I realize tonight that I can't preach unless the Lord does the preaching. And please pray for me. I've not felt good in body. I don't want your pity. Just pray. Amen. Thank God to just give us the strength. Jeremiah chapter 38. I want to deal with one verse. And then we'll probably deal with other verses. Now I'm not going to take you through, I don't think, the whole book of Jeremiah. Amen. But let's look in verse number 6. I hope I pronounce these words right, and if I'm not, it'll be okay. God knows what they are. Verse 6, Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchah the son of Hamilech, that was in the court of the prison. And they let down Jeremiah with cords, and in the dungeon there was no water but mire. So Jeremiah sunk, in the mire. You may be seated. May the good Lord add his blessings to the reading of the scripture tonight. And again, it's not just words. I desire your prayers. Let me just pray. I'm very glad you saved tonight. If you're glad that you're saved, that means that there's been a time in your life that There's been a time that you have been probably, not literally where Jeremiah was, but spiritually you were in a place where Jeremiah was. Some things that I'm going to mention tonight, if you're not careful, the devil will take those things. And he'll try to destroy you, and I'll get to that in just a minute. But just by the way of introduction, I want us to go to verse number six again. Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchi the son of Hamelot, that was in the court of the prison, and they let down. Let me stop right there. If you live for the Lord long, amen, there's gonna be some letdowns in your life. Now when I say that, amen, here Jeremiah was physically let down. I'm talking about with cords into a dungeon. But I want us here to say tonight, amen, in this life, people's gonna let you down. In this life, amen, circumstances and situations are going to let you down. There's going to be down times in the Christian walk. I ain't always felt like I've saved. I ain't always felt like that I've been born again. Matter of fact, amen, I like to meet the person that feels saved all the time. I'd like to meet the person, amen, that feels like, amen, that they can't sin. Well, I say I'd like to. I don't know if I would or not. Amen. To be honest with you. Amen. But I'm human and you're human. Amen. But there's going to be letdowns. The best I can do, I told you this morning, the preacher can let you down. This deacon can let you down. My wife can let you down. Your husband can let you down. Amen. Friends and family, and you know how all of that goes. Everybody in here has met some kind of letdown, amen, in your life. And in verse number six, amen, let me stop right there and say this. The devil, amen, is in the sinking business. The Bible says that he let him down in the dungeon. I want to say the devil, amen, he's in the destroying business. The devil is in the burdening business, amen? He is here tonight. You say, preacher, the devil is here? Well, first of all, I'm saved and I brought the Lord with me. But the devil is here. Anytime, amen, God is present, the devil is also present. there to try to hinder, amen, the working and the moving of the Holy Ghost of God. I tell you, the devil is in the depression business. I'm telling you, amen, the Bible says that he's out to steal, kill and destroy. That's the Word of God. Jeremiah was a God called man. Let me say amen from that. Amen. He was a chosen man of God. He knew what burdens were. Jeremiah knew what tears were. As a matter of fact, if you spend time reading the book of Jeremiah, they call him the weeping prophet. And he spent more time in the prison, no doubt, probably than in the palace. I mean, he's known as that weeping prophet. I mean, there's been a song sung years ago that I heard, tears. Our language, God understands, amen. But here is a man that had been let down. Here is a man that had, no doubt, a lot of trouble on his hand. I mean, I'm talking about, amen, because of the cause of Christ. because of the cross that He was carrying, because of the cross that was on His back. Let me tell you something, friend. If you're here tonight and you're saved, that's the greatest privilege you'll ever have as a human being, amen, in this life, is knowing that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. But I'm here to tell you this, amen, that the devil's out to, amen, to burden you. He's out to discourage you. He's out to depress you. Can I get a witness there? And sometimes there's tears, amen, that will flow. Here Jeremiah, no doubt, was crying. Hey, sure he was. Sure there's times he is crying. You say preaching the Bible doesn't say he's crying in the dungeon. No it didn't. But I guarantee you, amen, hey, hey, if we'd have been in the dungeon, we'd have cried out to God. The devil tried to sink Jeremiah in the mire. The devil used things, amen, to destroy him, to try to destroy Jeremiah. I'm going to give you about three things, amen, to begin with. Amen is introduction. Then I'm going to give you about two or three things in the message, and I'll try not to be as long. as there was this morning. What were some things, amen, the devil used to try to destroy, amen, destroy him. I'm going to