When Life Gets Hard, Do This | Apostle Joshua Selman

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]teach on a subject. I have been dishing out the mysteries of the kingdom and the laws of the kingdom. And these are the mysteries by which the saints become confident, become empowered and make structured progress in life. And uh in light of the times that we live in, the Lord impressed upon my heart to teach one of the mysteries of the kingdom that will help give stability to your living, stability to your walk with God and will afford you the courage to press forward in life and to remain hopeful even as the days unfold, especially for those who are still awaiting the promises of God to manifest in their lives at various levels. And so I trust that this message will bless you tonight and open your eyes in Jesus name. I'm teaching tonight on the covenant of peace.

[00:00:57]The covenant of peace. I want to show you by the teaching tonight the pathway to rest round about. The covenant of peace. It's one of the mysteries of the kingdom that is desired by many if not all and yet seldom understood by believers. They understand um instinctively the concept of peace and the advantage of peace. But most people have not been broadened as far as the Bible scope as far as the definition of peace is concerned. For the average person, peace represents for us maybe restfulness or absence of strife and war and we just limit it there. But I'm hoping that by this teaching, God will broaden our understanding, but more importantly, equip us with the kingdom keys that will help us to walk in the reality of this covenant. If I just described, you shout, "Amen."

[00:01:51]>> Amen.

[00:01:51]>> For a text Isaiah 54, and we'll read verse 10. Isaiah 54 and verse 10. We're looking at the covenant of peace. It says, "For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from you.

[00:02:08]Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy upon you."

[00:02:16]>> Hallelujah. We live in a world where there is a very interesting blend between joy and pain, between happiness and sadness. One moment you are celebrating the arrival of a baby. The next moment you are celebrating the departure of someone whether young, whether old, whether male, whether female, whether rich or otherwise. One moment you are celebrating maybe someone who has is receiving an award. The next moment you are saddened by someone who is being sentenced to life imprisonment.

[00:02:47]Our world is full of this paradox. a blend of good things that happen to people and then it's almost superimposed by bad or sad things that happen to others.

[00:02:59]It seems as though it's very difficult for believers and for others it is really far-fetched to have consistent joy without a reason for pain without a reason for sadness to a point that when believers have a cause to rejoice. They mise their expressing joy because they seem to anticipate that sooner or later evil will come and overshadow that joy.

[00:03:23]And so you find people even when there is a reason to rejoice, they are not open to be lavish and expressive about their joy because they are aware of this mix of sweet and sour, bitter and sweet, you know, and so on and so forth. And it seems like that's the normal cause in our lives. While someone rejoices today, they almost will be met by a reason to be sad and to be angry. The question now is, is that the will of God? And is that the best of God for believers?

[00:03:53]Almost everyone here has had a reason to rejoice over some achievement for yourself or for someone connected to you. Something miraculous, something wonderful, something worthy of celebration may have happened in your life. And for everyone here, we equally have reasons to have cried and maybe are crying. Maybe the law the loss of a loved one. Maybe you lost money. Maybe you lost an opportunity. You lost a strategic relationship. You're at a point in your life where hell seems to have broken loose. And um our world is in desperate need. From a global scale, we see that um there is war between nations. Unfortunately, this has not been the desire of any well-meaning person. But that's the reality that is in our world today. We have leaders, heads of government meeting day and night trying to negotiate deals all in an attempt to bring peace to our world.

[00:04:47]There are many global governmental and non-governmental institutions that have been set up whether sincerely so or selfishly so as we are told. At least we know that the face of their pursuit is world peace.

[00:05:01]Every religion I know that means well at least the three major religions Islam, Judaism, Christianity and then it extends to Hinduism and any other religion as I've studied somewhere in their teaching at least without the extremist views seem to support the concept of peace. Are we still together?

