It's been a real blessing, a real joy to my heart. Get your Bible and turn to the Book of Deuteronomy. And chapter 8 and verse 10, read a few verses there tonight from the Word of God. Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 10. We'll read a few verses of Scripture there tonight. I hope it'll be a blessing to you. I've been trying to preach to you for a little while. Hear from the Word of God. Silver singers are not singing, shake. Sure hate to hear me sing. preach either, but you can't have the best. You've got to take what you can get, so just go on with it. Amen? Deuteronomy 8, we read together a few verses of Scripture there, and listen carefully to the reading of the Word of God. Deuteronomy 8, verse 10, And when thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, and not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day. Lest when thou hast eaten and are full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein, and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all thou hast is multiplied, then thy heart be lifted up. and thou forget the Lord thy God which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage, who led thee through the great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions and drought, where there was no water, who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint, who fed thee in the wilderness with manna which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy latter end. Thou sayest, Thine heart, my power, and the might of my hand hath given me this well. Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get well, that he may establish his covenant which is sworn to thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do it all, forget the Lord thy God, Walk after other gods and serve them and worship them. I testify again you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyed before your face, so shall you perish because you would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God. Brother Don Elman, lead us in prayer as we pray before the message on tonight. Our father tonight was grateful in our heart, Lord, that when you created man, within his mind you created a memory. Thank you, God, tonight, that every once in a while we remember where we come from. Oh, God, how did you bless us, and how did you brought us, Lord, out of poverty, out of the sin pits of the world, and give us something to look forward to? I pray tonight, dear God, as Brother James opens the word of God to our heart, I pray that you might use it that God, that you might speak to hearts in this building tonight. There might be some men, woman, boy, or girl. Lord, that these are saviors tonight before they leave the doors of this building. That God, that death might be waiting upon that soul. I pray, God, tonight that you might move. Lord, that we might see the great hand of God in our midst. Oh, God, when the invitation is given, that God, that we might see We pray tonight, dear God, that we might see you, God, that we might feel you once again, Lord, that we might meet with you once again and meet on your terms. We pray, God, that you'd stir our hearts, Lord, not from the singing, but from the precious word that we have preached from the man of God. We pray that you'd move our hearts tonight in Jesus' name, we ask you. Amen. Thank God for prayer reaching a hold of God. I want to bring a message tonight from the Word of God and I want to preach on to lions tonight why the devil and what the devil uses to keep folks from serving God and the Bible said in 2 Corinthians 2 verse 11 that we are not ignorant of his devices. Now we have to give the devil some credit. He doesn't give up. And he doesn't quit, though we know after we get saved the devil's lost the battle. And still yet he's out to disturb and bring to hearts the distress. And he's out to bring despair to every life and defeat every Christian that he possibly can. And there's a lot of reasons why tonight that folks do not follow after God. There's a lot of reasons why Christians don't want in the ways they ought to want. And tonight the devil sees to it that he keep you from living for God the very best that he can. Now a man that's not saved is already condemned to hell without God. In John 3, verse 17, the Bible said, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. And this is the condemnation, that light is coming to the world. But men love darkness rather than light. In John 3, verse 36, The Bible said, He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. Oh, how we need to see tonight that a man that's not living for God, there is a reason why that person has not surrendered their life to the Lord. And every time you can look in the Word of God and find Bible, biblical illustrations as to why their people are not following after God. Now, the passage that I read, God put a warning on those that took the blessings of God for granted. And if there has ever been a generation on the face of the earth that has taken God's blessings for granted, it's the generation we live in now. Whether you realize it or not, friend, we live in a land of plenty. Amen. And we are most richly blessed of God, far above any other nation. that I know of on the face of this earth and this nation of ours, 200 and what, 17, 18, going on 19 years old. And during that time, the blessings of God have been upon the land of free and the home of brave. and we have our glorious Bible Belt here in the South where the Word of God's preached unwanted and preached without fear or favor and without intervention of anybody to the gospel has been preached in our time. That's a blessing from God. The Lord has given us things which we did not deserve, and neither could we have ever wrought of our own hands. And God said, after I do all these things for you, He said, Be while lest thou forget the love by God that brought you up to where you're at