SPEAKING LIFE / PASTOR HOWARD TUTEN

LIFE IS HARD BUT GOD IS GOOD

https://www.instagram.com/cedarlake_cc/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to C Lake Christians in the podcast. You continue to grow in the grace and knowledge. You can find us online at CLCC.

SPEAKER_02 0:28

We've prayed for. I might be the only one. Have y'all ever experienced delay in your prayer life? In your breakthrough? Anybody? I'm just gonna get a few answers here, okay? How many of you have prayed for something for more than 10 years? Raise your hand. And you still haven't gotten it? Look around the room. How many of you prayed for more than 15 years for something and haven't gotten it yet?

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Twenty. Twenty-five. Wow. Thirty. Thirty-five.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

Y'all are getting past when I was born. No, just kidding. Why I wanted you to see that is because you're not the only one. But how many of you know that God's timing is perfect? Amen. His time is perfect. He knows the beginning and the end and everything in between. And he's already factored everything in. He's already factored in the waiting. Before you even knew what to pray, he had an answer. And then you put some space in between there for you to trust him. The Bible says, don't grow weary in well-doing, for in due season. You see, there's a season for everything that we pray for. And until we get to the season for the specific things we ask for, it may require a little bit more developing, right? Maturing for us to handle those things. It may be that it's just testing you to see if you'll hang in there with God. I've prayed for things that happen right away. And I'm still praying for some things to happen.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Over 35 years. No matter how long I've had to wait. He's still good. He's still good.

SPEAKER_02 2:59

When I thought it was past due, he's still good. When I got tired of waiting, when I got impatient.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

He's still good.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

He's still good. Is he still good? Amen. Praise the Lord. Pastor Neil was speaking about having dominion over you, over yourself. Before you conquer anything else, you must learn how to govern yourself, your emotions, your mouth, your thoughts, your reactions, and your spirit.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

Well, that covers it all. I'm done. Y'all can go home and eat.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

Sometimes the greatest sermon you'll ever hear is the one that you speak out of your own mouth. That you speak to yourself. Anybody ever talk to yourself? Every hand ought to be raised on that one. Right? Everybody talks to themselves.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

But what's coming out of your mouth when you talk to yourself? Anybody?

SPEAKER_02 4:12

By the way, I asked like three other people to preach this morning. They all declined, so you're stuck with me. I gave them the opportunity. Especially one in the back back there.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 4:37

It's real important that you speak not just positively over yourself, but what's God saying about you? I know that can depend on our emotional state of being at the time. Different times I've cussed myself out. Yeah, I thought that would hit. Y'all identify, huh? Well, I'm glad I ain't the only one. I I'm the type I'm harder on myself than anyone could ever be. And God has had to soften me through the years. He's He's taught me how to love myself more and not be so hard on myself. And um Proverbs 1821.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

What comes out of your mouth is spillage from your heart.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

It ain't acid reflux. You ever said something and said, Man, where'd that come from?

SPEAKER_02 5:57

It's because it's something deep down, and until it surfaces, you don't even know it's in there. Sometimes it's anger, sometimes it's frustration. It comes in different forms. Fear. Didn't even know you're afraid till you got afraid, right? Where'd that come from? But it comes from what we put in, and it comes from what we believe. Um complaining? How many of you can go one day without complaining about anything? Dude, we need to talk. How did you do that? Because you made a conscious effort? Intentional. Christian, you gone a whole day without complaining? You got siblings and you've gone a whole day without complaining. We got tall. I need to know the secret. Negative thinking? How many of you gone a whole day without negative thinking? Towards yourself? How about constant frustration? How about doubting? How about fear?

SPEAKER_01 7:09

Have any of y'all gone a whole day without any of those? You gotta learn to encourage yourself.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

