Lord this morning I appreciate his presence amen I got something a little different on my heart amen I won't obey the Lord I found out a long time ago he knows what we need maybe doing some teaching this morning amen but y'all know me and teaching and preaching it this all runs together amen but I eyes up there praying seeking the Lord amen and he come on the scene and give me something And I hope it'll help you this morning. Amen. I'll try to be as quickly as possible. Amen. But I want to be sensitive to the Holy Ghost. Amen. Because He knows what's needed in each life that's here today. Somebody say amen. You know, there's some people, there's some people, amen, they don't need a whole lot. Somebody say amen. I mean, but they just love God. They love their church. They're going to be in everything. There's some people, amen, that's struggling. There's some people that's lost and on their way to hell. They need to be saved. Amen. But anyway, each one, amen, has a unique need in their life this morning. Amen. And only God, only God Amen, could meet that need. Amen. Each and every one of us this morning, no matter what we come in here with, no matter what we come in here struggling with, or whatever shape we might be in, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually, amen, or God, amen, could meet every one of them needs this morning. Amen. If you've got your Bibles, first thing I want to read over in 2 Peter 3, just going to read one verse there. The Bible says, in verse number 1, this second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. Amen? I want us to remember some things, but I want us to remember them the right way. Somebody say Amen. And so we're going to be over in the book of Numbers this morning. Amen. We've got a lot of places marked. I don't know how far we'll get. There's about probably several places in here. Amen. There's several different messages wrapped up in all this scripture. A good man of God could take any of it and just run with it and preach for an hour on a lot of these subjects. Amen. We're going to try to cover as many of them as we can. Amen. But we're going to be in the book of Numbers, chapter number 11 to start out with. And I want to help you this morning. I want to stir up your mind this morning about the remembrance. Amen. I want you to remember some things. I think it's real important in a child of God's life, amen, as we go on and we serve God for a while, boy, then all of a sudden it seems like the excitement stops. And we need to remember, Ms. Murtis, I believe a lot of people need to remember where God found them. where God brought them from. And that excitement will come back. I think a lot of times we forget what God's done for us. We forget where we was at, amen, when we crawled into the house of God. We forget where we was at, amen, when we fell in an altar and we cried and we prayed and we called out on God. We forget the shape we was in. Is everybody all right? And so, in the book of Numbers, I want to read this, amen, and we got a lot of things, and we're just going to try to stay, amen, focused on what the Lord wants us to preach on this morning. Numbers chapter number 11, the Bible says in verse number one is where we're going to start. And when the people complain, oh no. We ain't got no folks around here to complain. Am I at the right church this morning? And when the people complained, amen. Sounded to me like he's talking about a bunch of Baptists. Is everybody okay? I don't know a whole lot about the church of God. Why? Because I'm not in the church of God. I don't know a whole lot about the Methodists. Why? Because I ain't Methodist. I'm saved, hallelujah. I don't know about the Presbyterians. Amen. I don't know about the worship centers. But I know about Baptists. Amen. And buddy, one thing they love, they love to eat fried chicken and complain. Everybody all right? Amen. So I just want to make sure I'm at the right place this morning. Amen. I sure would hate to bring the wrong message to the wrong people. Amen, and when the people complain, amen, ain't none of y'all never complained about nothing. Ain't none of y'all never complained, amen, about your spouse. Ain't none of y'all never complained, amen, about your service you get down at the restaurant. I know ain't none of y'all never complained about your preacher. Uh-oh, I ain't getting enough amen right there. I'm going to have to stay there for a minute. I know ain't none of y'all never complained about your preacher. But the people here complain. And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord. Wow. When the people complained, it displeased the Lord. It didn't displease Mama. It didn't displease Honeyboo. It displeased the Lord. It didn't just displease your spouse. or your children, or your parents. So when the people complained, it displeased the Lord. Is everybody all right? Amen. Let