, all realms, and by all realms I mean the realm of heaven, the satanic realm, the earthly realm, 00:42:45.160 --> 00:42:50.120 all realms use sight and sound to their advantage. 00:42:51.080 --> 00:42:54.680 All realms use sight and sound to their advantage. 00:42:57.800 --> 00:43:04.520 And so we are bombarded with visual imagery and sounds 00:43:05.400 --> 00:43:08.680 that are not just visual, but visual. 00:43:08.840 --> 00:43:19.400 And so we are bombarded with visual imagery and sounds, and it actually creates a labyrinth of 00:43:19.400 --> 00:43:25.960 underground tunnels in your mind. And these tunnels get flooded with thoughts and emotions 00:43:26.680 --> 00:43:28.760 by different realms at different times. 00:43:29.240 --> 00:43:36.760 And if I don't have a Philippians 4.8 filter, if I don't have Philippians 4.8 categories, 00:43:38.120 --> 00:43:47.320 then my mind will not be stayed on God as it says in Isaiah 26 verse 3 at the right time. 00:43:47.320 --> 00:43:48.440 Let me write that down. 00:43:48.920 --> 00:43:54.120 Because all realms, the realm of heaven, the realm of evil, the realm of the earth, 00:43:54.840 --> 00:44:02.040 because all realms use sight and sound, imagery and sound to influence our minds more so now than 00:44:02.040 --> 00:44:09.560 ever before, what is happening is there's this network of times where we are in the realm of 00:44:09.880 --> 00:44:13.800 sound to influence our minds more so now than ever before. 00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:20.600 What is happening is there's this network of tunnels that are constantly being dug through 00:44:20.600 --> 00:44:27.640 my head so that at the opportune time any of these realms can flood my life with thoughts and emotions. 00:44:29.640 --> 00:44:38.120 And because this is the matrix that we live in, I must cultivate Philippians 4.8 00:44:40.200 --> 00:44:43.960 filters and categories. 00:44:47.320 --> 00:44:53.640 If I don't, I will not be able to stay my mind on God. 00:44:53.640 --> 00:44:58.680 And if I'm not able to stay my mind on God, I will not have peace. 00:44:58.680 --> 00:45:02.360 So I have to ask myself the question, is it true? 00:45:03.400 --> 00:45:05.240 Is what I'm thinking right now true? 00:45:06.520 --> 00:45:14.840 Because doubt ferments in a mind that does not have Philippians 4.8 filters. 00:45:14.840 --> 00:45:15.800 Let me say that again. 00:45:15.800 --> 00:45:20.920 Doubt ferments, F-O-M-E-N-T-S and F-E-R-M-E-N-T-S. 00:45:21.000 --> 00:45:25.720 Doubt ferments and ferments in a mind that does not have Philippians 4.8 categories. 00:45:26.840 --> 00:45:28.840 And what is Philippians 4.8 categories? 00:45:28.840 --> 00:45:29.400 Is it true? 00:45:30.440 --> 00:45:32.360 Is what I'm thinking right now true? 00:45:34.760 --> 00:45:36.600 Is what I'm thinking right now honest? 00:45:38.280 --> 00:45:40.040 Is what I'm thinking right now just? 00:45:41.560 --> 00:45:43.720 Is what I'm thinking right now true? 00:45:45.560 --> 00:45:47.400 Is what I'm thinking right now fair? 00:45:47.400 --> 00:45:50.680 Is what I'm thinking right now just? 00:45:50.680 --> 00:45:55.340 Is what I'm thinking right now pure? 00:45:55.340 --> 00:45:57.360 Is what I'm thinking right now lovely? 00:45:57.360 --> 00:46:04.280 As in, does it have, I'll just leave it a lovely. 00:46:04.280 --> 00:46:09.280 Is what I'm thinking right now noble? 00:46:09.280 --> 00:46:12.080 Is what I'm thinking right now excellent? 00:46:12.080 --> 00:46:17.680 Is what I'm thinking right now virtuous? 00:46:17.680 --> 00:46:23.440 If not, I must decide that it is not my thought to consider. 00:46:23.440 --> 00:46:27.160 I must drive it away. 00:46:27.160 --> 00:46:30.400 I must take a whip and begin to drive it away. 00:46:30.400 --> 00:46:39.040 Because it is only a matter of time before my temple becomes a marketplace for thought 00:46:39.040 --> 00:46:45.200 peddlers. 