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Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000147S
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00:07 #S076 - “A No Win Situation” (Part 2)
00:19 Welcome to the Breath of life. 00:21 Television Ministries broadcast with Pastor Debleaire Snell. 00:26 In today's episode, Pastor Snell will continue part 00:29 two of the powerful message “A No Win Situation”. 00:34 Now let's go deeper into the word of God. 00:39 And so the word sends to us here in Genesis 39 and verse 00:43 nine, Can y'all stay in the word with the pastor today? 00:46 So Joseph says there is no one greater in this house than I, 00:50 nor has he kept anything back from me but you, 00:53 because you are his wife. 00:54 How can I do this? 00:55 Great wickedness and sin against God? 00:57 Excuse me, verse eight. 00:59 But the Bible says, But He what 01:02 the Bible says he what he refuse. 01:06 In other words, number three, 01:08 Joseph strength was not in his resisting. 01:12 His strength was in his refusing. 01:15 Okay, 01:17 I hear me on this. 01:21 Joseph's strength was not in how well he resisted. 01:25 It was actually in how immediately he refused it. 01:30 See, one of the things 01:32 I don't think we do, where we don't give Joseph enough credit 01:36 is that there are some that actually kind of believe 01:39 that Joseph was not attracted to Potter for his wife 01:43 because he is this young guy and maybe she is 01:45 just this older woman that Joseph would not feel 01:49 but understand that even though Joseph 01:51 is a man of God, he is still a man. 01:55 Okay, your brother's somebody brand new. 01:57 He is still a man. 01:59 And we're not exactly sure how old Joseph is, 02:04 but if he has been in Egypt for 2 to 3 years, he is in a 17 02:09 or 18 year old man who has reached his sexual prime. 02:14 And, you know, heart is at that age, it is all you think about 02:19 and is crazy because there is an assumption 02:22 that part of his wife is this wrinkled up, great cougar. 02:24 That's not the truth, because what scholars suggest 02:28 is that in Egyptian culture, oftentimes men married women 02:32 that were much younger than they were, 02:35 so that even if part of her was 40 or 50, 02:38 his wife may be a 25 year old, 02:41 buoyant and bouncy young lady 02:44 that has everything that would appeal to Joseph. 02:48 Not now. How do you believe that? 02:50 Because if she one had 02:53 the devil wouldn't put her in front of him. 02:55 In other words, the devil laying on 02:57 putting that in front of you that don't appeal he's 03:00 going to make sure is tailor made are y'all hear me today 03:05 to your 03:06 weaknesses and your desires and to understand that Potter 03:10 for his life meets a variety of needs. 03:13 One Joseph is alone, so she provides company. 03:17 He is a minority and she provides support. 03:21 She literally affirms his gifts. 03:24 And literally, as an 18 year old man, 03:27 she is able to give him relief from the sexual tensions 03:31 that he deals with on a day to day basis. 03:35 But the thing I love about Joseph is that it wasn't 03:38 his strength to resist. 03:39 It was his ability or willingness to refuse. It's 03:46 another word song. 03:47 See, I need you to hear me on this. 03:49 This is not a situation 03:50 where Joseph thought this over a bunch of times. 03:55 This is not a scenario where he weighed 03:58 the pros and the cons and that he considered the consequences. 04:02 And he just came down to the right conclusion. 04:06 No, the world lets us know that as soon as it was 04:09 proffered, Joseph refused it. 04:13 In other words, I need somebody to hear me on this, 04:16 because in the Hebrew that word refuse is the word my queen. 04:20 And it literally means and abso lute rejection. 04:24 It means to not even make it a matter of thought, 04:28 and it actually means to express distaste or the offer. 04:32 In other words, your word, Joseph, does not placate 04:35 this joint. 04:36 He's not like, Well, maybe if you weren't married 04:38 or if it was a 04:39 different kind of situation, maybe you and I could get down. 04:43 But there is everything in his demeanor that says, I'm 04:46 not even giving this thought today. 