Keep Going - Pastor Hope Carpenter

Come on, let's give God some praise in here. We are so excited again to come to you, wherever you are, all across the world. God is good. He's doing powerful things. It doesn't matter what it looks like. It doesn't matter what we've been going through. It doesn't matter what your bank account says or your 401k. It does not matter. God is good. Good. He's good all the time. It does not matter what we're going through in our body. I've been struggling in my body, but God is still good. God is still a healer. I want you to be encouraged today that this word is for you. This word is for you. It's going to be good.

Why don't you look at somebody? Why don't you share it?

Why don't you call your friend, high five somebody back here and tell them this word's for you. This word is for you today.

Whoa.

I'm excited. I'm excited, I'm excited.

Y' all may be seated. Go on and share it. If you're on Facebook, call somebody, text somebody. God gave me a powerful word for you yesterday, and I'm so excited to deliver it. You know, 2020 has just been mean, right?

That's about as.

As nice as Christmas Christian, as I can put it. 2020 has been mean. It's been vicious on a lot of levels. I call it. It's the place of the squeeze. I don't know if you've ever been in one of those before, but I feel like we've been in a place of the squeeze where God is just allowing us. Not that God is doing it, but he's allowing us to be squeezed. And, you know, only when we are squeezed do we see what comes out from it. It's like an orange. You don't know what's on the inside until you take the orange and squeeze it. You don't know if it's good, if it good, if it's sour, if it's sweet, until you take it and you squeeze it and then you taste it. And I feel like God has allowed us to be squeezed this year, and I believe God has tasted us. How do you taste to God when you are squeezed? How do you taste to your family members when trial and trouble and tribulation hits your life? I want to talk to you today on the subject of keep going, keep going. Look at somebody and say, keep going, keep going. You gotta just keep going. So have you ever been pressed so hard and you look up to God and You say, God, where are you, God? Why? Why are you letting all of this happen to me? I was talking to somebody the other day and they said, you know, this has happened and this has happened and this. And they're like, I just don't know how much more I can take. And. And I'm sure I've said that myself, but, you know, we can handle more than we think. And I just want to encourage you today that you are stronger than you think you are. You have more fortitude and you have more God on the inside of you than you think you do. I want you to know that tonight will come and you will get to lay your head down and you will get to go to sleep and you'll get to rest, and mercy will kiss you in the morning and you'll be able to get up and do it again. I just prophesy over you that you are strong than you think you are. So keep going. Have you ever been pressed where you look up and you say, God, why, God? How much more a bad place, a stuck place, an unfamiliar place, a stranded place, a broke place, a sick place. Have you ever found yourself there? Well, Paul, in Acts 27, I'm not going to read the whole thing, but he gets on a boat. He's going to Rome. So this is his intention. He's going to Rome. This is in Acts 27. So that's his goal. And a storm comes up. Well, storm after storm after storm after storm. They think they're going to die. They go hungry. They've had nothing to eat. Over 278 people are aboard on this boat. They go from island to island, from storm to storm. They are hungry. Well, now we come up on Acts 28. So get your bibles out, get your iPhones out, get your iPads out. Acts 28. So once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire. They welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. So now Paul has been shipwrecked on this island called Malta. He's cold. He's in an unfamiliar place. This is not his destination. What is his destination? Rome. His destination is Rome. He's on the island called Malta. So he is cold. He's on Malta, an unfamiliar place. And just when he thinks he's okay, look what happens. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood, and as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. And when the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said, to each other. This man must be a murderer. For though he escaped from the snake, see, the Goddess justice has not allowed him to live. Have you ever asked God how much more? How much more? And listen, and just like Paul's situation, people look at somebody and say, people say it out loud.

Wherever you are, people.

People will assign a reason why. Why you're going through what you're going through. People will assign a reason, right? Well, if they were in church like they were supposed to be. Well, if she didn't backslide five years ago. Well, if they didn't dress like they dress this, see, they will assign a reason like it is their right for whatever you are going through. So the islanders watching say, he claims to be a servant of God.

Why isn't God protecting you?

He must be a murderer. See, and this is the part where most of us start to blame God right here in our situations when everything's gone wrong, when we find ourselves in an unfamiliar place, this is where we start to question why, God, God, if you really loved me, God, if you were really a good God, God, if that tithing thing really worked with, why.

Am I in this mess? God, why?

This is where we start asking the questions. Blaming God, blaming the church. We get mad at all the trouble. Then we backslide. Well, look what Paul does. Go to verse five. He didn't say anything. He did not feel sorry for himself. He didn't cry.