00:46:45.200 --> 00:46:49.600 And then it becomes like a, it becomes like a bartering of thoughts. 00:46:49.600 --> 00:46:50.880 Now, maybe they meant this. 00:46:50.880 --> 00:46:52.080 Now, maybe they meant that. 00:46:52.080 --> 00:46:53.560 Now, maybe it was this. 00:46:53.560 --> 00:46:54.920 Maybe that's not what the Bible says. 00:46:54.920 --> 00:46:56.080 Maybe Greek means this. 00:46:56.080 --> 00:46:57.440 Maybe Hebrew means that. 00:46:57.440 --> 00:46:58.580 Maybe he's not a healer. 00:46:58.580 --> 00:46:59.780 Maybe he is a healer. 00:46:59.780 --> 00:47:01.720 Maybe he punishes you. 00:47:01.720 --> 00:47:03.080 Maybe he doesn't punish you. 00:47:03.080 --> 00:47:06.160 It becomes such a confusing mess. 00:47:06.160 --> 00:47:10.520 And Isaiah 26, 3 becomes absolutely impossible. 00:47:10.520 --> 00:47:14.480 He whose mind is stayed on God will have his peace. 00:47:14.480 --> 00:47:21.360 This is why I said this is sometimes work. 00:47:21.360 --> 00:47:22.960 I would not say it's work. 00:47:22.960 --> 00:47:25.240 I would say it's a discipline. 00:47:25.240 --> 00:47:29.480 And as with every discipline, if I can delight first, discipline becomes easy. 00:47:29.480 --> 00:47:35.440 If I don't delight and go for discipline, it's a little harder. 00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:37.520 So what do you delight in then? 00:47:37.520 --> 00:47:47.440 You delight in the fact that, Father, I am, this is such a ridiculous statement for the 00:47:47.440 --> 00:47:53.400 rest of my life, but I get to try it today. 00:47:53.400 --> 00:47:58.000 And then when I wake up tomorrow, I can try it again tomorrow. 00:47:58.000 --> 00:47:59.480 And this is my delight. 00:48:00.480 --> 00:48:05.280 I will never doubt you again. 00:48:05.280 --> 00:48:15.040 Selah, I will never doubt what you say again. 00:48:15.040 --> 00:48:22.440 I will never doubt what you have written in your word again. 00:48:22.440 --> 00:48:23.440 That's impossible. 00:48:23.440 --> 00:48:26.000 Well, it's working today. 00:48:26.000 --> 00:48:29.000 That's fine. 00:48:29.000 --> 00:48:35.000 And then when tomorrow comes, we can start afresh. 00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:41.000 Imagine if we became a church that never doubts. 00:48:41.000 --> 00:48:45.000 Anyone who joins us with the last name Thomas will have to change their names. 00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:47.000 What can we do? 00:48:47.000 --> 00:48:55.000 Thank God it's not Derek Thomas. 00:48:59.000 --> 00:49:04.000 Just two more points with obviously five subsections. 00:49:04.000 --> 00:49:09.000 Are you sending me any questions? 00:49:09.000 --> 00:49:16.000 Let me just check. 00:49:16.000 --> 00:49:19.000 No, all good. 00:49:19.000 --> 00:49:25.000 You know, there is something strange that has happened over the last five days since I've been in self isolation. 00:49:25.000 --> 00:49:29.000 I'm having more water, less coffee. 00:49:29.000 --> 00:49:32.000 Now I'm having fruit for breakfast. 00:49:32.000 --> 00:49:35.000 Stranger. 00:49:35.000 --> 00:49:38.000 Yeah, I hope it doesn't last too long. 00:49:38.000 --> 00:49:41.000 I'll be out this evening. 00:49:41.000 --> 00:49:42.000 Just watch out. 00:49:42.000 --> 00:49:48.000 Stay off the roads. 00:49:48.000 --> 00:49:54.000 Like I said, hasn't happened to me since I was in the womb. 00:49:54.000 --> 00:49:58.000 Okay. 00:49:58.000 --> 00:50:01.000 Another way to come against joy. 00:50:01.000 --> 00:50:05.000 Sorry, come against doubt is to be of good cheer. 00:50:05.000 --> 00:50:09.000 Another way to come against doubt is to be of good cheer. 00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:17.000 Be of good cheer. 