If you are not walking in the light then you are in darkness.
Inside The Pages With Pastor Carl
Light Has Come
of God. Thank you, Saviour. Amen. We're going to go into the word of God as you return into your seats, bless your Lord. Let's listen to your prayers, wonderful Saviour. Again, greetings from the throne of God where we are, where all blessings flow, to them that are sanctified by God, the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ. And call mercy unto you, peace, and love be multiplied. My prayer is that what is exhorted will encourage and propel us further into the will of God. And so we first want to talk about encouragement in this year and what God has spoken, what God has said for this house. Sometimes you go to a service and they tell you that this is your season, but you're not part of that orchard, so it's not your season unless it's specifically to you. And so this is specific to this house, bless your Lord. The Bible tells us in Philippians, the first chapter, beginning at the sixth verse. It says, "Being confident of this very thing. Being confident, I'm confident this morning." I was confident yesterday morning and the day before that. I hope you're confident too. And confident of this very thing that he which have begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Even as it is me for me to think this of you, because I have you in my heart and as much as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are partakers of my grace. I don't know if you knew that, but you're partaking of my grace. Confidence is known, feeling and having strong belief that one can rely on someone or something. You might know, but don't feel confident. You might have a strong belief, but confidence in that particular one is not there. We have confidence in God. It's so often said that that man will fail you and it's not that the failure is intentional. It could be that they've reached a limit and they cannot go past their limit. I can push a Volkswagen, but I can't push a tow truck, so I've reached a limit. It will require more, but we can have confidence in God, and we can have confidence in whatever God has to say. I understand, and I hope you understand as well, that his word is essential for our survival, and it is essential for our soul salvation. So often we look at our survival as what happens here, but our survival stops at a certain point and we go into salvation. That's what we're looking for, salvation. But we're saying to be saved, but we're striving to make it into God's presence, and once we're there, he is not going to say the part. If you're a liar, the Bible said you won't tear in his sight. So if you're lying, you've got to stop lying and you've got to live the truth. The thing about liars is that a liar will steal your future. I believe that's why God is so upset with him. A liar will steal your future. Baby, I love you. They lie. If you invest in this, you'll agree with what they lie in. If you might as well tell you some swamp water, bless your Lord, so you can make a farm out of it, girls and peanuts. Listen, you want to be able to stand in God's presence, and he not say, "Get out of here." I don't know you, and so that starts here and now. We can have confidence in the Word of God. His Word is strong enough for us to lean on. It's strong enough for us to follow closely. You ought to get up close and personal with God. Get up close and personal with His Word. I'm not talking about up close and personal with you quoted to everybody. I've heard drunkards, we quote the Word of God. I've walked past people, that was high as a kite, and they was able to quote the Word of God. You ought to get close to the Word of God, and you ought to live it in such a way that by living it, God cannot deny Himself. Bless your Lord. The Bible says, "Therefore, whosoever hear these sins of mine, the very thing in which I'm speaking about this morning," and he said, "Do them." We can hear the Word of God and not do it. But those that hear it and do it, he said, "I'll liken him unto a wise man. I want to be liken. I want to be considered wise by God," and I hope you do too. He said, "Which builder this house upon a rock, and the rain descended, and the flood came, and the wind blew. There's going to be some rain. There's going to be some wind. There's going to be some flooding. But one thing about it is I have confidence in God. You can have confidence that if your boat gets rocked, God can stabilize it. The Bible tells us that he was on the ocean with the disciples, and he wasn't worried about nothing. He wasn't concerned about anything. He was downstairs resting on some pillows, and the boat began to rock. They came down and said, "What's wrong?" I'm paraphrasing it, but we got a problem, and you not move it. We saw what you can do, but you're not doing nothing right now, and he got up and he was a little disbaked with them because of their every action. We ought to take this year and say, "God, I'm not going to act that way." You kept us in 2024. I saw what you can do in 2024. I saw what you could do in '23 and '22. I don't have to walk around being overwhelmed and concerned about God, because