now. When a church, when a child of God forgets where God brought them from, you're headed for a disastrous fall in your life. When you recognize after all God's done, you don't honor Him, then, friend, God said He would send judgment for not following up to the Lord. Now, why don't people follow God? It's the best life that anybody could ever live. Amen. It's not a life free of heartaches and disappointment. It's not a life where tears never come and sorrow never fills our heart. But it is the life with the divine presence of God with us to help us in every situation. In Matthew 11, 28, the Lord said, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will I give you rest. Verse Peter 5, verse 8, the Bible said, Casting all your cares upon him, for he cares for you. Verse 7 and verse 8. And the other was the one I gave long ago. And the Lord tonight cares about his children. But a lot of people have a lot allowed a lot of things in this world to keep them from following after God. The Bible said, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then these things shall be added unto you. And we have sought everything else but God and His righteousness. and wonder why we don't prosper and why the hand of God's not upon our lives. Friends, you can't lose serving God. Amen. You can't do wrong staying in church and praying and working and living for God. You'll never do wrong. But there's some reasons why people don't live for God. First of all, I'd say tonight that popularity's a great hindrance. in the lives of other folks. There's a lot of people that'd rather be popular with a crowd than they would saved by the grace of God. I'm going to tell you, friend, when you take your stand for old-time religion and old-time Bible convictions based from the Word of God, Not everybody who you're going to work at is going to pat you on the back and commend you for the stands you've taken. Amen. And you need not be surprised if they're not thrilled when you go in and tell them that you've given your life and your heart to God. Most of them couldn't care less. Amen. And from our prophet, I have just robbed a lot of persons of God's, a lot of people of God's divine blessings in their life. Amen. You see, Pilate was a man that was warned by God, and he knew for a fact. In fact, the words fell from his lips and said, I find no fault with this man. And even his wife sent a messenger unto Pilate and said, Hath thou nothing to do with this just man? For I have seen many things in a dream concerning him, have nothing to do with him. And the crowd said, Give us our Barabbas and crucify the Son of God. And Pilate said, Why, what fault have I, have you found in him? And Pilate made these words, I find no fault in him. For he knew in his heart who the Son of God was. The average person in America tonight They know who God is. You can't hide God's Son from a man. They know there's a God that's real. They know there's a Savior that died on Calvary for the sins of this world. Hallelujah. That's not blinding to the eyes of individuals and I. They know that. They know the average person I meet knows. They'll have to get saved if they make it inside the city of God. Yet they're like Pilate. He knew who he was. He knew he was a just man. He knew he was a man sent from God. Yet the word of God said, but Pilate willing to contend the people. How Pilate willing to contend the people. Then folks have an influence. on you, whether you know it or not. They have an influence on you. Having friends to be with the in crowd at school has a great influence on you. They have their clubs and their get-togethers and their initiations. All the things that's going on. And in order to be popular, you don't want to join in with the in crowd. But you better check out what kind of in crowd it is before you get with the in crowd. I'd rather be with the out crowd and with God as with the in crowd that makes me ashamed to be an old fashioned Christian. Amen. And Pilate was willing to contempt the people. And did you know tonight, brother, a lot of young lady has sold her virtue in order to be popular with the crowd they associate with. Many of the fine young man has taken that first drink from a beer can or a beer bottle in the back seat of a car with other teenagers to prove that he is one of them. Amen. My friends, you don't have to compromise. You don't have to cut your convictions in order to be popular with this world. I'd rather be an old-time Christian than anything I know. I've tried a lot of things, but I'm happy to say there's nothing like religion in the old-time fashion way. You see, this man, he saw the Son of God in the hands of people and he was willing to contempt the crowd. Amen. You might as well make up your mind when you live for God and you live separated, you're not going to be popular with this world. No, sir. Judas Isaac had sold the Son of God for thirty pieces of silver. He went to the two of our soldiers and found them and bargained with them. And no doubt Judas said, I'll give them the good side with the crowd that's going to kill the Son of God. But to not propagate is not the answer to the problems of this world. Most men of God that I know of lived alone, died alone, and stayed separated from this world. Not all this popularity, robbed people, are following after God. I'm going to tell you tonight, the pleasures of this life keep a lot of folks from serving God. Man said, I'd get saved, but look what I'd have to give up. Yeah, but you never have stopped to realize what you would get in exchange for what you give up. Amen. I'm going to tell you that this world holds nothing tonight for a child of God. Everything you've got's laid up just beyond the blue. And this world holds nothing for a child of God. I'm in the pleasures of it. I am but a short moment and very short-lived. Amen. I thought about every year when springtime rolls around, all the baseball teams, you