[00:05:21]And so it's been a subject that people desperately need. In fact um if you ask the average person what do you really desire? What we are trying to say is peace but we'll express it in different ways. Others will say I need money. What you are saying is I need the wherewithal to sort my problems and finally have peace. Are we together now? And so the quest for peace is not something that is for a few people. It's not something that you should choose as against um or to decide whether you want it or not.

[00:05:51]It's a necessity. In fact, medical science teach that if you are in an atmosphere that is pungent psychologically, it can cut short your life. There are people today who are who have all kinds of medical conditions that are traceable to worries, depression, high blood pressure and all all sorts. I'm hoping tonight in the name of Jesus that God will open up our eyes to understand this concept of peace. Praise the name of the Lord. Now when you travel to Israel, one of the most common way to salute and to greet one another is to use the word peace is a Hebrew word shalom. There are many other expressions, but we'll walk with that word shalom. And to the person who is of a Jewish descent. When you say shalom, um he's not just talking about restfulness or quietness or the absence of war. It's a a deeper and very pregnant word with so many expressions as we're going to be exploring tonight.

[00:06:52]But when you tell an Israelite or an Israeli shalom, you have said many things in one word. And if you are not of the Jewish descent and you're not trained, you usually will not understand the weight of that word. So please walk with me as we explore for a start the meaning of the word that is translated in English peace is the word shalom. S h a l o m.

[00:07:20]Shalom goes beyond the absence of wars and strife. The more generic meaning is the absence of war, the absence of strife. So when we say an individual is experiencing peace, the more common meaning is that there is no war and end has come to war and end has come to turbulence and end has come to strife.

[00:07:41]It's a state of quiet and restfulness.

[00:07:44]But let's look at other meanings. It goes beyond the absence of wars and strife. I wrote here and you may want to listen and write. It includes wholeness.

[00:07:54]Please write.

[00:07:56]It includes harmony.

[00:08:00]It includes prosperity in all its ramifications.

[00:08:05]And it includes rest. So the word shalom that is translated peace in addition to quiet um from war and strife and turbulence.

[00:08:16]It includes wholeness, completeness.

[00:08:20]It includes harmony.

[00:08:23]It includes prosperity. in all its ramifications.

[00:08:28]It includes rest.

[00:08:31]It also includes permanence or longevity of good things. So the word shalom also extends to mean permanence or longevity.

[00:08:42]How long good things last in your life.

[00:08:46]It's not just how good things come but their longevity in your life. It it also refers to the permanence of things in your life. That means when things happen to you, good things for that matter, they should remain hopefully for your lifetime. Anyone who is experiencing good, good as defined by scripture, perpetually is in a state of peace as the Bible calls shalom. Are we still together? Praise the name of the Lord.

[00:09:15]So it includes wholeness or completeness, harmony, prosperity in all its ramification, rest. It also captures permanence or longevity of good things in one's life.

[00:09:33]Let me also define shalom as it's captured in Bible language as a state where every aspect of your life is working and it's in harmony with God's divine order. Write that. I'll read it slowly so that you listen and write.

[00:09:51]Shalom as peace also means a state where every aspect of your life, if you're writing, you want to underline that every aspect of your life is working and it's in harmony with God's divine order. Any believer who assumes such a state where everything is working in your life and is consistent with God's divine order, we say you are in a state of shalom. You are in a state of peace.

[00:10:25]Hallelujah.

[00:10:26]Genesis 24 and verse 1. Genesis ch and verse one. This is one of the clearest pictures of what we call the covenant of peace. Read with me please, ladies and gentlemen. Ready? 1 2 go. And Abraham was old and wellstricken in age.

[00:10:49]And the Lord had blessed Abraham in >> how many things?

[00:10:55]>> One more time?

[00:10:57]>> All things. Another expression of peace.