he's there. I'm not talking about right on time. We got all these cliches, but understand something. He's not a God of every cliched. It might be a little truth in some of them, but that don't mean he's with all of them. The flood came in the wind blew, and it beat up on that house, and it did not fall. We're not going to fall down because of something that somebody said. We're not going to roll over and die because you look at me strange, "Oh, my God, we're just going to keep on walking. You know, they used to say, "Keep on trucking, baby. We're going to keep on moving and move past those things," but those that was not found upon a rock, they were found upon a sinkhole, they were found upon some sand, they were found upon some soft ground, "Oh, bless you, Lord God. Will you listen to what's being said? Will you do what God has to say?" Then the promise is unto you. Oh, my God. There will be a separation, achievements, growth, and completion of things that will bless you, your home, and those around you, it's good to be around somebody that's blessed. If you're around nine broke folks, you're going to be ten. You ought to hang around some folks that's doing something. This is where the boys become men and the girls become women. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13, the 9th verse is said, "For we know and part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." He said, "When I was a child, I spanked as a child." I get some dumb things, said some dumb things, didn't know what I was talking about, but again, I said it anyway. I was childish. I understood as a child, which meant I was limited in my thinking. I couldn't only go so far, but when I became a man, I hope you became a man. I hope you became a woman and understand something. He said, "I put away childish things. When we don't put away childish things, then all we are is a child in a big body. When we grow older, all we become is old food instead of a wise man. He said, "I put away childish things, young adults old time, we put away childish beliefs, we put away fears, we put away childish appetites and behaviors. When we put away childish thinking and talking, we put away childish associations of any kind. You must listen and embrace God's ability in his promise." Not man's promise, that man can make good on his promise, that's fine, but when talking about your soul's salvation, that's the most important thing. The Bible says, "Now unto him, who God, God that is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all, that we ask or think according to the power that worketh within us is the power I work in you." What is the power doing? What type of power do you have? Is it golly power or is it devilish power? Is it adult power or is it childish power? Oh, bless your Lord God. Now unto him, that is able to keep you from following him and present your fathers before the presence of his glory with joy. God has joy because of us, oh yes he does. I believe I mentioned it just a few weeks ago of the joy that was sent before him, of bringing many sons to glory, that's why he endured the cross, to bring many sons to glory. If they would have knew it was him, the King of King, the Lord, they wouldn't have crucified him. It would have stopped us from being saved. But he hid that from them and he hid it from the rise and from the prudent. He hid it from those that thought they were theologists, thought they were philosophers, thought that they had wisdom, thought they had a monopoly on him, hid it from the scribes and the Pharisees, so that we, those that they looked down upon and said they're ignorant, and I know that we were wise because of the power of God. The Bible said through the foolishness of preaching, he saved those that believe. I'm so glad to be foolish in that area, oh bless your Lord God, oh my God, not so wise you ought to not be so wise that you can't hear God, that you can't buy your knees, that you can't hold on to what God has to say, that quote, that you so wise that you don't get down and pray and ask God, the Bible said if any man like wisdom, let him ask God, bless your Lord. Now unto him that is able, his ability to precede everybody else, that's why we don't talk about politics, because that ain't got to do with God. We don't talk about office, that ain't got nothing to do with God. But who we talk about, who we promote is not the enemy, we promote God, oh we can talk about what God has done, what he's doing, oh bless your Lord God, lift up his name, the Bible tells us that it's good to see praises unto his name. So we ought to have a salt in our heart, because he's able, he's able to do what present us faultless, before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy, he'll go above the top, he'll go beyond, he'll take us over the top. He'll sustain us, he can and will present us faultless, he'll cause us to have a radical praise, oh my God, he's the wisest, I don't know nothing else about him except how wise he is, if he made a mistake you wouldn't even know it, oh my God it would line up with everything just as if it was faultless, you'll never know, take some friends, we need to understand that