an an do do You Yeah. Yeah. you you you Hey, man Hey, man, and amen Good evening Central Park Baptist Church. Good evening to you all. How are we doing this evening? We're doing okay? Amen, glad to hear, glad to hear. What we'd like to do at this time, if you're able to rise, we'd like you to join us in singing a quick chorus of hymn 66, hymn 66, hymn 66. The world is looking for happiness in all the wrong places. But we know where happiness can be found, don't we? If you're a born-again child of God, you should know. Sing along, M66, here we go. Our happiness is to know the Savior living a life within His favor, having a change in my behavior. Happiness is the Lord. Happiness is a new creation, Jesus and me in close relation, having a part in his salvation. Happiness is the Lord. Amen. Real joy. No matter if the tear drops start, I found the secret is Jesus in my heart. To be forgiven, living a life that's worth the living, taking a trip at least to heaven. Happiness is the Lord. Happiness is the Lord. Amen and amen. With that, we're going to have an opening word of prayer. I'm going to ask Brother Velasco to lead us. Amen and amen, because you're saying so wonderfully, you may be seated on this next hymn. Hymn 601, hymn 601, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Hymn 601. ♪ Of what a fellowship, what a joy divine ♪ ♪ Leaning on the everlasting arms ♪ ♪ What a blessedness, what a peace is mine ♪ ♪ Leaning on the everlasting arms ♪ ♪ I'm leaning, leaning ♪ ♪ Safe and secure from all alarms ♪ ♪ I'm leaning, leaning ♪ ♪ Leaning on the everlasting arms ♪ The second verse, if you're a child of God, it is so sweet to walk with the Lord. Amen, here we go. ♪ Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way ♪ ♪ Leaning on the everlasting arms ♪ ♪ Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day ♪ ♪ Leaning on the everlasting arms, I'm leaning ♪ What have I to dread? What have I to fear? Oh, what have I to dread? What have I to fear? Leaning on the everlasting arms, I have blessed peace with my Lord so near. Leaning on the everlasting arms, I'm leaning, leaning, safe. I'm secure from all alarm. I'm leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arm. I'm leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms. I'm leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. Amen, my brothers and sisters. At this time, we'll turn the microphone over to our very own pastor, Brother White. Well, y'all glad to be here. Say amen. Got your prayer sheets out? Everybody have one? If you do not have one, raise your hand and we'll get you one. All right, good. Please, while you're getting that out, please remember, ladies, your ladies retreat's this week. In fact, it's Friday. So if you're going to go and you have any questions, see Ms. White as soon as service is over. All right, please don't forget about that. Also, if you're going to go paintball, I know there's some that are going that are not signed up, so see Brother DeVito about that. He will give you all the information that you need, all right? Also, don't forget that this coming Sunday afternoon after worship, choir practice. So we want to get our choir going back again, so please do not forget about that, all right? We're working on a new song, and so we'll for the wheel and and miss Anita going to help with that and just whatever we need to be done just anyway be ready to go for choir practice this coming Sunday afternoon. Okay, couple of prayer requests. Please pray for Mrs. Big Nail. She's not on there. But found out she's got a narrowing of the artery in her in her left shoulder. So they're going to take care of that. probably tomorrow and so pray for her that everything goes well with that. They're gonna pull a little stint in so that'll help her with the problem she's having with her hand, okay? Also pray for brother Peter Bicknell. He's not feeling well. It's not COVID related. He's just not feeling good. So keep him in your prayer request, in your prayers as well. Also a special prayer, continue to pray for brother Ben Forster. He's there on your list. He's about 58% in his breathing, and they're trying to get him off of the ventilator. So please pray for him that the Lord will really turn him around this week. And we're asking God for something special this week. So please lift him up in prayer, okay? And of course, all the other folks that are on here, please remember to pray for them as well. I know how many, are y'all still doing good with your prayer books? Amen. Everybody's still going strong. Okay, good. Amen. Hang in there. I'm telling you, I still believe that's why somebody we're facing some of the things that we're facing. But prayer works. Prayer works. So just keep praying and keep and let's just ask God to rebuke the devil. You know, I mean, let's get specific. I know we're praying about all these folks and everything, but in your prayer, let's just ask the Lord, Lord, hey, Satan's after us. Would you please make him leave us alone? Amen. Greater is he that's in me than he that's in the world. And so let me encourage