Though we cannot be defeated unless we give in, we all have enemies that seek to disrupt our spiritual destiny. The parable of the wheat and the tares illustrates this principle. The bible says the man sowed good seed, but while he slept, his enemy sowed bad seed. The tare looks like the wheat that the farmer wanted. It is not possible to tell the difference between the two until it was too late to do anything about it. It is not until they began to produce fruit that it is possible to tell the difference. The question is ask: did you not plant good seed? Where did the tare come from. Good seed had been sowed, but the bad seed was introduced by an enemy. In our spiritual journey we never escape the attempts of the enemy to disrupt what God had planted in our life. Good seed will produce good things, but the enemy does not want good things. The enemy cannot disrupt the good seed. He can only introduce bad seed to the field. He did it while they slept. The purpose of the enemy of my soul is to discourage and disrupt. He is trying to interrupt our sense of purpose and the good work that God has planted. The devil is limited in what he can do, so his next best option is to frustrate us to the point that we forget who we are: A child of God. It is the enemy's desire is to wear us down. He knows that he cannot defeat the blood or undo Calvary, so he tries his best to disrupt our life and distract us from doing what God wants for us. In our parable, they could not weed out the tares without damaging the wheat. Jesus is telling us that even though we live with the result of bad seed, it will not keep us from going to heaven. We can live right next door to hell, and still go to heaven. If we let God take care of it, in the end, God will take care of it.

Bro. Hughes takes three points from this parable. First the tares cannot stop the wheat. The good seed that God puts in our life cannot be choked out by the bad. Secondly we can do good and still have to have bad things come into our life. You can live as clean as we can live and not escape the work of the enemy in our life. Bad things happening in our life do not indicate that we are not living right. Third Evil is found among the good, but can never be mistaken for the good. No matter what happens in this life, in the end God will separate the wheat from the tare and God knows the difference.

This simple story illustrates to us how difficult it is to tell the good from the bad, but God know the difference and will sort it out in the end.

Man will be judged not by a single act, deed or stage in his life, but by what his nature is. Are we a wheat or a tare? A single failure does not condemn us to the fire.

The enemy of our spiritual destiny is the attempts by the enemy to distract, frustrate and wear us down.

Though we cannot be defeated unless we give in, we all have enemies that seek to disrupt our spiritual destiny. The parable of the wheat and the tares illustrates this principle. The bible says the man sowed good seed, but while he slept, his enemy sowed bad seed. The tare looks like the wheat that the farmer wanted. It is not possible to tell the difference between the two until it was too late to do anything about it. It is not until they began to produce fruit that it is possible to tell the difference. The question is ask: did you not plant good seed? Where did the tare come from. Good seed had been sowed, but the bad seed was introduced by an enemy. In our spiritual journey we never escape the attempts of the enemy to disrupt what God had planted in our life. Good seed will produce good things, but the enemy does not want good things. The enemy cannot disrupt the good seed. He can only introduce bad seed to the field. He did it while they slept. The purpose of the enemy of my soul is to discourage and disrupt. He is trying to interrupt our sense of purpose and the good work that God has planted. The devil is limited in what he can do, so his next best option is to frustrate us to the point that we forget who we are: A child of God. It is the enemy's desire is to wear us down. He knows that he cannot defeat the blood or undo Calvary, so he tries his best to disrupt our life and distract us from doing what God wants for us. In our parable, they could not weed out the tares without damaging the wheat. Jesus is telling us that even though we live with the result of bad seed, it will not keep us from going to heaven. We can live right next door to hell, and still go to heaven. If we let God take care of it, in the end, God will take care of it.

Bro. Hughes takes three points from this parable. First the tares cannot stop the wheat. The good seed that God puts in our life cannot be choked out by the bad. Secondly we can do good and still have to have bad things come into our life. You can live as clean as we can live and not escape the work of the enemy in our life. Bad things happening in our life do not indicate that we are not living right. Third Evil is found among the good, but can never be mistaken for the good. No matter what happens in this life, in the end God will separate the wheat from the tare and God knows the difference.