04:52 See, Joseph didn't just resist temptation 04:54 because the resisting temptation 04:56 kind of sometimes has this idea that, man, I thought it over 05:01 a bunch of times, but I just left. 05:02 It landed in the right way. 05:04 It is to suggest that I was pulling myself 05:06 in that direction. 05:08 And I got close and I stepped away from it. 05:11 It is to suggest, man, that literally I was about to, 05:15 but I resisted at the last moment 05:17 and say Resisting is good, 05:18 but how many of us know you will only resist evil so long? 05:23 Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. 05:24 I like that. 05:25 Can you hear me today? 05:26 See? See? I need somebody in the stand. 05:29 The reason you can't even think things over. 05:34 The reason you shouldn't entertain certain offers too 05:37 long. 05:39 The reason you shouldn't just waive the consequences 05:44 is because if you think things over too long, 05:46 anything starts making sense. 05:50 In other words, if you give it too much 05:52 evaluation that which does not appeal, that 05:56 which you know is unintelligent, you think about it long enough 06:02 and it'll start making sense to you. 06:04 But see this thing I need somebody to get you. 06:07 See the strength of Joseph's ability to refuse it actually 06:12 flowed out of Joseph's personal resolve. 06:16 You see, one of the things I want to say really quickly 06:19 is that young people, 06:20 you got to have some resolve about some things. 06:23 There's got to be some things in your life 06:25 that you have already predetermined. 06:28 You've got to have some non-negotiable axioms 06:31 that does that, that are not pliable or adjustable 06:34 based to the circumstances of the situations you may face. 06:39 You've got to have some convictions that you live out 06:42 no matter how things are going, 06:45 whether they are going well or whether they are bad. 06:48 You've got to have some ethics that are not flexible. 06:51 I hear me today, Church. 06:52 You've 06:53 got to have some things in your life that win. 06:56 Certain things appeal. 06:57 You ain't even got to pray about it 07:00 because you already know God's will about it. 07:04 You ain't got to ask nobody for because God has already 07:07 spoken and made certain things clear. 07:11 So friends of mine like told you, 07:12 I don't suppose to be an example to anybody, anything. 07:17 But I've got some non-negotiable axioms in my life. 07:20 I got some things that I don't adjust 07:21 based upon who I'm talking to. 07:23 It doesn't change based upon situation. 07:25 Some of those axioms are these 07:27 like one of the things I've simply decided 07:29 is that I'm not going to be a respecter of persons. 07:33 I'm not going to treat you a certain way 07:34 because of your last name 07:36 or because of who 07:37 your family is in the church, or because of 07:40 how much you may have. 07:41 It's funny 07:42 because when I started a breath of life, 07:43 somebody said, Man, Pastor, you will have to learn 07:45 how to be political and know how to do this 07:47 for that person, that for the other person. 07:49 I made it clear you might need to find somebody else, 07:52 because that's not how I move. 07:53 I'm going to show all men 07:55 dignity who are created in the image of God. 07:59 I hear me today, church. 08:02 I got some convictions. 08:03 One of my conviction is, 08:04 no matter what, I'm not going to leave my house. 08:09 And in fact, I was counseling with a young couple 08:12 and they were asking they were saying, 08:13 we hear you, Pastor, but what if this happens? 08:15 And what if that happens and one of the other happens? 08:18 And I had to let them know 08:19 that your outcome is not decided as you evaluate what happens. 08:24 You've got to have a conviction that says, come what may. 08:28 It's not a matter of if we going to work it out. 08:30 It's just a matter of how we're going to work it out. 08:33 I hear what I'm saying. 08:34 In other words, I have made it a conviction 08:37 that no matter what, I am going to forgive. 08:39 I know with the pastor today 08:40 I don't decide to forgive based upon the offense. 