you, please, just kind of pray in that manner. But pray for our week Saturday morning. We're having soul winning again. So please don't forget about that. And then, ladies, y'all are leaving, so please don't forget about that. Y'all will be back Saturday afternoon, but pray for our day Sunday, that the Lord help us have another good day. And I want to, if the Lord lets me, I'm going to preach out of the book of Luke, where the Lord, it seems like he's talking to Peter, but in Luke chapter one oh i'd already forgot uh chapter five Look around you, dear neighbor, in these times which we live, at the things you can see here today. It won't be long till Gabriel his trumpets shall sound, and the Lord comes to take his pride away. Revival sheep, old time revival sheep, people kneeling at it, old time, all the Jews pray. I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to Well, if your life, brother, sister, is not what it should be, Jesus says he'll forgive you today. You can have peace from heaven down deep in your soul. Just go back to the old-time Baptist way. Back to the Bible, old-time revival. He will do it at an old-time altar to pray. I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want to see more, I want Well, I want to go back. Back to the Bible. Oh, old time revival. I want to see more. It would be like an old time altar to pray. I want to see more. Give me salvation. I want to see saved. Thank heaven for heaven. I want to go back. Back to the old time Christian way. Well, I want to see more. Give me salvation. I want to see saved. Thank heaven for heaven. I want to go back. Back to the old time. Back to the old time Well I wanna go Back to the old time Christian way Okay. you You. It's power struggles. I thought that was a pretty good question. They asked a question, how do you communicate The researchers asked questions that provided information about insight into the entire range of human relationship patterns within each family, and they told them that their goal was very simple, and that was to find out what makes strong families. So in their findings, this is what he said. Altogether, they said, we studied 3,000 families, and collected a lot of information. But when we analyzed it all, we found six main qualities in strong families. And they said these qualities were some that were in every family that we sent these out and interviewed. And they said they all had these six qualities. One was they are committed to the family. Another was they spent time together. A third one was they have good family communication. Another was they express appreciation to each other. The fifth one was they have a spiritual commitment. And the sixth one was they are all able to solve problems in a crisis. And when I saw that, I thought it was interesting in their research that one of the elements in a strong family is that they have a spiritual commitment. And it's my personal belief, and I think I can prove this with Scripture, that if you want to have a strong family, then you're going to have to have a spiritual commitment in your family. Now, when I say a spiritual commitment, from my perspective, it's a spiritual commitment to the things of God and to the house of God and to the Word of God that you and I teach, not just any kind of a spiritual commitment, but I'm talking about a spiritual commitment like what we're doing right now. M. R. Dahan, if y'all ever heard of him, if you've not, you ought to read some of his books. He's got a good book on the Holy Spirit. He's got one on the blood. Just an amazing writer, but he said this, he said that the nearest thing to heaven on earth is the Christian family and the home where husband and wife and parents and children live in love and peace together for the Lord and for each other. The nearest thing to hell on earth is an ungodly home, broken by sin and iniquity, and children are abandoned to the devil and all the forces of wickedness. Now, folks, I'm telling you, a home can either be heaven on earth or it can be hell on earth. And there's a lot of factors that will determine which one, but again, it's my belief that if you want a strong, happy marriage, it requires a spiritual commitment. Now, a commitment, you all don't realize a commitment is something like a marriage. I mean, you go into it, there's no escape. I mean, you're committed, you're in. Amen? But it's not enough. Now, we're going to read in a minute, but it's not enough to call yourself a Christian and go to church on Sunday. That's not enough. You can be a Christian, go to church on Sunday and not have a strong family. And that's evident. I mean, the divorce rate among Christian people are as high as those who do not go to church. It's more than... A strong family is more than two Christians in a home. A strong family, folks, it's God in the home. And with two born-again children of God with a spiritual commitment to God and to the things of God. So God has to be in the home. So in this study, I think we're going to look at another man who's not well known, and we're going to meet him because his home was blessed of God because God was in the home. His name is Obed-Edom. And if you look in 2 Samuel 6, we'll read verses 1 through, and we'll read down through verse 11, okay? If you would and you're able, you please stand. We'll start in 2 Samuel chapter 6 and we'll read down from verse 1 through verse 11. It says, And David arose and went with all the people that were with him from Balea of Judah to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubim. