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Welcome to the Rimstown Church 
of God podcast. 

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Wherever you're listening from, 
we hope you are blessed by 

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today's message. 
I'm going to first Samuel 23 and

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I let me give you the backdrop. 
David, it's a story about David.

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And David, as you know, was 
anointed by Samuel to be the 

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next king because Saul had 
failed God and Saul had rebelled

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against God and God had set him 
aside and it chosen David. 

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But David did not become king 
immediately. 

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In fact, it was years before 
David would actually be crowned 

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king over the nation of Israel. 
There were many fights and 

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battles and struggles and 
difficulties that went on for 

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about 10 years before the 
reality came to pass that he 

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actually became the king. 
And this is one of those stories

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that came out of that. 
David is on the run. 

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He did this many times because 
Saul had threatened his life and

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wanted him dead. 
And so David is on the run. 

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So we read in First Samuel 2314.
And David stayed in the 

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strongholds in the wilderness, 
and remained in the mountains in

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the wilderness of Ziff. 
Saul sought him every day, but 

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God did not deliver him into his
hand. 

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So David saw that Saul had come 
out to seek his life, and David 

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was in the wilderness of Ziff in
a forest. 

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Then Jonathan, Saul's son, arose
and went to David in the woods 

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and strengthened his hand in 
God. 

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And he said to him, Do not fear 
for the hand of Saul. 

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My father shall not find you. 
You shall be king over Israel, 

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and I shall be next to you. 
Even my father Saul knows that. 

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So the two of them made a 
covenant before the Lord, and 

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David stayed in the woods and 
Jonathan went to his own house. 

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May God add a blessing to the 
reading and hearing of his 

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words. 
You may be seated. 

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I want to speak to you today on 
this thought embracing the 

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Jonathan ministry. 
This is a story, as I mentioned,

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about David on the run, Saul. 
The Bible says, we just read it,

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that Saul was after him every 
day. 

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He wanted him dead every day 
that Saul lived. 

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His desire above all other 
desires was to kill David. 

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But there was a son of Saul. 
In fact, he was the oldest son 

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of Saul, and his name was 
Jonathan. 

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And Jonathan, because he was the
first born of King Saul, was the

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heir apparent to the throne. 
We might call him the Crown 

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Prince. 
We don't know a lot about 

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Jonathan in in scriptures as far
as his growing up, but we don't 

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know that he's older than David 
is and probably considerably 

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older. 
But he recognizes that God has 

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raised up David to be the king. 
It's no threat to Jonathan 

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because he has a humble spirit, 
a humble heart. 

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You talk about humility. 
David is going to take the 

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throne that by succession belong
to Jonathan. 

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But Jonathan had a heart for God
and he had a heart for David, 

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and he went out to be a blessing
and an encouragement to David, 

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who had been anointed to be king
but wasn't king. 

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And it was a tremendous 
friendship in bond. 

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And I would like to say that I 
really believe that Jonathan was

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a mentor actually to David 
because he was apparently 

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considerably older, if you 
follow biblical history. 

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But the Bible tells us that 
David is out in the wilderness. 

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He's out somewhere in the 
wilderness. 

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It names the wilderness of Ziff.
It talks about different places 

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that he happened to be. 
And let's read what it says in 

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verse 14 and 15. 
And David stayed in strongholds 

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in the wilderness and remained 
in the mountains in the 

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wilderness of Ziff. 
Saul sought him every day. 

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I want you to think about that. 
You come in and enter me that 

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wants you dead, and he is after 
you every day. 

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But God did not deliver him into
his hand. 

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And David saw that Saul had come
out to seek his life. 

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And David was in the wilderness 
of Ziff in a force. 

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David who's been anointed to be 
King, David, who's called of 

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God, David who's already killed 
the giant Goliath, finds himself

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in a wilderness experience in a 
place of what would seem utter 

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hopelessness. 
How many of you know that even 

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God's chosen, God's children, go
through wilderness experiences. 

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They go through trials and 
difficulties. 

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There are plenty of examples in 
the Bible. 

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In fact, when you think about 
the whole nation of Israel, when

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they came out of Egypt, what did
they go through? 