08:44 That comes because of what I do with breath of life. 08:47 I have five or six entities that every week 08:49 they decide to throw me online and tear down everything I say. 08:55 But I've just made it up in my mind 08:57 that I'm going to live at peace with all man 09:00 and realize that when they come from me, 09:03 they ultimately have to deal with the Lord. 09:06 So I'm going to forgive regardless of what they do. 09:09 Do you realize church? 09:11 I have literally made it up in my mind 09:14 that gratitude is a value in my life, so that my gratitude 09:17 is not going to be based upon how it's going. 09:20 I've made it up in my mind that whether I have money 09:22 or I don't, I'm going to praise the Lord. 09:24 I've made it up in my mind that whether you like me 09:26 or you don't, I'm going to praise the Lord. 09:28 Is there anybody that has gratitude as a value 09:32 that doesn't have to wake up and decide how it's going? 09:35 In order to praise the Lord. 09:36 But you wake up every morning and say, This is the day 09:41 that the Lord has made. 09:43 I'm going to rejoice and be glad in it. 09:45 See, somebody said, 09:46 Let me see how church goes before I decide to praise them. 09:51 But you've got to have gratitude as a value that says 09:54 from the rising of the sun 09:58 to the going down of the same 10:01 that the name of the Lord is to be praised. 10:06 Oh, you hear me? 10:06 Today sets. 10:09 So you have some stuff that don' 10:14 So. So this the thing I want to say. 10:17 Because sometimes when we think about Joseph, 10:19 we try to put him in this perfect, inhuman category 10:24 as he is. 10:25 If he is just a straight laced rule follower, 10:27 that just gets everything right. 10:29 No, that's not who he is. 10:30 So you see what I need somebody to understand about Joseph? 10:34 He is simply, Oh, say this, right. 10:38 He is simply a man 10:40 whose heart is fully devoted to God. 10:45 No, no. 10:46 What you're seeing in his story is what happens 10:50 when your heart is fully devoted to God. 10:53 And see, I need somebody to understand this about morality. 10:57 That the highest form of morality. 11:01 It is simply unconditional love for Jesus Christ. 11:04 Oh, no, no. 11:06 You're not getting this the highest form of morality. 11:10 It is just unconditional love for Jesus Christ. 11:14 And in fact, what did Jesus say is the greatest commandment? 11:17 It wasn't. Don't steal. 11:18 I don't commit adultery. 11:20 The greatest commandment is simply to love me 11:24 with all your heart 11:25 and with all your soul and with all of your strength. 11:29 And to be clear sense 11:30 that morality is not about what you say no to. 11:35 It's about who you say yes to. 11:39 Okay. 11:40 See? See, when Joseph says no, Joseph 11:42 is not just honoring a role. 11:46 He's prioritizing a relationship. 11:49 Okay. 11:50 No, no. Hear me on this. 11:51 He is not just honoring an arbitrary rule. 11:55 He literally is is honoring our prioritizing a relation ship. 12:00 That's why he literally puts his righteous action 12:03 in the context of that relationship 12:05 when he talks about it for his wife. 12:06 He lays out tears. 12:08 Number one, he has respect for her. 12:11 Number two, he says, I have respect for my boss. 12:13 In fact, Ellen White makes it clear 12:15 that part of her did not treat Joseph as a slave. 12:18 But she says he meant her Joseph as a son. 12:22 But at the top of that tier pyramid, 12:24 he has a relationship with God that he prioritizes and says, 12:28 How can I commit this sin against God's? 12:35 In other words, true morality. 12:38 It is not worried about the consequences. 12:43 It's worried about the relationship. 12:45 How about Hear me today? 12:47 What kept him from doing it? 12:48 He wasn't worried about her getting pregnant. 12:50 He wasn't worried about somebody finding out. 12:54 He wasn't worried about what part of her is going to say. 12:56 See, I need you to know that as long as you just avoid saying 12:59 to avoid the consequences, 13:00 you're just going to create crafty ways 13:03 to get away with the consequences. 