me read on. And the Lord heard it. I want that to sink in for a minute. You know the Lord hears our complaints, hears our murmurings, hears our backbiting. Is everybody okay? Is everybody all right? He said, the Lord heard it. Is everybody all right? I mean, God hears it. I know this probably ain't what you was wanting this morning, but this is what God gave me. Amen. This is what God gave me, amen. Amen, we're supposed to be content in whatever state we're in. I'm just talking about according to the scripture. Whatever state we're in, we're gonna be content as the children of God. Amen, now let me read on. Amen, it displeased the Lord, and the Lord heard it, and His anger was kindled. And the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them, listen to this, that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. I'm going to stop right there for a minute. What does that mean? Those who were on the outside edges, those who really weren't all the way in, Am I reading that right, Brother Billy? Those that were on the outermost parts, on the outside, that show up occasionally, they go to church, but they really don't go to church. They're in, but they really ain't all the way in. That's why it's important, child of God, to get involved in your church. To get all the way in. Abel, don't let nothing hinder you and pull you away. If you stay on the fringes, friend, that's where the devil wants you to be. You're an easy target. Everybody alright? Oh yeah! You're an easy target! Amen! The devil's a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour. You know who that roaring lion wants? That one he can get separated from the pack. It's easy to separate you, amen, from the pack when you're already on the outside edges. Is it all right? Amen right there. That's why it's important. Find a church. Get in it. Amen. Stay in it. Get involved in it. Amen. Wrap your life up in it. Don't let nothing pull you out of it. Don't let nothing stop you, amen, from going and doing with the church. Is everybody all right? He said the fire came down and it consumed them on the outside edges. Is everybody all right? Amen. Be careful if you're in that place where you can do with or without church. You know what that is? You're on the fringes. You're on the outside, uttermost parts. On the uttermost parts of the camp. Verse 2, And the people cried unto Moses. And when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. And it called the name of the place, Tibera, because the fire of the Lord burnt among them. And I want to stop right there for a minute. I read my Bible, Troy, and I read a lot about Moses and Aaron. And one thing I see, one thing I have learned, Brother Billy, from Moses, amen, is even though the people murmured against him, even though the people turned on him, Is everybody alright? Even though the people tried to oust him. You know what he done? Amen, when God's anger was kindled toward the people, that actually done him wrong. He prayed for them. One thing I've learned about being a pastor, amen, it's my job when I see the fire of God falling in your home and in your life and the chastisement of God coming down, it's my job, amen, to get on my face and pray to God for you and your family. There's folks that still don't come to this church. They walked out on God years ago. I'm still pleading on their behalf. I'm still weeping for them. Why? Because I've seen the chastising hand of God. Amen. Get a hold of them. And they're so blinded by their hate or their bitterness, they don't even realize it. This is my response. Boy, I've learned that from Moses. Every time the fire of God comes, God said, I'm going to kill them, Moses. Moses would fall on his face and weep before God and turn God's anger away. When they won't pray for their self. Is everybody all right? I've had them do me wrong, brother DeGray. I've had them stab me in the back, break the blade off. Is everybody all right? What do you do? You pray for me. That's the pastor's job. Amen, that right there, that would preach, but I don't know where we're at. And so as the fire began to fall, I looked up to Berea. And this is what it means. It means burning, to kindle, or to consume by fire. Amen. To set on fire, to cause, to take away or to put away. And there's some things in your life, child of God, that you ain't gonna get rid of until the fire of God comes down and consumes it. Is everybody okay? There's things that your flesh desires and loves to have and wants in your life. It's got to hold on you. I mean, buddy, you try to turn away from it, but until you get on your face before God and let the good fire of God get in your life and burn it out, it's always going to have the mastery over you. There's just some things that's going to take the fire of God to get out of your life. Is everybody alright? Oh yeah. It's going to have to be consumed by fire. It's going