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They went through a wilderness. 
In fact, when they got near the 

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promised Land, Moses spoke to 
them in Deuteronomy chapter 8, 

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verse 15, and he said, God LED 
you through that great and 

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terrible wilderness in which 
were fiery serpents and 

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scorpions and a thirsty land 
where there was no water. 

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Who brought you water out of the
flinty rock? 

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Who fed you in the wilderness 
with manner which your father's 

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did not know? 
They do my humble you, and then 

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He might test you to do you good
in the end. 

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So even God's people, we know 
that. 

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We know that Moses himself was 
in a wilderness experience when 

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God called him. 
We know that the children of 

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Israel went through the 
wilderness, and now we've got 

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David and he is hiding in the 
wilderness, going through an 

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experience of darkness. 
How many know that? 

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Even Jesus went into the 
wilderness. 

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The Bible says that when he was 
first anointed, when Jesus had 

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been baptized by John, listen to
what it says in Matthew 4 and 

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one. 
Then Jesus was led up by the 

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Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil. 

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So even the Son of God had a 
wilderness experience, and you 

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might be in that kind of 
experience that that doesn't 

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mean necessarily. 
In fact, most times it doesn't 

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mean that you're doing anything 
wrong. 

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It is an experience that you are
walking through. 

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But I want you to know, if 
you're a child of God and you're

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in a wilderness today, God knows
exactly where you are. 

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He's not lost sight of you, and 
He knows how to bring confidence

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to you and He also knows how to 
bring encouragement to you. 

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The fact that you're going 
through a wilderness doesn't 

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mean that God has abandoned you.
Listen to what it says again in 

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verse 14. 
And David stayed in the 

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wilderness stronghold. 
He stayed there in the 

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strongholds in the wilderness, 
and remained in the mountains, 

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in the wilderness of Ziff. 
Saul sought him every day, but 

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God, God did not deliver him 
into his hand. 

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David was strengthened first by 
God. 

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God was there in the wilderness,
and even though Saul was after 

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him, God was protecting him. 
God was strengthening him. 

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God was helping him and no 
matter what demons and devils 

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and all of hell that comes 
against you, you have a God in 

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heaven. 
If you are a child of God, you 

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have a God in heaven that will 
strengthen you and will bless 

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you. 
How many know that when you 

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serve God, the enemy will come 
after you? 

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The Bible tells us in first 
Peter to be sober and be 

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vigilant because our adversary, 
the devil, is as a roaring lion 

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walking about, seeking whom he 
may devour. 

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So every child of God needs to 
know that the enemy will come 

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after you. 
Saul, the Bible says, sought 

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David every day. 
Every day when Saul got out of 

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the bed, this is the day I want 
to find him and kill him. 

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But I want to tell you that God 
protected him and God was with 

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him and would not allow Saul to 
carry out his motive. 

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How many of you realize today, 
maybe there's some of you in 

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this church, You feel like 
David. 

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You feel like the enemy is. 
He's relentless. 

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He's going after me every day of
my life. 

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I can't catch a break. 
And don't raise your hand. 

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But there's probably a number of
you in here who feel like that. 

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You feel like I'm in a 
wilderness. 

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The enemy is after me. 
I don't get a break. 

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I'm just always attacked on the 
left or on the right. 

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The enemy's after I got good 
news for you today. 

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Even though the devil may be 
relentless and Saul might have 

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been relentless, God is greater.
God is greater than your enemy. 

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God is greater than your 
adversary. 

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God is greater than the devil 
that wants to take you down. 

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God is greater and he knows how 
to get you through. 

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God's protection might be quiet,
you may not always hear what you

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want to hear, but God's 
protection is constant. 

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But listen, here's what I want 
you to see today. 

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God not only strengthens us 
himself, but he often uses 

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others to strengthen us. 
It says in verse 16, Then 

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Jonathan saw son arose and went 
to David in the woods and 

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strengthened his hand in God. 
And he said to him, to David, do

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not fear for the hand of Saul, 
my father shall not find you, 

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You shall be king over Israel 
and I shall be next to you. 

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And even my father Saul knows 
that. 

