Bet On God

0:14 1 Kings 18 verse 24 I got it. Once you found it, once you say, I got it. First Kings 18 verse 24. everybody let's read it together with uplifted voices then you call on the name of your God let's read it again with a little bit more vigor and vitality come on everybody then you call on the name of your god Amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. I want to preach for a little while today using as a subject, bet on God. Bet on God. Amen. I need you to help me preach today. Look at the person beside you tell them you better bet on God Denmark Vesey will go down in history as one of the most revolutionary figures in America.

1:54 His story will undoubtedly be listed on the growing list of banned books forbidding students from reading about sheer grit and tenacity. He was killed in the summer of 1822 for strategizing a slave uprising in South Carolina. However, what they will not suppress is that in 1799, he bought a lottery ticket, won, and with his winnings, he was able to buy his own freedom. regrettably from that era to this black people have been playing the lottery hoping to win their economic freedom according to the lottery advertising association for consumer research 63 percent of black people hear this 63 percent of black people acknowledge that they've played at least once compared to 41% of whites. Black people play the lottery more than any other ethnicity in large measure because of economic inequalities, limited opportunities, employment scarcity and educational disparity. The marketing around the lottery is akin to poison-laced lollipops framed only in low-income communities. It's nestled in corner stores and off-brand gas station. Given the data, it's strikingly odd, however, that the 10 largest winners

4:03 of the lottery are not African American, even though we play the most. What further raises an eyebrow is that the states claim it underwrites education, yet our schools remain grossly underfunded and undersupplied. The total revenue by us spent on lottery tickets is $91 a week. $91 a week. $91 a week. Where in contrast, the overwhelming majority of us don't save $91 a week. And the average churchgoer only gives $17 a week.

5:05 I've got to ask you as critical thinkers, how do you ever expect to win when you never bet on God? furthermore you don't bet on yourself the bible records a big gamble that took place not in las vegas or atlantic city but right outside of mount carmel elijah shows up and everybody is calling him the troubler of Israel. And he responds, I'm not causing trouble. Y'all are because you're not sticking to your faith and you're forgetting who God is in your life. The late congressman John Lewis, who died five years ago this week, was famous for saying, get in good trouble, necessary trouble the kind of trouble that will help redeem the soul of america matthew 8 and verse 29 the demon shouted out to jesus what do you want with us son of god have you come to trouble us before the time when you're doing the work of god you best believe the enemy is going to start some trouble.

6:34 I don't know why you keep acting shocked. You really thought you would have all of that anointing and have no attacks? You really thought you were going to be that nice and not deal with nasty people? you really thought everybody was going to support your endeavor your entrepreneurial enterprise or your idea you really thought everybody was going to stop shopping at target you actually believed that everybody was going to like and comment on your posts you really believe that everybody wants to see you succeed and do well but I bet you'll still be okay. I bet you'll still get the victory.

7:29 I bet he will supply all your needs. I bet you will come out of it alive. Look at the person beside you and tell him I bet it'll happen. Elijah said, I'm tired of y'all defaming my name and making a mockery about the God I serve. He told them, bring your false 850 prophets and meet them at the top of this mountain and I'll stand against all of them. That's what Elijah said. Get all of your false prophets. It's 850 of them and it's just me and meet me at the top of the mountain and I'm telling you all of them are gonna be defeated last year Ryan Garcia fought Devin Hainsley at Barclays Center for the WBC super lightweight title and hear this y'all he bet two million on himself and won 12 million ladies and gentlemen you better stop playing it safe and stop betting on yourself that the deal is gonna go through you better stop betting on yourself that you are gonna be a success stop betting on yourself that your book is gonna sell out stop betting on yourself that you are going to get every opportunity you deserve. Stop betting on yourself that anybody who bets against you has bet on the wrong horse. You better bet on black. Bet on yourself.

9:11 Bet on yourself. If God be for me, who can be against me? Bet on yourself. Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world i don't care who don't believe in me who don't support me who got negative stuff to say about me the reason why i walk in the room like i own it is because i bet on myself he is up against 800 false prophets and he got no support system got no cheerleaders got nobody backing him up but he made up in his mind if it's me and god we gonna get this thing done look at the person beside you tell him all my life i had to fight but the reason why I keep coming out swinging is because when nobody else saw it he saw the best in me when everybody else saw the worst in me but I bet on myself Stop letting people take credit like they were with you the whole ride.