preach on this subject tonight, amen, what to do when you're sinking in the mire. What do you do, amen, when it seems like all hope's gone? What do you do when it feels like, hey, you better remember this sermon? Heather, some of us are going to remember this sermon, amen, because why? It's just a matter of time. You might get in that mire, amen. What do you do, preacher? Amen. First of all, what did the devil use to destroy him, try to destroy him? First of all, he used people against him. The devil used people against him. The devil turned people against him. Hey, let me tell you something. One of the things we need to learn, the very first thing in our Christian walk, get our eyes off people. We need to learn to get our eyes off people. Let me tell you something. You know what the devil wants to know more than anything in this world? Is to get you looking at another so-called Christian. her to get you looking, amen, at another person that you have confidence in, amen, in the Lord, and them mess up, amen, hey, I got, there's a text, amen, Brother Steve Waiters, amen, that preached at our camp meeting, they preached at some of our camp meeting, amen, there in Kentucky, they had a little text, and my wife read it coming down the road, or my daughter did, and I think, was it you or Angie? He was angry and made to call men that he needed prayers, amen, for a man of God that he had knew, amen, a pastor that he had knew, amen, that had failed, amen, that had backslid on the Lord and was out of the ministry. Now, hey, as far as I can understand without the church, let me tell you something, friend. Hey, just because I'm a preacher doesn't put me past, amen, that the devil trying his best had to get me to a place that I'm in the mire. I'm gonna say tonight, amen. If you're here tonight and you say, preacher, the devil's against me. You said that right. We need to learn to get our eyes off people. Let me tell you, hey, you'll remember this, amen. Hey, it might be a month down the road. It might be six months down the road. It might be a year. But let me tell you, I come to this church tonight not because you're here. Now I know I'm the pastor, amen. I have a responsibility to get up and preach you the gospel, amen. But I come to church tonight to worship God, amen. I come tonight, amen, to uplift the name of Jesus. I come tonight for God to speak to my heart. But I also come tonight, amen, for the message, amen, that I believe that God's got on my heart, amen, for you tonight. Hey, get your eyes off of people. People will let you down. Have they lied on Jeremiah? Who's in here been lied to? Yeah, they lied on Jeremiah. Boy, I've had them to lie on me. Man, I had a devil one time, amen, had brought out accusations against me. Amen, listen, hey, if you hadn't been where you needed to be in the God, you know what would have happened to this church? This church would have split. Amen, it would have went down. Hey, you say, why preacher? Because the devil is a liar. He don't want, hey, the devil will lie on you. He lied on Jeremiah. Don't take it offensively, amen, sometimes, and you get lied about. First of all, amen, I know what's a lie, and I know what ain't a lie. Amen. And you say, well, preacher, what if everybody else believe it? I can't help what you believe, amen. As long as I know, I know I'm right. As long as I know, amen, I have the truth, amen. Hey, this world can believe what they want to believe. Hey, but I know the truth, all God's people said. Amen. People, amen, persecuted him. They lied on Jeremiah. People are cruel. People are cruel. What do you say they're cruel? I apologize for that phone. Amen. People are cruel. Amen. What do you say about that? Amen. I mean, listen. People do things, amen, just to spite you. Hey, I'm not talking about physically. I'm talking about spiritually. Amen. These people, amen, they thrive on hurting other people's feelings. They ain't Christian. I don't care how long they say they've been saved. I don't care how long they say they've been in the house of God. I don't care if they come to service every time the door is open. People, amen, they thrive on hurting somebody else. Somebody help me. Amen. Listen, they ain't Christian. Amen. If your heart's not worried, it ought to be with God, but that's the type of person, if you ain't careful of the devil, amen, to put right in your way, right in your path, amen, to get you blindsided, to get you, amen, to get let down, and you end up in the mire. How many times people has quit church and is out of church, not in the house of God because, amen, Hey, the devil used people. Amen. The devil used people against Jeremiah. But thank God, people might be cruel. People might lie on us. People might, hey, we may be persecuted, but I do have power how I respond when I'm lied to. or what I'm lied on. I do have the power of how I respond. Oh, by the way, how you respond has great worth. How you respond to what's said to you has great worth. Hey, when I say that, let me tell you something. Hey, you know what the world's looking at? You know what these people, amen, walking up and down the roads looking for? These people, amen, that are not right with God's looking for? Hey, they're looking for anything they can grab on Jeff Duncan. They're