This simple story illustrates to us how difficult it is to tell the good from the bad, but God know the difference and will sort it out in the end.

Man will be judged not by a single act, deed or stage in his life, but by what his nature is. Are we a wheat or a tare? A single failure does not condemn us to the fire.

The enemy of our spiritual destiny is the attempts by the enemy to distract, frustrate and wear us down.

What does praise produce in our life?

We know that God inhabits the praises of His people. Praise is where God lives and dwells.

In this time, the people of God are under attack – we are living in the time of the wearing out of the saints. If the saints will be worn out then they will be loosing strength/loosing their joy (the joy of the lord is our strength). We can’t afford for our happiness to come from our happenings. When someone gives up it is sad. However, the saddest is when the saint doesn’t give up but when they “give out,” they came to the point in life where they were at the end of their rope.

We must understand the power and purpose of praise. Praise can change the way we live and think. The definition of praise - for price or value. Praise is about God’s worthiness to be adored. No matter what we are dealing with, it does not change the value of God. We understand that we sing because we are happy. What about when your happiness is gone? Happiness IS JUST an emotion, a reaction to something that has happened in your life. Our praise cannot be determined by my emotions of happiness. Your praise cannot be predicated on your predicament, circumstances and situations. I praise him because what I know, my experience. Your praise begins to effect and produce emotions. Praise is how you produce confidence in your spirit and lifts your mind.

Isaiah 61:3 - acknowledge there is a time where we face a spirit of heaviness. If you give a man a fish he can live a day but if you teach a man how to fish he can live for a lifetime. If the Lord just traded my spirit of heaviness for happiness then life would send something else my way to take away my happiness. However is Jesus provides a garment of praise I will know how to fight what the enemy sends my way. It’s my solution when the enemy attacks my mind with the spirit of heaviness.

Paul and Silas are an example of how praise will change things on the inside and outside. We have to put on the garment of praise. When it’s dark, cold and lonely you can wrap yourself in a garment. I don’t sing because I’m happy. I sing because He’s the I AM, everything that I need. Even when I don’t feel like dancing and praising I can still sing my song even when I don’t understand what’s going on. Birds sing each morning even after disaster. The birds are not singing because he woke up and everything was all right, a bird sings because they’re a bird. We must understand that praise is what we must do and it’s who we are. Faith is like a little bird that feels that dawn is breaking and sings while it’s still dark. There’s something that says that it may be dark but I feel like daylight is coming.

Even when you don’t feel like praising Him make a commitment and wait for your feelings to catch up with your mouth. You can only praise God for so long until something begins to happen in your mind and flesh. You can come into his presence broken but when you begin to praise even when you don’t want to, there can be a change in your life.

Principle in the bible – if He will be lifted up He will draw all men unto Him. ALL. He isn’t just talking about those lifting Him up but He can draw those that aren’t even praising Him. Praise in church is not enough. The enemy doesn’t mind when we lift Him up for 2-4 hours a week. When we do it on our own when we need to be lifted something can begin to happen.

The challenge today is the mindset that praising God is doing Him a favor and is for His benefit. This mindset can keep us from the strength that we can harness from giving Him praise all the time, no matter where we are.

What does praise produce in our life?

We know that God inhabits the praises of His people. Praise is where God lives and dwells.

In this time, the people of God are under attack – we are living in the time of the wearing out of the saints. If the saints will be worn out then they will be loosing strength/loosing their joy (the joy of the lord is our strength). We can’t afford for our happiness to come from our happenings. When someone gives up it is sad. However, the saddest is when the saint doesn’t give up but when they “give out,” they came to the point in life where they were at the end of their rope.

We must understand the power and purpose of praise. Praise can change the way we live and think. The definition of praise - for price or value. Praise is about God’s worthiness to be adored. No matter what we are dealing with, it does not change the value of God. We understand that we sing because we are happy. What about when your happiness is gone? Happiness IS JUST an emotion, a reaction to something that has happened in your life. Our praise cannot be determined by my emotions of happiness. Your praise cannot be predicated on your predicament, circumstances and situations. I praise him because what I know, my experience. Your praise begins to effect and produce emotions. Praise is how you produce confidence in your spirit and lifts your mind.

