The God Of Deliverance - Archbishop Duncan-Williams

[Music] [Music] [Applause] You can't clap without saying something. Say something. Turn to somebody and say, "Say something." Say something. Hallelujah. Thank you. Thank you, choir. ELC, everybody, put your hands together. Thank [Music] God. Your clapping, your praise is low energy. Give me high energy. High energy. Hallelujah. With your hands lifted, say, "Heavenly Father, let your word have a free course among us, home and abroad, online, domestic and external. Let your word have a free course like never before. I pray in the name of Jesus. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered." Put your hands together if you believe that and give him praise. Oh, your clapping is still low energy. [Music] Hallelujah. You may be seated in heavenly places all across the nations. It's good to be with you. Glad to be back at home. There is nowhere like home. Amen. Hallelujah. I was meditating and preparing to preach and to teach on the importance of community. Community. It is said that during the time of the pandemic, that loneliness was one of the things that took so many lives than the COVID-19. That so many people died prematurely out of loneliness. And God never intended that man should be alone. Not just about marriage, but we were never made by God to be an island to ourselves. We were fearfully and wonderfully made to be interdependent and connected to one another. You never know the importance of community until you've had everything you think is so important. There are people who think that everything about life is about money and is about power. So they go out of their way and they acquire wealth, they make money, and they take power by force and by all means, thinking that having power and money is all that life has to do with. And after having all power and money, they realize when a time and a moment comes when they are sick, they're in a critical condition, and money and power can't save them. And they realize the importance of man and community and humanity they never had time for. So looking at some of the activities we have this week coming on with our business and professionals community. If you're a businessman or woman, a professional, you haven't registered, it's so very important. They'll put it on the screen, please register. Be part of the community because the community will only be there for you when you've been there for the community. They'll never be there for you if you were never there for them. And that is some of the strongest things you see across the world today. Even in our country, the Lebanese community, the Indian community are very strong people. The Chinese community, all across the nation, you find Chinatown, Chinatown, China town. The Indians, the Arabs, the Jews, they're everywhere. They form a strong community, and that makes them a force to reckon with. Jesus said, "Every country, every house, and every nation divided against itself, a kingdom cannot stand." The earlier you and I realize, ladies and gentlemen, that God is wiser than you and I, the better a people will become. Whatever our reason is for not being part of a community is deception, pride, and arrogance. There will come a day and a time in all of our lives when you have need of community. And if you haven't taken time to invest and commit to community, when you have need of them, which you will one of these days, they'll never be there for you. So please take time, especially in these times when you are good, you're looking, you're sitting pretty, you have some deep pockets, well-connected, favored, the lines are falling for you in pleasant places. These are the days and moments to care about others. These are the days to show commitment to others. So I was just meditating to come to you in this area of the importance of a community. Once in Germany, I went to Munich, and I saw Hitler's head office where it all began. Interesting things. And I saw the King's Palace, 137 guest rooms in the Palace of the King. The then King, 137 guest rooms. And he's standing there. Men have built and died and gone. And I looked at all these guest rooms, fantastic buildings, but they are gone. Nobody lives in them anymore. Stand as monuments. And you know all the things we are building today, you leave it all. And I don't know how you'll be remembered. So please, don't make life here everything. And don't lean on the arm of flesh. Don't believe you are good and you are okay, you are sitting pretty. He said, "Deception. Greater ones have come who had more than you and I and have disappeared from the face of the earth, and their mansions are standing, and people don't even know that they ever lived or existed." So let's live and do right by others. Go [Applause] ahead. As I was meditating, the Holy Spirit impressed on my heart a scripture I preached many, many, many, many years ago. It never came into my mind. And the Lord by the Spirit reminded me of a situation I had many years ago, about 50 years ago. I had an accident, and it was a very bad accident. Many people died. The truck somersaulted into the valley, and I screamed, "Jesus." And a hand, an invisible hand, picked me from my shoulders. It carried me literally from the valley at Batanga and placed me on my feet, and I survived. I never understood it. And the Lord reminded me and he said, "Son, I have sent my angels from the days of your mother's womb when they performed a DNC and took your twin. I preserved you. And at that accident at Batanga, my angel came again and rescued you from that which could have destroyed you. And I will not leave you until you have performed my heavenly calling and mandate to the letter." Say yes. And the Lord began to emphasize something very, very strong to me. A very powerful scripture that we take for granted. 