whatever obstacle we faced, whatever obstacle and experience that came previously, it was necessary for this year, oh yes it was, it was necessary, cause it made you wiser, it made you smarter, it got you a better understanding, you stepped back and look at it and said if I handle it differently you can't have a different outcome, those were merely stepping stones and things that taught us what to do, resistance makes you stronger, that's why you see people picking it up, pulling it, pushing it, it makes you stronger because there is a resistance that is there, it calls us to balance things better, it teaches us how to stand, I believe in this the um giraffe, the giraffe carries it young and when the giraffe is born the mother keeps knocking it down, every time they get up in a knock it down, they get up again in a knock it down, sometimes it's God knocking us down, I'm not talking about sin, but sometimes it's God knocking us down, cause after a while you're going to know how to stand and you're not going to get knocked down again, bless your lawyer, they were doing an experiment and when they was building and working on the golf ball and it was a smooth ball at first and the ball would get hit and it would just be flying all over the place and I need you to undivide the tension here, the ball was all over the place but they start to put little dips in the ball and every time they put a dip in it they notice it would fly different and they put so many dips in it that the ball flew straight, sometimes those dips that we get is God putting it in us, so we'll fly straight, bless your lawyer God, listen here, it causes balance, it makes us stronger, God is on our side, things are going to work out fine, that's not just a song, that's a fact it will work out fine, believe the Word of God, be faithful to God, be bold in the faith, face opposition, oh yes, face opposition, that's what we do and we face it by obedience to the Word of God, we face opposition by doing what God says to do, obey what God said to do and things are going to work out, oh my God, the Bible tells us that if you suffer, the Bible tells us that if you live a Godly life you go suffer persecution, so since I already know that, then what does that say, since I already know that if I suffer and I'm doing what's right, I don't have to be in dread because God's got my back, I heard the Word of the Lord saying in 1 Corinthians 10 and 13, it said there have no temptation taking you but such as common, sickness is common, financial setback is common, misunderstanding is common, making a not so wise decision can be common, well that's a subject for another time, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you, me, you, point to yourself, not me, to be tempted above that which you're able, in other words, when God puts it on you, he is saying you can handle this, you can handle this, whatever it is, you can handle it and guess he's looking at you saying and expecting knowing that if you obey his word, you'll bring him glory, you'll bring him glory, mighty God, oh thank you Jesus, he trusts you enough to bring him glory, oh yes, yes, if I put it on her, she gonna bear it, she gonna hand do it, she's not gonna forsaken, she's not, he is not gonna run away and hide for three months and then show back up, but you're gonna be faithful until the end, he's not putting more on us than we can bear, it don't mean that that bearing something, it won't bring tear to your eye, it don't mean you won't say ouch, we do that playing sports, we do that in the gym, we do that when we're doing other things, working on the car, smash our finger, say ouch, watch the blood, put a band-aid on it and then start working on it again, but we didn't stop, we went on with the project, so until it was completed, first lesson only is 5 and 24 says faithful is he that called you, who also would do it, remember the powers within us, without not talking about Quaker power, without talking about Jehovah Witness power, now the reason I mention that is that they believe that there's a light already existing inside of them, that's life in you, everyone that breathes have life, okay, that includes planets too, but there's a difference when it's the power of God that's residing in you, there's a difference there, so we're not just talking about existence, but we're talking about the power of God, Proverbs 3, 5 says trust in the Lord, what are we gonna do, trust in the Lord, how are we gonna trust in Him, with all our hearts, and lean not to our own understanding, there's a way to do this, we've got to do it the way God said, he said trust in the Lord with all our hearts, then He says don't lean in your own understanding, then He says in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct our paths, then He says be not wise in your own eyes, but fear the Lord, and depart from evil, what are we gonna do, we're gonna fear the Lord, not gonna fear man, not gonna fear woman, not gonna fear anybody, gonna battle laws of land, but we're gonna fear the Lord, and not only fear Him, but depart from evil, there's those that fear the Lord go on depart from evil, they don't want nothing bad