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What does the Bible say? 
The Bible says that Jonathan, 

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the son of Saul arose and found 
David in the woods and 

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strengthened his hands in God. 
The New International Version 

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says there that he found him and
went to Horace and helped him 

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find strength in God. 
So Jonathan had a mission. 

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He knew David was in the 
wilderness. 

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He knew David was battling. 
He knew David was discouraged. 

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He know David was battle weary. 
And he said I've got to do 

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something to encourage this man.
I've got to do something to 

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strengthen him. 
I'm going to find him and I'm 

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going to tell him the devil's 
not going to have his way. 

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Saul isn't going to have his 
way, God. 

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God is going to have his way. 
I won't encourage him. 

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And I want to tell you that when
Jonathan came to David, he 

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didn't come to him and say, you 
poor soul, I just came to mourn 

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with you. 
I just came to weep with you. 

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How hard life is. 
No, he came to encourage him. 

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He came to point him back to 
God's promises. 

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He came to put faith in him. 
He came to remind him that God 

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had called him. 
He came to say, David, look 

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here, you might be a little bit 
afraid today and fearful, but I 

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want you to remember that it was
God that called you from the 

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your father's sheepfold. 
It was God that sent you on the 

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battlefield against Goliath the 
giant and gave review the 

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victory. 
Be encouraged today. 

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God is still with you. 
Sometimes we need to be reminded

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of past victories. 
We need to be reminded of what 

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God did for us at the altar. 
We need to be reminded of when 

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He filled us with the Spirit, 
when He saved us, when He healed

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us, when He delivered us. 
Remind us of the greatness of 

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God and the power of God 
encouraged by Jonathan. 

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That's why I said pursuing or 
embracing the ministry of this 

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man, Jonathan. 
It is a it is a ministry of 

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encouragement. 
Point people to God, point 

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people, remind them of God's 
calling. 

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Listen to Paul the apostle said 
in First Thessalonians 511. 

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Therefore encourage one another 
and build each other up. 

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Now he said to that church 
that's in Thessalonica, you're 

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doing that. 
I said, I want to remind you 

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that you need to encourage one 
another, speak encouragement to 

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one another, say positive and 
powerful things that come from 

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God's Word. 
This is not mind over matter. 

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This is the Spirit of God over 
matter. 

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It's the word of God over 
circumstances. 

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Speak to one another, encourage 
one another. 

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Have the ministry of Jonathan 
who goes into the wilderness for

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one purpose to strengthen the 
man of God who is weak at that 

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moment, discouraged and 
despondent, but he's going to go

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with the message of hope and say
that something better in store 

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for you. 
That's why the writer of Hebrews

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and we read it so much, but he 
says in the New International 

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Version in 24 of Hebrews 10. 
Let us consider how we may spur 

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one another on toward love and 
good deeds, not giving up 

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meeting together as some are in 
the habit of doing. 

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But but here we go, encouraging,
encouraging one another. 

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And all the more as you see the 
day approaching when you come in

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this House today or any Sunday, 
That's my hope. 

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I want to hope that somehow I 
can encourage you that somehow I

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can say something, minister 
something. 

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Now, encouragement doesn't mean 
there's no correction. 

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In fact, I would tell you the 
opposite is true. 

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But even in, in the correction, 
even when we have to deal with 

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subjects that sometimes hit the 
core of who we are, yet there is

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the encouragement of the law. 
Let me put it this way. 

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If there's a school teacher in 
here that's got little, little, 

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little kids that trying to teach
math to them and that understand

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it. 
And, and, and let's just say, 

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for example, they say to the 
student, how much is 5 + 5? 

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And, and that student thinks a 
minute and says, it's 9. 

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I got it. 
It's 9. 

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00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,760
If that teacher would look at 
that child and, and say to that 

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00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:09,440
child, oh, that's great, you got
it. 

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That's what you think it is. 
So that must be what it is. 

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That's your truth wouldn't be 
helping that child, but that 

231
00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:21,040
same teacher could encourage 
little Johnny or whoever it is 

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00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,520
and could say to little Johnny 
you're close. 

