Please stand as we sing number 231, follow on. Down in the valley with my savior I would go Where the flowers are blooming and the sweet waters flow Everywhere He leads me, I would follow, follow on. Walking in His footsteps, to the crown be one. Follow, follow, I would follow Jesus. Anywhere, everywhere, I would follow on. Follow, follow, I would follow Jesus. Everywhere He leads me, I would follow on. Down in the valley with my Savior I would go, where the storms are sweeping and the dark waters flow. With His hand to lead me I will never, never fear. Danger cannot frighten me if my Lord is near. Follow, follow, I would follow Jesus. Anywhere, everywhere, I would follow on. Follow, follow, I would follow Jesus. Everywhere He leads me, I would follow on. Down in the valley or up on the mountains deep, close beside my Savior would my soul ever keep. He will lead me safely in the path that He has drawn. Up to where they gather on the hills of God. Follow, follow, I would follow Jesus. Anywhere, everywhere, I would follow on. Follow, follow, I would follow Jesus. Everywhere he leads me, I would follow on. Let's go to the Lord in a word of prayer. Father, we ask as we do every service that you would meet with us tonight. We need, again, your power as we speak. We need your blessing on the song service and the special. And Lord, anyone still getting here, we pray to get them here safely in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. Brother Parks, can you check that one right back there and see if it says 70? No, the thermostat right there. Sometimes that one doesn't come on. We'll be singing Dwelling in Beulah Land, number 216. Far away the noise of strife. Oh, wait. Could you start over, please? Far away the noise of strife upon my ear is falling. Then I know the sins of earth be set on every hand. Doubt and fear and things of earth in vain to me are calling. None of these shall move me. Tis Beulah Land. I'm living on the mountain underneath a cloudless sky. I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry. Oh, yes, I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply, for I am dwelling in Beulah Land. Far below the storm of doubt upon the world is beating. Sons of men in battle on the enemy withstand. Safe am I within the castle of God's word retreating. Nothing then can reach me. Tis Beulah Land. I'm living on the mountain underneath the cloudless sky. I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry. Oh yes, I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply. For I am dwelling in Beulah Land. Viewing here the works of God, I sink in contemplation. Hearing now His blessed voice, I see the way He planned. Dwelling in the Spirit here, I learn of full salvation. Gladly will I tarry in Beulah Land. I'm living on the mountain underneath a cloudless sky. I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry. Oh yes, I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply, for I am dwelling in Beulah Land. I asked Sean this evening, I said, so was that you that was singing the wrong verse, or they played the wrong verse? And he said, it was me. And I said, that's why I hate song leading. It was always the way that God humbled me. When you make a mistake, I told him, when you make a mistake up here, there's not any way you can hide it. When you're out there and you sing wrong, just the people in front of you turn around and look at you really weird, because it's like, was that you up here? So I told him, I said, Sean, I always look to find songs that I know. songs that are low and songs that make me glow." And I said, well, the last one's not true. But I said, the first two really are. So don't forget to pray. We mentioned this this morning. For those of you out other places who are not here this morning, Amy Smith's husband, I get it. to get some they had some leftovers from the bus route so they still made up a bunch of french bread pizzas and so again if you'd like to get some pizza and a drink after church you can do that in the fellowship hall please don't bring it back in here don't forget normal stuff going on this week which means wednesday night prayer and bible study at 7 30 so when in thursday night 6 45 youth activity 6 to 7 30 here at the church on friday then saturday bus visitation at 9 30 so when at 10 45 back in our place for Sunday School at 945, Church at 1050. I also mentioned I looked back and saw a smiling face reminding me don't forget to pray for Jose. He decided to drill a hole in his finger this week or cut a hole in his finger. It is all stitched back up. I asked Kurt the next day because I didn't want to bother him at the time. I asked how's he doing and he said he can still hitchhike so I mean. But actually stands out now. It's easier now than then. Probably people would even feel sorry for him if he was out there with the thumb all wrapped up. But he may start a new hitchhiker craze. All the hitchhikers may start wrapping up their thumb when they want to hitchhike. But pray for him. Still some a lot of healing to go on there. So don't forget to pray for him as well. We'll be singing as a volunteer. Number 171. Everyone stand please. A call for loyal soldiers comes to one and all. Soldiers for the conflict, will you heed the call? Will you answer quickly with a ready cheer? Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? A volunteer for Jesus, a soldier true. Others have enlisted, why not you? Jesus is the captain, we will never fear. Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? Yes, Jesus calls for soldiers who are filled with power. Soldiers who will serve him every day and hour. He will not forsake you, he is ever near. Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? A volunteer for Jesus, a soldier true. Others have enlisted, why not you? Jesus is the captain, we will never fear. Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? He calls for you, he loves you with the heart most kind. He whose heart was broken, broken for mankind. Now does now he calls you, calls in accents clear. Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? Volunteer for Jesus, a soldier true. Others have enlisted, why not you? Jesus is the captain, we will never fear. Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? It's time to take up the offering. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I want to thank you so much for your goodness, grace, and your mercy, Lord. I pray that you'd be with our preacher, Lord. Be with the preacher tonight, Lord, as he brings the message. Fill him with thy strength and power, Lord. Open up our hearts and our ears. Lord, bless the offering, Lord. I pray that it would meet the needs of the church, Lord. We love you and thank you. In Jesus Christ's name, we pray. Amen. Yeah. Yeah. We'll be singing Bring Them In. Also, please stand. Give you a chance to stretch your legs before the service. This is on him, this is not on me. Heart is the shepherd's voice I hear Out in the desert dark and drear Calling the sheep who've gone astray Far from the shepherd's fold away Bring them in, bring them in, bring them in from the fields of sin. Bring them in, bring them in, bring the wandering ones to Jesus. Who'll go and help this shepherd kind, help him the wandering ones to find. Who'll bring the lost ones to the fold, where they'll be sheltered from the cold. Bring them in, bring them in. Bring them in from the fields of sin. Bring them in. Bring them in. Bring the wandering ones to Jesus. Out in the desert, hear their cry. Out on the mountains, wild and high. Hark! Tis the Master speaks to thee, Go find my sheep, where'er they be, Bring them in, bring them in, Bring them in from the fields of sin, Bring them in, bring them in, Bring the wandering ones to Jesus. Pray for some taller girls, we just don't have enough to cover up the two of you guys in the back at this moment. ♪ Of every blessing to my heart is in thy grace ♪ ♪ Streams of mercy never ceasing ♪ ♪ Call for songs of loudest praise ♪ ♪ Teach me some new discontent ♪ ♪ Soon my claim in tongues above ♪ ♪ Raise a mountain fixed upon it ♪ ♪ Bounded by redeeming love ♪ ♪ Here I raise mine Ebenezer ♪ ♪ Hither by thy help I'm come ♪ ♪ And I hope by thy good pleasure ♪ ♪ Safely to arrive at home ♪ ♪ Jesus, only when a stranger ♪ ♪ Would drink from the full of love ♪ ♪ You to rescue me from danger ♪ ♪ Interpose this precious blood ♪ ♪ Oh to grace how great a debtor ♪ ♪ Daily I'm constrained to be ♪ ♪ Let thy goodness like a fetter ♪ ♪ On my wandering heart to be ♪ ♪ Oh to wonder what I'm feeling ♪ to leave the God above. Here's my mortar, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above. We bragged on Sean the other day, and I told him, I said, I'm glad you're the songwriter. He volunteered for this, by the way, and I appreciate the fact that even when you have a bad day or a bad song, you stick at it, because if you do very much of anything, you will have days and times you mess up. So if you ever expect to accomplish anything, if you're always expecting all to be victories, you are sadly mistaken in life or on a job or in a marriage or whatever the case might be. The key to it is stick it out and just keep at it. Go in your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 6. 2 Kings chapter 6. I mentioned this morning that I'll speak on this thought. God's there when you need Him. We want to look at one of the well-known stories in the Bible. 2 Kings chapter 6. Now in 2 Kings chapter 6, if you look early on, you'll look in verse 11. The Syrians were intending to take on the Israelites. That's what's mentioned in verse 11. And the king had an issue. He planned on ambushing the children of Israel, and the prophet Elisha, God told him about it, and he sent message to the king of Israel, and they didn't go to the ambush site. King of Syria set up another ambush site. God told Elisha, Elisha told the king of Israel, and the Israelites again didn't show up to the ambush site. The king called in all of his officers, and he said, which one of you guys is a traitor? Who's telling the enemy where we're going to be? Why do they keep missing us? And they said, not us. It's that stinking preacher. He's the one that's doing it. And he said, well, find out where that fellow's at. They found out where he was at. He was in Dotham. So he sent some of his fellows, which, well, we're going to start. I'm not going to read the whole story because of time. But notice in 2 Kings 6, notice verse 14. Therefore sent he thither horses and chariots and a great host. So he didn't just send a small group to grab him in the night. He sent, I mean, part of his army. And they came by night and can pass the city about. Verse 15, and when the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth, the host encompassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master, how shall we do? Now you think and I think it'd be, what shall we do? But he asked, how shall we do? 16 and Elisha answered him and he answered fear not by the way that's usually not what you'd expect from him usually you'd expect I don't know but he said fear not here's what he then said and it seems really weird because here's what he said for they that be with us are more than they that be with them he said don't worry about it we got him outnumbered now the servant was pretty good math I don't know if he was a teacher but he had counted one two three And he knew how many men in Dotham could fight, and he realized that we're outnumbered. Then notice the next verse, verse 17. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man. and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. So between Elisha and the enemy was a bunch of chariots of horses of fire. Again, he would say he was at... that was the angels of God that was there to protect Elisha and his servant. If you know the rest of the story, it's kind of a funny story. You ought to read it sometime. I don't have time tonight. But Elisha said, Lord, strike them all blind. So he went out to him. The Lord struck him all blind. He said, I'm not the guy you're looking for, but I know where he's at. Follow me. And they all, and again, you say, what'd he do? He probably had to either keep talking or singing or something, or maybe preach. I don't know, but he led them into the Samaria, into the town where the Israelite army was gathered. And then he said, now, Lord, let them open their eyes. They all opened their eyes and they went. That's what they said. I mean, they were in trouble because now they're in the enemy camp and the enemy leader said the general said, should we kill all of them? He said, would you kill your captives normally? He said, give them a good meal and send them home. And if you read the rest of the story, you'll find that King said, you know what? We're not messing with the Israelites anymore now because they realize we're not messing with just the Israelites. We're messing with the Israelites, God. And Israelite's God was far more powerful and far sneakier than the king at that time, that king. So again, tonight we're going to look at this thought, God's there when you need Him. Go in your Bibles to Psalms chapter 34 before I pray. Psalms chapter 34, I want you to see that as well. Don't usually add extra stuff, but I did because I read this in my devotions last night