to have to be consumed by the right fire. Somebody say Amen. Not the fire of chastisement. Not the fire of judgment. Amen. But that fire that purifies. That fire that comes down and burns out the wickedness. Amen. And burns out the ugliness. Amen. And sets up in your heart. and it's a fire that's burning, and it draws you to God, and it draws you to the house of God, and it feeds your soul. But we need that fire, that fire from the altar. Somebody say amen. That's right. The only way you're going to get rid of some things in your life, amen, is to build a fire in your heart through prayer, preaching, and the pages of this book right here. Is everybody alright? That's the only way you're going to get rid of some things. Amen. If you're really serious about serving God, amen, you'll turn that TV off and you'll pick that Bible up. If you're really serious about getting your life straightened out, amen, you'll put that Budweiser down. Amen, you'll get on your face and pray. Somebody say amen right there. If you're really serious about getting your life straightened out with God, amen, you'll quit going down to the lake on Sunday and you'll come to the house of God. Somebody say amen and you'll hear what God's got to say. If you're real serious about it. Everybody okay? And I know folks can't make everything every time. That's not what I'm talking about, but it will make some things a priority. And that's how you get the fire of God burning in your life. That'll burn sin out. Everybody okay? And so as I begin to look at that, this is what they were doing. Verse number four, and we're getting down to the message, to the meat. And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a-lusting. And the children of Israel also wept again and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?" Listen now. Listen what they said. Verse 5, we remember. I want you to remember. But I want you to remember it right. We remember. And this is what a lot of people do. This is what they've done. They said in verse 5, we remember the fish. We remember the fish. Amen? See, verse 4 says, who shall give us flesh to eat? See, in Exodus chapter 16, verse 3, the Bible said, and they sat by the flesh pots. They sat by the flesh pots, amen, and did eat bread to their full, amen. The flesh pots, the pots of the world, the things that please the flesh. They sat by the flesh pots, but here they're saying, let us remember, we remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt. And we know what Egypt is. Egypt's where we were, amen, when we were lost, when we were maybe saved and backslid on God and out of church. We were out in the world and the devil was having his way with us. And they said, we remember when we were out there, we remember the good fish we had. We remember that good feeling, that good full feeling, which we did eat in Egypt freely. Brother Tracy, there you are, listen to you. But we remember, we remember what it was like out there. These preachers get up and tell us how bad it is, but we remember the fish we ate, and the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic. Boy, we remember that good flavor. We remember those good barbecues. Buddy, we remember the good times and the good parties we had. Amen. But see what they all said. They're not letting you know about the flesh pots. We'll get into that in a minute. Amen. We remember the fun we had down there at the bar. We remember that fun we had. We remember the fish we ate. Oh, and how it tasted so good. How it was seasoned just right. That's what they're saying. That's what they're saying. Now I'm not necessarily doubting that those things, the fish wasn't there. I'm not saying that it wasn't. I'm not saying the onions wasn't there and the garlic and the melons. I'm not saying that occasionally out there they might have had a time where the family was around them and they felt pretty good. That's what they remember. They say, we remember this. But they ain't telling the whole story. They're not remembering at all. But listen to this. But now, verse six, our soul is dried away. There's nothing at all beside this manna before our eyes. Really? The manna. We'll get into that in a minute. And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of beryllium. And the people went about and gathered it and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it. And listen to this, and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. Now they're not talking about this. They're saying, we remember when we was in Egypt and we had the fish and we had the garlic, but all we see is the manna. Now God's telling us what the manna is. He's describing it to us, not them. And verse nine says, and when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. I mean, it sounds like they're really missing out on something. And they had to fish, had a good time in Egypt. Boy, if you just read that