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, draved the new cart. and they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God. And Ahio went before the ark, and David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of firwood, even on harps and psalteries and on timbrels and on cornets and on cymbals. And when they came to Nakhon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his error. And there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah, and he called the name of the place Perez-Uzzah to this day. And I'll tell you what that means in a little bit. And David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David, but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-Edom to get tight three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Father, help us, Lord. And God, I pray your blessing will be upon the reading of your word and help us to glean from this study tonight. Lord, Obed-Edom had a strange piece of furniture in his house, but he was blessed with God because of it and because of what that piece of furniture represented. And Lord, I pray God that you'd help us as well, again, to glean from this study those things that would help us, challenge us, Lord, and God will give you the praise and the glory because it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Now, first thing I want you to look at is Yes, when you look in verse 11, you see that the ark that it was in the in the house of Obed-Edom for three months, okay? And so, but I want to kind of come to some background, and if you look back in verses 6 and 7, you notice we find that the death, the ark is connected to Nakon. And it says there, And when they came to Nakon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, took hold of it, and the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his error, and there he died by the ark of God. Now, the ark was a, you know, I mean, I heard stories that the ark was a sacred piece of furniture, and it was placed or set in the most holy place of the tabernacle, back in the Holy of Holies. Now, the ark was a chest. It was, in that word, ark, it literally means a chest or box or a coffin, and it was made of acacia wood, and it was overlaid within and without pure gold. And if you can look up images on it, it wasn't a very big piece of furniture. In fact, it was three feet, nine inches long, about like this. It was two feet, three inches high, and it was two feet, three inches wide. So it wasn't a big piece of furniture. But inside that Ark of the Covenant, there were three things. Anybody know what was in there? There was manna. There was a rod of Aaron that budded, and there was one other Ten Commandments. What's amazing to me is that the rod of Aaron was inside there, and the rod of Aaron budded. I mean, so that's a different study in all of itself. But that was on the inside of the ark. Now, on the outside of the ark, it was covered again with a golden top, and the two cherubim were on the top. Their wings were toward one another, and they were in a bowed position. But then on the sides of the ark, there were rings. And those rings were on the side of that ark because God said that's the way it was to be carried. Okay, now it's important that we notice this because when you read and we're going to get to this in a minute that they were, listen, that they were transporting that art in the wrong way. In fact, one of the darkest hours, and you go back a little bit further, you go back to 1 Samuel chapter 4, one of the darkest hours or darkest times in Israel's history was when the ark was stolen by the Philistines. And not only was it stolen, but it was taken and it was put in the house of Dagon, the god of the Philistines. And folks, listen, the Philistines thought that Dagon was the god of gods. And that's another story, too. I don't have time to go there. But the Philistines were a fierce enemy of the Israelites. In fact, when they went, if you go and read that, they defeated Israel and they killed about 4,000 soldiers. And when Israel was in retreat, the Philistines took the Ark of God. And when they took the Ark of God, if you go back and read 1 Samuel 4, there was a daughter-in-law of Eli who was the priest of that time. And again, there's way too much in here to cover. But this daughter of Eli, the priest, was going to have a son. And she did have a son. And when he was born, they named that son Ichabod. And the name Ichabod means that the glory of God has departed. And the reason why he was named that is because the Ark of God had been stolen, or it had been taken, which was a symbol of the glory of Almighty