WELL, I HOPE TODAY THAT, THAT SONG (IT IS NO SECRET WHAT GOD CAN DO) ENCOURAGED YOUR HEART. YOU SEE, IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT I COULD CONVEY TO YOU, IT WOULD BE THAT MESSAGE OF HOPE. THAT GOD WILL BE THERE TO HELP YOU IN THE MIDST OF WHAT YOU'RE FACING. NOW, ALL OF US ARE FACING SOMETHING. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANY OF US CAN ESCAPE THIS WORLD TODAY WITHOUT HAVING TO FACE SOME SORT OF A SITUATION. A TROUBLE OR TRIAL THAT MANIFEST ITSELF IN SOME PART OF OUR LIFE. AND AS WE HAVE TRIED TO CONVEY THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE SERVICE TODAY, JESUS IS THE SOURCE THAT WE CAN TURN TO, TO HELP US IN THOSE MOMENTS OF TIME. NOW, I TALK ABOUT THIS QUITE OFTEN BECAUSE, WELL, I JUST KNOW, THIS IS HOW THINGS ARE TODAY. WE ALL FACE SITUATIONS, THAT ONE DAY WE'RE STRONG ENOUGH TO FACE. BUT ON ANOTHER DAY, WE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY STRENGTH, TO FACE AT ALL. AND IT'S IN THAT MOMENT, THAT MANY TIMES, WE JUST GIVE UP. AND WHEN WE GIVE UP, WE HAVE REMOVED OURSELVES FROM A POSITION, WHERE WE CAN EXPERIENCE THE MIRACULOUS FROM GOD. TODAY, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPONS THAT THE ENEMY USES AGAINST US, IS THE WEAPON OF DISCOURAGEMENT. AND I FIND MYSELF, AND IN FACT, I FIND MYSELF AS I TALK TO MANY PEOPLE, I FIND THAT DISCOURAGEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN AFFECT ALL OF US. IT'S ONE THING TO SAY WE NEVER GET DISCOURAGED, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO ACTUALLY NOT BE DISCOURAGED. I THINK TODAY, I'M TALKING TO SOME FOLK THAT ARE ALREADY DISCOURAGED. HE WE ARE BARELY A MONTH INTO A NEW YEAR AND SOME THINGS HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED. PERHAPS SOME TRAGEDIES HAVE OCCURRED. SOME DEVASTATING NEWS HAS COME. MAYBE SOMETHING HAS ARRIVED AT YOUR HOUSEHOLD THAT YOU DIDN'T EXPECT. AND TODAY, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN BLOW AFTER BLOW AFTER BLOW. AND YOU'RE NOT CERTAIN YOU CAN TAKE ANOTHER PUNCH. AND YOU ARE DISCOURAGED IN THE MIDST OF WHAT YOU'RE FACING. EVEN THE MOST TRIED AND TRUE CHRISTIAN WILL AT TIMES BE DISCOURAGED. NOW, AFTER HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, I REALIZE THAT THE NEWS THAT I'M SHARING WITH YOU, MAY IN AND OF ITSELF BE DISCOURAGING. AND I DON'T WANT TO DISCOURAGE YOU ANY FURTHER, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU. SO AS WE TURN TO THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY TODAY, I WANT US TO TURN TO THE FIRST CHAPTER AND READ ONE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE. WE'RE GOING TO PICK THE STORY UP TODAY AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE STORY OF ISRAEL. GOD HAS PROMISED THEM SOME ASTOUNDING THINGS. HE HAS DONE FOR THEM SOME ASTOUNDING THINGS. SOME THINGS THAT JUST DEFIED LOGIC, SOME THINGS THAT WENT BEYOND IMAGINATION. BUT GOD DID THEM THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER ISRAEL FROM THEIR BONDAGE. LISTEN TO THE WORD IN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 1, VERSE 21. IT SAYS, "BEHOLD THE LORD THY GOD, HATH SET THE LAND BEFORE THEE. GO UP AND POSSESS IT. AS THE LORD GOD OF THY FATHERS HAS SAID UNTO THEE, FEAR NOT, NEITHER BE DISCOURAGED." NOW I CHOSE THAT VERSE OF SCRIPTURE BECAUSE HERE IN THE MIDST OF THIS GREAT PROMISE AND THIS GREAT COMMAND. GOD ELUDES TO THE FACT, THAT EVEN THOUGH WE SEE HIM DO AMAZING THINGS, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN COUNT A LONG LIST OF MIRACLES THAT HE'S ALREADY PERFORMED, GOD UNDERSTANDS HUMAN NATURE. THAT EVEN IN THE MIDST OF ALL THAT EVIDENCE OF GOD'S CARE AND HIS CONCERN, HE KNOWS THAT WE IN OUR WEAKNESS WILL STILL BECOME DISCOURAGED. THINK ABOUT THIS. ISRAEL