notice psalms chapter 34 verse 7 the angel the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him knows the next phrase and Delivereth them so that's what we're going to talk about tonight again. God's there when you need him now we can pray father. I ask you to speak through me tonight. I ask you to use me as I always do. Lord, I need your help and your power. I pray, Lord, that you would just help me to get the thoughts across that you gave me to the people of God tonight, that they might be a help to us in our time of need, our time of trial. In Jesus' name, amen. Now, we're going to look at several times when we can see in the Bible, because again, one of the best ways to prove to someone something is to show them. Again, I mean, I was saying the proof of the pudding is in the what? It tastes, and I mean you got, because someone can brag all about how good the food tastes. And by the way, it can even smell good. That doesn't mean it tastes good. It might even look bad, but that doesn't mean it doesn't taste good. You say, how do you find out how it tastes? You taste it. So again, some of the best examples are, again, that God's there when you need Him is in the Bible. So notice now in your Bibles in Daniel chapter 3. I said God's there when you need Him. And the first thought I want to get across to you was there was another in the fire. And you say, who was in the fire? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But in Daniel chapter 3, those of you that know the story know that the king had told them, you got a chance to keep from getting thrown in the fire. You guys can bow down, and you can worship me, or you're going to get thrown in the fire. Verse 24, the Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was astonished, rose up in haste and spake, and said unto his counselors, did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered him and said unto the king, true, O king. Verse 25, his amazement. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire. And they had no hurt. And the form of the fourth man is like the Son of God. Now again, if you study, you'll see that that actually means the word is an angel of God. So I don't know that some people think Jesus is actually in there, whether he was or an angel of God. I can just tell you he was someone sent from God. But again, the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they talked a good talk. And sometimes we talk a good talk, but the proof for them was when they got thrown into the fire, they probably, when they first got in there, they probably went, oh, I mean, then, because again, you say, was the fire hot? Ask the guards that threw them in. It was hot, it killed them, and they, it just killed, if you've ever been close to fire, you'll understand, you can feel a hot fire from quite a ways away. And when you get up close, it actually hits you right in the face. Sometimes we burn big piles of brush out where I live. And again, you get very close to a hot fire. I mean, you can be as close to me as Mrs. Garcia, and the fire's so hot, you can't get any closer. I mean, you feel like you're gonna burn, you're gonna get on fire if you're going, it's just, it hits you right in the face and right in the body. Now, it was a real fire, but the thing is, the children of Israel served a real God. that real God now again they had said our God can deliver us and he's gone to and even if you don't sometimes you might have to make that choice in your life you may have to decide you know what God's gonna take care of me with this but even if he doesn't I'm still not gonna bow down to your idol I'm still not gonna give in to the thing you want me to give in to and that's the stand the children of Israel took Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and they found themselves with someone right along with them someone by the way now again understand The Bible says they came out and they didn't even smell like smoke. There was a lot of miracles that went on inside there. I mean, the ropes either fell off or got burned off, but it didn't burn them. They came out with their clothes, I mean, not a singed hair on their head, not a smell of smoke on them. And again, you don't have to spend very long around a fire for you to smell like smoke. used to smoke and didn't, I mean, I've never smoked, but smoking didn't used to bother me like it does today. Now, if I'm around someone that smokes, I mean, it just makes me cough. If they get in my car or someone, sometimes I'll give someone a ride and they're a smoker, you can just smell it on their clothes. They're not smoking, but they might as well be. Their clothes are still smoking from the smoke they smoked a while ago. But again, understand, There was another in the fire. He said, well, Block, I will probably never face the fire. Well, I don't know. Look at 1 Peter. You might find that you might someday. The Bible says in 1 Peter chapter 4, notice verse 12, 1 Peter 4, 12. as though some strange thing happened to you. You may face a fiery trial someday. You may need someone in the fire with you. By the way, if you don't face a trial like that, you will have to face, notice Ephesians chapter 6 verse 16. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 16, above all, taking a shield of faith, now he had told them the armor to put on, Again, we call this the armor of God. He said, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. So even if you don't face a fiery trial, and you might, you are going to have to be defended against the fiery darts of the devil, because he likes to shoot fiery darts at us. So again, you may not face a physical fire. Again, my house was never burnt down. We did have a fire in my house one night, and there's quite a story to that. You say, what was it? It was called chickens in a tub in a corner with a heat lamp. and the heat lamp set the, what do you call it, the shredded wood there, huh? No, it wasn't styrofoam, it was the, I can't even think what you call it now, the mulch. They set the mulch on fire, and then they set part of the wall on fire when the smoke alarm went off. Insurance did not appreciate that, by the way. After they finished all the stuff they said to this, they said, no more chickens in the house. That's what they said, no more chickens in the house. And Mr. Block said the same thing, so I had to agree. But again, you may face a fiery trial. If you do, you want to make sure God's there with you when you're in the fire. You might face the lion's den like Daniel. Go over with me, if you would, to Daniel chapter 6. And again, Daniel took a stand for God. In this case, then some stinking rats told