God. And so the priest of God, they named that boy Ichabod, the glory had departed. because wherever the ark was, watch this, then that is where the glory of God rested and abode. And so he knew that when the ark was taken from Jerusalem that the glory of God had departed from Israel. So now you jump over to chapter 6, which is years later. Here's David. and he's bringing the ark home. I mean, it's an impressive sight. You read there where David had 30,000 chosen men of Israel that were bringing this ark back, and their journey is accompanied by... they've got musicians that are out in the front playing on all sorts of instruments. I mean, it is a festive occasion. but it's a glorious occasion as well, and verse 2 tells us that in chapter 6, and it's because they're bringing the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts, that dwelleth between the cherubim. The glory of God's coming back home, and they're excited about it. They're singing. The presence of God is once again going to be in Israel. Listen, they had a reason to be excited. Listen, we need to be excited when the presence of God is manifested here in this place. Listen, it's not something that just happens. Listen, the presence of Almighty God in a worship service, I'm telling you, it is an awesome thing to be in the presence of the glory of Almighty God. It happens on occasion, but listen, there are some times when you get started preaching and the Holy Spirit of God just gives you liberty. I don't know how to explain it, but I mean, it's just like... It's just like you're not... It's not me, and that's the way I want it to be, but it's the Holy Spirit of God through me, and you can just feel His presence. And I'm telling you, it is an awesome thing how to feel the presence and the glory of God. And when the glory of God is here, we ought to be excited too. Amen. I've been in some churches. And I'm telling you, to use an old saying, they're as dried up as last year's bird nest. You couldn't, I mean, the Holy Spirit of God is nowhere to be found. Everything is so formalistic. And brother, what's your name again? Yeah, Brother Marco was telling me that he was at a church and visited while they were gone and nobody even talked to him. And I told him, I said, yeah, me and my wife was at a church and literally the name of it was Friendship Baptist Church and there's only one person that talked to us. I told my wife, I said, they need to change their name. Listen, I am thankful for Central Park Baptist Church. We have something special here. And listen, it's not me and you that makes it special. It is the presence of Almighty God. And so here is David, they're going back to to get the Ark of God. They're in celebration, but as they're traveling, watch, the Ark is being carried on a new cart. For some reason, it's on a new cart. You know, think about it. How many churches you look around today, and the old way is just not good anymore? You know, the old way just ain't making the grade anymore. I mean, after all, we got all this new stuff, we need to incorporate that into our worship, and listen, and God'll be proud. Well, that's what David thought. So they put the Ark of the Covenant on a new cart, and for some reason, while they're traveling, the cart is shaken, and a man named Uzzah He reaches out to stabilize the ark, maybe it's sliding off that cart or something, and he reaches out to stop it from sliding off, and listen, and look what happened. God killed him. And I've had people ask, well, why'd God do that? I mean, he's just trying to protect the ark. I mean, he was doing a good thing. Well, that's true. And that does say something important about Uzzah. And I believe it tells us that he was a man that loved the ark and that he was concerned about the ark. But his death tells us something about God. Listen, his death tells us that God is holy. It tells us that the ark, listen, the ark, if you go back and read, it was not to be touched with human hands. And by the way, and only priestly personnel, those who had consecrated themselves for that service, only those were allowed to transport it. But even then, they weren't allowed to touch it. They had, remember the golden rings that were put on the sides of the ark? They put staves through those rings, and they would bear that ark on their shoulders, and that's how God said to carry the ark. Listen, those staves on each side were there because this, and it tells us that fallen humanity cannot come into contact with the holiness of Almighty God. Listen, God help us today. We have brought God down to earth, and God still cannot come into contact with the fallen humanity. But we want to make God our buddy and bring Him down to where we are. Listen, folks, only in our glorified bodies will we be able to come into contact with Almighty God. God is holy. He's to be reverenced. That's why it bothers me when people talk about the man upstairs or whatever they call him. Listen, he's not. He is God. He is thrice holy and he is to be reverenced. God help us to leave God high and lift it up as Isaiah saw