00:50:17.000 --> 00:50:23.000 Why? Because doubt and joy aren't compatible. 00:50:23.000 --> 00:50:27.000 Doubt and joy aren't compatible. 00:50:27.000 --> 00:50:31.000 Doubt and joy aren't compatible. 00:50:31.000 --> 00:50:38.000 Joy is prophetic in that it grasps the outcome with finishing faith. 00:50:38.000 --> 00:50:49.000 Joy is, I mean people don't think like this, but joy is actually prophetic because it grabs the outcome with finishing faith. 00:50:49.000 --> 00:50:54.000 This is what you see in Habakkuk chapter 3, verse 17 to 19. 00:50:54.000 --> 00:51:04.000 Though the fig tree has not blossomed, I will do cartwheels of joy. 00:51:04.000 --> 00:51:12.000 So joy is prophetic in that it grasps the outcome with finishing faith even though the fig tree has not blossomed. 00:51:12.000 --> 00:51:20.000 But doubt is usually blinded by and overwhelmed by present reality. 00:51:20.000 --> 00:51:25.000 We are so overwhelmed by present reality that doubt enters in. 00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:31.000 Once doubt enters in, you cannot see, you cannot hear, you cannot believe the promise of God. 00:51:31.000 --> 00:51:37.000 You cannot see, you cannot hear, you cannot believe the goodness of God. 00:51:37.000 --> 00:51:39.000 Why? 00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:49.000 Because present reality is so overwhelming that it blinds me from being able to see. 00:51:49.000 --> 00:51:54.000 It's one thing to be blinded from being able to see the goodness of God. 00:51:54.000 --> 00:52:06.000 What bothers me is it then moves into clouding the face of God and being suspicious of people. 00:52:09.000 --> 00:52:20.000 So it's not that it takes away from my ability to see the promise of God, it begins to darken the face of God. 00:52:20.000 --> 00:52:24.000 That's what doubt does. That's what happened in Genesis chapter 3. 00:52:24.000 --> 00:52:36.000 We don't realize that almost everything in the first 3 to 11 chapters of Genesis sets up a pattern for the rest of the earth, till Jesus comes. 00:52:37.000 --> 00:52:43.000 So I would say get to joy before doubt gets to you. 00:52:43.000 --> 00:52:52.000 Get to joy before doubt gets to you. Every morning, there will be enough during the day to bring in doubt. 00:52:52.000 --> 00:52:56.000 But get to joy before doubt gets to you. 00:52:56.000 --> 00:52:59.000 Find it or find the people with it. 00:52:59.000 --> 00:53:02.000 But get to joy before doubt gets to you. 00:53:02.000 --> 00:53:14.000 That's why the advice that Jane was giving you saying, Father, it doesn't matter that the songs seem unplanned, 00:53:14.000 --> 00:53:21.000 but we want to be using Sundays as a practice because during the week this is how we'll function. 00:53:24.000 --> 00:53:26.000 Last point. 00:53:26.000 --> 00:53:36.000 I overcome doubt by getting back into faith. 00:53:36.000 --> 00:53:39.000 I overcome doubt by getting back into faith. 00:53:39.000 --> 00:53:52.000 And there's no way to get back into faith than coming to the word of God and reading and hearing it and speaking it. 00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:54.000 I overcome doubt. 00:53:54.000 --> 00:54:03.000 There's no way of overcoming doubt by going to a counselor, by listening to good music and all this stuff. 00:54:03.000 --> 00:54:08.000 That's a stopgap. That's a mandate. 00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:18.000 Getting back into faith requires that I get back into the word of God and hear it, receive it, study it, speak it. 00:54:18.000 --> 00:54:24.000 Faith comes by hearing and hearing with ears of faith. 00:54:24.000 --> 00:54:29.000 It's odd, eh? Faith comes by hearing, but I must hear with ears of faith. 