right there, if you just heard somebody talk about that, man, you'd say, man, what in the world would you be doing here anyway? Why would you even be in church? This is what they're telling us they remember about their life before God. Their life before they got in church. Their life before they came back to God. This is what they're saying. Their life was so good. We had so much fun. Oh, really? Turn with me now to the book of Exodus. Let's see what's going on. Because see, there's a record. There's a record of what their life was like in Egypt. There's a record, friend, of what your life really was like in Egypt. The part we don't want to say out loud. The part we don't want to remember, we want to forget. Is everybody alright? But see, I'm here today to stir up your pure mind. Amen. Your right mind. Amen. And listen to this. By way of remembrance, He said in Exodus chapter 1, Now Joseph has died. Joseph has died. and that whole generation that was with him. Amen. And the Pharaoh, amen, that was in charge down in Egypt. Amen. He's died out. Here comes another king. He don't know. He don't know about what Joseph done. And now this is what's going on in their life. Verse 8, now there rose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. Verse 10, and he's telling his people, he's saying, now come on, let us deal wisely with them. Who? The children of God. Let us deal wisely with the children of Israel. Let us deal wisely with those over there. Amen, that's worshiping and serving God. This is what the devil does. He said, now let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and it come to pass that when there falleth out any war, They join also unto our enemies and fight against us. So get them up out of the land. Remember what they said over there in Numbers. Man, we remember the fish. We remember when we ate flesh to the full. We remember the onions and the melons and the garlic. That's what we had. But listen to what the Bible says. Verse 11, Therefore they did set over them taskmasters. Uh-oh. Everybody alright? "...to what afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pathum and Ramesses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew, and they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor." With rigor. Amen. and they made their lives bitter." Uh-oh, we didn't hear about that, did we? We didn't hear about the rigor service, I mean the rigor taskmasters that was over them, causing their lives to become bitter, and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage. Is everybody all right? Oh, we didn't hear about that part. It's amazing the parts we don't remember. It's amazing the things, amen, whenever the devil comes to us, when we get a little discouraged, when we get a little angry with somebody, or we get a little upset, it's amazing what we remember and what we conveniently forget about. The shape we was in, amen, when we came to God. The shape we was in when we walked through those doors. Is everybody alright? It's amazing how we forget about that part. Don't remind me of that, preacher. Don't remind me about the flesh pots. Don't tell me how bad my life was before God straightened it out. Made them serve with rigor, bitter bondage, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor. That word rigor is strictness, severity. Sternness, hardness, violence, harshness, cruelty to break apart. See, we don't want to tell nobody about our broken life. When we walked through the doors, our life was a mess. It was broken. Our spirit was broken and crushed. Hey, is everybody alright? Laid in bed at night. I thought about how you could kill yourself. We don't want to tell nobody about them parts. How our soul was bitter in us. We didn't even feel like we wanted to live or get up out of bed in the morning. What about that? And we walk through the house of God. Boy, the Spirit of God comes down. Oh, glory to God. And He hugs us up. And He makes us whole again. Is everybody alright? Buddy, we forget to tell that part. I said, boy, they served with rigor. They were bitter. They were broken. To break apart, to fracture through cruelty or severity. That's what rigor does. Amen. Rips our lives apart. Rips our families apart. Amen. Oh, I remember out there. I remember the fish. I remember the fish and the garlic. It's amazing how you forgot the bitterness and the brokenness when God found you struggling. Amen. To hold it together. Is everybody alright? When your family was gone. It's amazing. It's amazing how we struggle to hold the family together. And we don't know what to do or where to turn. And when we turn to God, God wraps us up and fixes us. Amen. And helps us. And saves us. Or brings us back into the fold. Amen. And then the devil comes. And the only thing he wants to point out was the fish and the garlic. And He don't ever want you to remember that addiction. Is everybody alright? That