on him. They wanted to catch him into something. When they caught him into it, his punishment was to be cast into the lion's den. Daniel chapter 6 verse 16 says the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, now it's amazing that a lost fellow by seeing Daniel's testimony all this time and seeing what God had done with Daniel, the king said this, I got to cast you in there because I can't break my word. The king's rule... I mean the king's law is the law. But he said, Your God, whom Thou servest continually, He will deliver Thee. It's amazing that lost folks can... by the way, they'll see Your witness, they'll notice Your witness, and they'll believe in Your God even though they don't... they haven't placed their faith and trust in Your God. Notice what happens in verse 22. Because he comes back the next morning, the king comes back the next morning, he couldn't sleep all night. You say, did Daniel sleep? Yeah, Daniel went over to one of those big fuzzy ones, you know, the male lion. He went over to that big fuzzy one, fluffed up his little hair there and laid down on that and used that as a pillow and went to sleep. But the king came back the next morning because he didn't sleep. And he showed up early in the morning because the rule was they had to be in the lion's den that night. He went back the next morning to let him out if he was still alive. He thought maybe he was over in the corner fighting them off or something. But Daniel wasn't. He called down verse 22, my God. And Daniel responded, my God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lion's mouths that they have not hurt me. You say, well, maybe the lions weren't hungry. Well, you know what? Again, if you read your Bible and your father, you'll find that wasn't true either. Just like if you wonder whether that was real fire, ask the guys that got burned up getting thrown in. If you wonder whether these were really mean lions, ask the fellows and their families, by the way. And sometimes you'll make decisions that will cost not only you, but your family as well. Those knuckleheads did, and their wives probably had nothing to do with it. They were simply jealous of someone who, by the way, because of his godliness, God promoted him. And they didn't have that, so they tried to pull the one down in front of them. But it goes on, it says, So he said, I'm fine. Again, you say, Brother Block? When we ever face a lion's den, you might. Go to Proverbs chapter 19. Proverbs chapter 19. You may not face a real lion, but Proverbs 19. Notice verse 12. The king's wrath is as a roaring of a lion. We might face something from our government, from some leadership, from someone. Again, not everyone in power is always righteous and godly and right, but his favor is to do upon the grass. He said you might face the king's wrath. It's like a roaring lion. I can also tell you there's another place in the Bible. Flip over to 1 Peter chapter 5. There's another line that you and I might face. We face him quite often actually. Notice what 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 8. When you face this line you better hope you have again God's help when you face him because he tells us in 1 Peter 5 verse 8, be sober. Be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Now, if you're wondering if the devil's more powerful than you and I, he is. Truth is, he can take on everyone in this room and not even lift a finger. I mean, he's very powerful. The thing is, we have someone that we serve, we have someone that's inside of us, if we're saved, that's far more powerful than him. It's kind of like he steps up and we look at him and think, oh man, I'm in trouble. But it's always nice to be able to, I mean, again, you don't have to feel like that when you know that the guy that's on your side. I remember a little while back a preacher was telling me a story about a couple of the young, some preachers that someone went by them and cut them off so they went up and they was hollering at this person and they, I mean they was, you know, returning the favor telling them how much they disliked that and told them to pull over because they thought they was going to whoop this person. The guy pulled over and then Brother Nichols said, the guy told him later, the guy when he opened up the car door he got out. And he got out, and he got out, and when he finally got out, he was big. And the fellas was like, thank you, have a good day. I mean, they only thought they wanted to fight. They only wanted to fight till they found, I mean, when they thought they were bigger and stronger than the person they were gonna fight with. But you know, it's amazing sometimes. That's why, like I said, when I talked to my son, when he went to Haiti to help over there, I said, you sure they're not gonna, those gangs, and they're gonna be wanting the food, and the clothing, and the stuff you're doing, and the aid? And he said, dad, Do not want to mess with this and I said, what do you mean? They don't want to mess with this They don't want to mess with the United States Marine Corps And again, what are you saying? Is they don't they don't want to mess with us because they know we are bigger and badder than they are By the way, you and I can face the lions in we can face the devil Because like he did for Daniel he'll shut the devil's mouth By the way, he will protect you and I from the devil. You might not face a fire You may not face a lion's den Maybe that you have to find another in the water go to in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 4 One of my favorite stories, because I have a big imagination, and some of you know that, so I can imagine all kinds of stuff. Now if I was a children of Israel and I was walking on dry ground, you know what I'd have done? I'd have walked over there and I'd have went boop. And I just wanted to see if I could put my finger through the water. I mean, I would have. I'd have stopped and I'd have watched, because you talk about an aquarium. I mean, all those fish right there, I mean, all those big sharks and all the other fish are all swimming around, and they're right over there. Now, again, I don't know if anyone did that. could have but again notice Exodus chapter 4 verse 14 he said this Moses says the Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace but lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thine hand over the sea and divide it and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea verse 21 And Moses stressed out his hand over the sea. And the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night. Now, if you're wondering whether a big wind can dry up an ocean, the answer