him. Listen, when we see God as he is, we'll realize who we are, just sinners. And we can be thankful that we're saved by grace. The death of Uzzah, watch, we can understand that it tells us that the precepts of God are to be respected. Now watch this, the death of Uzzah was more David's fault than anybody else's. You follow me? It was his fault. He knew better. I mean, we go back and say, well, you can read it, it says that he put the ark upon a new cart. But that, again, is not how God declared that the ark should have been carried. And notice what David did. It says that when, in verse 7, that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah and God smote him there for his error and there he died by the ark of God and David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah and he called the name of the place, look at that, Perez Uzzah to this day. You know what that name means? It means, that name Perez Uzzah means outburst against God. I thought, man, first thing I thought was, you better be careful how you have an outburst against God. Listen, David was angry. The priests were to carry the ark by those days. It was to be put on their shoulders and carried. It wasn't to be bounced around on some cart. So David's moving of the ark on a cart, new cart or not, it was a violation of God's command. But it also tells us that there is a right way and there is a wrong way to approach God. Listen, and I don't mean this ugly, but I'm telling you, there's a lot of things that are called worship today that it's not worship. There is a right way and there's a wrong way to approach God, and the Word of God should be respected. I've read some different things and how different versions of the Bible have said things, and I'm thinking, my word. Don't go get one, but if you've ever read anything out of the Message, I'm telling you, that is the most ungodly piece of literature I've ever read in my life. It degrades and denigrates the Word of Almighty God. God help us. And that's exactly what happened when they carried the Ark of God. It irreverenced the Ark of Almighty God. And as a result, listen, Uzzah may have tried to do the right thing, but he didn't do it the way God had told him to do it. Notice in 2 Samuel 6, verses 9-11, when David saw that, the Bible says, And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him into the city of David, but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom, the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-Edom, the Gittite, three months. Now if I would have been Obed-Edom, and we'll get to this in a minute, and he had been blessed three months and they started coming after it, I might have had a little problem with them coming and getting it. You know? Now think about this. Because of what happened to David on that day. And he was he was fearful of transporting the ark any further. So he found a place where the ark could be kept. Obed Edom. And you could say that for three months God dwelt in his house literally. I mean, for three months, the most sacred piece of furniture in Israel's history abode in the house of Obed-Edom. For three months, the glory of God rested on the home of Obed-Edom. Now, think of it. That's a pretty awesome thing. Now, think about it. Look in verse 10. It says, David... Now, what gets me is that when you first read about it, it's on a new cart. And now when you read about it in verse 10, It said, David carried it aside. I wonder if he learned something. Because before it was on a new cart, now all of a sudden it's being carried. Well, I wonder why didn't he... Now, if he's carrying it, why didn't he go ahead and carry it all the way home? But no, he carries it over to old Betty Edom's house, and I can imagine that everybody, after what had happened, would have been like, you know, here they come to this one person's house going, hey, we got the ark of God here, and, you know, and we want to know if we can stick it in your house. And they said, I don't think so. We already heard what happened to who's over there, man, and I don't want my kids running around in here and trying to be around that thing. No, I don't want it. Man, you know, I mean, I want to live a little while. I don't want that in my house. Not my home. Think about it. I want to live a little while. I don't want the presence of God in my house. I got some wild oats to sow. I don't want the presence of God in my house. But here's Obed-Edom. I mean, he offers his home as a resting place, and he opened up his home to God. And I like what this story in this gentleman's, his name's Ivor Powell, in his commentary, this is what he said about it. He said, Obed-Edom probably asked to be allowed to prepare a place to receive the sacred ark. And when all was in readiness, men carried it to the table or stand where it was to rest. And when Obed-Edom was alone, he reverently bowed and whispered, Welcome to my home, Lord. When he retired for the night, he probably said, Good night, Lord. And when the sun came up in the morning, he exclaimed, The Lord's mercies, they're