10:34 A lot of them didn't show up till they looked like you was getting ready to win. But I need some people who had to be your own therapist, had to be your own corner man, had to be your own support team, had to be your own cheerleader. Two, four, six, eight. Who do I appreciate? I want to thank me. I want to give God glory for me. I want to celebrate me. don't cheer for your neighbor don't cheer for your pastor I want you to give God glory for you encouraging yourself Come on, you owe yourself more than that. You didn't quit. You didn't have a nervous breakdown.

11:27 You didn't commit suicide. You didn't wave the white flag. You didn't believe what they said about you, but you cheered for yourself. Blaise Pascal had a philosophical argument called Pascal's Wager. Pascal's Wager says, in no uncertain terms, I've got to believe in God because that's the only way that I'm going to win. Elijah said, I'm going to put it all on the line. and he said to those 850 false prophets, here's what I need y'all to do. Meet me at the top of the mountain. hallelujah meet me at the top of the mountain and y'all bring a bull and i'm gonna bring a bull and we're gonna cut that bull up and make a sacrifice and whoever the fire falls for that's the one that serves a real god y'all ain't saying nothing to me i'm gonna say to you in order for you to make a real sacrifice you gonna have to cut something and elijah said to the false prophets y'all gotta cut the bull i'm reading the bible y'all missing what i just said said in order for us to handle this the right way as gentlemen you gotta cut the bull y'all still ain't get it he said watch this i know who my god is i know what he's able to do y'all playing around but those of y'all who are serious cut the bull i'm right here in the bible y'all ain't saying nothing to me because y'all used to be in phony and plastic and surface but i came on sunday morning to say cut the bull if you really want god to do what he's supposed to do you better get over yourself you are not that cute you ain't that fly and you ain't that

13:38 smart you did not get here by yourself somebody prayed for you somebody had you on their mind somebody took the time said cut the ball that's what elijah says in kings in order for us to see who the real God is, we got to cut the bull first. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm telling you how this whole lie that they are giving out, how that the American standard on success is built on meritocracy is all bull. The most educated demographic in America is black women who have more master's degrees than anybody else in this country, but black women have lost more jobs from April to June even though they are qualified and they are educated. If you don't think a black woman can handle the job, you have lost your mind. America is so threatened by brilliant, articulate, and educated black women that they would rather hire a repeated felon than a competent lawyer to be the president and the ceo but i came to tell some women who were in this room that when you got a relationship with god you ain't gotta sleep with nobody you ain't gotta compromise you ain't gotta play like you know dummy you better come in with the full knowledge of who you are and understand anybody that's threatened or intimidated y'all better get over it but if you want the job done you better hire a sister to get the job done right every sister give another sister a high five and say cut the ball cut the ball ladies and gentlemen america is gonna have to cut the ball somehow or another they can't find the Epstein lists and they know that Trump is right on it but I'm gonna pause

15:50 right here because I want to know what white evangelical pastors are gonna preach this morning against a president who is accused of sleeping with three 14 year olds but they will not hold him accountable but they claim that that's God's man y'all better cut the bull he's gonna bomb Iran and then y'all gonna say he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. He deserves a peace prize like I need a hole in my head. You better cut the bull. It's one year since the fake assassination attempt and Congress nor Senate has launched one investigation yet. You better cut the bull. They get ready to hire ICE agents at $100,000 a year with a $40,000 signing bonus but you won't pay teachers what they are worth you better cut the ball Elijah told them call on your God and the fire will fall.