13:05 But you never get righteous until it is a relationship 13:11 that drives your do's and your don'ts. 13:14 Are you are hearing what I'm saying today friends 13:16 and see 13:17 this is why I love for God is the key to great morality. 13:22 Because how many of us understand that when I say 13:25 an unconditional yes to God, 13:30 I simultaneously say no to temptation. 13:34 Who? God 13:36 said, I need somebody to understand that my yes to God, 13:41 I don't have to turn around and say no. 13:42 They are the same action so that when I say yes to God, 13:47 I literally am turning my back on the world 13:51 and see how many of us know that the strength of my 13:53 Yes determines the strength of my no. 13:58 So that when I give weak yeses, 14:02 I'm going always have diluted no's and see the reason 14:06 I don't have the strength to say no to nothing. 14:11 Okay. Let me push along this side. 14:13 The reason we ain't got the strength to say 14:15 no to nothing is because we've never said yes to someone 14:21 and say This is where it is. 14:23 See, we think that when I see him, that's what destroys 14:26 the relationship. 14:28 We think that when I yield, 14:29 that's what we kins the relationship. 14:32 No, when I said that doesn't weaken the relationship, 14:35 it just reveals the weakness 14:37 that's already there in the relationship. 14:41 Are you all kiss me on this fence and see? 14:43 This is why you got to understand 14:44 what Jesus said in Matthew. Chapter six. 14:46 In verse 24, he says, No man can serve two masters 14:52 because either he's going to love one 14:54 and he's going to hate the other. 14:55 Y'all still with me today? 14:56 CHURCH He says you can't serve two 14:58 because he's going to love one or he's going to hate the other. 15:02 And see, Jesus is giving us this powerful relational truth 15:05 that love is so concentrated that it can't be split 15:09 between two objects. 15:13 No, no, you can't love two at the same time. 15:16 And so he didn't just say, 15:18 if you going to love one are the other. In other words, 15:20 these are not two separate conscious decisions. 15:24 He says love for one is to automatically result 15:28 in hate or neglect of the other thing, 15:31 so that 15:32 if I'm in love with God and fully concentrated on him, 15:37 it's going to result in a neglect or a turning away 15:39 from the former life or the form. 15:41 Away I go with the pastor today. 15:43 See, let me say it this way. 15:43 I remember, 15:44 you know, when I 15:45 when I was at Andrew's 15:46 and I start dating my wife before we got serious, 15:48 you know, I had, you know, my guy friends, my homies. 15:50 I had some platonic friends who were girls. 15:54 But I need you to know that there was something 15:55 it was actually an involuntary thing that when I start 15:59 getting I getting with her and I start really digging her, 16:04 that was such a radical shift in my priorities. 16:08 That was a shift in my values where I began to give her 16:12 my time. 16:13 I begin to give her my attention. 16:17 Because what love does is it can only focus on one at a time 16:21 and see what love did 16:22 was it brought neglect to other relationships. 16:26 So much so that my friends 16:27 was just like, Yo, dude, are we all right? 16:29 Did we do something wrong? 16:30 I mean, maybe I was wrong or caught up. 16:32 I own it, but I got the girl. 16:33 Come on and say, man, ah, call me soft. 16:37 Call me and back. 16:38 Hey, but I put a ring on it up. 16:40 Oh, no, not in the bathroom today. 16:46 Oh I feel the internet coming from me that. 16:50 Yo, so what I'm saying is that when I got with her, guess what? 16:55 It showed up with neglect to them. 16:58 And what I'm saying is when you get with Jesus is go 17:02 create a neglect to that which was contrary to him. 17:08 Are y'all hear me today, friends? 17:12 You see love k love two things at one time. 17:16 So ladies, when he comes you and says, well, 17:18 I love you, but I think I love her too. 17:20 The devil is a lie. 17:25 You need to refuse that offer our invitation 17:29 because you can't have love in two directions at the same time. 17:34 And this is crazy story church 17:37 because see, this is why you've got to doubt 17:41 living with God because sometimes you're going to face 17:44 what looks like a no win situation. 