He didn't let everybody on Facebook know.

What he was going through.

But what did Paul do? He shook off the snake into the.

Fire and he suffered no ill effects. Look, just when you think it's about.

Over, just when they are talking about you, just when they have counted you out, it's time for you to shake it off. Shake it off. Shake it off. He shook it off. That's a word for you today. You better shake it off. Tell somebody near you. You better shake it off. You better shake it off. God already told him that he was going to Rome and he knew he couldn't die right there. So what did he have to do? He had to shake it off. He already got a word where he was going, and he knew his situation, didn't dictate where God had told him he was gonna go. This is a word for you right now. I don't know what you're dealing with, I don't know what you're going through, but it's time to shake it off.

He knew his assignment.

He already had a word. What word has God already spoken over your life? But all Hell is beating you around. Stop asking why. When trouble hits your life, ask God for a revelation of what he's trying to teach you in the place that he's trying to take you to.

And they just stood there and they watched. They didn't come help. They didn't bring him a prayer cloth. They didn't bring him a meal when he was home sick. They just stood and they watched. You will have people who are just watching, who cannot believe that you're still here.

That you still love God, that you still got your praise on, that you still get up and go to work anyway.

You got people who are watching you. You've been talked about, you've been lied.

About, you've been counted out, you've been laughed at. But guess what? You're still here.

They're like, okay, Saw him shake it off. They're like, okay, now what? Verse 6. The people expected him to swell up.

And suddenly fall dead.

They still waiting on him not to make it. They expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happened to him, guess what happened?

They changed their minds.

Well, he must be a God. They changed their minds. Now he's a God. First he was a murderer, now he's a God. See, you gotta keep going. No matter what they say about you.

You gotta keep going.

No matter who deletes you, no matter.

Who blocks you, no matter who doesn't.

Invite you to the the party.

You can't count on people.

People's wishy washy.

They'll love you today and they'll hate you tomorrow. They did it to Jesus.

They said he was the Messiah.

Then they said, no, crucify him.

If they did it to Jesus, they'll.

Do it to you. And your response cannot be for people.

One message I post, they clapping. The next message I post, they deleting me. But I can't delete Instagram because of people.

I gotta keep pressing into the call of God on my life. I gotta keep pressing in knowing that God's called me to my own Rome. And it don't matter if I end up on Malta. It don't matter if the wind's and the waves beat around me. I know that God's called me to Rome and I gotta keep going.

I gotta shake it off.

If God's told you you're going to.

Rome your own business, get married, pay.

Off your house, get out of debt, be healed of cancer, whatever your Rome is, you will have to make a decision when you come to your Own Malta. When trouble hits your life, how you gonna handle it?

How are you gonna respond when you hit Malta? Listen, after Paul got bit by the snake and shook it off, now he's a God. Remember? The official on the island hears about it, and guess what happens? He gets invited to dinner. Write this down. Opportunities are on the other side of your persistence during adversity. Did you hear me? Opportunities are on the other side of your persistence during your adversity. See, we want the opportunity, but we run from the adversity. Look at somebody and say, you got to pass through. You got to pass through. You got to pass through. You got to be persistent in your Malta. There's a blessing on the other side of your trouble. There's a blessing on the other side of your trouble. Verse 7. There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. Well, his father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. He was there three days. Publius father was sick, I call it, with the COVID We can all relate. We don't know what the sickness and the dysentery was. Maybe he had the COVID He was sick and there was nothing that they could do about it. And I can't help but wonder if it dawned on Paul right about now. Maybe this is why I ended up in Malta.

I can't help but wonder if Paul. It might have just hit him. Maybe this is why I've had to.

Go through what I've had to go through. There is a reason that we go through what we go through. There is a reason why you are struggling right now.

There is a reason that you went through bankruptcy. There is a reason that you had to go through a divorce. There is a reason that your child had to go through rehab. There is a reason that you lost your job. There is a reason you got people living in your house that's not supposed to be living in your house.

Paul took his hand and he laid.

It on Publius.

And he was healed. After Paul laid his hands on him. And remember, it could have been that.

Same hand that he came and he.

Laid his hand on Publius, and he looked down at his hand and he.

Could have still seen that snake bite.

It could have been the same hand where adversity had hit him that God used to turn around and minister, y'.

All ain't hearing me. It could have been the same hand that where adversity had hit his life that God said I'm gonna use you for my glory.

Paul.

Paul prayed for him.

And what you went through that did.