That's the remedy. Encouraging yourself in the Lord. David encouraged himself in the Lord. One of the mightiest men of God in the Bible. David was not perfect. Y'all know that. David wasn't perfect. He wasn't like this, David. I don't know. You're pretty close, man. Pretty close. But David encouraged himself in the Lord, and that's something that the Lord has put in me. I've learned to encourage myself. There were times there was nobody to clap for me or to say yay or to encourage me. And you know, you can let that get to you, and you can start feeling depressed and say, Woe is me. That ain't gonna get you anywhere. Complaining, being negative, being fearful, that's not gonna change your situation. It doesn't have the ability to. We're inviting his authority into the situation, and he begins to change things. There are things in us that need to change. And some of us, we've been working on it for a long time. Don't stop. Don't stop. Keep on. Say this back to me. I will bless the Lord. I will trust God. I will not quit in this season. This waiting season will not break me. Life is hard. God is good. I'm gonna focus on God. Amen. That's how you stop complaining. You complain because you're focused on life, on the hardness of life. But if you'll focus on God, guess what? The light shouldn't complain about the darkness. It should just shine. Right? Stop complaining about the darkness. Yeah, the world is this and the world is that. Life is hard, but God is good. Learn to trust God in the waiting. I heard this. I can't even tell you who said it, but man, when I heard this, it just nailed me. God's timing will offend our urgency. I like that. God's timing will offend our urgency. We want answers now. We want healing now. We want breakthrough now. We want doors to open now. But God often develops us in the waiting. Have you ever thought about while while we're waiting, it could be a divine delay? You ever thought about that? We're so quick to blame everything on the devil. He's holding back our breakthrough. Maybe sometimes. But sometimes it's divine delay. Because it's not time yet, God says, nope, not yet. Just wait. Can I say if you're having to wait on something you've been praying for, when it arrives, it's going to be better than you imagined it. You say, how can you back that up? He can do exceedingly, abundantly above what we can ask or even expect. That was y'all's chance to shout. You've been waiting on something a long time. Guess what? When it gets there, it's going to be better than what you thought it was going to be. He ain't going to give you no broke down used car. He's going to give you that shiny new one. That's what that's saying. I'm not saying he may do that for you. He won't do that. God don't do stuff like that. Yeah, well, when I was a little boy, probably, I want to say I was 10 or 11 years old. I wanted a dirt bike so bad. My mom and dad is one household income. My dad worked. My mom stayed at home and kept us. But I wanted a dirt bike so bad. I had a neighbor that had one and he'd come right in my yard. And I said, Man, that looks so fun. I'd love to have one. And I approached my dad and I said, Dad, I sure would like to have a motorcycle. And his response to me wasn't, we can't afford that. He said, pray for it. Ask God for it. I didn't argue, I did what my father said. And so I began to pray for it. I can't tell you how long I waited. It wasn't long. It was it was that summer. My neighbor was keeping me. And about eight o'clock, my my mom and dad went out to eat or something. When they came, they called me back home and I came home. And at that time we were closing in our carport because we only had a two-bedroom house. And dad had told us, you know, if there's something you want, then let's write it down and pray for it. I forgot that part. I'm sorry. But they wanted to close in the carport to have an extra bedroom. And my sister wanted something else. No, that's what she wanted. She wanted her own room away from me. And then I wanted the motorcycle. I think mom wanted a new washer and dryer. And so the carport was being closed in. They were working on that. So God was answering that prayer. And I came running back to the house, and I came inside, and my mom and dad standing there, and they said, Come here, I want to show you something. And I walked into that unfinished carport that was closed in. It was studded up, and the sheetrock was up. And right in the middle of that room was a brand new derpide with a helmet.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

A Honda C R eighty. Is there anything too hard for him? Is there anything too hard for him, House? What do you need? Is there anything too hard for him? Yeah, but mine's bigger. But is there anything too hard for him? Because we're talking about his ability. Not only has God delivered a brand new motorcycle to me after I prayed for it.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

When I was real young, he healed my mom's. My mom was legally blind in one eye. And she used to have Bible studies at her house. And one day in the spirit, she visited the throne room of God. And she saw, she didn't see his face. She was in a throne room. She saw a throne. She saw his hand reach down and pick up a diamond scepter. And it reached down and it touched her right here. It physically left a mark where we could see it.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

And he healed her blinded eye. Is anything too hard for God? Anything.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

Yeah, but I've been struggling for something for 15 years. Is anything too hard for God?

SPEAKER_01 15:58

He's got you. He's got you.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

A lot of times we want to fix everything and everyone. Because we don't want to wait. Right? We get impatient. There's more for you than what you're seeing. How do you become patient? Because you've got to realize there's more for you than what you're seeing. We get impatient because we can't see things happening. We can't see God. I mean, we can't see him turning things around. But if we'll realize that he's working in ways we cannot see, why are you just relying on your sight, on your vision? We walk by faith. It's our faith that pleases him. God's working behind the scenes. And while he's doing that, he's preparing you. He's protecting you. He's positioning you. The waiting season is not punishment, it's preparation. Who needed that? The waiting season is not punishment, it's preparation. You know when Lazarus was dead and all of his friends said, Jesus, if you'd have just been here sooner. But what happened when he showed up? And he said, Lazarus, come forth. He got uh, didn't he? But the friend said, if you were to come here sooner they were impatient. They wanted their friend back. Some of you want your family back right now.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

God's still working on them. Thank you, Lord. I want my son back, I want my daughter back, I want my marriage back.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

He's working on it.