Isaiah 61:3 - acknowledge there is a time where we face a spirit of heaviness. If you give a man a fish he can live a day but if you teach a man how to fish he can live for a lifetime. If the Lord just traded my spirit of heaviness for happiness then life would send something else my way to take away my happiness. However is Jesus provides a garment of praise I will know how to fight what the enemy sends my way. It’s my solution when the enemy attacks my mind with the spirit of heaviness.

Paul and Silas are an example of how praise will change things on the inside and outside. We have to put on the garment of praise. When it’s dark, cold and lonely you can wrap yourself in a garment. I don’t sing because I’m happy. I sing because He’s the I AM, everything that I need. Even when I don’t feel like dancing and praising I can still sing my song even when I don’t understand what’s going on. Birds sing each morning even after disaster. The birds are not singing because he woke up and everything was all right, a bird sings because they’re a bird. We must understand that praise is what we must do and it’s who we are. Faith is like a little bird that feels that dawn is breaking and sings while it’s still dark. There’s something that says that it may be dark but I feel like daylight is coming.

Even when you don’t feel like praising Him make a commitment and wait for your feelings to catch up with your mouth. You can only praise God for so long until something begins to happen in your mind and flesh. You can come into his presence broken but when you begin to praise even when you don’t want to, there can be a change in your life.

Principle in the bible – if He will be lifted up He will draw all men unto Him. ALL. He isn’t just talking about those lifting Him up but He can draw those that aren’t even praising Him. Praise in church is not enough. The enemy doesn’t mind when we lift Him up for 2-4 hours a week. When we do it on our own when we need to be lifted something can begin to happen.

The challenge today is the mindset that praising God is doing Him a favor and is for His benefit. This mindset can keep us from the strength that we can harness from giving Him praise all the time, no matter where we are.

In our text, Sumeria found itself in the midst of a great famine due to a siege by the Syrians. The bible paints a picture of great desperation and need. Four men began to realize: If we go the city we will die. If we sit here we will die. If we go to the Syrians, they may kill us, but we may leave. All three options carried with it the possibility of death. Only one option held any possibility of life. Of all the options, only one offered even a glimmer of hope. In our time of need, we cannot go back to where we were. In time of need, we cannot sit still, In time of need we have to move forward. It might be a place of death, but it might also be a place of deliverance. At this point, what did they have to lose?

God went ahead of these men and caused the Syrians to run in fear. They walked into an empty camp. Those people in the City were in the same situation as these four men, but had not yet reached the point of need. In the city they were acting out of desperation not need. Desperation is marked by irrational decisions, but true need shows a clear course. When we get to the point where we are tired oft moving from desperate decision to desperate decision, we can begin to act out of our need and not out of desperation.

The enemy whispers to us: you are dying, where you are and there is no hope. Until we get to the point of need that these four men got to, we will die where we lay. When we get to the point of refusing to lye still and die, our need can cause us to move to a place where He has provided. When we respond to a need the way God wants us to, we will discover that our need is much larger than we thought it would It will affect more than just ourselves. These men were able to return to the city and lead them to the place of provision.

Our situation my seem dire. We may not see a way out. There comes a point when we must be brave enough to embrace our need and be moved to a place where God can provide. We have to give God the opportunity to meet our need. When we get to the point where we realize that we are dying where we are, we can turn our situation around. We must not be paralyzed by fear and doubt. Our need will propel us. Our need will drive us to the alter. Our need will propel us to a place of greater relationship with God. That is the need for a need.

In our text, Sumeria found itself in the midst of a great famine due to a siege by the Syrians. The bible paints a picture of great desperation and need. Four men began to realize: If we go the city we will die. If we sit here we will die. If we go to the Syrians, they may kill us, but we may leave. All three options carried with it the possibility of death. Only one option held any possibility of life. Of all the options, only one offered even a glimmer of hope. In our time of need, we cannot go back to where we were. In time of need, we cannot sit still, In time of need we have to move forward. It might be a place of death, but it might also be a place of deliverance. At this point, what did they have to lose?

