1 Kings 20 and verse 28. If you haven't, say Amen. Amen. And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys. Therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord. And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord. Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys. Therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord. At the time of this recording, The nation of Israel was a divided kingdom. Ten tribes belonged to Israel, and two tribes were there for Judah. And Israel was coming out of a three-year famine. And at this time, Ahab was the king of Israel. And I have mentioned to you before in a previous sermon that Ahab was done evil on the side of the Lord, greater than any other king that was before him. And that's saying a lot because there was a lot of kings that came before Ahab, but yet he did evil greater than any king that was before him. And we do know that I mentioned to you before in a sermon that he married a woman by the name of Jezebel, who was an evil lady that brought in a lot of idols of Baal, and they began to worship Baal and other gods. And so he was the king of Israel at this time, and Ben-Hadad was the king of Syria. And he took advantage of Israel because of the famine, and he attacked them. So, Ben-Hadad was the king of Syria at this time, and he took advantage of Israel because of the famine that was coming upon them. And at one time, Syria had already been defeated by King David, but by this time had regained the power and their independence. And so, Ben-Hadad got 32 kings together, got 32 rulers together of the northern city, and they began to lay siege against Ahab and against his people. And he sent word to Ahab at the beginning of the chapter. He said, I'm coming, and I want your silver, I want your gold, I want the best of your wives and your children, and I'm coming to take that. And they had thought that over, and in fact, he agreed with Ben-Hadad that he would give him the silver and the gold and the best of their wives and children. So the message was sent back to Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad then sent another message and said, OK, if you're going to let me do that, then I'm just going to come and take whatever I want. And so he sent word that the next day he was coming to take seeds or whatever that he wanted to take. And so Ahab was very worried and he got up very nervous and he got to the elders of the land and told them what had happened. He said, I agreed to give them the silver. I agreed to give them the gold and the best of our wives and children. But now, Ben-Hadad said he wants more. And so he's coming tomorrow and he's going to take everything that he wants to take. What should I tell him? What should I do? And of course, the elders of the city said, there's no way you should not agree to that. Just stay. We're going to protect our land. We're going to protect our rights. And there's no way you're going to be able to do that. So when he sent word back to Ben-Hadad, Ben-Hadad became very angry. And he said that I will go ahead anyway and attack them, and I will lay siege to them, and I will do exactly what I'm going to say I'm going to do. And so Ahab began to prepare for the battle. But in the meantime, a man of God came to Ahab and said, You need not fear. The battle is going to be the Lord's. God is going to take care of your people. God is going to take care of His people. And here's what I want you to do. I want you to take 232 commanders. I want you to number another 7,000. Get yourself assembled and go against them. You, don't wait on them to attack you. You go ahead and attack them. And so when Ahab took the men and he approached Ben-Hadad and his men, they were drunk, and some of them woke up and saw that Ahab was there, and they began to ran and they began to flee. And Ahab and the children of Israel became victorious that day because he did what God told him to do and what the man of God said. Now you say, Brian, where is this going? Just hold on. I've got a little lengthy introduction, but it's going to get good here in just a second. So, after this victory came, the prophet came back to Ahab and said this. He told him to strengthen his position. He said, because by next spring, Binadad will be back to attack you again. He said, so stand guard, beware, they're coming back. Isn't that just like the devil? He's not going to stop, folks. Till the end of time comes, He's not going to stop. When we think we've got Him defeated and that's the last round, He's going to come back and attack us again. And so the prophet told Ahab this. He said, you better be ready. But back in Benidad's camp and back in the Syrian camp, his officials had a conversation, and this was the gist of the conversation. They said, King, the reason we lost that battle is because their God is a God of the hills. Their God is a God of the mountains. So when we come back next time, let's do this. Let's attack them in the valley. Because their God only shows up in the mountains. He won't show up in the valley, so let's attack them there. And we can surely defeat them. So just as the prophet said, next spring, here comes Ben-Hadad ready to fight. Israel, really? In the grand scheme of things, on paper, there was no way they should have defeated Ben-Hadad and the Syrian army. The Bible says they even looked like two small flock of goats compared to the Syrians that were covering the entire countryside. But the man of God, the same prophet, came back to Ahab again and said, because the Syrians, and this is the verse that I read, because the Syrians only believe that your God was the God of the mountains and not a God of the valley, I will deliver you. Will deliver them into your hand basically what he was saying was I want to show the Syrians that your God The only God is a god of the mountain and a god of the valley. That's what I'm preaching on this morning He's a god of the mountain and a god of the valley aren't you thankful that no matter where we go this morning? No matter what we're into no matter if we're on the highest mountain peak rejoicing in the Lord or down in the valley of temptation and trial and