[00:11:01]Joshua chapter 21, please. And we'll read verse 44. Joshua chapter 21 and verse 44. I'm showing you the broader picture of the word shalom as it refers to peace. Let's read together. Ready? 1 to go. And the Lord gave them rest roundout according to all that he swore unto their fathers. And there stood not a man of all their enemies before them. The Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands. May that be your testimony >> in the name of Jesus Christ. So it is God's desire for all believers to experience peace, to experience wholeness, and to experience rest roundabout. Settle that for a fact. It is God's will. It is God's desire for you and I to experience peace in its entirety as defined by the Bible to experience wholeness and to experience rest roundabout. You want to note that it's important for you to settle no matter what you are going through.

[00:12:13]settle it for a fact that it is God's desire and in fact it is the will of God for me as a believer in Christ to experience peace to experience wholeness and to experience rest roundabout.

[00:12:28]We read Isaiah 54 and:10 already. We read Joshua 21:44 already. Let's read two more verses just to buttress on the fact that it is the will of God for you and I regardless our current situations to have peace and to enter that covenant of peace rest and and and of wholeness and of rest roundabout. Isaiah chapter 33 and verse 6 this talks more of physical the physical dimension of peace.

[00:12:58]Jeremiah my apologies Jeremiah 33 and 6.

[00:13:01]Jeremiah chapter 33 and verse 6 it says and I will bring it health and cure and I will cure them and I will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

[00:13:15]God's commitment to you, God's commitment to me that he will bring health. He will bring cure. And he will reveal unto us throughout the course of our lifetime abundance of peace and truth. Receive it by shouting aloud, "Amen." Amen.

[00:13:31]>> In Matthew 11 and verse 28, Matthew 11 and verse 28, Jesus himself is speaking and he gives us a picture of rest round about as an expression of peace. He says, "Come unto me all ye that labor and all you that are heavy laden." It says, "And I will give you rest." I will give you rest. Say, I receive rest. I receive.

[00:14:01]>> So according to scripture, we can receive peace and rest in every area of our lives. Do you believe that we can receive peace, we can receive rest in every area of our lives. And like I've taught you, let me compartmentalize for you the areas where we are in desperate need for peace. Number one, your spiritual life. You can receive peace with God first beginning from your declaring his lordship.

[00:14:28]Hallelujah.

[00:14:30]He's called according to Isaiah's prophecy, the prince of peace. A man can experience peace with God. He can experience the peace of God.

[00:14:41]Spiritually, you can experience peace mentally like you are going to be learning that in nothing that you are you troubled. The Lord puts you in a state of restfulness. It says the Lord is my light and my salvation. Of whom shall I be afraid of? a state where you are free from fear, you are free from worry, you are free from all the thoughts that are engineered within your mind to depress you and to make God look like he's not faithful. A man can experience physical peace in terms of your health, your vitality, your life moving, everything moving as desired.

[00:15:17]You can experience financial peace.

[00:15:20]I'm telling you, if I'm to draw a pie chart and allocate our desire for peace, for most people, 80 to 85% will be the quest for financial peace. And the reason is because we live in a world that is economically driven. And most of our worries directly or indirectly relate to financial issues from rent to children's fees to bills to pay, you know, and all of that. And for our brothers and sisters in diaspora, it's even worse because now you pay rent monthly. There are mortgage issues, you know, pursuing papers and all of that.

[00:15:55]And if you default, you get into trouble. So most people are in desperate need of financial peace. There are people who are sick today not because of any jam, not any parasite, not any virus. They are sick because of the mental torture that the absence of abundance has brought to them. And then we have relational peace.

[00:16:15]This extends to peace in homes, peace you know among uh family members, nuclear and extended peace among people of the same group and so on and so forth. And Jesus Christ himself is desirous that all believers find peace in this area. Now please look at me.