to happen, they don't mean the devil himself, the demons said, have you come to torment us before our time, that's fear, knowing that there's a day appointed, but we're gonna depart from evil, meaning that we're gonna sacrifice ourselves, the Bible tells us, Paul said I crucified this flesh daily, which means he's examining itself, that when he sees something out of order, he puts it back in order, God has given us a word of promise, the Bible tells us in Genesis the 28th chapter, and God almighty, else should I, bless thee, and make thee fruitful and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people, and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee and to thy seed and to thee that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou are a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham, the blessing that God gave to Abraham is hovering over us, a promise is only as good as the promiseer, the ability to perform it, the promiseer is the person who makes the promise to the promise see, you see you and I are the promise see, and we must reciprocate the blessings of the Lord, it's not enough to just depend on God and say God give me, give me, give me, and not reciprocate the blessing unto him, making us a promiseer unto God, that's a good thing, that I become a promiseer unto God, that God's looking at me said he will keep his word, that's what he said about Abraham, he said he will keep his word and he's going to teach us family, to observe the commandments that I'm giving him, we ought to be like that, we ought to be a promise unto God, but I made a promise to you that I'm going to live thee faithful, I'm going to live a sanctified life, I'm going to teach my family, you are not going to leave church when I get home, it's a different story, it's going to be the same at church and when I'm at home, that your presence is welcome here just like it was well there, he said I'll give you blessings, be fruitful and multiply, and I will give thee blessings, he kept repeating that, the promise that God made, this is an open-ended promise, it's like receiving a blank check already this time, saying you feel in the digits, mighty God, all bless your Lord God, the word of instruction, it tells us to stay in sync with God, now this is important, stay in sync with God, God wants each of us to be synchronized with him, to be synchronized or in sync means you're making things happen at the same time, what we've heard the song, at least I know I have, so I can't talk for you, but it says when I move you move, just like that, little Chris didn't write those lyrics, no he wasn't the first to use them, don't think that he was, so let me put it differently, God is the head of the house, he is the VIP, he is the CEO, the Bible tell us in Exodus the 40th chapter that then a cloud covered the 10th of the congregation and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle and Moses was not able to enter into the 10th of the congregation, for those that are high and mighty and don't know how to listen, when the word of God is going forth when God is marching is moving and humbles everybody, there's no big eyes and little use, oh no no no no, Moses could not even go into the tabernacle because the power of God was resting in and the children went, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys, but if the cloud, if the cloud was not taken up then they did not move, they stayed right where they were, they were in sync with God, when he moved they moved, if he stayed still, they stayed still, for the cloud of the Lord was up on the tabernacle by day and fire was on it by night and the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journey, God was present, the Bible tell us in Revelation it says in the 3rd chapter and unto the angel of the church of the latticeus, he tells them to write, these things save the amen, let me back up here, with those that thing that pastors are just mortal men, God sent their angels in the house, bless your Lord, going forward, these things save the men, the amen, and faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, I know that works, that thou are neither cold nor hot, I know that many messages have been written and have been preaching and exhorted based upon this passage, but bless your Lord God, the Bible tell us that he is a consuming fire and his ministers are too, Hebrews 12, 28, 29 said, wherefore we received a kingdom, we're receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably, in other words it's up to God to accept who we are and what we're doing, it's not about me doing something that you're going to accept it, it has to light up with the word of God, bless your Lord Jesus, everything hinges upon the word of God and his acceptance, bless your Lord, he's the audience in this house, we're here as participants to give him glory, to exalt him, to lift him up, to magnify the Lord, that's why the Psalm said, oh magnify the Lord with me and let us, let us, it shouldn't be a chore, it shouldn't be a job, it's certainly not a puff on my side, I didn't buy one to puff up a service, but he said let us, which means it's willingly when we know