00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:39.000 Let me say that again. Faith comes by hearing, but I must hear with ears of faith, 00:54:39.000 --> 00:54:45.000 as in ears that are willing to say, Oh God, you do not lie. 00:54:46.000 --> 00:54:50.000 Numbers 23, 19 is a brilliant scripture. 00:54:50.000 --> 00:54:54.000 It's God saying it about himself, eh? Let me read it again. 00:55:01.000 --> 00:55:06.000 Sure, I feel bad that he has to say these things about himself. 00:55:06.000 --> 00:55:16.000 God is not man that he should lie, or a son of man that he should change his mind. 00:55:16.000 --> 00:55:26.000 Has he said? And will he not do it? Has he spoken? And will he not fulfill it? 00:55:26.000 --> 00:55:36.000 Message. God is not man, one given to lies and not a son of man changing his mind. 00:55:36.000 --> 00:55:43.000 Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through? 00:55:45.000 --> 00:55:53.000 NLT. God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. 00:55:53.000 --> 00:56:02.000 Has he ever spoken in faith to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? 00:56:05.000 --> 00:56:16.000 NIRV. God is not a mere man, he can't lie. He is not a human being, he doesn't change his mind. 00:56:16.000 --> 00:56:21.000 He speaks and then he acts, he makes a promise, and then he keeps it. 00:56:24.000 --> 00:56:35.000 If Jane doesn't have any other song after this, I pray God that you just sing the chorus of Promise Keeper. 00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:43.000 Maybe not, pick another song. We've sung that so many times. Or maybe, I'll leave that to you. 00:56:44.000 --> 00:56:49.000 So one of the ways we all come out is getting back into faith. 00:56:50.000 --> 00:56:56.000 That only comes by hearing the Word of God, but hearing with the ears of faith. 00:56:57.000 --> 00:57:04.000 Receiving it, marinating in it, speaking it. 00:57:05.000 --> 00:57:11.000 So my question to you is, do you meditate? Do you meditate? 00:57:12.000 --> 00:57:27.000 And I've said this before, but meditation is God-directed self-talk. 00:57:30.000 --> 00:57:33.000 Meditation is God-directed self-talk. 00:57:34.000 --> 00:57:39.000 Do you meditate? Do you engage in God-directed self-talk? 00:57:41.000 --> 00:57:49.000 God has said something and you literally talk yourself into what God has said. 00:57:51.000 --> 00:57:58.000 Writing it down, speaking it, remembering scriptures, memorizing them, going over them. 00:57:58.000 --> 00:58:05.000 Guys, remember one thing, doubt speaks and it can sabotage life. 00:58:06.000 --> 00:58:12.000 And therefore, faith must speak too. Doubt speaks. 00:58:13.000 --> 00:58:17.000 Go back to Genesis and you see that again. 00:58:18.000 --> 00:58:24.000 Serpent introduced doubt. He introduced doubt by speaking it. Doubt speaks. 00:58:24.000 --> 00:58:28.000 It's the same ploy again and again and again. 00:58:29.000 --> 00:58:35.000 Doubt speaks. Doubt speaks through experts. Doubt speaks through pastors. 00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:40.000 Doubt speaks through books. Doubt speaks through circumstances. 00:58:41.000 --> 00:58:44.000 The world around you, news media. Doubt speaks through the fallen nature of the world. 00:58:45.000 --> 00:58:52.000 Doubt speaks through things we are unable to fathom. Doubt speaks through delay. 00:58:52.000 --> 00:59:02.000 Doubt speaks and can sabotage life. Doubt speaks through the experiences that we've been through. 00:59:03.000 --> 00:59:06.000 Doubt speaks through the fear we've developed. 00:59:07.000 --> 00:59:12.000 Doubt speaks and can sabotage life. Therefore, faith must speak. 00:59:13.000 --> 00:59:18.000 You see this being played out in Isaiah 36 verse 5. 00:59:18.000 --> 00:59:22.000 Isaiah 36 verse 5. I'm reading from the ESV. 00:59:23.000 --> 00:59:29.000 Isaiah 36 verse 5. 