2 Corinthians chapter 1:10. "Who delivered us from so great..." Underline the word "Deliverance." The God you and I serve is a God of Deliverance. He's a God that delivers. Turn to somebody and say, "He delivers. He delivers. He delivers." Yes, he does. Yes, he delivers. And look at, look at the ways by which he delivers. Go ahead. "Deliver us from so great a death." From so great a death. Do you know, ladies and gentlemen, hearing the sound of my voice, that you have been delivered from something? Yes. Sitting here, looking pretty as you are, you've been delivered from something. And if you believe that, put your hands together and give him praise that he's delivered you from something. The only reason why you are still breathing and you are still alive today under the sound of my voice, hearing me, is because you have been delivered from something. He delivered you from something. That's why you are still sitting here pretty. Put your hands together if you believe. I say something. Open your mouth and say something. Say, "Thank you. Thank you, Lord." Go ahead. "Who have delivered us from so great a death, and death..." Deliver. So look at it. Number one, he delivers. He delivered. And he does deliver. In whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. So understand that he delivers. He delivered. Past tense. He does deliver. Present tense. Yet, he shall yet deliver. Future. Are you hearing me? Oh, you didn't hear me. You didn't get it. You know, it took me, it took me hours to get it. I was just sitting there in my hotel in Munich, and the, and the, and the Holy Spirit just kept on emphasizing and impressing this scripture on my heart over and over and over and over and over again. Then suddenly, the light turned on, and I got it. "He shall yet deliver." "He shall yet deliver." "He shall yet deliver." And I started thinking about the unrest across the nations. What happened in 20 days in Rwanda, how a group of irresponsible people just got up and thought that they could just talk, create violence and strife and conflict, and did not know the consequence of their action, and how 1 million people died, and the world stood by in indifference and allowed so many lives to perish. And I started thinking about Liberia, Sierra Leone, and what's going on in Israel, in Gaza, in the Middle East, the bombing going on from Iran to Israel. And started thinking about the violent speeches in Ghana and across the nations, the unrest, the fears. Then suddenly, it came to me. "He shall yet deliver." "He shall yet deliver." Come on. If you believe he shall yet deliver, put your hands together and say something. Somebody, "He shall yet deliver." The world is becoming fearsome. There is a feeling and a sense of perplexity, powerlessness, and hopelessness. There's an anxiety, a fear, and a worry all across the nations of what could possibly happen to the nations of our world. But some trust in chariots, and others trust in horses, but we shall remember the name of the Lord our God. If you believe it, put your hands together. Say something. Say something. Hallelujah. My job and assignment is to remind you, is to remind you, whoever you are, wherever you are, irrespective of the color of your skin, your upbringing, your experience in life. My assignment this morning is to remind you that the God you and I serve delivers. He delivers. And he does not just deliver past tense or present. He yet delivers. He shall yet deliver from any other fear that is ahead of us. It does not matter what the contradiction is. It does not matter what the enemy has said. It does not matter what the projections are. It does not matter what the controversy is. Ladies and gentlemen, I came to announce to somebody. I don't know who I came to speak to, but I came to talk to somebody that he shall deliver you. He shall yet deliver. If you believe he shall yet deliver, put your hands together. Say [Music] [Applause] something. "Who delivered us from such a great death? Who does deliver? In whom we believe that he shall yet deliver." That is my message. You've got to believe that he will yet deliver. He did not lift you up to bring you down. He didn't teach you to swim for you to drown. He didn't bring you that far to leave you alone. He did not make you to unmake you. The God who delivered, does deliver, shall yet deliver from all your fears, your worries, and anxieties. If you believe it, put your hands together. Say something. Say something. Say yes. Say amen. Say, "I believe." Psalm 34:19. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." Underline the word "he delivers." The God you and I serve is a God of Deliverance. He said, "Many, not few." Not few. And he didn't say many are the afflictions of the sinner or the unrighteous. He said, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous." B. Somebody say, "B. B. B. B." Yes, sir. The other day, David said in Psalm 3, he said, "He said, Lord, many, many, many are they. Many are they that have increased that hate me. They are doing pretty well. They are sitting pretty. Deep pockets. Doing very well. They don't like me. They hate me. They trouble me. And yet they are increasing." And sometimes it's like, "God, what's going on? How come you are holding your peace? You see what is going on. You are doing nothing." And they have the audacity to go, to the audacity to go beyond just the fact that they are even doing well and better than us, priding themselves in whatever they have that they are better than us, to go to the extent by daring to say that there is no hope for us, that even God cannot help us. Do you know there's a time comes when people so believe themselves, they so believe power, they so believe wealth and money and connection that they made it, they are untouchable. You are joking. Time changes. It's just a matter of time. I have seen untouchable people in my life. I've seen people who were untouchable, very powerful people in this nation, across the nations of the world, and I saw them over the years losing power and losing their defenses. And I looked and I said, "Is that the man? Is that the woman that was untouchable?" What has become of them? And I saw them when they laid in state, and when they could not speak a word, and they died. And I said, "Is that the same person who was so powerful and untouchable and had no humanity and regard for God and for humanity?" And I learned and took a lesson from there that as you live, be humble. Don't lose your humanity. No matter how wealthy you become, no matter how powerful you become, don't lose your humanity. It is something I learned when I was at Dubai. I was in Dubai a few weeks ago, breaking my fast with some of the sheikhs of the ruling family, and I saw wealth and money, but I saw humanity. I saw how people can have wealth and have money and still be human beings and still be humble and still have no arrogance about them. And realizing that we are all human, that you can have power, money, wealth, but what matters is humanity. That is powerful. "Many are the afflictions." And David said, he said, "For they have said, apart from the fact that they have things I don't have, they have connections I don't have, they have influence I don't have, they have liquid, everything is going for them, and I'm struggling to even have meat. They are still not satisfied with the fact that they are better than I in their own eyes. Yet they have concluded that even God in whom I trust cannot help me." They believe that they have all the power to determine the outcome of my circumstances. They believe that whatever they say happens because they've seen so much going for them that they can determine my circumstances and the outcome of my situation. And David said, "It is not yet over." He said, "But..." Whenever you read the scripture and you see "but," it means it's not yet over. It's not yet over. It means don't make any conclusion yet. It means you don't have the last word. It means you don't determine the outcome. Somebody above you determines the outcome. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous." B. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous." B. For many have said, "There is no hope for me in God." They have determined, predicted, projected what shall become of my future. B. B. Somebody talk to me. Somebody say, "Bat. Bat. B." Ah, somebody say, "Bat. B. B." Clap your hands and say, "B. B. B. B. B." He said, "B." What does the "B" mean? It means hold your peace. You don't have the finances yet. It means you don't determine the outcome of my circumstances. It means it's just a matter of time. It means time changes. It means hold your peace. That's it. And he said, "Bad, bad." Look at verse three. He said, "But down, but down, but down." Psalm three. He said, "But down, but down, back down. Oh Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my head." Are you hearing me, somebody? My head may be down today, but don't think that is the end of it. You are joking. You are joking because you didn't choose me. You didn't anoint me. You didn't call me. You were not there when God chose me. You were not there when I was called. You were not there when I was anointed. Are you here? You don't know the kind of stuff I'm made of. Are you hearing me, somebody? Put your hands together. Say something. Somebody say something. "Who delivered us from such a great death? Who does deliver? Who shall yet deliver?" Threefold deliverance. He delivered. He does deliver. He shall yet deliver. One of the reasons why we panic whenever we face new challenges, and it happens to all of us. I have forgotten his deliverances in the past. So many times before. And I believe that there was a reason why he was reminding me of this. Because there comes a time where you sense all these threatenings. You feel like people are conspiring, and they are imagining evil, and you can sense negative vibes or energy. You sense this evil energy all around. You can feel it. If you're a spiritual person, you can tell. You can sense that people are imagining evil of you all over the place. And the Lord, just by the Holy Spirit, has shown me and said, "My son, my son, my son, have I not delivered you in the past? Have I not shown you my grace and mercy? What else do you want to know? Have you not seen the rising and the falling of so many great and mighty?" So many great and mighty. There's somebody here who mentioned the name years ago. I was going through some serious crisis, serious crisis. And I'll go to a house. She