looking for anything they can grab on Keith Turner. Amen, Adam Jolly. I'm picking on them boys because they're deacons of the church. But listen, if you're a child, born again, child of God, they're looking for everything they can get on. Amen, Travis Guffey. They're looking for it. They're looking just to put a hype truth. All God's people say it? Sure. Don't let the devil use you to try to destroy somebody else. Here's one thing in my life, Brother Rex, I don't want to happen. I don't want to stand in the way of some sinner. Amen. I don't want some sinner. Amen. I'm talking about realistically. You can look at Jeff Duncan and say, If that's a Christian, the woods are full of them. I don't want them to be able to make that statement. I want them to be able to look at me, amen, and say, there's a man of God. I want them to look at me and say, hey, there's somebody, amen, a man that preaches God's word and that believes in what he believes, amen, and believes in whom he believes, amen. Hey, I want them to look at, I don't want to be guilty of standing in the way of a sinner dying and going to hell, amen. Some of you. have some of your co-workers, some of your family, some of your neighbors, and some of your friends, some of you has got their reputation in your hands. Well, the truth will set you free, preacher. Yeah, but sometimes you don't need to tell the truth. Now, don't you go tell, I'm telling you to tell a lie. What I'm telling you is sometimes you need to just keep your mouth shut. All God's people say it. Amen. Why does the Lord want me to preach this tonight? Amen. We ain't shouting it out, are we? Amen. But listen, I don't want to stand in the way of some sinner that's dying and going to hell. The devil is the accuser. I believe the Bible said, doesn't the Bible say, the devil is the accuser of the brethren? You know what that means? That means the devil is constantly telling God how low down I am, how low down you are, how sorry I am, how sorry you are. Amen? The devil is always going before God telling God how sorry we are. Do you know why? He's right. Oh, you ain't holy. You ain't dead yet. Don't scare me tonight. Amen? He's right. You ain't perfect. Amen. Listen, I know the Bible says to strive to be perfect. Listen, that means the devil is constantly telling God how low and sorry that we are. And he's telling the truth because we really are. Therefore, when you lie on somebody, you're just as bad as the devil. All God's people say it. Amen. Why in the world would people want to get on the internet, hide behind a mouse, hide behind a Twitter, hide behind a blog, hide behind Facebook, and gossip and run their mouth on other Christians. I'll tell you what you need to do. You need to get out from behind that mouse. You need to get out from behind that Twitter. Amen. Amen. And be a man and stand up for what's right and quit letting the devil use you to discourage another Christian in Christ. Amen. I ain't never seen so much junk on that thing in my life. I got a little old Facebook page. I don't even look at it half the time. Sometimes it'll come in on that app on my phone. I can see what people that are friended to puts on there. Hey man, then I seen a preacher. Hey man, the thing come on there today. Hey man, and he don't pastor no word, but claims to be a preacher, and it came on there. First thing it said, he said, I feel like busting some people right in the mouth. I said, what? I thought, is that something for a young man of God to be, hey, to get on there and to put, whether you, you said, preacher, don't you feel like it? Yeah, sometimes, but I don't get on there and tell the whole world about it. Amen, that's right. Oh gosh, people, you know what that done to me today? That made me lose confidence in him that he would even want to post that. for people to think, hey, even if I thought it, I wouldn't want Rex to think it. Oh boy, that's all right. What gets hold of people, amen. I mean, listen, get on there and destroy the other Christians. Boy, I had one on there, amen, a couple of years ago, didn't I? Some of you are aware of it. Amen, glory to God. I mean, he brought up statesmen. The funny thing to me, he never wanted to call me directly. He never did want to come to me face to face. He gets on that Facebook and puts my picture. He takes my picture off our website, posts it on Amenhead's Facebook page, and said, beware of this man. Ain't that right, Brookie? Beware of him. False prophet. I'm talking about somebody sinning in this congregation. I'm talking about, hey, and make accusations again. I'm in with slander in me. My wife got mad. My daughter got mad. You say, what'd you do? I said, let the Lord handle it. Amen is let the Lord handle it. Amen. That still didn't keep them from getting mad. You ought to call Him. You ought to do something. No, it ain't up to me to call Him. Amen. You afraid of Him? No, I ain't afraid of Him. But sometimes, amen, you need to be like David and let the Lord fight your battles for you. Amen. And He did. Didn't He give? Facebook had so many complaints about it. Facebook kicked Him off. Hallelujah. I ain't preaching about everybody. Listen, I ain't preaching to everybody here that works on Facebook. But if you use it the wrong way, I'm preaching