[00:16:35]What gives us the basis to receive this peace? Because the covenant of peace as much as all Old Testament covenants uh the one that concerns us more particularly it was Abraham the patriarch that God came into this covenant with when you read Genesis 12 from verse 1 and two he calls this man called Abraham from all of the Chaldians and he tells him to leave his father's house his kindred onto a land that he'll be shown now he proposes a blessing he proposes a kind and equality ity of life. He says, "If you believe me and if you trust my leadership and walk in keeping with all that I reveal to you, I will make thee a great nation. I will bless thee. I will make your name great. You shall be a blessing." Verse three, it says, "I will bless them that bless you. I will curse him that curses you. And through you, all the families of the earth will be blessed."

[00:17:34]So God calls one man and proposes that to him. But then we are not the natural descendants of Abraham, nor were we there when all these covenants and promises were enacted. What then gives us the basis to lay claim to these things? The Bible tells us in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 29. It says, "And if ye be Christ," it says, "Then are ye Abraham's seed and hes according to the promise." meaning that you were not there, nor were we part of the covenant directly by reason of our not being Jews. But the Bible says in Christ, he has brought that reconciliation through Christ. And in Christ, we can now become partakers of the blessings of Abraham.

[00:18:19]In fact, the Bible puts it this way. It says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a cause for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Why?

[00:18:31]That the blessing of Abraham, and I've taught you here, Galatians 3:14, the blessing of Abraham is not cars and money. No, the blessing of Abraham is justification by faith. That the justification by faith that was imputed on Abraham through Christ might come upon us, the Gentiles, that we being justified now can receive what the Bible calls the blessing, the promise of the spirit through faith.

[00:19:01]So the blessing of Abraham, justification by faith grants you access to the blessing in summary, the Holy Spirit. Now the blessing, the Holy Spirit, walking with him and in partnership with the word of God opens you up to what we call blessings. You see how it works? So the journey starts with the blessing of Abraham, justification by faith. Then it grants you access to the blessing, the Holy Spirit in all of his dimensions. Then it now produces blessings.

[00:19:30]If you have not received the blessing of Abraham, justification by faith in Christ and through Christ, you cannot receive the blessing.

[00:19:40]And if you cannot receive the blessing, you may not have blessings God's way.

[00:19:44]Now, as an unbeliever, you can walk the principles of the kingdom and have similitudes of kingdom blessings, but there will always be a side effect. For instance, the Bible says it is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich without the addition of sorrow. Meaning every other way you route to experience blessings outside of the Lord, it will make you rich, but eventually it will come with sorrows.

[00:20:12]Diligence and productivity can bring you wealth, but diligence does not drive demons. They will visit you and machines don't diagnose them. They will wait at the zenit of your rising. Discipline and diligence does not take away the desire of Satan to destroy everything God in you. Are we together now? So the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich and added no sorrow. Are we learning already? So the basis for our desiring to walk in the covenant of peace, shalom as they call it, is the fact that we are in Christ. And now in Christ we have access to every blessing that was spoken to Abraham and indeed to every patriot.

[00:20:57]You believe that? Say amen.

[00:20:58]>> Amen.

[00:20:59]>> There are two dimensions of peace and rest that is translated shalom. That is of interest for us tonight. When the Bible talks about shalom as a covenant of peace and rest, there are two dimensions I want us to look at for our discussion tonight. Number one is called rest and peace. in the midst of storms.

[00:21:22]So this one does not necessarily mean the absence of storms. Rest and peace in the midst of storms.

[00:21:33]The believer can find peace. Ultimately the goal is to be free from calamity, to be free from storms. But then there is a dimension of this covenant of peace that ministers rest and peace even in the midst of storms. That means you do not have to wait for storms to be over before you experience it. Three scriptures very quickly. Isaiah chapter 43 from verse 1 and 2.

[00:22:03]Isaiah 43:1 and2. But now thus sayeth the Lord that created thee, oh Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not. Say, I I reject fear.

[00:22:15]>> Shout it like you're a believer.

[00:22:16]>> I reject.

[00:22:17]>> It says, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are mine. Verse two, it says, when thou passest through the waters, I will be with you, the prince of peace with you. When you pass through the waters, it says, "And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you." Then it says, "When thou walkest through the fire, when you walk through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon you."