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00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:28,120
Can I encourage you maybe get 
out 10 coins and and put them on

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00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,320
the table or on the desk and say
count them off now, in other 

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00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,760
words, you want to help him get 
it right, but fact that he 

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00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,680
didn't get it right. 
It's no reason to throw him out,

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00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:40,360
but it is a reason to say you 
you're close, but you got a 

238
00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:43,320
little ways to go. 
So folks, sometimes we preach 

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00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,400
and and some sometimes it's like
we got a little ways to go. 

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00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:50,200
And I know that because I'd have
the same issue myself, but I 

241
00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,600
don't want you leaving 
discouraged and despondent. 

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00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,960
I want you to believe that God 
has victory for your life, that 

243
00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,080
God has something better than 
the enemy ever had planned for 

244
00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,000
you. 
Amen. 

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00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:09,680
Now, I, my mother's not here. 
I gave my wife Mother's Day card

246
00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,600
and I put on the front to not my
mother. 

247
00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:16,880
That's how I dress the card, not
my mother. 

248
00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,840
I thought it must mean something
more special because it came 

249
00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:22,680
from somebody that's not her 
child. 

250
00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:25,320
And I think I've put in the 
corner from who? 

251
00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:29,160
I love you anyway. 
Thank God. 

252
00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:30,320
Oh, that's good. 
Thank you. 

253
00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,120
Back there. 
God bless you, Ralph. 

254
00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:34,040
I'm getting some points. 
Thank you. 

255
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:35,440
Thank you. 
Amen. 

256
00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:40,760
I want to look at a New 
Testament version of Jonathan. 

257
00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,800
And you don't really, probably 
you don't even know his real 

258
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,960
name. 
His real name is Joseph, or 

259
00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:54,600
Joseph says the King James Bible
says it, Joseph, that's short 

260
00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,440
for Joseph. 
But we don't know him as Joseph.

261
00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:03,160
We don't talk about him as 
Joseph, but it says in Acts 436,

262
00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:08,920
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus 
whom the apostles called 

263
00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:12,160
Barnabas. 
You know that name, right? 

264
00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:17,600
You know about Barnabas, which 
means son of encouragement. 

265
00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:20,680
So we got a man named Joseph. 
And if you read that Acts 

266
00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,320
forward, follow that out, you 
know what one of the first 

267
00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:25,040
things you read about him is? 
He was a giver. 

268
00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:27,600
He sold property and gave it to 
the work of God. 

269
00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:33,280
He was an encourager, so much so
they got a nickname. 

270
00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:38,720
He was born Joseph, but they 
changed him his name and they 

271
00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,480
call him Barnabas, son of 
encouragement, because he was 

272
00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:48,120
always encouraging someone. 
In fact, when when Saul New 

273
00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:53,480
Testament Saul was converted and
became Paul, it was Barnabas the

274
00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:57,880
encourager that got him started 
in ministry, really got him 

275
00:16:57,880 --> 00:16:59,880
started. 
Let me read that for you. 

276
00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:04,200
In Acts Chapter 9 verse 26, it 
says when he came to Jerusalem, 

277
00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:08,800
that's that's Saul Paul. 
Now after he got saved, he tried

278
00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:12,440
to join the disciples, but they 
were all afraid of him, not 

279
00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,480
believing that he really was a 
disciple. 

280
00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:19,400
But Barnabas, Barnabas the 
encourager took him and brought 

281
00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:22,119
him to the apostles. 
And he told them how Saul on his

282
00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:25,440
journey had seen the Lord and 
that the Lord has spoken to him 

283
00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,480
and how in Damascus he had 
preached fearlessly in the name 

284
00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:31,360
of Jesus. 
So stop Saul stayed with them 

285
00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:35,520
and moved about freely in 
Jerusalem, speaking boldly in 

286
00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:40,880
the name of the Barnabas. 
The encourager had a huge hand 

287
00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:45,400
in the early success of the 
ministry of Paul the apostle 

288
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,320
because people didn't believe in
him. 

289
00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:49,480
He had been such a wicked and 
evil man. 

290
00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,480
Nobody wanted to believe that he
could be changed like that. 

291
00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:54,840
But here comes this son of 
encouragement. 

292
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,600
He says, I'm going to help you 
out. 

293
00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:59,760
And I believe Barnabas was a 
mentor to even Paul. 