know, they're all excited. Spring training's here, and they've traded for a pitcher, and they've got a new pitcher, and they've got an outfielder that can climb the wall, and a man can swat them over, and they're all excited about ball season, going to have a pennant winner. Amen. and things lock along, and after a while you find them down the cellar just like they was last year. The pro teams, they played all this year since July, practicing, playing, getting ready for a Super Bowl, Shem did. Hey man, they have playoffs and everybody's excited, and friends when they're over with, You'll find out it was a dull, drab game, and nothing's proved, amen? And it was shortly a pleasure for a little while. What if God said, She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she lives? This world's got nothing to offer. All for a child of God. Hallelujah. Word of God said Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with a people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin but for a season. I'm not going to tell you that there's no pleasure in sin. It is but for a short season. I'm going to tell you tonight there is a payday for every sin that's committed. And the pleasure of this life will never satisfy that hunger down in your soul to know God. Amen. I tell you, friend, when people get on this, impulsive gambling, amen. And the impulsive gambler, he gambles and he can't stand to lose. And so he gambles until he wins, and then because he's won, he thinks he's going to win again. and then he goes into debt, and then he goes further in, never satisfied with what he can get out of that gambling debt. That's the pleasures of this world. Amen! I mean, friends, you can go to your basketball game, they can get beat and blowed out, and boy, you're down and out, and you feel bad, and the referees beat you, and you know how it is, every time you lose, And you got it, but I'm going to tell you, friend, that there is no pleasure in this world that's worth the joy and the happiness out of serving God. The Bible said, no you're not, that the friendship of this world is enemy against God. And if any man be a friend of the world, he's an enemy to the cause of God. He said, love not the world, neither things in the world. If any man loves the world, The love of the Father is not in him. He said the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life is of the world. And the world pass away, and the lusts are off. But he that doeth the will of God, he shall abide. Our friend, pleasure, can out rob a lot of people. In 2 Timothy 3, and in verse 4, the Bible said there'd be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Don't you think maybe if we pull shades here and pull down the shades, and if we charge an admission price to get in, Don't you think we might have more people come if they had to pay to get in? Amen. Most of them think because you don't charge, it's not worth anything. It's free. It's a freebie, so they'll take advantage of it. Amen. One of the rock groups can come to I have Memorial Auditorium, and they sell their tickets. I don't know, I've seen some advertising in the paper for about $20 a swing, and that's a cheap price, amen? And I see them pay $20 to see their rock and roll bands. They pay my friend $25.30. for a ticket to see the Atlantic Falcons play, and the charge is on, and nobody minds paying. World's full, plays your place are full, sports arenas are full, gambling houses are full, house of God's lying in waste, and people are falling after the places of this world. And they're missing the most important thing, that's being right with God, being ready in your soul. And when that trumpet of God sounds, or death claims your life, it's just a heartbeat between here and eternity. Amen. I'm saying tonight that pleasure has robbed a lot of people of walking with God. Yes, sir. Then thirdly tonight, my friend, prosperity keeps a lot of folks from living for God. Did you know it? You know, I wouldn't be surprised if most of us wouldn't be better off if God kept us poor. So we'd stay humble, amen? God said, the love of money is the root of life. All evil, amen. Old Jim Flores, dead and in glory. He told me about a man who knocked a fellow's head and robbed him. All he got was a 15 cent chew of apple tobacco and half of it had been chewed, amen. But he robbed him for a half of apple chewed tobacco and robbed the man and left him to die. You see, the love of money drives folks out to rob and steal and kill. The love of money cheats poor folks out of their income and their living. And the love of money, the love of prosperity, friend, where life don't consist in the abundance of the things you might possess. You may have all the riches in this world, But I'll tell you the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but it's righteousness and joy and peace and the Holy Ghost. Amen. I'm telling you tonight that prosperity is not the answer to our world. There are folks who've got jobs, they've got increases, and I'll tell you they're working overtime and leaving God out of their life. and making Sunday a holiday instead of a holy day, and leaving God out, and earning wages, and putting it in bags that's got holes in it. And when they go back to get it, it's gone, and they can't understand what happened to it. I'm going to tell you, my friend, that prosperity will never bring you settle piece deep down in your heart. No siree. The things of this world will never Satisfy the inward longing of your soul. Money can't buy it. You can't get it down to the store. You can't get it to the jewelry department. Amen. Lady said, why darling, if you'd buy me a ring, I'd love you forever. I know when you said that, when a man didn't have the money to buy you a moon pie, let alone a ring. Amen. And the more you get, the more you want to get. And the more we grab, the more we want to grab. In prosperity, God said to Israel, I'm