new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. Man, what a great thing. Listen, can I ask you, have you opened your home to the Lord? Have you welcomed God as an honored guest into your house, into your heart? Have you made a special place for him? I mean, have you given his sacred presence a hallowed place in your home? You know, I'm afraid that we as Christians, we got to be careful about that. I think when we offer God a place in our homes and we just want to keep our home just like it is. Listen, let me show you something. Now remember, I asked you to offer God in your home. I want you to get this. I doubt seriously if Obed-Edom would have offered his home had he not already opened his heart. Okay? You say, well, why is that? Well, let me show you. Look in chapter 6 and verse 11. It says, And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obed-Edom to Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his household. Now, for three months, the ark was in his house. And we read that because Obed-Edom, I believe, had already opened his heart. Now, watch this. I want you to see that his home was special. And the reason it was special is because, one, God was there. There'd been no one in the past and no one in the future that could ever... Can you imagine? Somebody's over there talking about the glory of God and Obed-Edom. He's over there listening. Yeah, they're talking about the presence of God. He was in my house three months. He lived there, the Ark of the Covenant. Can you imagine the Holy of Holies? Think about it. Only the priest could go back there. And now here's a priest, they're going into the Holy of Holies, and, you know, I mean, just suppose that maybe Obed-Edom was there that day, and it was a time of sacrifice, and the priests are going in, and Obed-Edom's going, yeah, I've been there. Maybe not in there, but I've been in the presence of the Ark. You know, you say, what are you talking about? Well, you remember when David and, you know, yeah, they brought the Ark over my house. Man, it was in my living room. Me and God, we spoke every morning and we spoke every evening. He lived in my home. I'm telling you, the Bible says a lot. Watch this. The Bible says a lot about the home. I've been thinking about this, and it's clear that God intended the home to be a special place. The marriage relationship is to be an enrichment of life. Raising kids is described as an enjoyment in life. And when God describes the home in ultimate terms, it's always with the understanding that He is present in the home. We live in a day where we want to do everything to keep God out. Listen, I want to have a special home. Even when I was raising my kids, you know, we were still family and we still had our moments, but I'm telling you, when it came time to pray or when it came time to eat, we prayed. And I try to explain to my children, this is why we pray over our meals. This is why we do this. This is why we go to church. Listen, I wanted them to know that God was special in our home. Listen, He didn't have to be there, but I was thankful that He was there, and I wanted my children to know that God is always welcomed in our home. I mean, for three months. God dwelt in his home, and he gave him a special place. Now, it meant not only did he have a special home, but he had a spiritual home. His home was a temple. Think about this. Wherever the Ark of the Covenant was, it was a temple, an old temple. a special home, but it marked it as a spiritual home. Listen, sometimes I wonder what it would be like if Christian people literally made God special in their home. You know, I want us to realize that it's a special thing to have the presence of God in our home. You say, well, listen, we don't have to have the Ark of the Covenant anymore, by the way. Do you realize it is born again children of God? You remember the Bible says what? Know ye not that your body is a temple? Huh? Imagine that. I mean, so I guess that literally means that God's in our home. But does he have a special place in our home? Obed-Edom. What a neat thing to have your... Can you imagine his blessings? And David eventually recognized what was going on. If you go back and look and read, you'll find that David recognized, listen, the Ark of the Covenant, it ought not be over there. It ought to be up here in the temple where it belongs. And he recognized that Obed-Edom has been blessed for three months and God's been doing something special for him and his home for three months. And David says, man, I'm going to go get the Ark. Well, listen, how many times do we look at people who are really sold out for God, who's blessed of God, and we watch them and we think, Man, alive! What's going on over there? And then we find out that God is blessing, and then it costs us something to have God in our home, but we're willing to just live on the scraps of the things of the world rather than live on the blessings of a holy and a righteous God. I want the blessings of God in my life. I don't know about you, but I need them. I need to know He's there. I need to know that He's helping me. Listen, but