to you. You hear what I'm saying? Yeah, it's better sometimes just to take somebody, amen, than getting on the phone. All God's people said, I have no problem with that. I do it. Because you do it to me. All God's people said, it's a good way of communication sometimes. Amen. But listen, don't... Boy, why'd they get off on that? Amen. The devil tried to sink, amen, Jeremiah, by turning people against him. How many's ever had anybody turn against you? How many's ever had anybody turn against you? See, he used that to try to get Jeremiah to quit, to sink in the mire. Not only that, but he tried, amen, secondly, by tormenting his mind. The devil, amen, tried to get Jeremiah sunk in the mire by tormenting his mind. Let me tell you something, the devil will play and he will mess with your mind. You know why? That's the only thing he's got to deal with. Cause this brain that's in your head, amen. Hey, that's your life. Somebody help me. Amen. That's the reason Jesus said, let this mind be in you as it is in Christ. Amen. Hey, we need the mind of Christ in us. Hallelujah. The devil play your mind. You've heard me say it many times. How many's ever had thoughts that scared you? Raise your hand, I want to see you. I've had thoughts, as a man of God, Brother Lloyd Johnson, that scared me. How many of you have ever had thoughts, as a Christian, that thought you crossed God's deadline? If you have, I'd like to see your hand. What? Yeah. You say, why is that? Let me tell you something. That's called temptation. See, temptation is not a sin. If temptation was a sin, Christ would have sinned. But I serve a Christ, amen, that knew no sin. But yet He was tempted in all points. In other words, every temptation, amen, known to man. Somebody help me. Every temptation known to man. Is that how you interpret that verse? Amen. Listen. Every temptation known to man, Christ had faced. Why? He was in the flesh. But he did no sin. Why? Because he is 100% God. Well, he was 100% man and he was 100% God. You say, now explain that. I can't. Somebody say amen. There's the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and they're all three one. Now I can about explain that in an illustration. Verbally. It's like an egg. There's three parts to an egg. Anybody know them? There's the shell. What's the next part? The white. And then there's the yolk. All three of them makes one egg. And you can't have an egg without a yolk. Somebody say Amen right there. See that's the only illustration you've got. That's all we need. Amen, why? It's God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and they're all three one. All God's people say it. Hey, the devil tried to seek Jeremiah by tormenting his mind. We wrestle not. Oh, let me back up there. I said he'll play with you. He'll play with you. He'll mess with you. Amen. Listen, your mind without the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost is not your friend. Everybody listen, your mind without the Spirit and the Holy Ghost of God is not your friend. I believe that's the reason the Bible teaches us we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and spiritual weakness in high places. He goes on to say the weapons of our, amen, in another scripture, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they're mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds and casting down imaginations. I hope I quoted that right. What are you saying, preacher? That's why the Bible says the Lord will keep us in perfect peace. Who's mine? It stayed on me! Amen. Stayed on the Lord. Somebody help me. What do you say I'm a preacher? Battle is on the mind. He gives us the doubt. There's a God. He tries to get us to doubt that God's real. He tries to get us to doubt, amen, that there's a heaven. To doubt that there is even a hell. But I'm going to tell you, I know there is a God. I know there is a heaven. I know that there is a hell. Listen to this preacher now. The devil is a liar. Battles on the mind through doubt. The battles on the mind to depression and anxiety. Has anyone ever been depressed? Has anyone ever had anxiety? Hey, listen to me. The devil is a liar and he's the father of lies. Somebody say amen. Hey, chapter number 20, Satan was working on Jeremiah's mind. What are you saying preacher? He got so depressed. Go to chapter number 20. He got so depressed, so discouraged. In verse number 14, he cursed the day that he was even born. If you go on and write, read, he even cursed. Hey man, he more or less cursed his mom and dad. Hey man, he more or less said, hey, I wish I'd have been stopped in my mother's womb. Wish I'd have never been born. Let me tell you something. I believe Jeremiah got to a place. One preacher said he thought he might have been bipolar. I don't know, but you can get to a place. And by the way, don't you, don't you take lightly. People, they mean it has problems mentally. Let me tell you something. Hey, if it wasn't by the help and God's grace, some of us may be sitting in here tonight and you say, Preacher, I have trouble in my mind. It's nothing but the devil trying to make that trouble. But let me tell you something today. We pray for people to be healed. We pray for people when they're sitting there. We need to pray for people, amen, that has