what we're coming, we know we're coming to get a lot of praise, mighty God, serve everything else stays at the door and God is to get our undivided attention, the Bible goes on to say for God is a consuming fire and the angels, he said who makes his angel spirit and his ministers a flame of fire, the Bible let us know that David was in sync with God, this is why God said that he's a man after my own harm, God bragged on David, as long as you remain in sync, he will brag on YouTube, first Kings 15 and five said because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life set that one thing, that one thing, that one thing did not excuse him, David learned from that and he kept the will of God and did all that he needed to do all the days of his life, sometimes there's that one fall that we have that will knock us outside the head that will make us change our lives, that one thing, the Bible tell us that Peter, one thing happened, Peter was denied the Lord, that masters world up, we don't hear about him denying the Lord anymore, bless your Lord, that one thing can change your life, but it don't have to be that, all but listen here, the cold side of God is this, I know he's a mighty consuming fire, but understand this, that when you find yourself in this situation, the Bible tell us that he'll step back, that's pretty cold, you fill in all over the place for him, where you at, you jumping in salary, doing all you can, I'm doing everything I can to get the oxygen, and nothing is happening, it feels like that's why the Psalmist said, "Lord have you forsaken me, where are you at?" cold side, second chronicle, 32, this in his kind also stopped the upper water course of get out and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David, and he prospered in his words, "How be it the business and then ambassador of the prince of the Babylon who sent unto him and acquired the unique wonders?" And the Bible said that God left him, you can read that second chronicle, 30 second chapter on your tongue, God left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart, sometimes when you feel alone, God is letting you see what's in your heart, what are you going to do, how are you going to act, how will you respond, where are you going to go, are you going to text it out, are you going to email it to someone, are you going to put it on Facebook, or what are you going to do with it, where are you at, what's in your heart, when things don't go as expected, when things are quiet, it's cold. The Bible too, listen about this coldness, "For the Lord will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded, therefore have I set my face," that's what you got to do, you got to set your face like a flick, and know that that and not be ashamed, because you've taken a stand on the word of God, even when you're praying and you don't hear nothing, when you're fasting and nothing to go, you have set your face as a flick toward God, oh my God, that's why he told Ezekiel, said, "Set your face as a flick, I'm going to make it hard," and so no one is going to be able to withstand, long as you do that, nothing can withstand you, even though it seems like it. The Lord told Moses, "Set unto the people, fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord," which he shall show you this day, for the Egyptians that you see this day, you've got going to see them anymore, when you're working for the Lord and when you're waiting on him, you have to become cold sometime, when the enemy try to brush up against you, I'm going to be cold that toward that, you get cold towards some things when you're resisting the enemy, you're going to be cold, but you ain't rubbing up against, no, we ain't having that, you ain't packing, no, no, we ain't having that, I'm going to be just as cold toward you, because I'm not living that, you're not living that weak or not living that lifestyle, and so we become cold toward those things that are not of God, then there's a time for us to heat it up, that we got to turn the heat up, I didn't say God was going to turn it up, I said, you got to turn it up, this is why he told me, for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind, all my faculties are straight, I know what I'm going to do, if it's nothing but serve the Lord, I'm going to serve him with gladness, I'm going to serve him with a sound mind, I'm going to hold fast to form a sound word, faith and love which is in Christ, that good thing he said, which was committed unto thee by the Holy Ghost that glows in us, he said rejoice evermore, he said pray without season, sometimes you may not feel like praying, he said pray without season, and everything give thanks, but it hurt, thank you for the pain, it hurt, thank you, because without the pain you wouldn't have known that was a problem, if you didn't feel the hair, if you didn't feel it, you wouldn't know it was there, thank you Lord, this is the will of God concerning each of us, he says quench not the spirit, when you feel God moving you, you ought to move like he moved, he said on the spice prophesy, prove all things whole fast, that which is good, and a stain from the very appearance of