was then up there, and I'll talk to her about my situation. And she had a way of talking to me and comforting me that these things, and it was scary, very, very scary in those days, very, very scary when you just couldn't talk like today. And I thank God she's still here. And she knew a lot about the challenges I had in those days. She was so helpful, so comforting. And I thank God she's still standing. She's still here. Many have come and gone. People that were more powerful than her have risen and disappeared from the face of the earth, and she's still here, cool and quiet, still here because she learned to trust in God. And I can never forget her. I never forget this lady. Never forget her because she was always there. And when I was down and discouraged, I would go and sit down with her, and we'd talk, and she was always comforting, understanding that "time changes, young man. Time changes." And I've seen the mighty whose names were fierce in those days. You couldn't even mention their name. You were afraid and scared. You'd be picked up. People went to poison and to lie on others for favor. And I thank God that she's still around. Come with me to Daniel 3:17. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning..." Look at the word again. "Deliverance" again. He's able to deliver. That is the God you and I serve. He, he can rescue. He can snatch. He can pull you out. Are you hearing me, somebody? I don't know who I came to talk to, and I don't know who is in a situation and dealing with the situation. But I came to announce by the word of the Lord that God shall yet deliver you from the situation. Because, you know, sometimes it's like, "God, how long? How long? You've delivered me. You still deliver. But how long does it take? How long will it take? How come I keep on finding myself in this or battles or unfavorable conditions?" I was telling them when we came to pray that when I lived in America, I remember two years of my life I was in deep pain and agony when I was betrayed by a young man, very, very gifted. Bishop James introduced to me, very gifted young man. And I learned a lesson that gift is not enough. That anyone gifted, anointed, without supervision and without accountability, is a dangerous person, and it's an offspring of Lucifer. And for two years, I lost some great contacts I had in America that I introduced him to. I was on the mind everywhere that friends and loved ones I introduced him to would not return my calls, wouldn't deal with me. Apparently, he had poisoned them. And I said, "But what exactly is it? What is it that I've done that he can poison these powerful people who are friends, who have known me for many years?" And for whatever reason, they believed him because he was so gifted that his gift had a way of overriding their ability to know their friend. And for two years, all I did was to pray in tongues and to sing just one song that kept coming to me. [Music] I to [Laughter] [Music] Now, now, on now. Oh, for two years, for two years, all I did was to pray in tongues, and every time I prayed in tongues, a big song came forth for two years. And at the end, he died. I didn't touch him. I didn't do anything. He died with his gift, a very terrible death. The people who hijacked him were interested in his gift. They were not interested in his future. I was interested in his future. I was interested to give him an inheritance because that is the rules of fathers. Those who hijacked him were just interested in using the gift for their benefit, but they were not interested in his future. Go ahead. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of that, and he will deliver us." He's able to deliver, and he will deliver. It, you see, you need to get to a point in your walk with God that irrespective of where you are and what you go through. I learned not to react anymore. I used to react to a lot of things, but I have learned not to react anymore. I listen. I stop reacting because I know in whom I have believed. Amen. I know in whom I have believed, and I am persuaded, I am persuaded that he's able to keep that which I have committed into his hands against that day. So I don't react anymore. When I see people reacting and making noise and shouting and screaming, I look at them and I feel very sad for them. I feel sad. I feel sad for them because I've seen a lot. Hear me, if you study history, if you study history, you'll be humble. That's true. I'm telling you, if you study history, you'll be very, very humble. People who are arrogant and very prideful in life don't know anything about history. But if you study history, as I walk and I looked at the head office of Adolf Hitler and studied how he came in there to Munich and how he began his mission to slaughter all the Jews, and how powerful he was, and now he's no more. As I look at the Sadams, the Gaddafis, the empires of Rome, and I look at the Egyptian kings, the civilization of Egypt, yes sir. And I look at the Babylonian Empire, the Grecian Empire. And I was in London a few days ago, and if you look at "Britannia ruled the waves," the power of Great Britain, and how nations dominated other nations, yes, how France invaded other nations, how America had to step into the war, how Russia and China had to step in in wars that were unnecessary because people were so powerful that they wanted to show their military strength and power. And how at the end, everything came to a halt, and men