2024-04-21PM- He Is My Refuge

The speaker begins by expressing gratitude for being saved and redeemed by God. They then discuss the importance of seeking refuge in God during times of trouble and how knowing His name can lead to trust. The speaker emphasizes that no matter what challenges we face, we can rely on God as our refuge. They encourage the audience to trust in God and not listen to the lies of the devil. The speaker also reminds them that God is there to help and uplift them, even in their lowest moments. They share the story of Peter walking on water and how he started to sink when he lost focus. The speaker urges the audience to not let fear and past experiences hold them back, but instead to trust in God and rise again. Praise God, I go into the house of the Lord tonight, appreciate the spirit we've already felt in this house. I'm glad I'm saved, how about you? I'm glad I'm saved. The world didn't give it and the world can't take it away. I'm thankful to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. How many's thankful you're saved tonight? How many's thankful you're redeemed by the blood? Praise God. So thankful for the opportunity to be behind this pulpit once again. I feel unworthy, inadequate to be behind this pulpit. But I just want to help you tonight if I can. I was praying this afternoon. I was getting a burden. I was asking God. I was like, God, if anything, let's just help somebody tonight. That's my prayer. So let's go to Psalms chapter number 9. Psalms chapter number 9. Psalms chapter 9 and verse 9. Oh, Jesus. If you've got it, shout, I've got it. I've got it. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Let's read that one more time. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. One more place. Psalms 46. Psalms 46. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear. Though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, Basically what the psalmist is saying, no matter what's going on, I put my trust in Him. Go ahead and raise your hands. Ask God to help me tonight, and I want to help you if I can. God, I thank you, God, for this word of God that you've given us. I pray, God, that you'd stand beside me, God, and help me to preach. I feel it on my heart, God, right now. I want to help somebody if I can, God. Help me to preach, God, the way you want me to preach, God. Help these people. Help this church, God. These friends of mine, God. Help us, God, in the altar, God. Let us be edified. I pray all these things in Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. Amen. Refuge in times of trouble. I want to preach on. He is my refuge. That's what I want to preach on. He is my refuge. I've come tonight with a burden on my heart for this church. I consider you all here friends and family. But I've come tonight to let you know, no matter what you're facing and what you're going through, you can trust in God. I felt God burden my heart so severely this past week. And I feel like somebody here, you've been facing something. You've been up against it. You feel like you've been confined and concealed in a jail cell, so to speak. And the devil's tried to weigh you down and put you under the water. But I want to let you know, he's my refuge. He's my refuge. I read right here, the Lord said, the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed. He was saying, I'll be with you all the way, even to the very end of time. I'd like to remind you, if I can, that Jesus told his disciples, I will never leave you. I will not leave you. And the devil will act his best to make you feel like you're all alone in this thing. It's all over. It's out. I'm done for. But I come tonight with a burden to let you know that he is your refuge. In times of trouble, you can put your trust in him. I will lean upon the Lord. He is my strength. He will pick me up. What the Bible say, he said, you shall mount up with wings as eagles. You can saddle. You can ride on with God. He is your refuge tonight. He is my refuge. Daily life can be a battle of emotions. Feelings of anger, rejection, shame, envy and fear can catch us in a strong grip that's hard to overcome. Like addictions, these wayward emotions can become spiritual strongholds that disconnect us from the peace of Christ and hold us captive in stress. How many have been stressed before? Have you ever been stressed out? I feel like the devil has been putting a lot of stress on you. I don't know why I feel it so strong right now. But I just want to let you know, no matter what the devil has told you, no matter what kind of lies he's put in your ears, it is a lie. It is a lie. You can lean on God. He is more than enough. He is my refuge. He's my hope. Oh my God, help me right now. He's what I need to face the storm. He is your refuge. I've got to slow down here. I want to preach to you if I can. Psalms 145 verses 14 said, The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. Now we get in places sometimes that we just feel bowed down. We feel so depressed, so discouraged. How many have been discouraged before? How many have been in places where you feel like I just can't come out of this thing? I just can't get over this thing. I know the devil likes to put things on your back. He likes to lie to