that kind of trouble. Because there ain't nobody sitting in here that ain't never had some point of depression. And mental anxiety. Somebody say Amen. In their life. Everybody with me? He cursed the day he was born. We should never have been born. Verses 14 through 18. The devil had him thinking he'd be better off dead than alive. He had Jeremiah thinking I'd been better off dead than alive. If I'd asked you to raise your hand in here tonight and you'd be honest between me and before God, amen, you'd be surprised, amen. And I guarantee you by every hand I raise that the devil ain't sometime at some point in your life just so you'd be better off dead. I know what I'm talking about. Life ain't worth living. But I wanna tell you something tonight, the devil's a liar. Don't let the devil put in your mind, amen, amen, that you're better off dead. And don't let the devil put you in the mire by tormenting your mind. The devil tried to sink Jeremiah in the mire by tormenting him. I asked you a few minutes ago, and I always do, how many know you say? How many knows it without a shadow of a doubt? There's gonna be a time in your life that the devil's gonna make you doubt that. Thirdly, let me say the devil tried to destroy him in the mire because he just tried to get him to quit. And he just about exceeded. Somebody help me. He took his anger out on God Jeremiah took his anger out on God In chapter 20 and verse number 9 look what he said Then I said I will not make mention of him Who's him? God I will not make mention of him Nor speak any more in his name He took his frustration out on God Oh preacher, he tried to get him to quit. Hey man listen, but Jeremiah, hallelujah. I just got to look at Jeremiah and say, hey Jeremiah, it's not your fault. Hey, no way, back up. Jeremiah, it's not God's fault. Let me tell you something, we get into places that we're in sometimes, and we blame God for getting to those places. It ain't God's fault we're in those places. Amen. God is a merciful, loving God, and He wishes the best for Adam Jolly. He loves Adam Jolly, but sometimes if bad things happen to good people, it's because, amen, hey, hey, we don't trust God. And we're not obedient to God. Hey, Jeremiah, it's not God's fault. What's He ever done to you? He's always been right by you, Jeremiah. He's always been good by you, Jeremiah. Amen. You know, when you quit church and you quit the Bible, you don't just quit church and quit the Bible. You turn your back on God. Amen. He's done nothing but good to you, Rex. He's done nothing but good. Jessica Adam, Lloyd Helen, Amber, he's done nothing but good to you. If you're not careful, we'll go through physical hell in our life and we'll start blaming God. Amen, I can only imagine, amen, what the devil's tried. Amen, on that little boy's family. Amen, on Holden's mom and daddy. I can only, amen, imagine what he's tried on Rex Real, amen, and his mind, amen, through the year. Hey, and even your dad's sickness, what the devil has tried to play on your mind. The devil tried to get him to quit. I got a weakness. You got a weakness. What are you saying preacher? All God's people's got a weakness. My weakness might not be yours. Yours might not be mine. There's different avenues that the devil takes on everybody. And He's got those weaknesses to try to get you to quit, to turn your back on God. And God deserves more than us turning our back on Him. God deserves more, amen, than us throwing our hands up and quit. He tried to get Jeremiah to quit. Hear Jeremiah sinking in the mire. Chapter 38, verse number 6. Now the Bible teaches me, amen, that they let him down. The Bible says there that he was in the court of the prison. He was in the court of the prison. Now some commentators say that this, that they let him down in, into this dungeon, was old cisterns. It was old cisterns that used to hold water. And it probably, amen, connected some other places together, amen, but they were dried up. Because the Bible says in this place, amen, this dungeon, there was no water. Somebody hit me. Some other commentators, some other I've heard say that it could have been, that it was the physical, amen, cesspool, amen, I'm talking about waste hole, I'm talking about septic tank. Now some of them said it could have been that, that they lowered him, because the Bible says he went down in the mire. Somebody hit me. Now, if that's the case, let me just stop here and say this. He is in a place that stunk. He was in a place, hey, could you imagine his surroundings being let down? Hey, there have been some places in my life spiritually that I didn't like being in. There have been some things in my life spiritually that I thought, God, what you caught me in this mire for? Amen. And it stunk. I'm talking about a cesspools of this world. It was nasty. Sinking in the mire. I'll tell you what the devil wants more than anything in this world. He wants to sink you in the mire. He wants this church sunk in the mire. Do you know he hates you? Do you know the devil hates this church? Hey, he don't want, amen, this church thriving. He don't want a number on the board. They never don't want a number, amen, of tithes on the board. Can I get a witness right there? He wants you in the mire. He wants your family in the