good, he said a stain from the very appearance of good, is that what it says, it's a stain from the very appearance of the, so if it looked wrong, you shouldn't be doing it, if it looked wrong, you shouldn't be doing it, it don't look right, I got to stay away from that, I'm not going to sit at a table, and with five other people that got poked up a party, and I have a plain coat, that don't look right, mighty God, someone looking at that picture, how they gonna know that my glass just have cocaine, it looks just like everyone else's, and if you have any respect for yourself, they gonna have respect for you, abstaining from the very appearance of evil, saints, we have to be in sync with God, we have to be in sync with his dance routine, we have to be in sync, if he say slow it down, we slow it down, if he say speed it up, we speed it up, if he say sit down, we sit down, whatever he says, we ought to be in sync with him, can you give God an in sync praise, mighty God, bless you Lord Jesus, thank you Lord, can you give him a praise that Lord your promises unto me, hallelujah, love God you sitting in light, we gonna walk in the light there because the footsteps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord, and he has given us the Lord, bless you Lord God, thank you Jesus, let's stand up on our feet, mighty God, thank you savior, thank you Lord, thank you Jesus, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, this is the word for this house, I don't know what everybody else has received, but I know about what this house has received, thank you Lord, and it came from the throne of grace, mighty God, come on and give God some praise, thank you Lord Jesus, thank you, open your mouth up and tell him thank you, he deserves every breath so that we breathe in, he'll exhale our praise unto him, thank you Lord, thank you for your word, thank you for your guidance, thank you Lord God for your power, thank you for keeping us Lord, thank you for bringing us over and where you're taking us to, thank you for the increase, thank you for multiplying us, thank you for adding seeds and bringing forth Lord, thank you Jesus, thank you Lord, thank you Lord, thank you Lord, thank you Lord, hallelujah, hallelujah, oh glory to your name savior, Lord thank you for each one under the sign of my voice, Lord God and I pray a blessing upon those that are obedient to your word, though they have listened and will embrace your word, Lord God I ask that you would allow them to bring forth Lord, Lord as a green bay tree, Lord God we thank you Lord for your kindness, those that are faithful Lord God, Lord bless them savior, oh those that are committed Lord, the seeking you, early seeking you throughout the day, setting an example Lord God unto others to follow, Lord I thank you Lord, Lord I bless you right now savior, Lord I pray for the minister's Lord God, Lord God that you would bless them Lord the deacon, the youth pastor Lord God to ministry that pastor Lord I pray that after you would, Lord God that you would move Lord God, Lord Jesus you know the need of each individual Lord, the urge to Lord God, hallelujah thank you for your anointing Lord, thank you for your power Lord God, Lord that rest upon each of them Lord, Lord God we thank you Lord, Lord as they minister as they serve your people Lord, oh Lord God we thank you Lord each one that have cried out, they have lifted up their voices, ah hey Lord bless your name savior, mighty God, hallelujah Lord each one that have lifted up their voice, Lord that pressed their way and has waited and sent so patiently, Lord in the service Lord God I pray that you would go before them, let your peace be felt when they entered into their homes when they get in their car Lord God, Lord let your peace be felt upon them Lord, hallelujah go before them Lord, Lord whatever the situation is Lord God that have not been spoken, you know the unspoken request Lord thank you savior, we thank you and give you praise Lord God for the victory, we thank you Lord God as we walk in understanding with clarity, Lord God that you are with us, Lord as we stand upon your word, that we stand as upon solidarity, we stand upon that which is stable, O Lord God we know that whatever come against us, Lord God that you got us, O Lord God we rejoice it in that Lord, hallelujah Lord God you got us thank you Lord, O bless your name savior, O Lord God thank you Lord, thank you Lord Lord we'll continue to give you praise, Lord keep this house covered with your blood, we'll give you the glory and we'll testify of your goodness in Jesus name, amen, amen bless you Lord God thank you Jesus come on, come on thank you Jesus, thank you Lord thank you savior, thank you savior continue to pray for us as we pray for you sir when we thank God for each of you I'm telling you there's a host that have logged in and listened in life to this service you just want to acknowledge the presence of those that have taken time out to be with us at El Shaddai Apostolic Church again we're at at 24 512 highway 10 in Dixamel Alabama and to learn more about us please visit connectingtruth.org that is connectingtruth.org Until then, God bless you.