we, as God's children, need to understand that if God is in our home, it makes our home a special place, but it also makes our home a spiritual place. Listen, there's more to this life than just the things of this old world. I was talking to a preacher the other day, and we were talking about some different things, and I said something to him about it. I said, man, I'll tell you, Saturday I was like I was having an anxiety attack. I didn't know what's going on. He goes, you know what, I felt the same way. He said, man, I'm telling you. He said, I just, I didn't know what was going on. I just felt like, man, I just overwhelmed. And then he said, man, I preached Sunday morning and God just opened the windows of heaven. We had a lady got saved. We went out and knocked on somebody's doors. And there's other churches that still do that too, by the way. And we invited this lady to church and she showed up. And when she showed up, she got saved and she was back and God began to bless. He said, I'm telling you, it was an awesome thing. And he said, now I know why that was going on on Saturday. Listen, you think the devil is going to let up? Absolutely not. Satan had desired to have you, to sift you as wheat. I can remember my mother. and used to make biscuits the old-fashioned way. She'd get that dough and she'd dough it out here and then she'd get this round thing with a little handle on it, you know, you put the flour in it, you go, you know, and you sip that flour out there on that. Listen, you know that Satan desires to do that to you and me, to rob us and ruin us. Why? Because he doesn't want us to know the blessings of Almighty God. Listen, you don't miss out on it. Well, yes, you do, too. You do miss out on some things. Kind of like this guy said. Let me read this. I'll be done. Conrad S. Jensen. He's a retired deputy inspector of the New York Police Department at one time. This is what he wrote. He said, I've missed out on life. At least that's what many of my associates have said, and it's true in a way. He said, I've missed out on a lot of things. First of all, I missed out, he said, first of all, I missed coming from a broken home. I missed having an alcoholic for a father or an unfaithful woman for a mother. I missed growing up as a juvenile delinquent. I missed being a regular guy or one of the boys. getting into trouble with them. I missed being a drunk, a dope addict, and a degenerate. By the grace of God, I missed an unhappy marriage leading to divorce. I missed the heartbreak of having our two children bring disgrace and shame to our home. I missed the misery during over a quarter of a century in police work in New York City of being tainted and destroyed by the corruption that confronts every policeman out there. He said, Ours was a Christian home with emphasis placed on Christian living. Throughout my school days and then in the business world for a time, I was a child of God. Surrounded by those who found pleasure in worldly pursuits, my Christian stand seemed to be out of place and often caused them to remark that I was missing out on a lot of things and thank God for it. Listen, I missed out on a lot of things. in my life. I've missed out on probably everything that he just said, but I'm thankful that I didn't miss out on being a child of God. I've not missed out on being blessed of Almighty God. I've not missed out on being around the people of Almighty God that love Him just like I do. I've not missed out on any of that. Listen, anything, the blessings of God, I've not missed out, and I'm looking forward to the future When I get to miss out on the tribulation period, I get to miss out. I get to miss out on the judgment of almighty God. I get to miss out on on going through the thousand year millennial reign in this old flesh. Listen, I'm I'm looking forward to missing out on that kind of stuff. Listen, I'm looking forward to living today, knowing that God has a special place, not only in my heart, but in my home and in my life. So can I ask you, have you cleared out a place for God in your life, or is he just a regular guy? I mean, do you wake up in the morning and say, good morning, God? Man, your blessings are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. When you go to bed at night, do you say, thank you, Lord, for a good day? Do you say, thank you, God, for that bed I'm laying down in? Listen, it could be worse. So can I ask you, are you thankful today? And does God have a special place in your home and in your heart? God, help us. Father, bless us, Lord. Strengthen us. And I pray, Father, that, Lord, we will make a special place in our heart for you. It's got to start in the heart just like Obed-Eden. He was a Gittite, Lord. He was a Philistine. And at some point, God, he changed his heart. But Lord, when it came time to welcome you into his home, God, his heart had already been changed. May we do that, Lord. God, as Christians, we've accepted you into our heart, but God, help us to accept you into our home and into our lives and make you, Lord, the very priority of everything that we do.