Circumstance. He's still God on the mountain. Thank God. He's still God In the valley! Hallelujah! Glory to God. And Israel that day got victory because they had declared war against the children of God. And He wanted to show them that I'm not only God of the mountain, but I'm the God of the valley. I'm there. I'm there for them. I want you to notice about this Scripture this morning. First of all, I want you to notice the distortion of the truth. The distortion of the truth. The Syrians said that their God was the God of the hills and not a God of the valley. That's why we won the first battle. You see, the heathen, that they felt each nation had their own gods. And when the nations went to battle, not only were they going after each other physically, but their gods were battling each other. And so they thought their God could only show up in one place. But they didn't know Israel's God, did they? He was the God Jehovah. I'm thankful that the God of Israel, the God Jehovah, refuses to be brought down. He's not a God of stone, of wood, of brass, or silver, or gold. All these men are serving out in this world, they're little g, the little gods. They can't see, they can't hear, they can't feel, they can't breathe. In fact, they're just dead. They're just idols. They're just dead in a tomb somewhere. But thank God I serve a God that is alive today. Beside Him there is none other. I don't care what the world I don't care what everyone in the world would say that goes against God. Thank God He's still the God of the mountain. He's still the God of the valley. And thank God beside Him, there is none other this morning. Hallelujah. And the world would like to distort the truth of God. It would like to distort the truth of God's Word. And I said last week, and I'll mention it again today, That people say there's a new age movement, but really it's not new age, it's just old lies. Just old lies. Howard was telling me this morning, and I also heard the same report, Jack, many people were saying this morning, and also I heard it from another preacher, 57 to 60% of evangelicals now, this is evangelical Christians, believe there is more than one way to get to heaven. This is today. Evangelical, the ones that supposedly stand up for the truth of the Word of God, 57 to 60 percent believe there is more than one way to heaven. New age, but old lies. I've said before, and I'll say it again, the devil is not a creator. He cannot create anything. He just keeps using the same old methods, the same old ways to come back up. In fact, it started all the way back in the Garden of Eden. And the same lies that he told to distort the truth back then to Eve and Adam are still the same lies that they are using today to try to get us down. I want us to look at those real quickly before we go into the next point. You see, because the church world today, the modern church, are believing these lies. And you'll see what lies I'm talking about here in just a little bit. But they're believing these lies, and the churches are getting a crown, but they're not getting a congregation. And it's about a feel-good society. It's about making you feel good about yourself. It's about making you come in and singing Kumbaya, those 7-11 songs, 7 word 11 times over and over again, try to work something up, try to make you feel better. Hey, I'm telling you this morning, I've said it once and I'll say it again, I'm not here to make you feel better. I'm here to tell you the truth, not to distort it one way. In fact, I'm not up here giving you my opinion, or Rubyville's opinion, or Calvary's opinion. I'm trying my best this morning to give you one. Thus, say it the Lord. Hallelujah. That Satan told Eve lies, told Adam lies. And I used to think, you know, us preachers, we always like to blame lemon for everything. Man, I guess I'm out there on a limb by myself. I've heard it once before. It's a woman's fault. That's why we're in the shape we're in. Well, if you really read it carefully, guys, it did say that Eve ate first and then gave it to Adam. Nope. You read it carefully when you go home. It says that Eve gave it to Adam with her and they ate together. It didn't say that Eve ate first and then gave it to him. It said she gave it to him and then Eve and Adam with her. He was right there standing beside her. The serpent beguiled Eve But Adam saw it all played out, and he could have stopped it. But he let the serpent lie and distort. And there came the following man. These same lies are wrapped up in New Age methods today, but they're the same old lies. Look, the first lie he told them, he said, you're not going to die. You're not going to die. That's what he told him. He said, you won't die. He said, well, if we eat this tree, thou shalt surely die. And he said, no, you're not going to die. See, what that's wrapped up in today is reincarnation. Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, these major religions of the world today would like you to believe that if you die, that's not the end of it. You'll come back as something else. I mean, I don't know about you, but why would I want to come back to this godforsaken earth anyway? If I got a promise of heaven, why would I want to come back as a cow? God, help us. That's what people are wrapped up in. That's what people are believing. They're distorting the Word of God. When God said, when sin comes into this world, and Tom preached about it so wonderfully a couple of weeks ago, when sin is conceived and bringing forth faith, that's still the Word of God. That's still true today. And folks, if you're sinning today, you will die one of these days. And if you die with sin in your heart, you'll die lost and go to hell. You won't come back and have another chance at it. There's only one chance to live this life, and you better live it for Jesus. Amen? He said you won't die. It's reincarnation. Secondly, He said your eyes will be opened. He said you'll have secret knowledge. We see that today in the psychics. The psychic powers, the people who are thirsting for knowledge instead of wisdom. We've got a lot of smart, stupid people out there today. We do. Knowledge is quadrupling and faster than we