violent relationship. Is everybody okay? That hateful, hateful devil. Amen. It ripped your family apart. Amen. Because you had nothing holding you together. Amen. Your temper couldn't do it. Your force couldn't do it. Amen. Your words couldn't do it. Only one that could help you and your family was God. And when you walked in, amen, God picked you up and God heard you cry. Glory to God, and God forgave you, and God loved you, and God set your feet on a solid rock, and God started a fire in your life, burning the fangs of the world out, and now all of the sudden, they look good again. We forget about that. Oh, we remember the fish. Forget about them flesh pots though, don't you? Those things that appeal to the flesh. that sexual immorality, fornication, drug addiction, alcohol. Is everybody alright? The things of the world. Man goes right to the pride of life. Everybody alright? Well, we forget about that. We don't ever want to bring that up. Don't bring that up, preacher! Don't bring that up! Don't bring that up about them flesh pots! We forgot about that! We don't want to be reminded of what our flesh drug us into! We don't want to be reminded of how our flesh destroyed our family or our lives or our careers! We don't want to be reminded about them flesh pots! Help us forget about that. Let us remember, no, you better remember what God done. Listen to this, amen. So then they go down and Pharaoh tells them, says, I want you to kill all the male children, amen. God didn't say it but Pharaoh, the devil said, I want you to destroy their children, kill their male children. Let the females live. And we know the midwives wouldn't do it. But then you get down to verse 22. And he says, and Pharaoh charged all his people saying, every son that is born shall cast, ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. Amen. If we could just remember that that brought us to our knees, Amen? Listen to this. In Exodus chapter 3 verse 7. See, we forget the very most important things. What brought us to our knees and brought us back to God. Verse 7. Now listen to this. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt. This is the place they said they won't go back to. but listen to this, "...and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows." Man, we forget about the sorrows we faced out there on our own that got us on our face, crying out to God. God, help me! God, restore my sanity! God, help me save my family! Tell me what to do! And God's working and God's trying. And all of a sudden, all of a sudden, the devil said, hey, don't you remember that fish? Don't you remember that garlic, how it tasted? Oh, don't you remember them onions over there? Oh man, I love to get a good roast going and pile it full of potatoes and carrots. Oh, and them little bitty onions. I'm the only one. Oh boy, and it tastes so good. Amen, but buddy, it'll put the weight on you. Is everybody alright? Amen. Boy, I need to remember where I was. Amen, my broken state. Amen, when I cried out to God, God saw the affliction in my life. God heard my cry. God said, I can fix that. And I come to the house of God. He saved me. I think we forget, we don't remember how bad it got for some. to get you here. Son, we've had people locked in prison. We've had people facing death. Amen. Is everybody all right? I mean, see God, like I said in Sunday school, God knows how to get our attention. Is everybody okay? Now listen to this in verse eight. He said, and I am come down. God said, I know their sorrows, verse eight, and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians. and to bring them up out of that land into a good land, and a large unto a land flowing with milk and honey. Then go down to verse 9. Now therefore behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me, And I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppressed them. Come now, therefore, I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. God said, I heard you cry. I heard you cry down there in the world. Amen, when you was full of sorrow, when you was full of bitterness. Amen, when you was burdened down, when you was broken. Amen, nobody knew it. Everybody thought you was tough. Amen. But on the inside, you was crushed. You was broken. We men don't like to show our feelings. And we think it means we're weak. But God's seen it. God heard it. In the lonely hours. In the hours by yourself. When nobody else was around. And the tears were flowing. God saw it. And God heard you cry. But don't remind us preacher. Don't remind us of that. Because we want to remember The fish and the garlic don't say nothing about them flesh pots that ruined our lives. It said in Exodus chapter 6, talking about them taskmasters. Chapter 6, verse 6. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, You shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore. Let them go and gather the straw for themselves. We forgot how hard it was. How hard it was. See, the world, the only thing it does is take. It takes and takes. Let me tell you what Egypt will take from you. It's going to take your strength. It's going to take your health. It's going to take your wealth. It's going to take your youth. Is everybody okay? It's going to take all that. And one day you're going to wake up and say, wait a minute, I'm bitter. And I'm broken. And although I have all this around me, I feel so lonely and alone. Are you hearing me? And there's only one thing that'll satisfy. There's only one thing that'll satisfy. Amen. That hunger. And that's the manna. We're fixing to get into that. Amen. He said, take away their straw. Make them have to work for it. Verse number 14, and the officers, back up to verse 13, and the taskmasters hastened them, saying, Fulfill your works, your daily task, as when there was straw. And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten. This world will beat you, the devil will beat you. I believe some of us forgot how beaten we was when we came through the doors of Calvary Baptist Church or any church where we met God or where we came back to God or where God, amen, received us back into the fold, amen, after we lived a life away from him or after God saved us, amen, when we was wicked and ungodly and didn't deserve it. They were beaten and demanded. Wherefore have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today as heretofore? It's back over there in the book of Numbers. I said, we remember the fish. We remember We remember the onions and we remember the melons. We remember the garlic. But you find no mention of the bitterness and the brokenness that we just read about that drove them to their knees. That drove them to their knees. It's amazing how we remember what we want to remember. But they ain't remembering it right. They ain't remembering it right. Boy, the devil will get in our mind and get us confused. Boy, these people over the years walked through them doors back here so broken. So broken, Brother Matt. I mean in a mess, spiritually. On the outside, everything looked good. On the outside, they was dressed right, they was smiling. Everything looked good, but man, on the inside, they was crushed. On the inside, they'd been battling. On the inside, boy, they'd been struggling. On the inside, bitterness had done set up, started growing. Well, on the inside, buddy, they was crying out. They was looking for something other than what the world was giving them. Are you hearing me? They needed something from God. Amen. They walked through them doors and they found it right here. Boy, they found a church that loved them. They found people that loved them and cared about them. They found a place they could worship and feel the presence of God in their life. They found a place, amen, that put their family back together. They found a place, amen, where they found that peace they'd been searching for. They found a place where joy moved in. They found a place, amen, and then all of a sudden something come up and they forgot about the shape they was in before they ever walked through them doors. Now they're back out there and I've seen some of them. I've seen some of them. I know some of them told their teenage kids. And they walked out, their kids wanted to come back. They said, you ain't going back down there. They come down here about once or twice, hit the altar, got right. You hear me? Kids went home, tried to get mom and dad to come back. They said, uh-uh, you ain't going back down there. I ain't naming no names, but I'm telling you, I know some. Amen, now their kids are so messed up on alcohol and dope, tattoos. Is everybody all right? Amen, getting so worldly and ungodly. Hey, is everybody okay shacking up? Hey, is everybody all right? Hey, if they ain't careful, they gonna be putting them in the ground or going and visiting them in jail. Is everybody okay? Amen. Who is it? None of your business, but that's all right. Amen. I'm telling you, I've witnessed it. I've witnessed it. Oh, you can't go back down there. You know why? Because man, the Spirit of God's here. Is everybody okay? Amen. They forgot. See, they forgot the mess they was in before they came. And if we're not careful, we could do that. We could get the devil to get in our mind. We'll forget about our state, our emotional state, our spiritual state, before we walk back to God, before we got saved, or before we come back to God. Fell on our face and God heard our cry. You know what he said? I heard him. So I want to get over here in Numbers again, chapter 11, and this is what they said. They said, we remember the onions, we remember the fish, but in verse 6 of chapter 11 it says, but now our soul is dried away, there is nothing at all beside this manna before us, before our eyes. All we see in preachers, the manna falling from