mire. Hey, Jessica, he wants Adam. Adam, he wants Jessica. You better make sure you as a couple, you're prayed up. You hear what I'm saying to you? Hey, I wonder sometimes the Lord don't need it. We just need some spiritual marriage, counseling and messages. Somebody say amen right there. Sure. Best love story in the Bible is the Song of Solomon. Hallelujah. Read it. Somebody say, oh, that's a vulgar book. It ain't when two people are married. All God's people say it. Amen. You better guard your marriage. I know what I'm talking about. Amen. Hey, that's Travis and Liz back there. It ain't no secret. Hey, their marriage was on the rocks. Hey, but aren't you glad? Amen. Jesus put it all back together again. Am I right? You've testified that. I ain't saying nothing nobody don't know. He wants your family. He wants your sons, your daughters. He wants your husband. He wants your calling. You know what he'd like more than anything? Is for my wife to throw her hands up and say I ain't teaching the women's class no more. Joss Hunnicutt, I'm glad to see you back in God's house. There ain't nothing more than the devil would want you to not even step your foot back in God's house. I ain't trying to discourage you, amen? Listen to me. I need your help this evening, amen? He wants you. Hey, He wants you as a deacon to mess out. He wants your ministry as a bus ministry, as a youth ministry, as a... Hey, whatever ministry that you have, He wants your ministry in the mire. But Jeremiah doesn't sink in the mire. God gets him up. and shows him there's life on the other side of a sinking spell. Amen. He says, Jeremiah, there's life on the other side of a sinking spell. Let me tell you something, next time you get in a sinking spell, how many of you have been in a sinking spell? I'm talking about you just felt like you were sinking. Amen. Felt like the whole world's been kicked out from under you. Next time you're there, Josh, hey, you say, Preacher, hey, next time you're there, brother, hey, Rex, hey, you just remember that God will show you that there are life. On the other side of that seeking's pillar. I'm gonna hurry. God gets him up. He doesn't die in the mire. Oh, hallelujah. You may think it's bad. You may be here and you think it's bad and it's nasty and it stinks, but there's life on the other side. of depression. There's life on the other side of that sin. There's life on the other side of that anxiety. There's life on the other side of that doubt and that bitterness and that hatred. Amen. Thank God there's life. Now I'm going to give you three things that God used to pull him out. That was three things the devil used to get him in it. He's a go quicker. We're all right. Amen. Praise the Lord. Give you three things, amen, that God used to get him out. Number one, if you'll look at chapter 38, I'm glad there's help in the brethren. There's help in the brethren. There's a man by the name of Abimelech. Huh? Yeah, Abimelech. I might have said that right. Did I say that right? Abimelech. There was a man by the name of Abimelech. If you'll go on down there, you'll start reading in verse number 7. Amen. He's rescued by a man by the name of Abimelech. He was in Ethiopia. Glory to the God. Amen. Hey, and thank God. You say, preacher, aren't you glad? Amen. Hey, I guarantee you. Now listen to me. This man, this Ethiopian, went to the king. Said, hey king, hey man, you put him here. Hey, this prophet, hey, he ain't more than... I'm just using my term. He ain't done no wrong. Hey, you've done him wrong. Hey, you've done him wrong. Hey, he's about to starve to death. He's about to... Hey, he's hungry. And there ain't nothing down there to eat. So Imbolec goes in behalf. Amen of Jeremiah. Boy, that's the Lord, ain't it? Amen. I'm glad I got one that went in behalf. Amen of Jeff Duncan. Amen. His name's Jesus. Thank the Lord. Amen. And he went and stood. Amen before God. And amen, he pleaded my case. Hey, y'all to thank God. Amen for the one that I stand for you. Amen. You got somebody to stand for you here on this earth. You ought to thank God. Hey, you husband and wife, hey, I believe he'd die for you. Yeah, I believe he'd die for him. You know what that's called? Love. Amen, that's love for the brethren. Had Ethiopian, Elimelech, Elithiopian, hey, went to the king and pleaded for, amen, Jeremiah's life. You want Elimelech done? He said, get you 30 men. Glory to God. Can you imagine this? He said, get you 30 men. And you go, you go to the mire, you go to the dungeon. Amen. And you get him out of there. You know, if you're in on down there, you know what they done? I can't remember what that one word is. It's in there. I remember to go rise. Somebody help me here. Amen and glory to God. I can just imagine, amen ole Emilek. Amen and oh, amen them 30 men, glory to God. And they're standing over that dungeon. I believe ole Emilek looked down at that judge and said, hey, Jeremiah! Hey, Jeremiah! Glory to God, every once in a while, amen, in my heart and in my soul and in my spirit, I can hear somebody hot hug. Glory to God. I can hear a voice, amen, and it's the voice of the Lord, amen, saying, hey, you ain't done yet, amen, hey, it ain't over yet, hey, hey, you might be down, hey, you might be discouraged, amen, you might seem like