can make things. You realize I heard on the radio today that the Internet wasn't invented by Al Gore, by the way, but the Internet started in 1990. Nineteen ninety, just in that quick amount of time, look how much our knowledge is gained in the world today. Just that quick. Not much changed in the first 50, 60 years, but look how much has changed in the last 50, last 20, last 10 years. People are thirsting for knowledge, trying to figure out the things of this world. They're wanting to know the future. They want to know what lies ahead. So instead of going to God, they're going to other powers to get their eyes open, to get secret knowledge. See, it's still an old lie. It's just a new method. Then he said, you'll be as God's. He said, you'll be as God, you'll be your own God. And I hope I don't mean to offend anybody, but that's what the Mormon Church believes. They believe that. That you'll be your own God, and if you live good enough, then one day you'll have your own little planet. That's the truth. And you'll be your own God on your own little planet. And see, that's what people love to hear today because people are so full of pride. That's what they want to hear. And so when they hear somebody say, hey, one of these days, if you live good enough, and boy, they are good people, they are sincere about what they do. I've never seen no more sincere people than what some of those religions are. But you know what? You can be sincere, but you can be sincerely wrong, too. But people are so full of pride when they hear that one day, if I live good enough, I can be my own God in some way. New Age is still an old lie. How in the world could Satan offer them something that he couldn't even offer them? Why choose a throne? He wanted them to choose a throne rather than have the one that sat on the throne. Anytime you get God off the throne, you put him back on the cross, you put yourself on the throne. That's not where he goes. He already went to the cross once. And He belongs on the throne. He's sitting at the right hand of God. Make a dinner session for me and you. And beside Him, there is none other. There's no other one but God this morning. There is no other way but Jesus. Even though the world would say there's many other ways, even though the church world would say there's many other ways, there is not. No, there's no other way but Jesus Christ. For He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man can come to the Father but by Me. And then he said, you'll know good and evil. Another lie he told him. That word know in the Hebrew actually means to manipulate. So really, he said you'll be able to manipulate good and evil. You say, Brian, what's that wrapped up in this time that we're living in? Well, it's wrapped up in everybody going green. These tree huggers. They want to save the whale instead of save their unborn babies. See, they're trying to manipulate good and evil. See, that's the same lies that Satan's using, just wrapped up in a new way. It sounds good. And I'm not saying we should go out and spray hairspray all over the place. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that. Yeah, Tom, you're safe on that, aren't you, buddy? I'm not saying litter. I'm not saying do things like that. When people start worshipping the creature more than the Creator, then we've got a problem. Then we've got a problem. People ask me, sometimes, do you believe in global warming? I say, absolutely. I say, it's in Revelation. Read all about it. It's coming. If you don't read your Bible, you better read it because it's in there. One of these days, this earth that we live on right now will be burnt. God's trying to refresh it, renew it, and then there'll be a new heaven and a new earth. Hallelujah. But those are the same lies that he tells us today, wrapped up in new methods, in new ways to try to distort us from the true word of God. But just as Benidad was silenced when God won the victory, The enemies of this world, the enemies of the child of God, will be silenced one day because the Bible says that in that last day, in that day, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That means Osama bin Laden, I'm telling you, Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, they'll have to bow at the feet of Jesus and proclaim Him as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Hallelujah! Hallelujah. Not only was there a distortion of the truth, there was a distraction or deception of the enemy. He came to him and. They thought it was done, but the prophet said next spring he's coming back. Next spring, he's coming back. You think you've got the devil defeated today, but look out tomorrow, he's coming back. I'm not trying to give him the glory because he doesn't deserve any glory, but I'm telling you, he's good at what he does. He's been working on it for over 2,000 years. A long, long time he's been working at deceiving people. And just when you think you've got the battle won, he will come up in a way you never thought possible to try to get us down. He'll work through your friends, your enemies, your loved ones. He'll work through them to try to bring us down and try to deceive us and turn us away. He'll make you think, You know what? It's just a Wednesday night. What's one Wednesday night going to hurt? Right? I mean, it's only prayer meeting. You know, nothing happens at prayer meeting. I'm telling you, folks, if you weren't here Wednesday, you missed a sermon and a half. A man by the name of Tony Montgomery was here. Tony used to pastor Chapel Hill Church. And Tony is Charlotte Montgomery that sings with the Morgantown Trio. It's her son. And folks, we saw a miracle Wednesday night. His father, Skid Montgomery, a very popular man in Pike County, hasn't known Christ, has never known Christ as far as I know. Charlotte's prayed for him for years and years and years. I've never seen a man darken the church door. He was here Wednesday night, sitting right on the second row. Not only did he come to church, but he raised his hand that he needed Jesus. See, if you laid out Wednesday, you missed it. Brian, you're making me feel bad. Good. Good. I hope so. Because you miss it. You