[00:22:49]So you can experience that level of shalom, that level of peace, that level of rest even in the midst of storms.

[00:22:59]This already is a message of hope for someone. Daniel chapter 3, let's examine from verse 16 to 18. Then we'll jump and look at 24 and 25. This is a very popular story for believers.

[00:23:13]Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

[00:23:15]Remember King Nebuchadnezzar, he he erected a 90 ft gold stature of himself as advised by all of the people. And they said at the sound of worship everyone would have to bow to that stature. And there were three Hebrew boys, Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

[00:23:35]And they they refused to bow to the king. So the story starts here.

[00:23:39]Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "Oh king Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter." Verse 17, he said, "If it be so, we know that our God, the God that we serve, is able to deliver us." He's speaking about deliverance now. That means that trouble will not even start.

[00:24:04]He can deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of your hand, oh king. Verse 18. But if not, let it be known to you that even if we get into that trouble, into that fire, even that furnace, we will not serve you or worship the golden image you have set up. Powerful. It takes a man who has this covenant working in their lives to know that you are about to die. You see, kings those days were not people who they were very messless. They were trained to be vicious.

[00:24:39]Are we together? Kings those days could kill their wives for entering the inner chamber without invitation. Can you imagine that?

[00:24:48]Just for entering that was what made Esther afraid. Now the king has not invited me. If I go in it may cost me my life. That's why she said if I perish I perish. So not even marrying the king made you save.

[00:25:01]The guy could kill you one day just because you got to Can you imagine kings? I don't know. Thank God we are not in that generation. Honestly, I don't know how I would have coped personally.

[00:25:16]Are we together?

[00:25:18]So there is rest and peace in the midst of storms. Now look, look up please for a moment. Remember the goal is to help you establish victory that you can rise above storms. But let me make an honest pragmatic submission. It's easier said than done. There are many people and I have a word for you before this discussion is ended. I have a word for people who are going through all kinds of things. You know when I started ministry our focus was on the spiritual impact of people. I really didn't see the emotional side of life when you are hot wounded emotionally I didn't take it seriously. I just felt if people had emotional problems it was because they were not serious with the Holy Ghost. If they really pay attention to the Holy Spirit, there shouldn't be any reason whatsoever. Oh dear, forgive the former me. But now, as I've grown in life and leadership, I'm learning that with the Holy Ghost in you, the Bible says Jesus in Gethsemane.

[00:26:18]Is that in your Bible? The Bible says Jesus wept. John 11:35, he was still full of the Holy Ghost, but he wept many times. He wept over Jerusalem. The Bible shows us the a plethora of emotional expressions from your Jesus.

[00:26:33]When he was in Gethsemane, he cried. He prayed. Tears were like drops of blood.

[00:26:40]Emotional wounds are real. Storms are real. And there are people in it right now. Are we together? There are people who are in their versions of the lion's den. There are people who are in their versions all kinds of things. Do you know there are people right now following from hospitals right now and I'm not exaggerating with loved ones who based on the doctor's diagnosis only have weeks and months to leave and they're listening to me right now this moment and they still believe that there is a way out as a man of God you know ministry is like medicine you have the honor of you know just having access to people's pain the back end of their smiles the back end of their laughter while they laugh in church because they are standing in faith and believing what you've taught them.

[00:27:29]Sometimes when they come to you they have the liberty to open up and sometimes you see people who have been wounded and they dress that wound with an honorable apparel.

[00:27:39]I can tell you that storms are real and if you have not experienced one make sure that as you saw John you don't laugh at anybody in a storm because you will need their lesson to go through yours. who is learning. Hallelujah.

[00:27:54]Praise the name of the Lord.

[00:27:56]One time they asked a man, they asked the disciples of Jesus saw a man who was I think he was crippled or born blind.

[00:28:04]They said who sinned that this man was born blind. Was it him or his father?