00:59:30.000 --> 00:59:32.000 Man, this is the longest I've spoken in five days. 00:59:33.000 --> 00:59:43.000 I've been doing a lot of God-directed self-talk and text messaging, but to actually speak, this is fun. I missed it. 00:59:43.000 --> 00:59:50.000 Isaiah 36 verse 5 from the ESV. 00:59:51.000 --> 01:00:03.000 And this is a guy called Rabshakeh, who is a general to the king of Assyria. 01:00:04.000 --> 01:00:08.000 And look at what he says in Isaiah 36 verse 5 in the ESV. 01:00:08.000 --> 01:00:13.000 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? 01:00:14.000 --> 01:00:17.000 And whom do you now trust that you have rebelled against me? 01:00:18.000 --> 01:00:23.000 I love the play of words. He's trying to tell Israel, listen, your words mean nothing. So don't even speak faith. 01:00:24.000 --> 01:00:32.000 The enemy uses words to bring doubt so that we may not speak words of faith. 01:00:33.000 --> 01:00:36.000 And he did it in Genesis 3. He's doing it again in Isaiah 36 verse 5. 01:00:36.000 --> 01:00:41.000 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? 01:00:42.000 --> 01:00:47.000 The answer is yes. In whom do you now trust that you have rebelled against me? 01:00:48.000 --> 01:00:52.000 And then you see what Isaiah says in Isaiah 37 verse 6. 01:00:53.000 --> 01:01:00.000 Isaiah said to them, say to your master, as in King Hezekiah, 01:01:00.000 --> 01:01:05.000 that says a lot, do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, 01:01:06.000 --> 01:01:09.000 with which the young men of the king of Assyria have rebelled me. 01:01:10.000 --> 01:01:12.000 And then God begins to declare His words. 01:01:13.000 --> 01:01:20.000 You know, children don't doubt. A child does not doubt. 01:01:21.000 --> 01:01:24.000 A child has to learn at some point to be afraid. 01:01:25.000 --> 01:01:29.000 A child has to learn to distrust. 01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:38.000 So speak, speak your faith. 01:01:39.000 --> 01:01:47.000 You will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move. 01:01:48.000 --> 01:01:54.000 Do you know that the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5.28, 01:01:55.000 --> 01:01:59.000 she said that she would be healed once she touched Jesus' clothes. 01:02:00.000 --> 01:02:05.000 It's one of our problems at Acts 29. 01:02:06.000 --> 01:02:10.000 We understand, we believe, but we do not say as much. 01:02:11.000 --> 01:02:14.000 And I've tried to break that for years with some success. 01:02:15.000 --> 01:02:23.000 You must say, you must say not like a mantra, not like a chant. 01:02:24.000 --> 01:02:28.000 I hate that when Christians just spout off scriptures, 01:02:28.000 --> 01:02:34.000 thinking that saying it that way is going to ward off some kind of evil or doubt. 01:02:35.000 --> 01:02:38.000 No, this is a problem, right? 01:02:39.000 --> 01:02:44.000 Because it is not enough for us to recite verses. 01:02:45.000 --> 01:02:46.000 You can start there. 01:02:47.000 --> 01:02:52.000 But I've got to get to a place where these words have become so normal to me 01:02:53.000 --> 01:02:56.000 that out of the abundance of my heart, the mouth is speaking, 01:02:56.000 --> 01:02:59.000 not out of the memorizing of my mind. 01:03:00.000 --> 01:03:03.000 So, let me end. 01:03:04.000 --> 01:03:10.000 What if I chose never to doubt again? 01:03:11.000 --> 01:03:12.000 What are you doubting right now? 01:03:13.000 --> 01:03:19.000 What is it that in your life at this present moment you're struggling with? 01:03:20.000 --> 01:03:25.000 You've walked well, you've shown faith, you've stood. 01:03:26.000 --> 01:03:30.000 Some of you have stood long, some of you for two weeks. 01:03:31.000 --> 01:03:40.000 You're undergoing whatever the effect of what you're standing up for is putting on you. 01:03:41.000 --> 01:03:47.000 You hear stories of how it didn't work out for others. 