miss it. And see, the devil will like to say, it's only Wednesday. It's only Sunday night. Man, you've been working all week long. You need to spend some time with your family. Go ahead. I know you've been gone for three weeks in a row, but what's four weeks? Really? Nobody misses you? Wrong. Folks, the devil just likes to talk in your mind, like to deceive you, like to distract you. That's all he has to do is distract us. He doesn't have to beat us to a pulp. All he has to do is distract us away from God. And he tried to distract the children of God, but thank God God was a one step ahead of him. And he sent the man of God to warn them that they was coming back. And see, that's what the job of a preacher is to do. That's what the job of the leaders of this church to do. We are proactive. We said over and over again, we're proactive. We'd rather lead you not into temptation than to bail you out of jail. We'd rather tell you that the devil's coming. Put on your whole armor, the whole armor of God. Every single bit of it. Put it on because you're going to need it. It's not going to get any easier. He's going to fight harder and fight harder and fight harder because his time is short. And I'm glad of it. And thank God, all I can say is even so, come Lord Jesus, I'm ready to go. I'm ready to fight. I've got my sword in my hand. I got the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the feet showered with the preparation of the gospel, the breastplate of righteousness, the girdle of truth. I'm ready to go and fight. Because He's not going to have my family. He's not going to take the joy away. He's not going to have my brother-in-law. He's not going to have my uncle. I'm telling you what, folks, we need to fight today. The enemy will like to deceive us and distract us from what is true and what is right. But I'm sure notice on Him today. We're going to stand and we're going to fight. Hallelujah. We're going to fight. Hallelujah. Not only was there a distortion of the truth and a distraction of the enemy, but third, there was a disregard for what God had done. Every time God has a victory in your life, God's trying to send you a message. Through the mountaintops and through the valleys, He's trying to tell you something. And it's up to us not to disregard what God's trying to tell us. was an evil king. Jezebel was an evil woman. And the victories that came, Ahab should have stood up and said, God has delivered us. Let's serve him with our whole heart. But he didn't. He even made a deal with Ben-Hadad later that angered God. Look at what God had done for them. They could have easily lost Lost thousands and thousands of lives. They did lose some people from Israel, but they could have lost us so much more. They could have lost their city. Things could have been a lot different. But God came through. God showed them that he was God of the mountain and the God of the valley. They should have said, Lord, it's all because of you why we're here today. You're trying to tell us that you're there for us. We're going to worship you. We're going to serve you. Folks, what else does God have to do to show us that he loves us? And cares for us. Are you going to disregard the greatest message of all, the message that he preached on the cross of Calvary when he said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do? Are you going to disregard the message when he said it is finished? Didn't mean he was finished. It meant the plan of salvation was finished. It was fulfilled. It was complete. Are you going to disregard what He's done? No greater love than this than a man would lay down his life for his friend. That's exactly what Jesus Christ did for us. He did for you, and yet you're going to turn Him away again today? What else does He have to do? Folks, I've never got over Him saving me. Never got over it. I sat with a lady this last week, And her husband and son. Could have been in a very bad accident. They had it was driving their truck, I believe, and. And one of them was the driver was fell asleep just for a second and was going over into a semi. And the law of physics. And you would think that the car would have been sucked under. But it didn't. Instead of being sucked under, it just bounced off the tires. And they're fine. Not a scratch on them. You tell me God isn't good. God's good. He's performed miracles this week. We've seen miracles happen. I mean, Rosie's here today. Couldn't even get out of bed hardly. Kyrie talked to her Friday on the phone when we was going up to Cleveland. Or Thursday, rather. Asked her how she was doing. Man, I'm doing great. I feel so much better. It was because of God. Rosie, you said it this morning. There was no other way. But God. Floyd's here this morning. We've been praying for him. He's here. Giving him another day to come back to church where he wants to be. Folks, look around us. The miracles that's in every pew. Are we going to disregard what God's trying to tell us? He's trying to tell us, I'm the God of the mountain, and I'm God of the valley. See, life is easy when you're up on the mountain, and you've got peace of mind like you've never known. But then, things change, and you're down in the valley. Don't lose faith, for you're never alone. You talk of faith when you're up on the mountain, but talk comes so easy when life's at its best. But see, it's down in the valley of trials and temptations. That's where faith is really put to the test. Because the God of the mountain is still God in the valley. When things go wrong, he'll make it right. The God of the good times is still God in the bad times. The God of the day is still God in the night. I'm glad that when the enemy of God tried to come against him, that he showed him. No matter what you do, I'm still God. And folks, whatever you're going through today, if you're on the mountaintop or you're down in the valley, remember, he's still God. He's in control. Don't let the devil lie to you this morning. He's still there for you. He'll be there to help you, to worship, to rejoice with you at the mountaintop. But when you're down in the valley, he'll be there to lead you and guide you through still waters.