became ordinary men, and they realized that power and military might is not enough. It humbles you. You begin to think. You begin to walk very humbly. You begin to walk, and you don't lose your humanity. And you realize that you have an opportunity in life to do good or evil, and what you do will determine how you are remembered. I don't know about you, but when it's all said and done, I want history to treat me fairly. I don't want history to treat me unfairly. And no matter what you do in life, whether you like it or not, history will judge you, wrong or right. So do right by others. Put your hands together and give him praise. If you look at the war in Vietnam, in Vietnam, there, it was so unnecessary. But France went into Vietnam to show their military strength, then China came in, then America was brought into Vietnam. And if you look at the unrest that took place, and how President Kennedy was assassinated, and how another president had to come in, and the forces of the United States going in there to be meddled and killed. They all, those things were unnecessary. Please take your time and study history. It will make you very humble, and you'll be very, you'll be very careful when you are making pronouncements because history will judge you, and it will judge your children, and it will judge your legacy, and it will judge your descendants, good or evil. Whether you like it or not, it is written, and you can't change what is written. What is written is written. Put your hands together and give him praise. Daniel 3:28. "Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted..." Underline the word again. "Deliverance" again. The God you and I serve is a God of Deliverance. He does deliver. Go ahead. "...who hath sent his angel, and delivered a servant that trusted in him." Okay, underline another word. "Trusted in him." So it's not just about being delivered, but you've got to trust him. No matter what. There are things I'm still trusting God for. I have not stopped trusting. There are things I'm still trusting him for up to now, and I know that deliverance will come. I know, I know that my deliverance will come. You see, the other day, Job said something. He said, "For all the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change comes." Job 14:14. There comes a time when you have to trust him no matter what. He said, "Though, though, though he slays me, yet will I trust him." Can you trust him no matter what the situation is? Can you trust him irrespective? Can you trust him against all odds? If you will, put your hands together. Say [Applause] something. You don't only trust him when he delivers you, but you trust him even in the midst, even in the midst of the crisis, even when everything is against you, even when all hell, when everything is against you, you must learn to still lean on the everlasting arms and say, "I don't understand what you are doing. I don't understand what's going on. I don't get it. I can't make sense of it, but I trust you. I trust you." Oh, oh Lord God Almighty. Oh God Almighty, my shield, my stronghold, the glory, the lifter up of my head. I trust you irrespective. Put your hands together if you trust him irrespective. Say something. Listen to what the king said. He said, "The God whom you trust, God whom you trusted has sent his angel and delivered his servants and and has changed changed the king's word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any God except their own God." Hear me. Sometimes kings and very powerful people can say things and declare things and believe because a king has power that what they say must happen because they have the power. But they forget that they are limited. And what changes them is when you stand your ground against all contradiction and believe in a God that is a king of kings, and he's a Lord of lords, and he's God of gods, and he's not mighty, he's not just mighty, but he's almighty. Are you hearing me? And a time came that the words of a king were changed. Today, I declare that this coming week, let decrees be changed on your behalf. Let laws be changed in the name of Jesus. Let legislations and decrees be changed in your favor. If you believe God, put your hands and say, "Change. Change. Change. Change in my favor. Change, Lord." Yes, sir. There comes a time when the words of kings are changed. There comes a time when the decrees of mighty ones are changed because we serve the Almighty. Come on, go ahead and put your hands together and give him praise. Hallelujah. Go ahead. Let's look at chapter 6:20-22. "And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel. And the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God whom thou servest continually able to deliver thee from the lions?" You see, you see, there are some few things here you must learn. Number one, the first one. He said, "The God whom you trust, whom you trust irrespective of whatever situation you've been in, you haven't lost your trust in him. You still maintain faith in him. Has he been able to deliver you?" Then in this one, he said, "The God whom you serve continuously, continuously." It means irrespective, against all odds and contradiction, no matter what you feel, that you haven't given up on him, that you haven't stopped trusting, you haven't stopped serving. "Though he slays me, yet will I serve him." And the king said, "Daniel, I've been observing. I've been watching you. In the midst of it all, you