God went ahead of these men and caused the Syrians to run in fear. They walked into an empty camp. Those people in the City were in the same situation as these four men, but had not yet reached the point of need. In the city they were acting out of desperation not need. Desperation is marked by irrational decisions, but true need shows a clear course. When we get to the point where we are tired oft moving from desperate decision to desperate decision, we can begin to act out of our need and not out of desperation.

The enemy whispers to us: you are dying, where you are and there is no hope. Until we get to the point of need that these four men got to, we will die where we lay. When we get to the point of refusing to lye still and die, our need can cause us to move to a place where He has provided. When we respond to a need the way God wants us to, we will discover that our need is much larger than we thought it would It will affect more than just ourselves. These men were able to return to the city and lead them to the place of provision.

Our situation my seem dire. We may not see a way out. There comes a point when we must be brave enough to embrace our need and be moved to a place where God can provide. We have to give God the opportunity to meet our need. When we get to the point where we realize that we are dying where we are, we can turn our situation around. We must not be paralyzed by fear and doubt. Our need will propel us. Our need will drive us to the alter. Our need will propel us to a place of greater relationship with God. That is the need for a need.

If God were to allow us to look back over our lives when we get to heaven, most of us would be surprised at what was the best and key blessings in our lives. Often times what we look at as the worst of times, are really the beginnings of the best that God has for us. None of us like the valleys, but we learn things in the valleys that we can never experience on the mountaintop. The burdens that God places on our life are placed there to force us to form roots and build a strong foundation and to prepare us for the coming storms. There are contradictions in the life of a child of God that will cause us to question If we understood God. There will be times when what we are going through will be at odds with what we expect a life living for God would be. It is in times like this that we must be careful. Issac found himself in a land during a famine. Abraham had experienced a famine and went to Egypt for relief. Issac was on his way to Egypt when God interrupted his journey and told him to stay where he was. No one wants to live in a land of famine. He surely questioned what God was telling him. There was food and property in Egypt. Logic told him to move to a place where there was plenty, but God had different plans. God allowed Abraham to go to Egypt during a famine. He let Jacob go to Egypt during a famine, but he told Issac to stay put. God's plan for Issac was different than His plan for Abraham and Jacob. God had a reason for Issac staying put. How we react to our difficulties is key to how out life goes. God will bless the obedient. If we will listen to and obey God during our problems, God will turn those problem into possibilities. We might think that we are living the worst times of our life, but it just may be that these dark hours are the ones that are preparing us for the best blessings we have ever known. The true misfortunes of life ware when we miss what God has for us because we do not recognize the hand of God and obey His direction and leading. The root of receiving God's blessing is obedience. That is the key to turning a problem into a possibility.

If God were to allow us to look back over our lives when we get to heaven, most of us would be surprised at what was the best and key blessings in our lives. Often times what we look at as the worst of times, are really the beginnings of the best that God has for us. None of us like the valleys, but we learn things in the valleys that we can never experience on the mountaintop. The burdens that God places on our life are placed there to force us to form roots and build a strong foundation and to prepare us for the coming storms. There are contradictions in the life of a child of God that will cause us to question If we understood God. There will be times when what we are going through will be at odds with what we expect a life living for God would be. It is in times like this that we must be careful. Issac found himself in a land during a famine. Abraham had experienced a famine and went to Egypt for relief. Issac was on his way to Egypt when God interrupted his journey and told him to stay where he was. No one wants to live in a land of famine. He surely questioned what God was telling him. There was food and property in Egypt. Logic told him to move to a place where there was plenty, but God had different plans. God allowed Abraham to go to Egypt during a famine. He let Jacob go to Egypt during a famine, but he told Issac to stay put. God's plan for Issac was different than His plan for Abraham and Jacob. God had a reason for Issac staying put. How we react to our difficulties is key to how out life goes. God will bless the obedient. If we will listen to and obey God during our problems, God will turn those problem into possibilities. We might think that we are living the worst times of our life, but it just may be that these dark hours are the ones that are preparing us for the best blessings we have ever known. The true misfortunes of life ware when we miss what God has for us because we do not recognize the hand of God and obey His direction and leading. The root of receiving God's blessing is obedience. That is the key to turning a problem into a possibility.