to that is no, not normally. This is not a normal east wind. This is God This is God's east wind. This is not the normal east wind. I've seen the wind dry up a lot of water and a lot of wet stuff, but it was not that the ocean dried up. It is that the ocean stood up and then God used the east wind to dry out the ground. I don't know if you've ever tried to walk or take your family or your herds or stuff through muddy... I mean, you get your feet pretty muddy, it gets pretty tough. Old folks would have a hard time walking through there. Weak folks would have a hard time walking through there. But they didn't walk through on muddy ground. They walked through on dry ground. It goes on, it says, Verse 29, Exodus 14, but the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea. You say, well, maybe the ocean, there wasn't really any water standing up. Well, tell that to the Pharaoh's army who drowned in that water just a few moments later. While the children of Israel walked through on dry ground, Pharaoh's army came through, and by the way, God slowed them down. I don't know if you've ever had a flat tire. By the way, and you're not real smart if you keep driving on that flat tire, because soon you're just driving on the rim. And you may not have, sometimes you may not have the choice, because sometimes you may be in a position where you've got to get off the highway, and so you just keep driving on it, and at first it's just bloop, bloop, bloop. How many of you have ever been someplace, and you've been a ways away, but you can hear that person driving on a tire like that? I was at the house one time. I mean, I'm quite a ways off the road, but I can hear someone going, bloop, bloop, bloop, bloop, down Kelly Road. And you say, what'd they have? They had a flat tire, and they were driving on the rim. That's what they was driving on. But in this case, he slowed Pharaoh's army down. And then it says this, and the waters were a wall unto them on the right hand and on the left hand. It wasn't too long after that that those walls collapsed on Pharaoh's army and drowned them all. You say, who was that? I don't know if there's one angel. God's angels are very powerful. I don't know if there's one angel. You say, why didn't God show the children of Israel those angels? Because everybody would have been asking questions. Everybody would have been stopping and going, ooh. I mean, again, they had to get across there. There was a million, a million and a half people to get across. They didn't have time for that. By the way, sometimes God can't show us his presence. But by the way, that doesn't mean he's not there. Again, in that case, those angels were... I can picture one standing in there holding up... maybe there were several of them. Maybe there's all along there. Like in the case of the valley there where they were gathered around the prophet Elisha. But again, God's in the water. When you're in the water, again, God's going to be there to help you. Now, there will no longer be a universal flood. God promised that. But God was with Noah in Genesis chapter 7 verses 16 and 17. Now you know why the Bible says, go over there because I want you to see, again I noticed this years ago and you might not have noticed it so I'll point it out to you, but notice in Genesis chapter 7 what the Bible says happened. Genesis chapter 7 verse 16 says, and they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh as God had commanded him, did what God said. Notice the next phrase, and God shut him in. I guarantee you, Noah had a way to shut the door. You say, how do you know that? Because he had a way to open the door. So he had to have some kind of puller system. But see, I don't know that Noah would have been able to shut the door. You know why? Because when the water started to fall, water had never fallen before. The water had came up from the ground and watered the grass and the trees and things like that before, like an irrigation system some of you have in your yard. never had rain come down. So when the first few drops started hitting people, it's like, what's that? Then they said, it must be that rain that he was talking about. And then as the water began to rise and it continued to rain, then some of them got pretty serious. You know where they all headed? They headed to the ark. Problem was, they'd had 120 years to get in the ark. And for 120 years, they had laughed and mocked and made fun of Noah and didn't get in. That's why the Bible says God shut the door. I guarantee if Noah would have had his say so, Noah would have kept the door open and pulled in as many as he could until the water got up to the ark and started floating it away. I've often said, and I guarantee if you could, if you, if fingernails lasted that long, if you found the ark, you'd find fingernails embedded in the side of the ark where people would try to claw and get into the ark. But God shut the door. Notice it goes on, verse 17 says, and the flood was 40 days upon the earth and the waters increased and bear up the ark and it was lift up above the earth. Verse one of chapter eight says this, God remembered Noah and every living thing and all the cattle that were with him in the ark and God made a wind to pass over the earth and the waters assuaged. Now understand again, in the case of Noah, God was there in the flood. Now you and I are promised to never have another universal flood, but a few years ago when they had that flood in Louisiana, we had some people that came up and put their kids in the school. They got flooded out. I mean, the water got feet high, several feet high. And again, if you've ever been in a flood, you understand water is very powerful. If you've ever even been out in a creek, you may think, I mean, there's been people who get their cars washed away, and their trucks washed away, or their houses washed away. Again, if you're in the water, God is with you in the water. When you think of that, you have to think of the ships in Mark chapter 4. Flip over to Mark chapter 4. Sometimes it's a big flood, like it was with Noah. There will never be another universal flood, but there are local floods. But in this case, even God is with you when you're out in the water or on the water. Notice Mark chapter 4, verse 37. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full, full of water. By the way, when boats get full of water, you know what? There's a universal truth about that. They begin to sink. That's what happens when the boat gets full of water. Now, if you've never been out in a boat in water that took on water, you don't know the fear that you have. But if you have a boat, and some of you probably have been out in a boat with water coming into it, if you have a small leak, that gets really scary. You say, what do you do? You try to get to land as quick as you can. If not, you try to call someone and you float until someone arrives. But notice it goes on in verse 39. And He arose. Now in this case they didn't have to call upon God. God didn't have to send one of His angels because He had somebody right there with Him. And that was the Son of God because He was still alive at this time. And He was right there in the boat with Him. So what was He doing? Taking a nap. It was probably church day and in the afternoon He was a smart fellow and He took a nap. He preached all day and He got tired so He took a nap. But it says there that he arose, rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And by the way, they were shocked and surprised and a little scared because they said, Wow, even the wind and the waves obey Him. By the way, everything, everything obeys Him. God, again, there's nothing that doesn't answer to God. By the way, even the devil himself answers to God as in the story of Job. But again, you might not face a great big flood like Noah. You might not even face one like the folks did in Louisiana. It might be that you're out on the water and you have problems. By the way, there was another fellow that faced some times in the water and God was with him. Go to Acts chapter 27. A lot of water experiences when it comes to these things. So notice Paul in Acts chapter 27 notice verse 10. Now again he'd already told them we shouldn't leave. They thought again they didn't want to stay there because if they stayed there they were not going to make money as quick as they wanted to. So for economical reasons they decided to leave. Chapter 27 verse 10 says, and he said to them, sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the ladding and the ship, but also of our lives. What he says is a lot of folks are going to die. By the way, Paul was wrong about that. Now he was just talking about normally, because by the way, normally when a ship goes down, people die. don't care how big the ship is if there's any number of people when the ship goes down people die verse 11 nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship more than those things which was spoken by Paul verse 19 and the third day we cast out with our own hands and tackling the ship what's happening there's a big storm so they're trying to lighten the ship trying to get to ride higher in the water because the storms the waves are coming up now brother y'all told me one time when he was on a what was it a carrier you said brother yala how tall those waves you told me you went through sir An icebreaker. How big was it? You told me one time you was out in the ocean, the waves were what? 15, 20 feet high? Now, if you've ever been down to Corpus, if you get a three or four foot wave down there, it's pretty rocky. But I mean, he faced some big waves. In this case, these are some big waves as well. It goes on. And again, the waves, the storm was so bad, he said, we cast out all the taxing of the ship. Verse 22, now I exhort you to be of good cheer. Now again, that's not normally what you tell folks when they're scared to death and they're all gonna drown. He said, Be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the shipping. Now the ship's going to go down. Can't help that, but God promised me you guys will all be okay. Verse 30, And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea under cover as though they would have cast anchors out of the fore ship, now they got ready to depart. They were going to kill the prisoners, if you know their story. Paul said, Don't do that. Notice verse 41, And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground. And the four parts struck fast and remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. Notice verse 44. And the rest, some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship, so that it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land. Now, if you know anything about the ocean, if a boat goes down, somebody might make it to shore. I guarantee you, if Gilligan and the folks on that boat, if they'd have been saved and God would have protected them, they'd appreciate it. They wouldn't have been cast on the island. Who knows? They may still be there. I'm not sure. But the fact is, usually when a boat goes down, sharks get some. Some drown. Some get hurt because of all the turmoil on the boat. And so again, this case not, not did one, wasn't a hair on anybody's head messed up. The sharks came over. I don't know if God put an invisible shield around them or when a shark came up and got close, he opened up and tried to open up his mouth and couldn't open his mouth. I don't know. I guarantee you the sharks wanted those fellows in the water. You say, maybe they was all up just on the... Listen, you have to paddle with your arms or kick with your feet. You probably aren't going to get to shore unless you do that. And some of them didn't have very big pieces of wood. But again, they all made it safe. So in that case, again, there was someone else in the water. Paul had... Now again, because of Paul, it wasn't because of the other fellas. So if you're wondering, well, Brother Block, can I really make a difference? In Paul's case, it was 200 and something sailors. I think it was 288 or 286. In his case, lost people benefited from the man of God. By the way, I've often said this. Your boss doesn't care whether you're saved, lost, black, white, green, or yellow. He doesn't care how smart you are. If you make the company money and you make his job easier, he likes you. By the way, if you're a child of God, then that gives you the ability and the opportunity to be a witness and a testimony. Again, God was in the water. He was in the fire. He was in the lion's den. He was in the water. I put this in my notes and I mean this. He will be with you when the waves of grief, the waves of despair, the waves of hopelessness, the waves of hardship, and you'll face those. You'll face those in your marriage. You'll face those with your children. You'll face those with your job. You're going to face some hardships. And by the way, when those waves come and they will come, if you're a child of God, you have someone else there besides you because He promises that He would never leave you nor forsake you. He's not going to ever leave you alone. I can tell you being alone is scary. I've told you before when I was a child, I had to go down once every four nights, I had to go down and check the pigs. There was a long, I mean, it was from like here to, I don't