going to let you live in a land where you don't deserve to be. I'm going to let you live in houses you didn't build. I'm going to let you eat out of vineyards you didn't plant. He said, my blessings have been upon you. I brought you out of Egypt's land. I fed you in the wilderness. For forty years, day and night, I fed you. He said, your shoes didn't wear out, your clothes didn't get threadbare. And He said, beware when thou movest into that good land, and don't forget the Lord thy God that brought you up. Amen. I mean, I know what it is to pray. Alfred needs to be met. I know what it is for mom and dad to pray. Wonder how that's going to feed them four children they have. I know what it is to pray for a new pair of shoes when the bottoms is torn out and ripped back and you got cardboard in them walking on your way to school and the frost would come in. I'm telling you, friend, I know what it is to pray for things in life. God called me to preach. I had one short-sleeved white shirt, one of them kind that looked like screen wire they used to make. You know what? I had that one shirt. That's all I had. But I was so proud that God had called me to be a preacher. And if mom would worship that church after Sunday service, have her ready for that night, I'd rather praise God. I'd rather have God's power and God's blessings as to have the power of this world and what this world's got to offer. I'd rather have the presence of God. Amen. And when you allow prosperity to move you from your faith in God, it'd be better to die rich, my friend, a poor bum, and live for Jesus than it is to die a millionaire and face God not ready and prepared, no works, no reward, nothing left for God. I'm telling you, prosperity is not the answer tonight to the problems we face in this world, amen. We say now, if you can't pay the government will, who pays the government bill? You know who pays? The ones that can't reap the benefit from it. There's nothing free in life. When we ever get to recognize that, we'll be a lot better off. Amen? Amen. That's right. And I'm going to tell you something else, friend. You can't hop on a jet and fly across this countryside and sit down and write every country billions of dollars to help them when your own economic problems at home is in bad condition and expect to buy the peace and the prosperity to the world. They laugh at them when you're gone and say, what a fool they was. Amen. I mean, there ain't nothing changed in Russia, friend. It's still in the hands of those that know not God. I know they've won thousands under God, but look at the population in Russia. And look at the teaching they've had. And friend, those Russians are grabbing. Jehovah's Witness lit a tear. And Mormon lit a tear. Just like they are Baptists lit a tear. And they're claiming converts by the thousands. But crime is still prevalent. And murder is still violent. And rebellion is still violent. And there's tanks in the street. And I'll tell you tonight, we need to get down to business about what's right and what's wrong. And prosperity! We'll never bring blessings upon America. Amen. I'll tell you what we'll, no fashion returning back to God, getting on our knees and crying out to God for mercy. That's God to help us, friend. Boy, I'm telling you, I'm glad God said the poor you'll always have with you. And I'm glad I'm one of them, ain't you? Amen, friend. A lot of folks been better off poor. They got where they buy them a camper and head out of town on the weekend and spend it on the house of God. Ain't that a sight? Amen, that's right. Yeah, it's all right to go on a little recreation. All right to have a little fun. All right to do a little fishing, amen. It's all right to tell a story about fishing once in a while, brother of mine. God understands that too, amen. I told old brother of mine, he was talking about catching them catfish and said they got them in that live whale. So you just had to make room to put one's head up and shove them up in there. And I mean his damn truth, he wasn't lying either, amen. But he told me about some big ones that got away. But he finally caught one, weighed 45 pounds. That's what Elizabeth said. Weighed 45 pounds. His wife were a fact. I said praise God. Old brother Mutt finally caught a fish big enough that he didn't have to lie about it when he told it. Amen. I mean, there ain't nothing wrong with fishing. There ain't nothing wrong with you think. But when that comes first place in your life, that becomes your God and will keep you from having God's blessings upon your life. Then there's a closed procrastination. Keeps a lot of people from being right with God. Putting it off till tomorrow. See, the devil don't care if you're getting saved. He just don't want you to get saved today. Yeah. He don't care if you're dedicating your life to God, but don't do it tonight. You've still got some good times you want to enjoy. And you're going to sow some wild oaks. And everybody preacher has to sow wild oaks. Yeah, but don't forget Galatians 6 verse 7. Be not deceived, God's not mocked. Whatsoever men soweth, I shall also reap. There's a reaping day that comes from the sown, amen. And a lot of folks that sow and while seed, they never look for a reaping day, but reaping day is going to come. And the devil says, live for God, but don't do it now. Have yourself a good time. Enjoy the pleasure of life. So old Felix said, in a more convenient time, I'll call for you. Pilate said I'm all a gripper said almost I persuade us me to be a Christian and the Word of God said today if you hear his voice Pardon, not your heart. They said now is the accepted time. I Isaiah 118 said, Come now and let us raise together, saith the Lord. Now is the opportunity, and to put it off means to despair. Without God, to wait another day could mean hell without God. Another night could mean the judgment of God to fall upon your life because you've