have not stopped serving your God continuously. Has he been able to deliver you?" And Daniel said, "King, don't worry about it. Don't even go there. He sent his angels to shut the mouth of the lion." Today, I pray for you that the Lord will shut the mouth of your enemies this week. That any mouth out there, from the political to the economic and financial and social and religious sin, that the Lord will shut their mouth. If you believe it, put your hands together. Say something. Continuously serve him irrespective. Tell somebody, "Serve him irrespective. Serve him against all odds." Yes, sir. No matter what, keep serving him. Keep serving him because he will come through for you. If you believe it, put your hands together and give him [Applause] praise. Genesis 37:20-21. "Come now therefore, let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say some evil beast hath devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams." And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, "Let us not kill him." Listen, no matter what the plan of the enemy is to take you out, there God has positioned somebody to deliver you. I'm telling you, there is somebody you have no idea of, positioned for your deliverance. God will raise an intercessor for you. God will raise a Reuben somewhere that will lift up a cry for your deliverance. If you believe it, put your hands together. Say yes. Say yes. Say [Applause] yes. They saw Joseph coming, and they were very worried and troubled about his dreams. And in life, there will always be someone in the family who is the angel. There will always be a Joseph. There will always be one that carries a dream for the benefit of others, and will always be the target of the jealousy, the hatred, and the envy of others. And they saw him coming and said, "Let's slay him and see what shall become of his dream." And not of him, but a dream. Tell somebody, "Your problem is your dream. Your dream. Your dream. Your dream is bigger than you. Your dream is that impossible thing. Your dream is that thing that drives you and keeps you alive and awake when everybody is sleeping. Your dream is what distinguishes you from others. Your dream is what causes you to be a kingmaker, a game-changer, a case-breaker. Your dream gives you that drive that others don't have. Your dream. Your dream makes you outstanding. Your dreams make you better than others." And they said, "Let's slay him and see what shall become of his dream." And and somebody, his elder brother rose up, interceded. I pray that God will raise up a destiny helper for you. That God will raise up a Reuben somewhere where you cannot speak, where your voice cannot be heard, that the voice of one that is heard shall be raised and lifted up for you. Put your hands together. Say yes. Somebody. And Reuben said, "No, no, no, no, no. He's our brother. Let us not kill him." They cast him into the pit. First deliverance. He was delivered from premature death, an attempt of assassination before time. There are two ways to live here. You either die or you are killed. And say, "I will not be killed. I will not be killed." Say, "The day I depart, I depart it will be on my terms, according to that which was determined in eternity before time began." Say, "I will not be killed, but I shall depart in peace when that moment comes." Hallelujah. Put your hands together and give him praise. Your your clap offering is very suspicious this morning. Amen. So Joseph was delivered from premature death. He was delivered from being assassinated by his own. Not by enemies. Sometimes a man's enemies are those of your own house. Sometimes the attack is not far from you. Sometimes he's so close for comfort. Sometimes you are surrendered. But I pray today and I command your deliverance, deliverance from within and deliverance from without, domestic and external deliverance. I pray that you'll be delivered from within and without in the name of the Lord Jesus. Say yes. Put your hands together. Say something. Say something. That was the first point of deliverance. He was cast into a pit that had no water. And the plan was to leave him in the pit to die. Then another deliverance came. Reuben said, "Behold, this team of Israelites. Let's sell him into slavery." That was a second deliverance. I'm telling you, God has set in place the process of your deliverance. It's already in place. He knew your situation before you were born. He knew you would be in the situation you find yourself in right now. And I tell you, there is no temptation that has overtaken you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who with every temptation will make a way of escape. I declare that you will find a way of escape this week. Your children will find a way of escape. There is a way out. I command a way out. Say, "In the name of Jesus, a way out. A way out." Put your hands together. Open your mouth. Say something. A way out. A way out. A way out. I see you coming out of their traps. You will not be a victim. You will not be a casualty. You are a survivor. You are a victor. You are more than a conqueror. You are coming out of that situation. If you believe it, give me some high energy clap offering and praise. Hallelujah. Say yes. So he found himself in the house of Potiphar, a Pharoah's General in the land of Egypt. Then the wife set her eyes on him and said, "Young man, I like the way you smell. You're good. I need some fresh blood and energy. My