[00:28:10]You know what Jesus said? Neither. That means there are certain problems that have nothing to do with your personal contribution. It's just the fact that it happened around you. Are we together now? Who sinned? The Bible talks about the man at beautiful. I've taught you here. The Bible says he was lame from birth. What was his contribution to that situation? How about the Samaritan? He was on his way and he was well laid by arm robbers. It was not his fault.

[00:28:38]I'm telling you, there are times that certain things happen to you and they a direct consequence of your neglect, a direct consequence of ignorance. But this world we live in, when you grow old enough, you will see certain things that except God shows you mercy. You can be a victim of tragedies and calamities you have no direct contribution from. Are we together? A child can steal and be jailed and leave the mother with depression and pain. What was her crime?

[00:29:06]That she gave birth to the child.

[00:29:10]Someone can decide to hate you because you come from a certain tribe or a certain region. Was it your fault? No.

[00:29:18]But let me tell you the truth. Even in the midst of storms, there is hope for the believer. You can have peace and rest in the midst of storms.

[00:29:31]The rent has not been paid. I understand you are not sure. Let me speak to our family in diaspora. You are not sure where your papers will come from. You are not even sure if you are going to be left or deported. You're not sure where your rent, your mortgage is eating on you like a weight on your neck. Maybe there's some single mother or someone it may not have been your fault. What do you have to tell a woman who was raped for instance and got pregnant and now has twins to take care of? It's true you sympathize with her situation, but there are realities right now that she must deal with. Can I tell you, let me suggest to you by the spirit of God, minimize criticizing people's situation.

[00:30:13]Are we together now? Billy Graham said, "Leave judgment to God because you may not understand the full context that surrounds the pain of people so that you do not make unrighteous judgment. When you find people cry, if you cannot comfort them, pray for them from a distance." Who is learning already?

[00:30:32]Praise the name of the Lord. Hallelujah.

[00:30:36]If you saw Jesus hanging on the cross, you would think that he was on the cross because he was a criminal. I told you the prison and the cross are two mysterious places. That is where both good and bad people meet. If you see anybody in the prison, don't be quick to judge because Joseph is there too. If you see anyone on the cross, don't be quick to judge because Jesus is somewhere among those criminals too. And if his case is not dying for his own personal sin, there are people hanging on many crosses carrying the sin of their family members, carrying the sin of their loved ones. Are we together?

[00:31:10]They are paying that price once and for all so that they can work in partnership with the Holy Spirit to sponsor the liberation of the generation after them.

[00:31:23]You can find peace and you can have rest in the midst of storms. You know when people die before they take them to the mortuary most times for those who are connected to me related to me or have access to my number most times you find the people sending trying to release their faith and so you know how we do it in Africa they prohibit the doctors from burying the dead body they say look let's give God a chance and see what happens and your phone is bombarded with people who believe in you they have such confidence and trust in you and they say apostle I just believe that if you can just say a word, this person who died can come back to life. And I can tell you as a man of God, sometimes it puts you in a very uncomfortable position because the word of God makes provision for resurrection and the people believe in you and believe in your anointing.

[00:32:11]Now, it's very difficult to begin to educate those people under that kind of intense pressure. How do you tell a woman is going to be all right when she's holding a cancer stage for diagnosis?

[00:32:25]How do you tell somebody is going to be all right as a pastor when he's watching empty pews and it looks like things are going haywire? How do you tell someone is going to be all right when they've been bullied, their properties have been collected? Sometimes life can look so harsh and life can look so unfair. But let me speak a word of hope to someone.

[00:32:45]You can find peace. You can find rest in the midst of the storm. The goal is to rise above it. The goal is to walk in victory. But let me start with those who are in the midst of the storm.

[00:33:01]I will soar with you above the storm.

[00:33:06]Father, you are king over.

[00:33:12]And I will be still and know you are God.

[00:33:18]I will be still and know you are God.