heaven. See, the manna came down. The dew came and the manna fell on top of it. So you got to realize that the manna came down because they was in a place where they was doing without. They was in a place of starvation. They was in a place of hunger. They was in a place where they needed something from God. Are you hearing me? And God rained manna down from heaven. And what is manna? What is manna? Well, manna, the Bible. The definition is, manna is the bread from heaven that fed the children of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness. And the word manna literally means, what is it? What is it? They saw it on the ground, they wept, they cried, they were broken, they were bitter, They got led out of Egypt, crossed over the Red Sea. God was working in their life, but they needed something from God. And God said, OK. No matter, God said, God, you got to give us some food. God, you got to sustain us. And you know what God did? God rained down provision in their life. God rained down, He provided, He provided that spiritual need in their life. Are you hearing me? Not only that, amen, He preserved them. He didn't let them die out there in the wilderness struggling. And all they could see, all they could see, they couldn't see the The fresh oil. I mean, if I'd get back in the Word of God, and get back on their face before God, and get back involved in the church, down at the church house, how the fresh oil can come in their life. Boy, they can taste something good from God. All they seen was this, this manna. What's that? The blessings of God falling all around them. Amen. Falling in their family. Falling on their homes. Falling on their businesses and their jobs. Falling on their friendships and their relationships. Oh, I know we have to lose some sometimes. Amen. But buddy, God was raining down manna all around them. Amazing. God blessing somebody and they complain about being blessed. Oh man. God's touching their body and they complain about getting healthy. And what did God say? God said, hey, here it is. Here it is, listen to this. And the people, verse 7, and the manna, that's coriander seed, the color thereof is the color of bdellium, and the people went about and gathered it. We don't want to have to do nothing. It's amazing. We'll complain about gathering up the manna. Amen. We won't complain about having to go out there and pick them onions. Uh-oh. Everybody okay? We complain because God expects us to put a little effort in getting our manna, the blessings that he's raining down upon us. Man, we don't complain about having to go out there and cut them melons open and pick them up out of the field and lug them all the way back to the house and cut them open and pick the seeds out of them because you realize back then they didn't have seedless. Everybody all right? Oh yeah, we complain about... Amen. What'd he say? Verse 7, the people went about and gathered it and ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar. Oh, we'll complain about having to go out and gather up the manna, amen, and beat it down, amen, and grind it up. We don't complain about having to go out there and dig them worms up. You know, they didn't have bait shots back then. They didn't have artificial bait. Everybody okay? They had to go out and dig up the worms. They had to go out and dig them old slimy nasty worms up. They had to put them on a hook and hang it out there on a cane pole. But you know they didn't have Zebco. Everybody alright? It ain't fishing like today. Y'all that fish now, y'all know nothing about fishing. Man, my daddy had 29 cane poles. He said, you get you a cork and you put on it, boy. And you go out there in the backyard and you flip that board over. Amen, you look down there in that worm bed and you get you out about 20 worms. Amen, you put them in a little bucket and you go down there to the creek. Amen, you take that cane pole and you set it out over that water. Amen, you watch that bobber for an hour. And amen, and when it goes under, you jerk it. And you don't reel nothing in. Everybody all right? You don't jerk it too hard, you'll jerk it out of their mouth. Everybody okay? Oh, we won't complain about that. We won't complain about that. And not only that, if we're lucky and catch a few, then we got to go home and gut them and clean them. They didn't even know what that meant, Lisa. Filet them. They didn't have boneless fish back then. Amen? And you got to be careful because you'll choke on them bones. I don't read nowhere where they choked on manna. Is everybody alright? Oh, it's preaching time now. Oh, but we'll complain about gathering up the manna, breaking it down, and then putting it in a pan and baking it. Wow. Woo-wee. Boy, and that fresh, that fresh oil, that aroma begins to fill the house. Is everybody okay? Oh, and some don't like it at first. Some don't like it at first, but boy, we're out there and