husband is old. I'm tired of old blood. I need some freshness. I want to feel alive again. So come in here." And Joseph said, "No, no, no, no, no, no. My blood is not for your kind." And tithe. Come on, somebody. And Joseph said, "I know that my Redeemer liveth. I know where promotion and help comes from. It doesn't come by compromising one's purity, holiness, and sanctification. It does not come by compromise. Because whatever you compromise, you will eventually lose it. Whatever you gain in life through compromise, you will eventually lose it." I'm telling you, that's why it's always good to wait. To wait. But it hurts to wait. It's painful to wait. But wait. Wait because when your moment comes, you laugh the best. Go ahead and give him praise. Say something. Joseph said, Joseph said to his master's wife, he said, "Woman, I know you are powerful. I know you can get him to do anything. But this one, this one, you can't help me. This one, it has to be God, and God alone. God and God alone." And he was cast into prison. He was there for many years, forgotten by everybody. Did not exist. There comes a time when you are forgotten and you don't exist anymore, and no one remembers you. But during that time, God is working for you in the shadows and behind the scenes. Are you hearing me? Whenever, whenever you feel like nobody, nobody knows you anymore, you are disregarded, disregarded, dishonored, rejected, forsaken, looked down upon, and even people you raised are promoted and elevated, and it looks like you are finished. Don't believe that. In those moments of loneliness, being all alone, and being disregarded, and where nobody remembers you, those are the moments that God is working. He's working on your behalf. He's working in the shadows. He's working behind the scenes. He's preparing you for a greater comeback. And your comeback will be greater than your setback. Somebody put your hands together. Say [Applause] something. Joseph was forgotten, kept in prison, disregarded, nobody remembered him. He was finished. "The stone that the builders rejected." Where is Joseph? Oh, he's in prison. He's done. He's finished. Have you not heard? Have you not been told? Didn't you read the headlines? Breaking news: He attempted to rape the five-star general's wife. Yeah. There comes a time when you can be character assassinated. There comes a time when you can be stigmatized, and you become a pariah in town, where you are judged by the court of public opinion, and men write you off and give up on you and say you are finished. But may I submit to you that you are not finished until God says so? Say yes. Put your hands together and say [Applause] something. It's just a matter of time. Turn to somebody, give them a high five and say, "It's just a matter of time." Yes, sir. Yes, sir. It's just a matter of time. And Joseph was in prison and he was forgotten, written off. And one day, one day, ladies and gentlemen, there is always a day. There is always a day. There is always a day. There is always a day. And if you wait, your day will come. And there came a day when the king of Egypt had a dream. He had a dream, and his wise men could not help him. God created the need and created a condition where Joseph was needed. You know, there's an extent to which you'll be rejected, but a day will come when there will be a need of you, when there will be a need of your skill and your gifting, where you'll be needed. And on that day, it will be on your terms. Come on, somebody. Put your hands together. Say something. Say something. Say something. Say yes. And Joseph wasn't in prison. No hope. Came from nowhere to somewhere. From nothing to something. From nobody to somebody. From a prisoner to a prime minister. Come on, somebody. Your future is in the making. Your future is in the making. Put your hands together and tell somebody, "My future. My future is in the making." Hear me. Hear me. You may not look like anything right now. Yes, sir. I've seen people. I've walked with people, and I've seen people who look like they were going nowhere, and they were nothing. And suddenly, somebody say, "Suddenly." Suddenly, suddenly, suddenly, suddenly the tides turn in their favor. Suddenly. And I stood in awe and I feared God and I said, "Okay, Lord, I get the message. I will never disrespect. I will never dishonor anybody because you can never tell where anybody is going from here and what anyone will become tomorrow." God can turn the tables. I'm telling you, he can turn the tables. He can change circumstances. Somebody put your hands together. Say yes. Say yes. You know, the Bible said the other day, "Eyes have not seen." Eyes have not seen. Turn to somebody and say, "You don't know who you are sitting next to. You don't know who you are sitting next to." Yes, that person may look so simple and ordinary, but you don't know what the person is carrying. You don't know who that person will become tomorrow. A year from today, two years from today. Please, please don't dishonor. Please don't disregard anybody because you don't know. You know, Nelson Mandela, Nelson Mandela, one day he got up and he told his security, he said, "Take me to a restaurant." And the security said, "Mr. President, we have to do a security check before we take you to any restaurant in town." And he said, "You know something? I'm tired of all these security checks. Just get me to a restaurant. Let's eat." So they went to this restaurant. They