[00:33:25]>> I will be still and know you are God.

[00:33:31]>> I will be still and know you are God.

[00:33:38]>> Hallelujah.

[00:33:39]Praise the name of the Lord.

[00:33:45]Life for you. So the first dimension of peace and rest as defined by the word shalom is peace rest in the midst of storms. Can I tell you this?

[00:33:59]It's important for you to realize and I will repeat this later on. Your convictions must be greater than the happenings around you. If not you cannot have true peace. If the happenings around you become greater than your conviction, it will overwhelm you. Because there are times I can tell you it looks like the more you pray, it's as if God is sleeping over you. Are we together now?

[00:34:30]Remember the Bible says Jesus was sleeping in the boat and that boat was about to kill the people. Sometimes you can almost die in the presence of Jesus.

[00:34:38]Isn't that funny?

[00:34:40]For the centurion, it was because Jesus was far. And so he said, "Let me hurry up and reach Jesus." How do YOU EXPLAIN THE DEATH of his disciples in a boat?

[00:34:50]Jesus is in their midst. The Bible says water was already entering the sheep and Jesus was asleep.

[00:34:57]You know what they said? They didn't say, "Savior, I love you. I worship you.

[00:35:01]You are the rose of Shon." THEY SAID, "CARE US NOT DOWN THAT WE PERISH. We are about to die and YOU ARE ASK, YOU ARE ACTING like you are not seeing. I've been a faithful church member and I've done my best. I LOST MY JOB. NOW I CANNOT PAY MY RENT. THE MORE I SERVE, THE MORE THE TRAGEDY is built. Carest thou not that we perish? Let me tell you the truth, ladies and gentlemen. I am a man of faith. But I'm telling you, listen to my message, the other side of faith. I teach that faith is not always about obtaining promises. Sometimes it is also about a track record of consistency in the midst of fire. It is still faith.

[00:35:42]There were those who died according to Hebrews 11 without obtaining promises.

[00:35:47]But all the elders obtained a good report. That report is more noble than the promise. That you believe somebody who had cancer trusting God to heal the person and the person still died. You can be discouraged and feel God failed you. No, you are still a man of faith.

[00:36:03]You trusted God to the end. The Bible says there is a compensation system in heaven that those who died, those who went through fire believing that God will save them, are we together? And those who gave up an opportunity for deliverance because they believed for a better resurrection, there will be a consolation. So let me tell you something.

[00:36:26]If you really believe God genuinely in this life and things still go bad, find rest in your lifetime. And even if it goes beyond your lifetime, the justice system of God will insist that you must receive a reward for trusting God in the midst of fire.

[00:36:45]Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. We will speak the language of victory, but this is another language of victory that is foreign to many believers because our orientation of victory is until you stand above the challenge. That is true.

[00:37:01]That is the ultimate. But the ability to be resilient in the midst of fire is victory indeed.

[00:37:11]Joseph did not become victorious when he became prime minister. He was victorious when for being blackmailed by do you know what it means to go through the emotional psychological pain of being betrayed by your brothers. Then he went to Portifer's house just when he looked like his head was rising above THE WATERS. THEN PORTIFER'S WIFE CAME WITH HER TROUBLE.

[00:37:34]Are we together? And she HELD HIS CLOTH.

[00:37:37]HOW DO YOU DENY THAT? And the guy went to prison. And then to make matters worse, he now interpreted the dream of someone and begged the person. He said, "Please, I'm sure they were discussing injustice in the prison with a man and discussing how people forget people."

[00:37:53]And he said, "I hope you are not like that." Said, "No, me. I as soon as I'm going out, just know that by next week you are out of this place." Next week became two years. The heart of man for you.

[00:38:03]I've shared it with you here. If I am Joseph and I come out, mention two people who you will deal with first.

[00:38:10]Portifer's wife and who you will ask the person and say come. You still remember my face.