it, you've been snuffed out, hey, but it ain't over. It ain't over. And I believe old Jeremiah, I don't know how deep he was. I don't know how far that hole was. Amen. But hey, if it wasn't that far, I believe he looked up. Could you imagine him seeing the Imalek and 30 men? I believe he looked down through there and said, hey, Jeremiah! We're here! Glory to God. We're here! Amen, to help you out. Thank the Lord. Could you imagine what went through Jeremiah's mind? I guarantee you his heart turned flims. Amen. I guarantee you there's a spark, amen, overwhelmed him and his heart and his mind. Amen. The Bible says that they let down cords in them old rags and they put it under, girded under his armpits. Ain't that what the Bible says there? Amen. It started lifting him up. Old David said, I heard in Psalm chapter 40, he said, he brought me out, amen, of a horrible pit. Amen. He brought me out of the miry clay, amen. Hey, thank God he set his foot upon a rock, established his going, and put a new song in his heart, hallelujah. David was in that physical pit, amen. Hey, in that spiritual pit, I'm glad one day the Lord came by my way, amen. I'm glad I had some friends, amen. I'm glad I had the brethren, amen, to help me out of that pit. You know what this preacher's for is to help you. You know what you're for? You're supposed to be there to help me. If I called you, it don't make no difference what time it is. You ought to be there to help your preacher. Now I didn't say that, listen, but if you call me no matter what time it is, I ought to be there to help you as your preacher and as your pastor. You hear me? It's good. I'm glad. Thank the Lord. God had brethren. Amen. To help Jeremiah out of that pit. Hey, if I see something wrong with Rick's reel, I ought to help Rick's reel. Amen. You see something wrong with me, you ought to help me. And I know you don't want to pry into nobody's business, nobody's problems. That's the way I'm always been. Amen. But listen, hey, I can look at you sometime and tell you're going through something. I may not use the word, why don't you come to me and ask me? Why don't you come to me and tell me you're praying for me? Why don't you come to me and ask me what I need? Sometimes I don't want to get into your business. I don't want you to feel like I'm prying. But if you want the preacher to know, you share it with me. And I guarantee it'll be just between me and you. Me and you. Did you hear what I said? It'll be just between me and you. And the Lord. There's help in the brethren. I want y'all to just say tonight, let somebody help you whenever you're in the mire. Let somebody help you. Hey, aren't you thankful? Secondly, there's hope in the Bible. What did God use? To help Jeremiah out of the mire? What do you mean? Where'd you get that from, preacher? Hope in the Bible. I'll show you. Go back to chapter 20. Amen? Verse number 9. He said, I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name. But I like what he said here, but his word. Whose word? The word of God. Hey, I'm glad, thank God, amen. Listen to me. Next time you feel like you're in the mire, amen, feel like you're sinking in the mire, hey, you know where you need to go? You need to get into His Word, amen. Hey, what can help you more than anything is to dig in the Word of God. Hey, we got books for everything in this world, amen, books from Dr. So and So and this one and that one, amen, to try to help everything, amen, that life throws at you. But you know what? This book right here has every answer. to all those books in the McDowell County Library. How many believe that? I believe that with all my heart. You say, well, why can't people find it? It's because they ain't spiritually, amen, rightly dividing the precious Word of God and they ain't spiritually discerning what they're reading. Hallelujah. Hey, what did God use to help him out of the mire? The Word of God. And Jeremiah said, Hey, I ain't going to mention him no more. Been in that same birth. But His Word was in my heart as a burning fire. Shut up. In my bones. And I was weary. Hey, here was the same man. Hey man, he said, I ain't going to say nothing about it. He is a blaming God. I ain't said nothing about him. Ain't even gonna mention nothing in his name. And in the same verse he said, I'm weary from forebearing. Hey, he was tired. Hey, glory to God, he was tired of talking in his name at the beginning of the verse, but at the end of the verse, hey, he couldn't keep his mouth shut. He said, hey, I'm already tired. I'll never forget Jerry McLean, pastor at Redeem now. I'll never forget what he done, or what he told me. I think it was when he's pastor at Salem Church. He said, I tried it one Sunday morning, Brother King. He said, I got behind the pulpit, and he said, I made it up my mind, I wasn't gonna get out of the pulpit. You know how Jerry preaches? He said, I made it up my mind. Jerry's a wild man when he preaches. I mean, man, he's had work. He said, I made it up my mind, I was gonna stay behind the desk the whole time. He said, but the more I started preaching, the more God started moving on my heart. Hey, you know what? He couldn't. I believe he was like Jeremiah. Amen. And he was weary. A forebearing. He said it lasted about two minutes. Hallelujah. What