294
00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,120
He was a mentor to him at Follow
me and I'll get you some help 

295
00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:05,320
here. 
And he began to speak words of 

296
00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:07,920
encouragement. 
He encouraged Paul, he 

297
00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:10,480
encouraged the people that 
listen to Paul and the rest is 

298
00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:12,760
history. 
That man became the man that 

299
00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:17,040
wrote the biggest portion of our
New Testament and he had a 

300
00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,120
Barnabas. 
He had a Jonathan from the Old 

301
00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:22,360
Testament in the form of a 
Barnabas. 

302
00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:27,280
Now, that's not the only time we
find, and I, I won't read you 

303
00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,160
the scriptures about this per 
SE, but I will tell you that 

304
00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:35,000
Paul and Barnabas, as you knew, 
know, became missionary bodies 

305
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,080
and they journeyed together in 
missions and they went from city

306
00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:42,800
to city and they went on these 
various missionary journeys and,

307
00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:48,520
and they had with them a young 
man named John Mark, Mark and 

308
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,480
Mark was with them, but Mark 
kind of got a little off course 

309
00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,560
and he ended up kind of 
deserting them and leaving them.

310
00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,440
And so Paul and Barnabas went on
their way and, and, and time 

311
00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:04,680
goes by and after a while a 
Barnabas is reaching out to, to,

312
00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:09,200
to John Mark and, and trying to 
kind of steal him back in and 

313
00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:11,560
mentor him and encourage him and
help him. 

314
00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:16,240
And so he, he comes back to the 
apostle Paul and he said, hey, 

315
00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,680
John Mark, he said, he, he's 
ready to join us again. 

316
00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,400
And Paul said, I'm not taking 
him on. 

317
00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:24,760
He said, he deserted us. 
He abandoned us. 

318
00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,640
I'm going without him. 
And there was contention between

319
00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,320
Paul and Barnabas. 
They didn't agree on this. 

320
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,320
And Paul said, OK, you take him 
and go, and I'll go this way. 

321
00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,600
And so Paul went one way, took 
Silas. 

322
00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,080
And we know that Barnabas went 
the other way. 

323
00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,800
Barnabas, he encouraged her. 
He said, come on, let's give him

324
00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:44,280
another chance. 
You know, some folks just need 

325
00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:46,960
another opportunity. 
They just need another chance. 

326
00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:48,440
They blew it. 
We'll give them another 

327
00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:53,040
opportunity. 
Well, you know what he he was so

328
00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:57,640
successful at that that the 
Bible tells us later in the book

329
00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:04,200
of second Timothy that Paul had 
asked that Mark be brought to 

330
00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,080
him because he said he would be 
good for my ministry. 

331
00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,840
In other words, there was such a
change in John Mark that even 

332
00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:13,680
Paul who said I don't want him 
now said, bring him back. 

333
00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:15,440
He could be a blessing to my 
ministry. 

334
00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,800
He can help me in these days I'm
going through in this difficult 

335
00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:19,920
time. 
Why? 

336
00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,120
Because somebody. 
Was an encourager. 

337
00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:25,040
Somebody wouldn't give up. 
Somebody said you failed, but 

338
00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:27,160
it's OK. 
We're going to get you back to 

339
00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,600
where you ought to be. 
Aren't you glad that you had an 

340
00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,600
encourager somewhere in your 
life? 

341
00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:36,760
We're called to be encouragers. 
God has called every one of us 

342
00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,880
to be encouragers. 
Paul talked about someone else. 

343
00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,480
He he talked about a man by the 
name of Ticicus. 

344
00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:47,160
I don't know how you get that 
name, but in Colossians chapter 

345
00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,520
4, it says he's saying to the 
church at Colossae. 

346
00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,160
Ticchius will tell you all the 
news about me. 

347
00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:56,160
He's a dear brother, a faithful,
ministered fellow servant in the

348
00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:58,240
Lord. 
I'm sending him to you for the 

349
00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:02,440
express purpose that you may 
know about our circumstances and

350
00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:06,080
that he may encourage your 
hearts. 