let all them other things get between you and God. It's easy to let things rob you of the most important thing in your life. Amen? That's living for God. That's the most important thing. The devil will do everything he can to keep you out of church. Man, Sunday's the worst day that anybody has trying to do anything or go anywhere. The devil put more things in the way. May I tell you what? We ought to value our Sundays and our worship above everything else in the world. Amen? Amen. And you ladies ought to get up and get ready for the house of God. And you men ought to get up and help them. Amen. Get the kids, help them. And make your way to the house of God without having fuss and argument. Everybody knows what time services start. And we ought to do our utmost to put forth an effort to be in the house of God on time. To serve God and prosper Him. Amen. Amen. I don't always get here on time, but I like to be here on time. I go pick up some sometimes and I get late. One day I got caught down at the train threshold and I sat there and I played if I could. I'd have went back in the movie days and jumped that thing a little bit and pulled it in gear and see if I could have flubbed over it and went out. But I didn't try that. And I mean everything in the world comes up when you're trying to do something for God. Sunday, feel worse on Sunday than you do any other day in the week. Oh Lord, just can't hardly drive. Just can't hardly make it. Well, I tell you, if we'd get up on Sunday, like we do through the week, and give our system time to get straightened out and going, by the time ten o'clock come, we'd be ready to climb a wall. Amen? But I tell you, just hang in there at that last minute and get that last bit of shut eye, and roll out of there and say, oh Lord, I just can't hardly make it. Feel so bad. You know, God, you understand. And you know, God, I just don't feel good. And Lord, you understand if I just go back to bed and stay this morning, I'll go tonight. I'll go tonight. Yeah. And that's the way it does it. But if you come Monday morning, buddy, when you got to hit that time clock and it's a holiday and if you don't go in, you don't get paid for that day, nor the holiday, nor the eve before. Well, come on bones, move out of here! We gotta go! Get up and go! And those bones will roll out of there, and boy, I tell you, say, man, I gotta get on that time clock! I don't feel good, but I'm going! And you know what we do? Amen! God wants and desires to have the best of everything we've got. And you'll learn a lot of things to get between you if you ain't careful. Doing God's will. And when you do, You're the ones going to suffer the loss. It will cut you down spiritually. I want to do everything I can for God, the best I can, with what God has given me to do with it. Father, help us tonight. Thank you, Lord, for being in the house of God. Thank you, Lord, for every blessing God's soul has been sung. Thank you, Lord, for the Word of God. God, I pray for the people here tonight. God, let pleasure rob them. I pray here tonight, God, for people, Lord, let prosperity. God, that dollar and that love of things, dear God, split them of the love they had for you. God, I pray for that crowd tonight. God, let's become popular, Lord, with the world. Now, if they're afraid they'll lose their popularity if they live for God, help them tonight, God, to purpose in their heart. Lord O'Daniel purposed not to defile himself with the king's meat, nor with the wine, but, dear Lord God, he purposed in his heart to be a true servant of God, and I pray he'd help us tonight. God, if there's a person here that's lost tonight, I pray they'd get saved. Lord, if there's a person here tonight not living for you and letting a lot of things rob them of your power, I pray they'd come. Heads bowed, eyes closed, and hearts praying, go sing just a moment. I wonder for which things they'll want to hear tonight, say preacher. I've let some things get between me and God. Robbed me of spiritual power. I want to come tonight and forsake it. I want to have God first place in my life and my heart. Do come as we stand and sing. Invitation number, would you come? Page 385. 385, would you come? By your service, sir, you forgot God and the blessing of God. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me. Sing on the day on the portals he's waiting and watching, watching for you and for me. Lord say and come home. Come home. Come home. You who are weary, come home. Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home. Oh, we sang the Lord's, you know, the devil's really, really got us busy. I mean, I don't know about you, but this is the busiest time I've ever lived in, in my life. I mean, this is already, what, 23rd of January? Something or other. This month's just about gone. Everyday's rush, rush, go, go. We go all the time, but don't accomplish much. Don't see a lot come from it. And somehow or another, I want to try to get sloped down, so I can have some time with God. There's some time just to soak in the blessings of the Lord. Amen? And just to think upon God and His goodness and His mercy. And you get caught up in this hula-boo, and the devil's got everybody going. I mean, if you've got three kids, you're running to death trying to get them to all the activities they're involved in. You're picking one up and dropping one off and getting another and coming back in and every night running that way and no time, no time to be together at home. No time to spend fellowship with one another. No time to fellowship with God. And first thing you know, you start drawing apart. You say, huh, we don't have the same feelings we used to have. Have to spend time with one another in order to have the right feelings. And you have to spend time with God in order to have the right time with God. You got to spend time. Go open the doors of our church for membership. Let God unite with us.