SPEAKER_01 18:04

You can't see it, but don't discount it because you can't see it.

SPEAKER_02 18:12

Go ahead and come into agreement with him. Instead of complaining about having to wait, come into agreement with him. What's the Bible say about agreement? There is what in agreement? There's power.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

The right spirit, the right heart equals agreement with God.

SPEAKER_02 18:39

The struggle's not always the devil. Sometimes it's us fighting against God's plan. Sometimes his plan is for us to wait. Being dissatisfied and disappointed breeds dysfunction and hardship. But peace comes when we trust his decisions, when we do it his way, when we let him lead, when we trust him, when we repent, when we surrender.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

How many of you need peace in your life right now?

SPEAKER_02 19:15

There is no peace and joy outside the Holy Ghost. Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. That's the kingdom of God. What's that saying? That's saying, unless you let Him lead, you'll have no peace because you can't do it all on your own. When you let Him lead, when you let Him, when you surrender and say, okay, Holy Spirit, whatever you want to do, if you say yes today, if you say no today, I'm with you. That's what that means. Letting Him lead. I'm gonna tell myself, I haven't done that before. So I got home Friday. I was in a hurry to cut the grass before the rain came in. We still do our yard push mower. All right. And so I'm trying to get this thing done. And I said, God, if you just let me get the front done. We got a corner lock, so everybody drives and they see it. Whether they turn or go straight, they see it. And so I said, God, I want to be a good example. Please hold this rain off. I need 30 minutes. Just 30 minutes. And then I said, All right, let's do this. And so I'm I'm mowing the lawn and I get the front cut. That's all I want to cut because we got a privacy fence for the back. I said, just let me get the front done. I'll be good. And I got the front done. And then I said, I wonder if I can get the back too. I said, God, will you hold it off a little bit longer? 30 more minutes and I'll have the back done. And then I realized I said something I've never said before. I said, God, I'm asking for a yes, but if you say no, I'm all right. I'm not gonna get mad. That's progress, right? Amen. He let me finish it. I didn't get rain done. I got the whole thing cut. Now I paid for it later. My my shins and my shins and my calves were Charlie horsing. I mean, both sides, you know, sometimes you get a Charlie horse, you can stretch it out. If I stretched it this way, it made that side Charlie horse. If I stretched it that way, it made that side Charlie horse. I couldn't walk, y'all. Shannon was gone to her mom's taking the grandkid. And I'm like, okay, Lloyd, but you let me finish. There's a price to pay for that. I may have been a little dehydrated. Some of my calves were going crazy. But I thought, man, I've come a long way. I said, God, if you don't answer this the way I want it answered, I ain't gonna get mad.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Get your peace and your joy back.

SPEAKER_02 22:24

The enemy wants your peace, he wants your joy, he wants your confidence, he wants your hope. And that can drain your spirit, can't it? He can weaken your faith. But joy and peace, that's evidence that you're operating in the kingdom of God, and he's in control. You can't control every circumstance, but you can guard your spirit. You can't control your circumstances, but you can guard your spirit. You don't have to give in to what's coming against you. You can stand up, you can fight it.

SPEAKER_01 23:16

Lastly, I want to share this.

SPEAKER_02 23:19

All that's working on us and having dominion over us. Or a better way to say that would be letting the Holy Spirit have dominion over us. But God wants us to do that individually so that we can come together corporately and have unity and be strong when we're united as one. The Spirit of God unites us and ignites us for purpose and destiny. Isolation, how many of you dealt with isolation before? Depression, isolation. I have.

SPEAKER_01 24:02

That is not the answer. That is not the answer.

SPEAKER_02 24:09

What I've found the best remedy for depression, get on your meds like your doctor prescribed.