WAS GOD'S PEOPLE. JUST AS YOU AND I AS CHRISTIANS, BELONG TO THE LORD. WE ARE GOD'S PEOPLE. ISRAEL FOUND THEMSELVES IN BONDAGE. THEY WERE AT THE MERCY, OR MAYBE I SHOULD SAY, THE LACK OF MERCY OF THEIR TASKMASTERS. IN FACT, WHEN GOD APPEARS TO MOSES IN THE BURNING BUSH HE SAYS TO MOSES, "I HAVE HEARD THEIR CRY BY REASON OF THEIR TASKMASTER." SO GOD IDENTIFIES HIS CHILDREN AND HE IDENTIFIES WITH HEARING THE CRY OF HIS CHILDREN. AND MAY I STOP HERE LONG ENOUGH TO REMIND YOU, THAT WHEN YOU AS ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN CRY OUT, HE DOES HEAR YOUR CRY. OH, I KNOW THAT ENEMY WOULD LIKE TO COME BY AND WHISPER IN YOUR EAR THAT GOD'S NOT PAYING ATTENTION, THAT GOD'S NOT LISTENING, THAT GOD DOESN'T CARE, THAT GOD DOESN'T EVEN NOTICE THAT YOU'RE IN TROUBLE. BUT FRIEND TODAY, IF YOU BELONG TO THE LORD, HE DOES CARE, HE DOES NOTICE AND WHEN YOU CRY OUT TO HIM, HE DOES PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR CRY. WE CAN CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD AND THE BIBLE SAYS, WE WILL BE SAVED. NOW, THAT WORD "SAVED" CAN APPLY TO OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION. BUT IT CAN ALSO APPLY TO THE CONDITION OF OUR LIVES IN WHATEVER WE MAY BE GOING THROUGH. GOD HAS SAVED US FROM SO MANY THINGS. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE COME ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL ABILITY TO DESTROY US. NOT JUST OUR SPIRIT, BUT DESTROY OUR MIND AND DESTROY OUR BODY. BUT GOD IS A GOD WHO CAN DO ANYTHING. AND TODAY, THOUGH YOU MAY BE IN A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE CRYING OUT TO GOD, FOR SOMETHING BEYOND JUST A SPIRITUAL CONDITION, I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT GOD CAN DO WHATEVER YOU NEED HIM TO DO, IN WHATEVER YOU ARE GOING THROUGH. IF YOU NEED HIM TO HELP YOU WITH A BATTLE IN YOUR MIND, GOD CAN DO THAT. IF YOU NEED HIM TO HELP YOU WITH A BODY PROBLEM, A PHYSICAL PROBLEM, GOD CAN DO THAT. OH, I WANT TO REMIND YOU, HE'S STILL THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. AND WE ARE STILL HEALED BY THE STRIPES THAT WERE PUT UPON HIS BACK. SO WHEN THE ENEMY COMES, HE WILL BRING MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF BONDAGE'S, THAT HE WILL TRY TO ENSNARE US WITH. BUT AS WE CRY OUT TO THE LORD, THE LORD HEARS US, WE'RE HIS CHILDREN. NOW, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU WITH THIS. JUST AS THEY CRIED OUT TO GOD IN THE DAY OF ISRAEL'S CAPTIVITY AND GOD HEARD THEIR CRY, GOD PROMISED THAT HE WAS COMING DOWN TO DELIVER THEM. AND HE HAS PROMISED THAT HE WOULD COME DOWN TO DELIVER YOU AND I TODAY. HOW MANY TIMES HAS HE DONE THAT FOR US? MANY TIMES HE HAS DONE THAT. AND TODAY, HE'LL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. IF HE NEEDS TO DO IT FOR US. GOD WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET US FROM HERE TO THERE. AND ALONG THE WAY THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PITFALLS, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF SNARES. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF DANGEROUS PLACES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JOURNEY THROUGH. GOD WILL HELP US THROUGH THAT. YOU SEE, WHEN GOD PROMISED MOSES THAT HE WAS COMING DOWN TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE, GOD ALREADY HAD A PLAN AND GOD ALREADY KNEW WHAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO DO. AND THOUGH ISRAEL DIDN'T KNOW, THEY JUST SIMPLY APPLIED WHAT FAITH THEY HAD. AND AS THEY DID THAT, AND THEY CONTINUED TO CRY OUT TO THE LORD, THE LORD DID SOME PRETTY AMAZING THINGS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PLAGUES THAT HE SENT TO EGYPT, THOSE WERE ALL DIVINE MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD'S