17:49 I mean, this is a catch 22. 17:52 If he does it and lays with her and gives her what he wants, 17:56 he offends and disrupts things with his relationship with God. 18:00 But then if he does not do it, 18:03 he has to deal with the wrath of a woman scorned. 18:08 And this is why friends of mine, I promise you, I'm 18:10 not going to keep you long, too much longer. 18:13 Hey, man, this is why you got to prioritize reputation. 18:19 I mean, you got to prioritize character over reputation. 18:25 Y'all stay with me 18:27 because you're saying I don't see, 18:29 you know, where you win is because, see, 18:31 this is what I need somebody to get that righteousness done. 18:34 Create a reward. 18:36 Righteousness is its own reward. 18:40 No, no. God, God, God. 18:43 No, no, no. 18:44 You don't do righteousness in order to be rewarded. 18:48 Righteousness and relationship is its own reward. 18:52 Y'all are. 18:53 Y'all are hearing me today, friends. 18:55 You don't do things in order to get rewarded. 18:58 Righteousness is actually its own reward. 19:00 And see the reason. 19:01 This is why some of us don't abide in Christ. 19:03 Because we only want to do good in order to receive good. 19:07 And as soon as we don't receive good, we stop doing good. 19:10 Because the only reason we did it was so we could get a job, 19:11 get cleared, get a man, get a girl, get promoted. 19:16 But how many of us know that if you only in it 19:17 for the benefits, you won't be in it very long? 19:23 So where is 19:23 Joseph Winn in this story? 19:27 This is why 19:30 character matters. 19:33 Joseph. 19:34 I mean, Potter for his wife. 19:35 I mean, she got proof. 19:38 She got evidence, she got Joseph's robe. 19:43 And Karen comes up with a story 19:45 about how this minority came in 19:49 and just tried to do whatever he wanted to with me. 19:53 And it's your fault because you let him in. 19:55 And this is why character matters, 20:00 because Potter often knew Joseph's character 20:04 and he knew the character of his wife. 20:08 And you knew that if he believed 20:11 that his wife was telling the truth, 20:14 how many of us know that Joseph wouldn't have been put in jail? 20:18 He would have cut off Joseph's hand. 20:22 And so even though Joseph was put in the jail, 20:26 Joseph could still praise God. 20:30 Because even though they slandered his reputation, 20:34 when your reputation is slandered, guess what? 20:36 Character stands up. 20:39 Character speaks. 20:42 Character won't stay silent, character speaks 20:46 for you and rules that you don't even get to go in. 20:51 Reputation comes and it goes. 20:54 But when you are a man 20:57 or a woman of God, it testifies for you. 21:01 It talks to you, for me, for you. 21:05 Your character is your greatest defense attorney. 21:09 You are here in this thing today. Church. 21:11 Listen, I want to share this 21:13 with anybody that's ever been lied 21:14 on, anybody ever been lied on before? 21:17 Anybody ever been talked about? 21:19 See, I love when anybody says, 21:20 I want to give you this statement. I'm almost done. 21:22 Literally. 21:24 Listen what she says, she says it's on the screen. 21:26 But if you can't hear it from me, while slander 21:30 may blacken the reputation, it cannot sustain the character. 21:35 Oh, God, man, I'm about to explode. 21:37 It can stain, though. 21:38 It can mess up the reputation, but it can't stain the character 21:42 that is in God's keeping. 21:45 So long as we do not consent to sin, 21:48 there is no power, whether human or satanic, 21:52 that can bring stain upon the soul. 21:54 A man whose heart is state upon God is just the same. 21:58 In the hour of his most difficult, most afflicting trial 22:02 and most discouraging surrounding 22:05 as when he was in prosperity, and when the light and favor 22:08 of God seemed upon him, his words, his motives, 22:12 his actions may be misrepresented 22:15 and falsified, but he does not mind it 22:19 because he has greater interests at stake. 22:22 Like Moses, he endures that seeing him, 22:25 who is in visible looking not at the things 22:27 which are seen, but the things which are unseen. 