351
00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,680
So sometimes, as in David's 
case, in the beginning, he's in 

352
00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,920
the wilderness and God is his 
strength and his help. 

353
00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:19,320
But then God says you could use 
a little encouragement and he 

354
00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:23,000
moves on Jonathan. 
And Jonathan comes with the 

355
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:29,400
ministry of encouragement. 
Sometimes God's answer for you 

356
00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:31,760
will be through a faithful 
friend. 

357
00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:36,880
It might be through a sermon 
preached, a Sunday school lesson

358
00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:41,720
taught somebody. 
God has put in your path that 

359
00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:48,440
has encouraged you. 
God's promises are there 

360
00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:52,720
regardless. 
So Jonathan said to David, who's

361
00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:55,560
fretting for his life. 
He said don't worry about it, 

362
00:21:56,040 --> 00:22:01,480
you shall be king. 
David is hiding in caves and 

363
00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,240
wilderness, but Jonathan said 
God's promise is still true. 

364
00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,440
God hasn't forgotten you. 
You're going through something 

365
00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,760
now, but God will bring you 
through it. 

366
00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:17,640
Circumstances change folks in 
our lives, but thank God that 

367
00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,840
God's promises remain no matter 
what the circumstance. 

368
00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,320
Thank God for those who've 
encouraged. 

369
00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:26,760
I would like to hope that 
somewhere in all of the years 

370
00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,920
I've been here that God would 
have used me in some way to 

371
00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,960
encourage you. 
I know God has used numbers of 

372
00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:36,160
you to encourage me, and I'm 
thankful for that. 

373
00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:38,120
I'm thankful for the 
encouragement. 

374
00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:42,880
I'm thankful for those who 
forgive when they didn't have to

375
00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:47,360
forgive that love where they 
didn't have to, love that came 

376
00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:49,000
back when they didn't have to 
come back. 

377
00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:53,360
Where would we be without the 
Jonathans? 

378
00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,800
Where would be we be without 
those people who have a heart 

379
00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:02,160
like Barnabas? 
The wilderness doesn't change 

380
00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:04,640
what God has promised for your 
life. 

381
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,320
So when you are in the 
wilderness, number one, trust 

382
00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:12,680
God's provision. 
Trusted God is providing for 

383
00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,840
you. 
Receive his encouragement and 

384
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:20,960
hold on to the promises God has.
And you may say to me, Pastor, I

385
00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:25,600
don't have a Jonathan. 
I don't have a Barnabas. 

386
00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,320
You have God. 
Can I say it again? 

387
00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,040
You might say, well, I don't 
have, I don't have a Barnabas. 

388
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,800
I don't know anything about this
Jonathan ministry. 

389
00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:43,320
Nobody's encouraging me, even if
you don't, even if you don't 

390
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:47,360
have a Jonathan. 
Isaiah 4110 says this. 

391
00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:51,720
Fear not, for I this is God. 
I am with you. 

392
00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:55,800
Be not dismayed, for I am your 
God. 

393
00:23:56,360 --> 00:24:00,280
I will strengthen you, yes, I 
will help you. 

394
00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:05,640
I will uphold you with my 
righteous right hand. 

395
00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:10,760
If you feel abandoned and left 
for dead, God said, I'm still 

396
00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:15,280
here and I will hold your hand 
and I will pick you up and I 

397
00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,040
will lift you up if no one else 
cares. 

398
00:24:25,210 --> 00:24:32,290
Paul knew that as well as he 
goes on trial in the New 

399
00:24:32,290 --> 00:24:37,090
Testament, as he goes on trial, 
as he gets to Rome and life is 

400
00:24:37,170 --> 00:24:39,690
coming to is about ready to 
finish his course. 

401
00:24:40,010 --> 00:24:44,650
He says this in Second Timothy 
416 at my first defense. 

402
00:24:45,530 --> 00:24:54,360
No one, no one, now Barnabas, 
now John, Mark, no one stood 

403
00:24:54,360 --> 00:24:58,200
with me, but all forsook me. 
May it not be charged against 

404
00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:06,480
them, but the Lord? 
But the Lord stood with me and 

405
00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:10,400
strengthened me so that the 
message might be preached fully 

406
00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:13,000
through me and that all the 
Gentiles might hear. 