INTERCESSION. THOSE WERE NOT NATURAL OCCURRENCES. THOSE WERE NOT JUST COINCIDENCES OF TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCE. THOSE WERE THE HAND OF GOD MOVING AND USING SOMETHING, FOR INSTANCE, FROGS, LICE, FLIES, TURNING THE WATER INTO BLOOD, MANY OTHER THINGS. GOD DID ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO BREAK THE WILL OF PHARAOH AND EGYPT, SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF GOD COULD BE SET FREE. NOW THE ENEMY TODAY, KNOWS THAT HE'S NO MATCH FOR GOD. I LIKE THAT. I TRY TO REMIND MYSELF OF THAT DAILY. BECAUSE AS LONG AS I KEEP MY HANDS IN THE HAND OF THE LORD, I KNOW THAT WHEN THE ENEMY COMES AGAINST ME, HE'S ALSO COMING AGAINST GOD. AND THE ENEMY IS NO MATCH FOR GOD. GOD WILL INTERVENE AND WHEN GOD INTERVENES, THAT ENEMY HAS TO DO WHATEVER GOD COMMANDS. IN FACT, AS I READ THE STORY OF JOB, I'M MADE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE ENEMY CAN'T EVEN COME TO TRY ME, UNLESS HE FIRST GETS GOD'S PERMISSION. SO TODAY, I'M ENCOURAGED IN THIS, THAT IF GOD HAS ALLOWED THE ENEMY TO COME, THEN GOD HAS CONFIDENCE IN ME. THAT CONFIDENCE IS NOT IN MY OWN ABILITY. BUT THAT CONFIDENCE IS BUILT IN MY TRUST OF GOD AND MY FAITH IN GOD, THAT GOD WILL TAKE OF ME IN THE MIDST OF THE TEST AND THE TRIAL. TODAY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO FIGHT OFF DISCOURAGEMENT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HOLD ON TO THAT TRUST AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT FAITH. BECAUSE IF YOU LET GO OF FAITH, THEN YOU WILL LOSE HOPE AND IF YOU LOSE HOPE, YOU WILL BE DISCOURAGED. WHAT IS THE GREATEST ENEMY OF DISCOURAGEMENT? IT'S HOPE. AS LONG AS I CAN HAVE HOPE, THEN SOMEWHERE AHEAD OF ME, THERE IS A SOLUTION TO WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH. THERE IS THE ABILITY FOR GOD TO DIVINELY INTERVENE AND BECAUSE OF HIS DIVINE INTERCESSION THAT SITUATION THAT I'M FACING WILL BE RESOLVED AND I WILL BE LOOSED FROM ITS GRIP I WILL BE SET FREE FROM ITS BONDAGE, AND I'LL BE ABLE TO STAND AND REJOICE AT WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE. BUT IF I LOSE HOPE BECAUSE I HAVE LOST FAITH, THEN I DON'T SEE THE POTENTIAL OF WHAT GOD CAN DO. THEN I DON'T SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF GOD'S DIVINE INTERVENTION. ALL I SEE IS MY WEAKNESS AND ALL I SEE IS THE LARGENESS OF MY CIRCUMSTANCE. AND SO I BECOME DISCOURAGED. WHEN YOU LOOK AT ISRAEL'S STORY, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ISRAEL. AS LONG AS THEY LOOKED AT GOD AND AS LONG AS THEY WERE REMINDED OF WHAT GOD WAS DOING FOR THEM, THEIR FAITH WAS STRONG, THEY HAD HOPE AND THEY KNEW THEY WOULD BE VICTORIOUS. THE MINUTE THEY TOOK THEIR EYES OFF FROM GOD AND THEY PUT THEIR EYES ON THE CIRCUMSTANCE BEFORE THEM, FOR INSTANCE, THE GIANTS OF THE LAND. AS LONG AS THEY WERE LOOKING AT GOD, CALEB AND JOSHUA'S FAITH HELPS US TO SEE, WHAT THE PEOPLE OF FAITH SAW, THEY SAW THE GIANTS AS BEING SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD CONQUER. BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SITUATION THROUGH THE EYES OF FAITHLESS ISRAEL, THEY SAW THEMSELVES AS GRASSHOPPERS IN COMPARISON TO THE GIANTS OF THE LAND. TODAY, THAT'S HOW FAITH WORKS. FAITH WILL MAKE YOU THE GIANT AND YOUR SITUATION THE GRASSHOPPER. BUT WHEN YOU LOSE FAITH, IT WILL MAKE YOU THE GRASSHOPPER AND THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, THE GIANT. AND THEN WE BECOME DISCOURAGED. HARDLY ANYBODY EVER WINS WHEN THEY'RE IN THE MIDST OF DISCOURAGEMENT. BECAUSE THEY JUST SIMPLY, NO LONGER TRY. THEY GIVE UP TO THE BATTLE. OH, I KNOW TODAY IN JUST THE FEW MOMENTS THAT I HAVE LEFT, THAT THERE ARE A LOT THINGS THAT I JUST NEED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE, AS THINGS THAT COME AND DISCOURAGE US. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE THE LENGTHY BATTLES THAT WE GO THROUGH. IT'S TRUE TODAY, WE BECOME BATTLE WEARY. SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN FIGHTING FOR YEARS AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'VE GAINED EVEN AN INCH OF GROUND AS WE HAVE FOUGHT THE BATTLE. WE FINALLY GIVE UP TO THE WEARINESS OF THAT STRUGGLE AND WE GIVE IN BECAUSE WE ARE DISCOURAGED. I KNOW THAT IT CAN BE THAT BECAUSE A CIRCUMSTANCE NEVER SEEMS TO CHANGE, THAT WE FINALLY GIVE UP TO THE CIRCUMSTANCE. I KNOW THAT WE CAN BE DISCOURAGED BY IMPOSSIBILITIES. WHEN WE'VE LOOKED AT SOMETHING FROM EVERY ANGLE AND SAID, "THERE'S JUST NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE." WE DON'T FACTOR IN, GOD'S DIVINE ABILITY. WE SIMPLY USE OUR OWN ABILITY TO JUDGE THE OUTCOME. AND WE BECOME DISCOURAGED. WE ARE MOST OFTEN DISCOURAGED AND FIND OURSELVES IN A WEAKENED STATE, WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN A DISTANT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. NOW, IF YOU'RE NOT CLOSE TO THE LORD, YOU'RE VULNERABLE TO DISCOURAGEMENT. HOW DO WE STAY CLOSE TO THE LORD? WELL, THAT'S VERY SIMPLE. WE STAY CLOSE TO GOD THROUGH PRAYER AND READING HIS WORD. TWO VERY SIMPLE ACTS. OH, I'D THROW IN WORSHIP AS WELL, BECAUSE WORSHIP USHERS US INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD. THE BIBLE SAYS, "HE INHABITS THE PRAISES OF HIS PEOPLE." SO IF YOU DO THOSE THREE THINGS, I BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO GO A LONG WAYS TO WARDING OFF DISCOURAGEMENT. IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD FOR THE DEVIL TO DISCOURAGE YOU IF YOUR PRAYER LIFE IS INTACT. THAT YOU'RE SPENDING TIME IN GOD'S WORD, FILLING YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEART WITH THE PROMISES OF GOD. AND THEN BACKING ALL OF THAT UP BY HIS DIVINE PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE, THROUGH YOUR PRAISE AND YOUR WORSHIP. DISCOURAGEMENT JUST ISN'T GOING TO FIND A LODGING PLACE. BECAUSE THOSE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING WILL HELP YOU WITH THE SIZE OF YOUR IMPOSSIBILITIES. THEY WILL HELP YOU WITH THE NEVER CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR LIFE. THEY WILL RENEW YOUR STRENGTH AND YOUR FORTITUDE IN A NEVER ENDING BATTLE. THAT SEEMS TO WEAR YOU OUT AND WEAR YOU DOWN AT TIMES. GOD WILL COME ALONG IN THOSE MOMENTS AND REFRESH YOU. AND AS HE REFRESHES YOU, HE WILL RENEW YOUR HOPE. HE WILL STRENGTHEN AND UP GIRD YOUR FAITH. AND YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF LIVING TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY. OH, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WILL COME ALONG IN THIS LIFE TODAY. IN THIS YEAR THAT WE'RE ENTERING, THERE'LL BE SOME MOMENTS WHERE WE WILL RISK THE POTENTIAL OF BEING DISCOURAGED. THEREBY, RUNNING THE RISK OF GIVING UP. BUT, WE'RE GOING TO ASK GOD TO KEEP THAT FROM HAPPENING. TODAY, I MAY BE SPEAKING TO SOME FOLK THAT ARE DISCOURAGED. BUT IN THIS CLOSING PRAYER, I'M GOING TO ASK GOD TO COME ALONG AND GIVE YOU ENOUGH COURAGE TO GO ON JUST A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, TO SEE WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR YOU. PRAY WITH ME VERY QUICKLY, AS I CLOSE TODAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, RIGHT NOW, WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND EACH ONE THAT'S STRUGGLING. ENCOURAGE THEM THROUGH THE PRESENCE OF GOD TODAY, I PRAY. LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU'RE THERE, YOU'VE HEARD THEIR CRY AND YOU WILL DELIVER THEM. REASSURE THEM NOW I ASK, IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.