SPEAKER_01 24:19

No shame. I'm on them. But number two, get your mind off yourself.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

Depression is the most selfish thing. It's the most selfish state of mind you can be in. It's all about you. It's all about you. It's all about what you don't have. It's all about you. And what I started doing is getting my mind off myself and say, God, you bless me to be a blessing. And that's what I focused on. Gotta get your mind off of you. Because God didn't make us for isolation. He made us for relationship. If you're isolated, you can't be out amongst your brothers and sisters. And each joint supplying what the other has need of. God doesn't want you to be isolated. He's put too much in you. And he wants to do so much in you, with you, and through you, but you can't do it isolated. It's each joint supplying what the other has need of in the body of Christ. Amen. The enemy wants division, but God moves through agreement. We are better together. When one is weak, the other can strengthen them. How many times have you been in a had a hard day and you've been weak and drained and just a text from a friend or a hug? It just changed everything. That's a God moment. He doesn't need but a moment. He didn't need but a moment. Give him your moment. So in closing, speak life over yourself. Trust God in the waiting. Come into agreement with his plan. Get your peace and your joy back. Walk in unity because there's more for you than what you're seeing. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 26:36

Life is hard. God is good. Focus on God's goodness. Now go and be good. Go and do good. Not just to others, but to yourself.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

Gotta love yourself. Amen. I may I may hit on that every time I preach because uh there are two things forgiveness and loving yourself. Because if you don't, if you leave those two things out, you're not gonna have joy or peace. If you want joy and peace, you're gonna have to learn to love yourself, and you're gonna have to forgive everyone for everything every day.

unknown 27:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:34

Every day. 70 times seven, Scott. 490 times.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Not per person, per person per day. I've never had to forgive somebody that many times in one day. How many of you have forgiven someone out of your mess of God?

SPEAKER_02 27:59

I forgive them with everything that's within me. And then a week later, you're so angry you could punch them if they were standing in front of you. Right? So there is a progression to forgiveness. There's a progression. Keep forgiving every day. Begin your day and end your day. Lord, I forgive every one of everything. Because life is hard. And life is full of people who will always sit out to offend you and to conquer you and make you look like a dummy.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Right? Maybe God put some enemies in our path to help us to be Christ-like.

SPEAKER_02 28:50

Let us work on it. I mean some work on it, being Christ-like. He may send an enemy across your path. Oh, that means there's somebody I get to hate.

SPEAKER_01 29:05

No. Bible says if you have an enemy, you gotta love them. Give them food and water. You sure we can't just at least let their throat be dry? Sure we can't let their stomach growl just once?

SPEAKER_02 29:29

Y'all at like y'all had some enemies. We're getting better, aren't we? Right? We're growing. I'm excited about growing in God. When I said I need him more today, it's because I'm gonna continue to grow. I'm gonna continue to learn. I want to continue to be who he's called me to be and do what he's called me to do. Look at your neighbor and say, remain teachable. Open up your heart. Remain teachable and watch what God will do.

SPEAKER_01 30:09

In you, with you, and through you.

SPEAKER_02 30:14

That's been my focus points. That's been my focus points for years. God wants to do more in me, with me, and through me than I can even imagine.

SPEAKER_01 30:26

And he wants that for you too. Amen. Stand up on your feet this morning.

unknown 30:34

Hallelujah.

SPEAKER_01 30:41

When I say life is hard, what you gonna say? Y'all better remember that. I had to wash this thing to wear it. I didn't hire it, but I washed it. Life is hard, but greater is he who is in you than what's up against you from the outside. Look at your neighbor and say, You're great.

SPEAKER_02 31:23

Now practice greatness. Practice greatness. Anita, you have a right to be awesome today. Be awesome.

SPEAKER_01 31:32

Yes, ma'am. Miss Wright, you have a right to be awesome today.

SPEAKER_02 31:40

Be awesome. That's right. Scott, you have a right to be awesome today. Be awesome. Right? That's gonna work on Monday, too.

unknown 31:50

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 31:52

You look at yourself in the mirror, Dave, and say, Dave, you have a right to be awesome. Be awesome. You might have to tell your wife a few more times. Y'all are great. Oh. Exercise your right to be awesome. Because you are. You were created in his likeness and image. And there ain't a demon in hell that can do anything about it. Amen. Father, we just thank you for your word this morning. I thank you. We receive your word. I thank you that it's been planted in good soil this morning. And we will take that. We will practice it, Lord God. We'll be patient with you. We'll wait upon you. We will trust your timing. And as we do, your light's going to shine through us. May we reach one more this week. Father, I thank you for opportunities coming up where we'll be able to witness to those around us. If you'll pray and ask him for an opportunity, he'll give you one. And don't be ashamed. You say, well, it's awkward. It's awkward. You're going to let being awkward keep you from God using you? You see, we got to get rid of the excuses. Say, Father, I give you my excuses. I give you my excuses, and I give you my yes. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Well, love someone, and we look forward to seeing you Wednesday night. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 33:32

Thank you for we pray this podcast has been a blessing. For more information about Celtic Christian Center, you can find us online at clc.