When we look at Moses' life we tend to not spend much time on the early parts because of all the things that occured in the latter part. The early parts of his life do not paint a picture of a man who would stand before Pharaoh and demand "Let my people go” : or that would lead a people through the wilderness and to the banks of the promised land. In our text, Moses is on the back side of a desert. At this particular moment in his life, Moses was lonely place. After killing the Egyptian and being rejected by his own people, he has fled to the wilderness to get away. In this lonely, desolate place Moses had an encounter with God. Even in the most desolate, backwards place, God can reach us. God speaks to Moses and tells him that even this remote, desolate, lonely place was holy ground. God could have spoken to Moses anytime and anywhere, but God chose this specific place to communicate to us that God knows where our nowhere is. He knows where we have gone to hide, and can reach us even there. Sooner or later all of us have to come to the place where we can find God in a wilderness. it is easy to find him when life is good an all is well. It is a different matter to find him amid the turmoil and pain. There are people who are hiding from God. There is a pain, a hurt that they cannot explain. God can come to our wilderness even if it is sitting on a pew. No matter where we are, God can get there an He has a message for us. The wilderness became a place of revelation. First he revealed to Moses himself. God does not use us because of us, he uses us in spite of us. God does not use us because we are prefect, He uses is because HE is perfect. God had something for Moses. What he had tried before did not work, but God let Moses know that a failure does not mean that He could not make something out of Moses' life. Why did God choose a burning bush to speak to Moses? In times past, He spoke from a cloud or a loud voice. But this time, God was looking to see if Moses was paying attention. The bible says Moses turned to look and when he did, God spoke. Moses tried many excuses as to why he could not do what God wanted, but God revealed to him that Moses would not do it, but that GOD would do it. There is no place that God's presence cannot be found. So God worked on Moses in the wilderness and began to prepare him to become what God had designed for him to be. God knows where the backside of our wilderness is.

When we look at Moses' life we tend to not spend much time on the early parts because of all the things that occured in the latter part. The early parts of his life do not paint a picture of a man who would stand before Pharaoh and demand "Let my people go” : or that would lead a people through the wilderness and to the banks of the promised land. In our text, Moses is on the back side of a desert. At this particular moment in his life, Moses was lonely place. After killing the Egyptian and being rejected by his own people, he has fled to the wilderness to get away. In this lonely, desolate place Moses had an encounter with God. Even in the most desolate, backwards place, God can reach us. God speaks to Moses and tells him that even this remote, desolate, lonely place was holy ground. God could have spoken to Moses anytime and anywhere, but God chose this specific place to communicate to us that God knows where our nowhere is. He knows where we have gone to hide, and can reach us even there. Sooner or later all of us have to come to the place where we can find God in a wilderness. it is easy to find him when life is good an all is well. It is a different matter to find him amid the turmoil and pain. There are people who are hiding from God. There is a pain, a hurt that they cannot explain. God can come to our wilderness even if it is sitting on a pew. No matter where we are, God can get there an He has a message for us. The wilderness became a place of revelation. First he revealed to Moses himself. God does not use us because of us, he uses us in spite of us. God does not use us because we are prefect, He uses is because HE is perfect. God had something for Moses. What he had tried before did not work, but God let Moses know that a failure does not mean that He could not make something out of Moses' life. Why did God choose a burning bush to speak to Moses? In times past, He spoke from a cloud or a loud voice. But this time, God was looking to see if Moses was paying attention. The bible says Moses turned to look and when he did, God spoke. Moses tried many excuses as to why he could not do what God wanted, but God revealed to him that Moses would not do it, but that GOD would do it. There is no place that God's presence cannot be found. So God worked on Moses in the wilderness and began to prepare him to become what God had designed for him to be. God knows where the backside of our wilderness is.