are you saying, preacher? How many are thankful for the fire of God in your life? Hey! How many are thankful for the fire of God in your life? I think there's a difference. I know it said fires. In this country, people say fire. Amen, some say Florida, some say Florida. Amen, but they still the same place, glory to God. Some says whoopings and some says whippings. I think whoopings, like you are, is worse than whippings, amen. Hey, how many's ever got a whooping? Hallelujah. It was as a fire shut up in his bones. I'll get a little bit of relief. This preacher likes to be preached to. Now listen, I love preaching. Man, I love to sit back. I bathed, amen, at Mount Calvary and just letting them boys preach to my soul. I love it. There's been times I've been sitting in revival meeting, and I'll be honest, there's sometimes I wish I could just sit back down and just hear somebody else. You probably think the same thing too, probably. Amen, but God's calling me. Thank you for being here tonight. There's sometimes I'll think, well, I'll just go to another revival meeting. I'll think, thank you, Lord, for just letting me able just to sit here. I mean, man, I ain't got, see, when you're a pastor, you gotta be concerned about the service. You gotta be concerned about what God's wanting you to preach. I'll be honest, I was giving absolutely out when I got home today. I'm a man, and I was on my mind of you, how to preach tonight. Now listen, I ain't the type of fella that I get it on Saturday or Friday or Wednesday. God always, God's always used me. I get it before it come. Now I ain't saying that God don't put a thought. Amen, things like that. Amen, but most of the time it's before I get here. I just give out. This old body was wore out. Anybody tired before you come to hurt in the house of the Lord tonight? How many of you be honest and say the devil told you to just stay home? Raise your hand. I don't see it. Look at how many the devil told you. Oh, glory. I'm just glad that you didn't listen to the devil. Amen. How many's glad you didn't listen to the devil? How many's got a blessing out of the service tonight? There's times. I'm just thankful that I get to sit back, and I've sat back in these revivals and these services before, probably even revivals here, and I've thought, what if I wasn't a pastor? How would I like that? What if I wasn't pastor of the church? How would I like that? There are some times I'll thank you. Thank you, Jesus. I'm not happy to pastor no more. I'll just tell you what Jeff thinks. And then I get in a service where I don't have to do nothing, my mind's clear, and I'm just thinking about, I don't have to have my mind on nothing else. Glory to God, before I get in there, God'll put a message on my heart, or He'll put something burning on my soul, and I'll get in there. Amen, I think, well what if the preacher don't show up tonight? And you gotta preach. Glory to God. There's been times, brother Lloyd, I've walked in churches and before I'd go in the door, the Lord said, you need to be ready. I'm talking about churches that I had never been in before. Man, I'm talking about not free will churches. I'm talking about Baptist, Baptist churches I've walked into. If they'd know I was a preacher, they'd say, you want to preach tonight? I said, listen, that's your pulpit. Whatever you feel led of God to do. But God had already warned me before I get there. You got to preach. Now I just sit back and I think, well, what if, Lord of God, I'll be sitting there. Now I can't tell you that before service tonight. Before service tonight, I'm thinking, Lord, how's this going to go? I'll be honest. Lord, I'm just here. I'm going to worship you. I'm just going to get up and preach the word. And I'll be honest. Hey, I told you earlier in this sermon the devil tries to get you in the mire through your mind. You didn't believe some of the things the devil puts in this mind. I'm talking about sitting up here. I'm talking about before I get to the house of God. Hey, you just don't know. And I ain't want pity from you, but I want your prayers. Hey, because the devil, he'll try to make you doubt what God's put on your heart. He'll make you doubt what you need to stand up and say. You say, what do you do? I just get up and do it anyway. And then I think, God, you get up here, there's anointing. Sometimes I go visit and I think, what if I wasn't a pastor? The more I sit there, the more that fire. Starts burning, shut up in my bones. And I can't forbear. I've even been in services I've wished they'd let me preach. Now you say, preacher, is that God or what is that? Well, I don't know, but I'll just say this. Amen might have been in jail, but I tell you what it was, it's that fire. That was shut up in my bones. Not saying that everyone who preached didn't do a good job, I didn't want them saying. But how mistakable for that fire to shut up in your bones. I'm going to close in just a second. He used hope in the Bible. When sinking in the mire, God, I'm thankful there's healing in the bomb. If you go to chapter number 8, the Bible said that there was a bomb, B-A-L-M in Gilead, and it was used for healing purposes. In other words, it was like a sap that came out from a tree. It was used for healing purposes.