01:03:48.000 --> 01:03:57.000 Your experience doesn't seem to have changed over the last 10 days, two weeks, two years. 01:04:00.000 --> 01:04:04.000 And you don't want to entertain doubt, but in the back of your mind, 01:04:05.000 --> 01:04:08.000 there is this thought process that's beginning to churn. 01:04:09.000 --> 01:04:11.000 Go over these notes, eh? 01:04:12.000 --> 01:04:16.000 Because I want us to become people who never doubt again. 01:04:17.000 --> 01:04:18.000 And you can choose that. 01:04:19.000 --> 01:04:22.000 What if I chose never to doubt again? 01:04:23.000 --> 01:04:26.000 I can train myself never to doubt again. 01:04:27.000 --> 01:04:30.000 I'll end with the first point, which for me is the most precious one. 01:04:31.000 --> 01:04:36.000 Doubt is a liar because it began with the author of lies. 01:04:36.000 --> 01:04:38.000 He used it against Eve. 01:04:41.000 --> 01:04:43.000 She listened for too long. 01:04:44.000 --> 01:04:46.000 I mean, when he first approached her and said, 01:04:47.000 --> 01:04:48.000 what did God say? 01:04:49.000 --> 01:04:50.000 She spoke the truth. 01:04:51.000 --> 01:04:52.000 She should have walked away. 01:04:53.000 --> 01:04:56.000 But she engaged in a long conversation, and the longer she engaged, 01:04:57.000 --> 01:04:58.000 the more doubt entered. 01:04:59.000 --> 01:05:01.000 She should have shut it down right after what she said. 01:05:02.000 --> 01:05:03.000 But she didn't. 01:05:06.000 --> 01:05:13.000 She should have dismissed doubt by disengaging from internal conversations 01:05:14.000 --> 01:05:18.000 inside your head and external conversations with people who feed it 01:05:19.000 --> 01:05:20.000 or circumstances that feed it. 01:05:21.000 --> 01:05:23.000 Doubt is a liar. 01:05:26.000 --> 01:05:30.000 It is, and here's the atrocity of it. 01:05:30.000 --> 01:05:33.000 When I say doubt is a liar, the intent is always, 01:05:34.000 --> 01:05:40.000 can I lie to you about the nature of God and His intentions towards you? 01:05:43.000 --> 01:05:48.000 And given Numbers 23, 19, doubting God is like calling Him a liar. 01:05:50.000 --> 01:05:54.000 And I have decided that I won't. 01:05:54.000 --> 01:05:59.000 And I'll use all these points to my advantage, and so will you. 01:06:00.000 --> 01:06:05.000 We will align ourselves with Him who said He is the way, 01:06:06.000 --> 01:06:08.000 the truth, and the life. He is for us. 01:06:09.000 --> 01:06:10.000 Yeah. 01:06:11.000 --> 01:06:15.000 Look forward to seeing you guys on a one-on-one basis this week. 01:06:16.000 --> 01:06:19.000 And I'll see you next time. 01:06:24.000 --> 01:06:28.000 Surprisingly, it's been a good five days for me, man. 01:06:31.000 --> 01:06:33.000 I've come out looking forward to life. 01:06:35.000 --> 01:06:38.000 I think sometimes it's good if you have to self-isolate, 01:06:39.000 --> 01:06:41.000 and all you have is you, yourself, and God. 01:06:43.000 --> 01:06:44.000 It's a good thing. 01:06:45.000 --> 01:06:47.000 You rarely get to do this. 01:06:49.000 --> 01:06:52.000 I'm talking about myself, but let me not go there. 01:06:52.000 --> 01:06:53.000 Let's end on this. 01:06:54.000 --> 01:06:55.000 Yeah, I've been blessed. 01:06:56.000 --> 01:06:59.000 It's such a pleasure watching this online. 01:07:01.000 --> 01:07:05.000 This is the first time I'm watching Acts 29 online, and it sounded so good. 01:07:06.000 --> 01:07:09.000 And I was so happy to be able to worship online. 01:07:10.000 --> 01:07:11.000 I've never done that before with Acts 29. 01:07:12.000 --> 01:07:13.000 So that was a new experience for me, too. 01:07:14.000 --> 01:07:16.000 So bless you guys. I'll let Derek take over from here. 01:07:17.000 --> 01:07:19.000 Talk to you guys later. Bye. 01:07:22.000 --> 01:07:23.000 Thanks for watching.