sat down. While he ordered his food, he saw this gentleman sitting opposite him and told the security, "Please ask that gentleman to join me for lunch." And the security said, "No, Mr. President, you can't do that. We haven't checked him out. We don't know who he is." And he said, "You, you know something? Forget about all your security. Let the guy come." So the guy came and joined Mr. President Nelson Mandela. He was very nervous throughout the time they were eating. Very, very nervous. After the meals, President Mandela said goodbye to him. And once they were leaving, President Mandela said to his security, "Why do you think the man was very nervous?" You know what they said? They said, "Of course, he has to be nervous. You are the most powerful person in the whole of South Africa. You have power. You can do anything." And he said, "No, that wasn't the reason." President Mandela said, "You see this gentleman? He said, when I was in prison, any time I was beaten and I cried for water, he was one of those who would stand on a chair and pee on my head and ask me to drink my own pee." He never knew that the man he was peeing upon his head one day will become president of South Africa. And he was nervous, afraid, he was shaken because the table had turned. Power had changed hands. Money had changed hands. Oh, somebody, somebody put your hands together and say, "The table turns. The table turns. Power changes hands. Money and influence change hands." Somebody say, "Oh Lord, let the table turn. Let power change hands. Let money change hands. Let influence change hands. But show mercy, oh Lord, to those who stay humble and treat others right, no matter what they have." The security people were shocked to hear what President Mandela said. They were shocked. They could not believe it. He said, "Yes, he used to pee on my head." One time, he invited a very wealthy businessman to his house for lunch. When the businessman came, he asked him, "Did you come alone or you came with somebody?" "So I came alone." So when it was ready for lunch, President Mandela went out and he saw the driver of the businessman and invited him to join them for lunch. To this businessman, he came alone. To President Mandela, he came with somebody. For those of you who come to church and you leave your driver and your security at the car park because you are the only person who deserves the blessing of the Lord, they don't deserve it. They must wait in the car. And after you have received the blessing, you sit in the car and they drive you home because you're the man, you're the lady, you're the woman, you're the boss. It's just a matter of time. Time changes. Put your hands together and give him praise. You've got to learn. You've got to learn to forgive. You've got to learn to let the past go. I have learned not to be bitter. I have a lot of regrets in life, but one thing I don't have is bitterness. I am not bitter about anything. I have learned to keep my heart pure. For blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. I don't regret about anything. I have many memories in life, but I have learned to keep my heart pure. I don't hold grudges. President Mandela, one day said at his point of leaving prison, he said, "As I stand by the door to my freedom, I realize that if I don't let go my bitterness, my unforgiveness, and all that hurt has done to me, I will walk through this door to freedom, and I will still be in prison." I hope you are not in prison. I hope your past has not imprisoned you. I hope you are not living your life by the dictates of your past. I hope you've gone past your past. Stand on your [Applause] feet. It's good to be with you and thank you for tuning in today. I want to talk to you about one of the five series of some of my books that have been released. Uh, the Bible said, "You ask because you know not." The scriptures. There is something about having understanding through the study of the books. This book, "Beyond the Valley," that deals with mastering of faith, the mastering of the test of love, and the test of character, and the test of faith, I believe would impact your life. So many people struggle at the place of the valley, at the valley, at the valley. But the valley is not a place to be. Whenever you find your place at the valley, realize that the next place after the valley is your journey to the top of the mountain. There is no way you can climb a hill or a mountain in life without going through the valley. So when you find yourself right at the place of a valley, it's an indication that you are about to begin your journey of climbing the mountain or the hill. And so never be afraid when you find yourself in the valley. Every now and then, before you climb a mountain, you will go through a valley. And the valley is part of the process that we all have to go through before we get to the top of the mountain. And so if you are in a valley in your life right now, don't be afraid, don't be despaired. For the prophet said the other day, he said, "My enemy, rejoice not over me, for when I fall, I will rise again." Most times when you are down in the valley, it's like that is the end of it, but it's not. That is just the beginning. You will rise again, and you'll begin your journey from where you are and climb. So get this book, "Beyond the Valley," the test of faith, love, and of character, to impact your life. It will give you keys to longevity. God bless you. [Music]