you. He likes to let you know this is how it will always be in your life. I want to tell you this, and I feel it so strong in my heart, that you need to stop listening to the devil's lies. You need to stop listening to the devil's lies. He has been lying to you for a long time now, and telling you it's over, it's done for. But I want to let you know that there is hope for the hopeless. Hallelujah. There is encouragement for the discouraged. God likes to pull you out and let you know that He is your refuge. He is my refuge. Kind of funny, boss. I want to tell it real quickly. Judges of Lincoln oftentimes like to preach, you know, play around the house. And they have this motto they say so frequently. They say, we love the Jesus and we hate the devil. Hallelujah. And it broke my heart just now. And I want to let you know you've been listening to the devil for too long. He has told you that this is your home in a jail cell. But I come to remind you that you can rise again and stand again. It's not over yet. It's not over yet. Go to the rock that is higher. Hallelujah. The rock that is higher than I. Raise your hands if it's okay. Ask God to help me right now. I need God's help. I need your help, God, right now. Oh, I need you. I need your help, God, right now. Psalms 56, 3 and 4. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word. In God I have put my trust. I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. I will not be fearful. I won't be afraid of what lies ahead. The devil likes to put you in a prison of fear. The devil has been trying to confine you and conceal you in this facade that this is how this is always going to be. This is my life. This is just how things are going to be. And I feel it on my heart right now, church. I need you to pray for me right now. I need you to pray. I want to help somebody if I can. I want to help somebody if I can. I don't want you to stay in captivity. I don't want you to stay in a lie. I don't want you to stay bound by what has happened in the past. You cannot accomplish what God has you to do now if you keep living in the past. God's got some work for you. God's got some plans. And you've got to get over it. Don't mind my terminology. But you've got to get beyond it. And tell the devil, I'm not staying back there. I'm getting back up. I'm rising again. The Bible said a just man falls seven times, but he rises. I said, he rises. You can get back up. You can rise again. I want to tell somebody who feels like it's over and you're going on under. It ain't too late. Hope is in the house. Hope is in the house. I want to remind you of Peter out in the Sea of Galilee when the storms were raging high and they were afraid. And here came this figure. I want you to imagine it for a minute. Imagine right now with me if we're out in a boat and we're in this lake of some way. The Sea of Galilee was quite small actually. Now if you go and see it, it's actually like the Great Lakes of some sort. Now imagine we're in a lake of some sort. And we're in a boat and there's a storm brewing. And we see this figure. And we all see it. It ain't no more imaginary thing. We see it walking toward us. I feel like we'd be quite afraid and quite fearful. And they say, it's a ghost. It's a spirit. But he said, no, it's I. It's I. And Peter looked. Is it you? Is it really you? In the storm? In the raging seas? It's my Jesus. It's my Jesus. And you've been in a storm for a while. And you've been facing it. But he's on his way. He's on his way. You can trust him. He is my refuge. One more time, raise your hands. I need God to help me right now. God, help me, Jesus. Oh, come on. Just take a moment real quickly. Just pray. Ask God to help. I need God's help right now. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. Peter stepped out. He stepped out on faith. He took that step forward. When Jesus bid him to come, Peter took a step. And he began to walk. And I can imagine as Peter's walking, it's really happening. I'm walking on water. Wow. This is amazing. But I can imagine as he's walking on the water, he looks around and, oh, my goodness. The storm, the waves, master, look. I'm going to sink. I'm going to sink. I'm going to fall. I'm going down. And, Daddy, come here and help me real quickly if it's all right. You just stand right there if it's okay. He's Jesus right now, okay. And I'm Peter. And I'm taking a step forward. And I'm walking. And I'm telling you, things are going good. I'm walking down the pathway. I'm walking on the water. Praise God. I'm walking on the water. Praise God. But I begin to look around and get distracted. I begin to, oh, God, I need your help right now. And as I'm walking, I can picture Peter as he's taking one step forward, inch by inch, he slowly is going down and down and down. And a lot of you here in this house, and I feel the Holy Ghost right now, you have been going down and down and down for a long time. And you are slowly beginning to sink. I need your prayers right now for the Holy Ghost right now. You have been sinking for a long time. But I've got news. The Master is on the water. I said, the Master is on the water. And he hears your cries. He understands. Don't let him pass by. He's in the house. Stop sinking. And cry out. And as Peter was walking, he was beginning to sink. And as he was about to go under, he cried, Lord, save me. And he picked him up and he saved him. I tell you, I've got news. You can rise again. He wants to pick you back up. One more time, raise your hands. I need the Holy Ghost to help me. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Oh, take a moment, church. I need you to pray. I feel like somebody needs to break through tonight. Oh, God. Oh, God. Come on. Come on, get some music. I feel like we need to open this altar right here. Oh, come on. Oh, church, I need you to pray a little bit more here. I need you to pray right now. I feel the Holy Ghost right now. I want to read this real quickly, 2 Timothy 1 and 7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sour mind. 2 Corinthians 10 and 4. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God. To the bowing down strongholds. I've got news. He's the waymaker. He's the water walker. The mighty miracle worker. The devil chaser. The healer. The creator. The intercessor. He's the heavy load sharer. He's the rose of Sharon. He's the bright morning star. He's the lily of the valley. He's my friend. He's my counselor. He's my guide. He's all I need. And he is my refuge. Oh God. Oh God. You've been in the storm. You've been in the waves. And you've been about to go under. And you've been facing it. But hope is in the house tonight. I said hope is in the house tonight. Hope is in the house tonight. And he's calling your name. If it's alright, I want every head bowed, if that's okay. Eyes closed. I feel like we've got to pull this in here. We've got to pull this in here. Oh God. I know what it's like. I've been under it. I've faced the same things. I've been in the storm before. I said I've been in the storm before. And I've been about to go under several times. And I want to tell you something. The devil told you to be quiet. That's the worst thing you could do. Don't be silent. Cry out to him. Cry out to him. He's here in the house. If we could all stand across the house. We could stand and ask God right now to help us. I want to pull this in here. I really want somebody to break through tonight. I really want somebody to break through tonight. I was in prayer this afternoon and two words came to my mind. And here are the two words that came to my mind. Rescue mission. I feel like God is on a mission tonight to rescue somebody. I feel like somebody tonight is in God's radar. And He's looking down at you right now and He wants to rescue you. Let me tell you there is hope in the house. There is hope in the house. I wonder if I can get somebody, and here's how I feel it. That if you've been under it. And you've been facing the Lord. I want you to come up here. I want you to come and make your way to this altar. There's no shame. There's no shame on you for stepping out. No shame whatsoever. No shame. I'm looking for somebody to step out right now. He cares. He cares. The devil has been telling you that's just who you are. Well this is just me. That is not who you were meant to be. That is not who you were meant to be. You are a child of the King. And God wants to help you tonight. Will there be anybody that can step out right now? Oh God right now help us. I wonder if I can get some people to step out up here. And raise their hands and ask God to help them in the storms they're facing. I wonder if I can get anybody to step out right now. I'll make you an altar call. Anybody at all that can step out. He's my refuge. You can take the move. Don't miss this opportunity. He's in the house. I don't want to tarry much longer. Would anybody like to step out? I know I'm tarrying. I know. I'm sorry. I feel this on my heart right now. Somebody needs to make a move. Somebody needs to make a move right now. Will there be anybody that can make a move? Oh God. Church I need you to pray right now. I know I'm tarrying but I need you to pray. I cannot shake this. I cannot shake it. I need you to make a move. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Alright let's come church. Anybody that would. If you would step out right now. Let's make our way to this altar. However you feel like you want to do it. Step out. Let's make a move. Let's get in these altars right now. Let's ask God to help us tonight. Oh God is my refuge. He's a strong and mighty tower that I can't run into. Oh God is my refuge. Oh without him tell me what would I do? Oh God is my refuge. Oh without him tell me what would I do? Oh God is my refuge. Oh without him tell me what would I do? Oh God is my refuge. Oh without him tell me what would I do? Oh God is my refuge. Clouds of doubt hover over me. Storms of life toss me to and fro. But there is a place I can go. He's a ship in every tempest. He's an anchor that is sure in times like these it's good to know that God is my refuge. He's a strong and mighty tower that I can't run into. Oh God is my refuge. Oh without him tell me what would I do? Once I wandered from his shelter just to head I could not see those dark clouds so heavy with rain. Then the wind blew hard against me he called out and I ran to him now I'll never, never wander again because God is my refuge. Oh without him I can't run into. Oh God is my refuge.