we're baking up that fresh oil, that manna. Amen, and we're taking it home. Amen, and our loved ones, they might not like it at first. They get a whiff of that fresh oil. What's that? Uh-uh. Well, then all they want to do is argue. I'm the only one. I'm the only one. I was the only one saved in going to church when I got saved. I went home, boy, my daddy, my daddy raised in a deacon's home. One-legged man. Mean. Me and him couldn't get along. Mean. Navy man. Mean. Me and him couldn't get along. Boy, he know how to push my buttons. Found out I got saved. Oh, he was happy for a minute. Amen, in that aroma, that manner. That fresh oil, I'd go to church every time a door's open. Man, I'd get in the altar and I'd pray. I'd read my Bible. I'd pray at home. But it didn't end like that. Why? Holy Ghost conviction was coming in. That fresh oil. Just the manna. Always seize the manna. Always seize the manna. That's hard work. All that praying and reading my Bible. That's hard. It's so much easier to gut the fish and cut their heads off and batter them up and fry them. We forget where we were at. Oh, I like the taste of fried fish. I do too, but you know, fried fish will kill you. It'll make your cholesterol go through the roof. Oh yeah, it'll make your sugar go up. Oh yeah, you have to take extra shot of insulin. Everybody all right? Especially if you get them hush puppies too. And then just clobber them down in that tartar sauce. Hallelujah, right? Boy, I just felt something on that. Amen. I'm beginning to see why some of them left. I'm just teasing. That manna. That manna's healthy. Man, it gets your health back in order. Gets your mind right. Amen. It gives you that peace that passes all understanding. We don't want to do that. Don't tell us about where we was at. Don't remind us about sitting by them flesh pots and our flesh having control over us. We couldn't bring it in and get it under control. Don't remind me. Don't remind me of the crack houses and the bar room brawls. Don't remind me of the pool halls. Don't remind me of the silver saddle. Is everybody okay? Don't remind me of them places where God drug me out of. Is everybody all right? Life was in a mess. I was a wreck. I was on my way to hell. And nobody knew. Nobody knew it. Everybody thought I had it going on. But on the inside, I was bitter. I was broken. I was lonely. I was needing something. The world couldn't supply. I was needing something I couldn't find down at the flesh pot. I needed to go down to the house of God where the manna was flowing. You telling me the manna ain't enough? Huh? You telling me the manna ain't enough? Give us back our sailed mine. That's what it done. Fill that lonely spot and that hollow spot on the inside. And now you telling me the manna ain't enough? You forgot about the brokenness, didn't you? They didn't mention that. They didn't mention a tore up life. They didn't mention being beat down. Being beat down. Man, I've known men. I'm talking about big men. I got more I was going to preach on. I'm talking about big men. Tough men. I've seen them beat down so bad by just a little bit of scrawny girl. Are you hearing me? Are you hearing me? Just a little bit of scrawny girl get them so beat down. Amen. Are you hearing me? Won't come home, won't do right, won't... That man just so pitiful. I've witnessed that. I've witnessed the same. Amen. About beautiful women. I mean just beautiful. Got some big old ugly joker. Got them so beat down and tore up. Messed up. Is everybody alright? Is everybody okay? Get away from that flesh pot! Get away from that flesh pot! Remember where God brought you from! Get their life straightened out. Somehow, someway, when the devil comes back, and they don't remember the state of mind they was in for a tiny, they just want to remember the good times. Amazing what we forget. I read that and I read over there where they just remembered the fish. They remembered the leeks and the melons and the onions and the garlic. Just remembered all the good stuff. But they didn't mention how they were burdened, how they were broken, how they were beaten. how they were bitter. I forgot about that. See, God picked them up out of that. See, that's where they were at when they fell on their face, their knees, and began to cry out to God. And God said, hey, I hear their cry. I see their torture they're going through, their bitterness. I see their burdens. I see their brokenness. And I'm going to deliver them. And I'm going to give them some manna to sustain them. And now what they're saying is all we see is this manna. God's done blessed them so good, so much. Don't never, child of God, get tired of the manna and the blessings of God. Don't let it just become, well, this is all we got. What else do we need? It can be fresh oil again if you'll put in the work. The gathering, the milling, the grinding, the putting in the pan, and the baking.