know, probably where that handicapped, that other building is over there. So we had a light at the house, we had a light down at the pig pen, but in between was darkness. And it never fell. Now, again, we didn't have scary shows like they do today. Today, they have crazy, crazy, weird, scary shows. Back then, it was just Frankenstein and the werewolf and, you know, that kind of stuff. But to a guy, I mean, at that time, that was scary. And I don't remember which night it was. I probably had watched one of those shows, and I did not want to go down and have to check the pigs in the dark. You know why? Because the werewolf was out there. That's why I didn't want to go down there. And he was going to get me if I went out there. He's looking for someone out there by themselves alone. I mean, and so, I remember I went down there. There was a gate. I got up on top of the gate. I stood there. I took a couple deep breaths. There was a wide field in between me and the next light down there, 30 or 40 yards away. I took a deep breath. I took a deep breath. I jumped off the gate. I took off running. The problem was sometimes pigs like to graze at night. I didn't know she was there. She didn't know I was coming. I was running from the werewolf. I'm not sure what she was running from. Well, I know what she's running from in a minute because I ran, I ran, hit her, fell over her. She went, and took off in one direction. And I jumped up because I thought, man, that werewolf made a real weird noise, but I thought it was a werewolf. So I took off running, finally got to the light and was like, I'm scared to death. You might face some scary times, probably will. There might be some scary times with financials, might be some scary times in an accident. You'll face some scary times, but again, you don't have to face them alone. Most of you know that my wife passed away five months ago. And the other day, a thought hit me, the Lord brought a thought to me, and because I was thinking, but someone else had mentioned, one of my children that went through an ugly divorce back years ago, I'd said, I'm so sorry, and they said, don't be. I'm happier now than I've been in 10 years. He had said that a long time ago, but here a while back, the Lord brought a thought to me. If you didn't have a good marriage, you wouldn't miss her. You'd be glad she's gone. There are people that, by the way, when their mate leaves, it's like... I mean, it's a happy time. I mean, they do the happy dance. They say, Bill Block, we don't want to see you do the happy dance. I was going to do my air guitar when I was going to brag on the girls for playing their instruments, and the only thing I can play is the air guitar, but I didn't really figure you wanted to see that either. So I try to, you know, protect you from some things you probably shouldn't see, because you can't forget those once you see them. But I thought, the Lord brought that thought, and I thought, you know what? I'm sad she's gone, but I am so thankful that I had her for 41 years. If you have good parents, when they pass and they will pass, again, you'll lose loved ones. But if you, if, if, if, again, if you, if you had a good relationship with them, you'll miss them in a good way. Again, if you didn't have a good relationship or they weren't good relatives and you wouldn't even miss them, you'd be glad they're gone. But again, understand you might face some fire, you might face some, some, you might face the lions in, you might face some water. Another danger that you might face, something else you might go through, you might face a jail cell. Some of you apparently already have. Shame on you. Hopefully it was before you got saved. If you face it now, hopefully it's because you're preaching or teaching or doing something for the Bible. Brother Nicholas, some of you don't know this, Brother Nicholas spent a night in jail while he was in Bible college. Cause they was down preaching at a beer joint. I think it was called the Red Dog Saloon. And they were told to quit preaching there. And they told him we're going to keep preaching. And they went out and arrested him, put him in jail. Say, what'd they do? They called one of the staff members. What'd the staff member do? Said, what are you idiots doing in jail? He was so consoling and understanding. And then he apparently, he called someone else and said, go get those knuckleheads out of jail. Now they wanted us to preach on the street corner and all that, but they just didn't want to have to come bail them out of jail when they did. But brother Nichols was a jailbird. He spent a night in jail. Notice in your Bible Acts chapter 16. Paul and Silas spent some time in jail. Acts chapter 16. Notice verse 23, when they laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. Verse 25, and at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. And by the way, when you go through the trial, and the prisoners heard them, sorry, it was on the other page. How you go through a trial will make a big difference about how people, whether they believe in your God or don't believe in your God. In this case, these fellows had made believers, and I really literally believe they made believers, not just believers in them, but believers in their God. because of the way they handled their jail cell. Notice verse 26, And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed. Verse 28, And Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here. He didn't say we're here. He said we are all here. Now I can tell you, when the doors open, it's called escape. That's what usually happens, okay? It's called a prison break. In this case, the prison actually broke. Or as Elpha said, it was jailhouse that rocked. I mean, so again, the prison doors are open, the chains have fallen off, they're all loose, and they're staying in their cells. Again, that's why I said I really believe that all the folks that already became believers, but that was not the only souls that got saved that night. Notice verse 30. And He brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? I have this in my notes. You handle your trial right. Souls will be saved. Now, listen to what I say. You handle your trial right. Now, if you handle your trial wrongly, souls won't be saved. But you handle your trial. When you go through a trial, and you're going to face some trials. The Bible tells us that you and I are going to face trials and temptations. It's going to happen. So when you face your trial, depending on how you handle your trial, depending on the attitude you have, and by the way, whether you depend upon Him and lean upon Him during that time, or you lean upon yourself, which