407
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:18,680
And also I was delivered out of 
the mouth of the the lion. 

408
00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:20,480
Now let me just tell you 
something. 

409
00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,920
There may be a time in your 
life, there may be one right 

410
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:26,520
now. 
And you, you might have said 

411
00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:31,320
that nobody seems to notice and 
nobody seems to care, and we may

412
00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:34,560
have missed something. 
But I want you to know that this

413
00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:39,480
was only the first defense Paul 
would have people come, but they

414
00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,640
did fail him then. 
But he said it's OK because the 

415
00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,280
Lord still was there. 
The Lord stood with me. 

416
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:47,080
Nobody else knew what I was 
bearing. 

417
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:48,680
Knew what? 
No one else seemed to care. 

418
00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,880
No one else seemed to have any 
thought about helping me through

419
00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,120
this. 
But God was always there and I 

420
00:25:55,120 --> 00:26:01,520
don't want anybody harm because 
they failed me, because there'll

421
00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:08,360
be a next time that somebody 
will stand with that person. 

422
00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:16,880
Someone ask a question. 
Are you, are you a Jonathan? 

423
00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:22,800
Let's call him John for sure. 
Look at your neighbor and say, 

424
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:35,080
can I call you John? 
It's important question. 

425
00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:43,320
Or let's think about Barnabas. 
Let's call him Barney for short.

426
00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,560
Look at your neighbor. 
Can I call you Barney? 

427
00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:49,960
Come on, look at him. 
I'm not talking about that 

428
00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:55,680
purple character. 
What did I mean this? 

429
00:26:55,680 --> 00:27:00,720
Could I count on you? 
If I needed some encouragement? 

430
00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,800
Could I call you? 
Could I ask you to pray for me? 

431
00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:11,000
Could I call you Jonathan? 
Do you have a Jonathan ministry?

432
00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:17,720
Or are you so wrapped up in just
you, you don't see anything 

433
00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:19,920
else, You don't see anybody 
else? 

434
00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:24,920
Be an encourager. 
Be an encourager. 

435
00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:29,800
As we read the story of David, 
you know, Jonathan eventually 

436
00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,960
lost his life, the battlefield, 
died with his father. 

437
00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,480
But everything that Jonathan 
prayed for, David happened. 

438
00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:41,600
David got to the throne, and 
David became the greatest Old 

439
00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:46,800
Testament king over that nation.
But he didn't get there alone. 

440
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,520
He had help. 
Thank God for help. 

441
00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:55,400
Thank God for those that embrace
the ministry of Jonathan. 

442
00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,200
They're encouragers. 
I want to encourage you and 

443
00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:01,840
that's what I'm trying to do 
today is to encourage somebody 

444
00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:07,200
that may feel like giving up 
quitting and maybe you failed. 

445
00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:09,720
I've certainly failed. 
I've certainly failed. 

446
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:14,760
I'm so thankful to people that 
you can't be in do something 

447
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,160
like I do for this long and say 
all the things I say for all 

448
00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:23,720
this long and not fail somebody,
not mess something up. 

449
00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:27,920
But thank God who for those who 
forgive when they don't have to,

450
00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,600
thank God for those who give the
second opportunity that one 

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00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:40,960
strike doesn't make you out. 
Thank God for those who said 

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00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,600
I'll stay. 
Thank God we can't go anywhere 

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00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,480
without a Jonathan. 
We can't accomplish anything 

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00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:53,960
without a Barnabas. 
Now, that neighbor of yours just

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00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:58,120
asked you, could they call you 
John Barney? 

456
00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:00,880
You'll be an encourager. 
What's your answer? 

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00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,160
What is your answer? 
I hope that answer is yes. 

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00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:09,480
I may fail and I may not know 
and I may not be there in every 

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00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:13,760
situation, but you can count. 
I'm there spiritually. 

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00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,520
I'm there for you. 
Thanks for joining us today. 

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00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:21,280
If you'd like to connect, visit 
us at reemstownchurchofgod.org, 

462
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:24,800
follow us on Facebook and 
Instagram, and subscribe to this

463
00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,040
podcast so you never miss an 
episode.