[00:38:23]Can I tell you the truth?

[00:38:25]There are certain tears that are not proof of defeat. It is only victorious people that cry that kind of cry.

[00:38:34]Yes, sir. There are certain kinds of tears when they come out from your eyes.

[00:38:40]It is not a sign of faithlessness. It is that you love God in the midst of fire.

[00:38:46]Are we together now? That you have said, "Though he slay me, I will trust him."

[00:38:53]I believed God to bring my child back to life and the child died. Lord, I still count you faithful. I believed God for my business to turn around that I will get the contract. I even had dreams and visions and I SAW THAT I GOT THE contract but now they said the contract is gone.

[00:39:17]Let's sing our song. Lord, you seem so far away.

[00:39:21]a million miles on what it feels today.

[00:39:28]Allow me minister to you for one minute.

[00:39:31]And though I haven't lost my faith, I must confess right now that it's hard for me to pray.

[00:39:42]I'll sing that part again. Listen. And though I haven't lost my faith, I must confess right now that it's hard for me to pray.

[00:39:55]Hold on.

[00:39:57]You wave your wife goodbye and 15 minutes later because she entered an airplane on her way to London, they say she's dead, there were people who held hands and prayed before they started.

[00:40:11]Maybe, just maybe, there were people who shouted in that plane and say, "God, do something." And they still died. Can I tell you the truth? If you've not gone through tragedy, you are too innocent to be blessed by this song. Sing it again.

[00:40:25]>> I lift my hands to honor you because your word is true. I lift my hands to honor you because one more time. I lift my hands to honor you because your word is true. I will sing.

[00:40:55]There are times that your bargain with life is not what eventually happens.

[00:41:02]There are times that there is no need explaining anything to anyone because only you and God can understand what is happening to you. There are times that not your spouse, not your child, not relatives can understand.

[00:41:15]If you are job, no one can understand.

[00:41:18]Not even your wife.

[00:41:25]I lift my hands to honor you because your word is true.

[00:41:32]>> I lift my hands to worship you because your word is true.

[00:41:40]>> I lift my hands to give you praise because your word is true.

[00:41:47]>> I will sing.

[00:41:53]Let's talk about the victorious side of peace. I'm coming back to this because I have a message for people who have been brutally wounded. The Lord placed it in my heart.

[00:42:05]So, we start with this. We talk about victory above the storms. Then I will end by giving a prophetic word of comfort to those who have had reason to cry.

[00:42:18]Don't be ashamed of your tears even if you are Jesus.

[00:42:27]So we have two dimensions of shalom. Rest and peace. I said number one is rest and peace in the midst of storms. Number two. The second dimension of peace is deliverance from calamity and rest round about.

[00:42:48]deliverance from calamity and rest round about. So while the first dimension of peace deals with the stamina, the staying power, the conviction, the ability to trust God and count and judge him faithful in the midst of negative unfavorable situations. The second dimension of peace talks about deliverance, a rescue from calamity, and then God giving you rest round about.

[00:43:18]Psalm 91, please from verse 10 to 12.

[00:43:25]Now you see the contrast. On one hand, it says, "When you pass through the river, I will be with you. When you walk through fire, I will be with you." But here we see in Psalm 91:10, same Bible, same God, same dealings with men. He says, "There shall no evil befall you.

[00:43:42]It will not even come. Neither shall any plague come nigh your dwelling." Let me tell you what it means to be a Christian. Say amen to everything God says.

[00:43:52]>> If God says I will deliver you in the midst of fire, say amen. If he says I will grant you stamina to go through it, say amen. Once it is God that has spoken, it is worth saying amen to. Are we together now? You don't say selective amen when it has to do with the voice of God. Respect the intelligence behind his speakings.

[00:44:14]If he says a doctor will empower, I will empower a doctor to be your friend. If it's God that said it, what's your response? Amen. If he says I will keep you in health and wholeness, what's your response? Amen. provider.