22:31 Can somebody say hallelujah today? 22:34 In other words, I want to tell somebody 22:37 to get out of the image management business, 22:40 get out of the reputation defending business. 22:43 Because when you've got a character 22:44 that is in the center, some similar similitude of 22:47 Jesus Christ, it speaks for you, it defends you, 22:52 and God will fight the battles that you cannot fight. 22:57 I are here today. 22:59 Last thing I want to say and I'm done is this for thing 23:02 this teaches us is that favor 23:06 is portable 23:11 o saints. See? 23:15 There are going to be times 23:16 where it looks like you're in a no win situation, 23:20 but you're never in a no win situation. 23:25 You're just in a delayed win situation. 23:29 Okay, y'all, y'all still I hear me? 23:33 See, understand the reason why a believer wins 23:36 ultimately is because favor is portable. 23:42 Okay, I see. 23:45 I need somebody understand that 23:46 favor is not sedentary, it is not stagnant. 23:51 But the favor of God is portable. 23:54 Are y'all with me today? 23:55 This is why you should never do anything or compromise. 24:00 Just to get a position or to keep a position. 24:03 And why? 24:04 Because God's favor is portable. 24:07 See, notice what the Bible says. France. 24:10 That even though Joseph is sentenced 24:13 to prison, 24:17 the Bible says that God's favor 24:22 was upon him and the prison so that the favor 24:26 was not attached to his position. 24:29 His favor was attached to him to. 24:35 In other words, church. 24:36 We went around trying to hold on to relationships 24:39 and jobs and titles because you think you're 24:42 just so blessed to be in the position. 24:47 But it is because you're blessed that you're in the position 24:51 so that God doesn't bless the office. 24:54 God bless the location. 24:57 The favor of God is attached to the servant 25:01 that is working in the ways of truth. 25:04 Are y'all here in this thing today, friends? 25:06 In other words, I need somebody to never fight 25:10 to maintain this or maintain that because the favor of God 25:12 is portable. 25:13 Do you realize that even though part of her 25:15 had to do something when he sent Joseph to prison, 25:20 what he did was he sent the favor that was on his house. 25:25 He sent that favor down to the jail house. 25:29 He actually outsourced his own blessing. 25:32 He actually cut off his nose in order to spite his face. 25:37 And what I'm saying to somebody as I take my seat, 25:40 that you got to realize that the favor of God is upon you. 25:44 Do I have seven or eight folks that know promotion 25:47 don't come from the East and don't come from the West? 25:52 But that promotion comes from the Lord 25:55 and that my favor goes with me 25:58 wherever it is that I go. 26:01 So don't worry. 26:02 If they fire you from the job, when they send you out, 26:07 they send out the favor of the office. 26:10 Don't worry if they unfriend you 26:14 when they unfriend you, they unfriend in their favor. 26:18 Don't worry. 26:19 If they broke up with you when they broke up with 26:23 if they broke up with the blessings and the favor 26:30 of the most high God, I say in favor as part of them. 26:34 That's why the 23rd Psalm 26:37 says goodness and mercy 26:41 shall follow me 26:44 all the days of my life. 26:47 Savior is part of all. 26:49 It's why Deuteronomy 28 26:52 says that if I keep his commands, 26:55 that the blessings of the Lord will chase you down 27:00 and overtake you because favor is part of. 27:04 So guess what? 27:05 Don't worry about being afraid cause Huntsville is new, 27:10 but favor will follow you from Los Angeles here. 27:13 It'll follow you from New York here it'll follow you 27:16 from Jamaica here it'll follow you from Haiti. 27:20 Here it'll follow you from Trinidad here. 27:24 Don't worry about it. 27:25 Follow it you. 27:27 Because favor won't just follow you. 27:30 It'll beat you. 27:31 Where you're going. 27:35 Can we praise him for his faith? 27:39 Can we praise him for his grace? 27:41 Is that your blessing or 27:44 is upon you, 27:47 not your situation? 27:49 Give him little praise in this place. 27:50 today. |
Revised 2024-11-20