by the way, will always get you in trouble. You can have it, you can make a difference. The truth is, when we was down at Fiesta, I was witnessing to a young lady, and she was wondering whether she should get saved or not. A lot of folks like to put it off, it's like they believe, but don't know if I want to do it today. I told her, at that time it was only, when was Fiesta, June? I don't remember when Fiesta was. It was June or July this year. She was in April, but I know it wasn't April this year. You guys can't all be as forgetful as Brother Block. Apparently you are. Sometime, it was June or July, so my wife had passed like two months before, and she was going to walk away without getting saved, and I said, you might not want to do that. I said, I left in the morning, came back home, and my wife was dead. You're not guaranteed another day. She stayed and got saved. So the truth is, because of what God had allowed me to go through and that I went through, she was able to get saved. By the way, there are folks that face trials. You handle that trial correctly, and you handle it incorrectly. If Paul and Silas would have been whining and crying and complaining, not only would folks not have been saved that was there, but the jailer would not have seen any difference in them, because that's what all prisoners do, whine and cry and complain and gripe and holler. Now, by the way, they were hollering, but they were singing. I'm probably singing at the top of their lungs, but they were singing. And again, because of that, the jailer got saved, the prisoners got saved. Again, someday you may face a jail cell. It may not be just a real jail, but it might be, I mean, you might face a, I mean, some type of trial or tribulation in your life, and you'll have to understand you're not alone. Then the last thing, and I'll be done. There's another in heaven, or others in heaven as well. Notice in your Bibles, Hebrews chapter 12. How many of you have ever played sports? You know the good thing about sports? If you do good, people do what? Now it's not any fun to get booed, but if you get cheered, by the way, the home crowd actually, they call the, in the NBA, they call the home crowd the sixth player. It's like having another player on your side. Now by the way, when you have an extra player, you have an advantage. It's always nice to have the referees in your pocket too, but if they're not in your pocket, you better hope you're at the home crowd. But the home crowd, the volume and the cheering, you'll see sometimes you'll see the players do this. By the way, especially if the quarterback on the other team is trying to call some play, they can't even hear the numbers. And it's hard to look it forward and you can't read his lips if you're looking forward. So, I mean, sometimes they mess up because the crowd's so loud. They call it crowd noise. Now understand I said there's others or another in heaven notice Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 Bible says we're foreseeing we also come past about we're so great a cloud of witnesses Let us lay aside every weight and the sin with dust so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race set us up before us now notice We said we got a great cloud of witnesses. We have cheerleaders in this in the grandstand cheering us on I don't know what all they can see I've often prayed and said Lord Please don't let them see me when I mess up. I don't want to be ashamed of me I just wanted to see me when I do good so they can be proud of me But again, understand, there are folks that watch us, there's folks that cheer for us. There's also someone else up there doing something for us. Notice Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, notice verse 34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Hebrews 7.25 says, wherefore, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. He intercedes for the lost when they're getting saved, and then he intercedes for us after we're saved on our behalf on a daily basis with our heavenly Father. So not only do we have a great cloud of witnesses, we have folks that are with us, folks that are on our side. We're not ever alone. We always have folks that cheer us on. And then we also have Jesus Christ who's interceding for us. Now, so when you face a trial or tribulation in the future, and you will, Realize, even if you're the only one there personally, if you're a child of God, you are not alone. You don't have to be afraid. You don't have to be terrified. Now, sometimes you'll face things that are terrifying. Sometimes you'll face things that are demoralizing. Sometimes you'll face stuff that, by the way, you couldn't handle without Him. That's, by the way, when He appreciates it. And by the way, sometimes that's probably why He puts us in those positions. Because He likes it when we call on Him. He likes it when we need Him. He likes it when we depend upon Him. He likes it when we use Him. He wants to be used. He wants to be called upon. He wants to be talked to. He wants to be needed. Someone asked me one time, they said something, they said, well, I'm sorry for asking you this. And I said, no, I like it when, you know what? That's why I told someone one time, I said, they said, I have a question. I said, ask Brother Nicholas. He said, well, he's, I said, no, Brother Nicholas loves answering questions about the Bible. He does. Loves answering, as many of you in here have asked him questions about the Bible. And by the way, he knows his Bible very, very well. And it's always nice to have him explain something to you. But again, you may face some tough times in your Christian life, but be aware of this simple truth. If you're a child of God, you are never alone. You may face the fire. You may face the water. You may face the lions. You may face all types of tribulations. But when you're going through it, realize you're not alone. You don't have to be afraid. You don't have to be terrified. By the way, you don't even have to be strong. Sometimes he mentions when you're weak, I am strong. There'll be times you're weak. You couldn't make it. You'd have gave up, you'd have quit, but you didn't because there was someone that said, lean on me, I got you. And by the way, he always does. Father, thank you for tonight. I pray, Lord, you'd help us to realize how important it is to you that we lean on you and count on you, but also to the world, to those watching us. And Lord, we always have people watching us, whether we know it or not. There are relatives, friends, coworkers, neighbors that watch us. They've heard us talk about being saved, or they've read our tracts, and they're wanting