Not kill you and that you persevered.

Through is how God wants to use you today. Have you ever thought about that? Look at somebody and say, you got to keep going.

You got to keep going. You got to keep going. Well, word got out all over the.

Island and the whole island came to Publius's house.

He turned his house into a church.

And the whole island gave their life to Jesus. Genesis 50:20.

What the devil meant for evil, God was meant for good, comma, why? For the salvation of many. You gotta keep going. You don't know why God's got you where he's got you. You don't know why you had to go through what you had to go through. What if? Say, what if? Say, what if? What if what you're going through isn't about you anyway? What if it's about your children?

What if it's about your grandchildren?

What if it's about your co worker? What if it's about your parents? What if it is about your 401k? You gotta keep going. Shout, keep going. Don't give up in the middle of adversity. Shout, keep going. You say, pastor, how it's so hard.

It's so hard. I'm so tired. I'm so tired of this trouble. I'm so tired of one thing after another. How do I do it? David said this. He said, I've had to encourage myself in times of trouble.

How did he do it?

Thankfulness. He did it when he remembered. He said, this is how I encourage myself.

I look back over the times in my life where God never left me. I look back over the times in my life where I killed the lion, then I killed the bear. Then I went and met Goliath and I took him out. That is how I encourage myself when I'm going through in times of trouble. When I think I can't make it, I turn around and I look at all the times that God's been faithful to me. Why don't you do that right now? Why don't you just lift your hands where you are and say, God, I remember all the ways you've been good to me. I remember all the times, God, I made it, when I thought I couldn't make it. God, I remember when you paid my bills, when I thought I didn't have anything. God, I remember when they brought groceries and I didn't have nothing to eat. God, I remember.

God, I'm thankful I encourage myself today.

Encourage yourself. Shake it off.

Shake it off. It's time for us to shake it off. It doesn't matter what you're going through.

Or what bites you or what situation or circumstance.

You got to shake it off.

And you got to keep the goal in mind that God's called you to a place. God has called you to something, and all hell has come to stop you. But today I want to encourage you that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. And what God has for you is.

For you, and nobody can take it from you.

But you gotta shake it off.

And you gotta encourage yourself in the Lord tonight.

You gotta encourage yourself. I would encourage you right now to.

Start writing down all the good things of God.

Stop focusing on all the hell. Stop focusing on all the trouble. Sometimes you gotta take your mind and say, shut up, devil.

From talking to me.

I am just going to think on.

The good things of God.

I promise you.

God wants to use what you're going through.

God's just not letting things happen to.

You to wear you out, to tear you down.

And it's not because he doesn't love you. He loves you so much.

Much.

But God wants to use our trial.

Our tribulation, our trouble for the salvation of many.

What God's done in my life that the testimonies that I have heard all over the world of marriages being restored.

I thought I was going to die.

In the middle of that season.

I thought God could never use me again. But what God's done with this testimony, oh, the far better weight of glory.

That I've seen God use on my life.

But it came through trouble. But you got to keep pressing. You got to keep pressing. Say you got to keep pressing. You got to shake it off. God's going to get you to Malta, but he wants to use Malta so that he can get you to Rome.

Oh, I'm so grateful for the work God's done in my life. And see, I wouldn't have that, that gratefulness on the inside of me if I had not seen God bring me through it. God wants to bring you completely out.

Of it so that you can take that same hand where the snake bit you and turn around and minister his grace and healing to somebody else.

Let me pray for you right now, Jesus. I know there are some hurting, struggling.

People listening to my voice today.

And God, I pray that you would.

Sweep in, that you would encourage them.

God, that you would give them a fresh new grace, that you would give them a fresh new breath of air. God, that you are doing something far.

More than we can even see in our trouble.

God, I pray that you would let.

Opportunity come to people who pass the test. Lord, I thank you that salvation is coming to households tonight all over the world for people who say, God, just God, I'm faithful.

I'm faithful in the test.

God, I'm faithful in the trial.

And, God, I'm asking you to help me press through this struggle and this pain so that you get the glory in Jesus name.

Amen.

Amen. Amen. God is so good.

We love you, and we will see you next week. Wow.

Wasn't that such an impactful word from Pastor Hope? You know, what I love about her is that she's always legit. She always brings a real word in season, and it's just so moving. I just absolutely love her. If you were inspired by her message and you want to hear more from her, you can find her on Instagram, you can find her on Facebook, and you can find her on Twitter. For more information, you can go to hopecarpenter.

Com.

We'll see you next week.