17:06 Call on my God. The fire will fall. Whoever's God is real. That's when fire is going to fall. Y'all didn't hear what I just said. He said to them, y'all doing all of that shouting, but ain't nothing happening. because you don't serve a real God. I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free. His eye is on the sparrow. I know he's watching over me. Would you grab that neighbor's hand and say, if you're going to do something, fire better fall. You better praise him with a purpose. Dance until you get delivered. Shout until you get a surplus. clap until you get cured in your body run until you find a remedy jump until you get justice when the praises go up the fire will come down if you serve a dead God you ain't got a praise here but when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me my soul cries out hallelujah I thank him for saving me look at your neighbor and say if you don't need nothing you ain't gotta do nothing but if you got an emergency case that you need God to handle you better open up your mouth until the fire fall you better dance until cancer gets out of your body you better yell until your bills get paid You ought to holler until help starts coming.

18:49 If I ever needed the Lord before, I sure do need him right now. If you need the Holy Ghost, call him up and tell him what you are. If ain't nobody shouting on your roll, they don't need nothing. But you ought to shout for your daughter. Shout for your mama. sing for your son give glory for your granny he's able to keep me from falling and to present me fondness Hallelujah You may be seated Don't stop none, won't be none

19:39 He called the 800 prophets up to the top of the mountain and said, y'all shout and see if the fire falls. The Bible says they sang, they shouted, they danced, they cut themselves, they fell out and nothing happened.

20:04 And then Elijah said, y'all finish? Back up off me. the fire is getting ready to fall. Oh my God, today. Look at the persons on your row and say, y'all sure you want to sit in this section? Because when I give God glory, fire will start falling. I know it's fire because it don't just happen in church but I've seen fire fall in my car I've seen it fall in my living room I've seen it fall in my job

20:49 real Jesus is real to me so many people doubt him but I can't live without him that is why I love him so Jesus is real to me my grandmother would say it this way in the morning he's real Real! Jesus is real to me! Hey! Hey! Oh! Yes!

21:36 He gives me! so many people doubt him but I can't live without him that is why I love him so he's so real And the more I praise Him, the better I feel. And the better I feel, the more I praise Him. praise him the more I praise him the better I feel and the better I feel the more I praise him

22:32 The better I feel, and the better I feel, the more I praise Him, it feel like fire. Give three people a high five And tell them the fire Is getting ready to fall The Holy Ghost Is getting ready to fall the glory of God is getting ready to fall feel like fire feel like fire shut up in my bowl like Jeremiah it won't let me You may be seated.

23:41 No music, you may be seated. Oh my God. it's getting ready to fall I don't know which side it's getting ready to come on but wherever the real praises are that's where the fire's getting ready to fall you ain't got time to be connected to fake ones but if I got any real worshippers you don't need no drums and no tambourine and no keyboard you better give him glory to the fire Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

24:37 You may be seated. I can do that, I can do that! g o o o o o o

25:14 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The fire is getting ready to fall in your house. Let's get ready to fall on your children. I wonder if anybody has shouted about this, the fire gonna fall on your bills. consuming fire sweet perfume hallelujah we're standing on holy ground All of your detractors, all of your enemies, all of your naysayers are about to be exposed. because no matter what they do, they can't make fire fall.

26:23 There are those of you who have been dormant, doing everything that you can, but you haven't been able to connect with heaven. God said, watch the fire fall for you this time. Your soul is getting ready to catch back on fire. You become dormant and decrepit. but God said I got to set your heart back on fire.

26:50 I don't know where it is that you are, but if you need the fire of God to fall back on your life, fall on your marriage, fall on your household, fall on your children, you just lift up that hand for just one moment. Hadada, just call on them like you need the fire to fall. What's wrong with you? Come on. It's getting ready to fall. You ain't gonna say nothing. you ain't gonna trust him for it I know it didn't move the last time but this time it's different the fire's getting ready to fall Hallelujah. Fire is getting ready to fall. You better bet on God.

27:46 Sweet. you Ties, y'all, to the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good, the good Consuming fire. Consuming fire. Sweet. Your awesome presence fills this room. This is holy ground. This is holy ground. I'm going to stand it on right now. This is holy ground.

28:43 This is holy ground. So come, so come and bow. Bow down. Bow down. Lift up that hand. Maybe what you're dealing with right now is not an attack. maybe what you are contending with is just a test. Maybe God just wants to see, will you bet on him?

29:45 Do you trust him to heal your family member? Do you trust him to pay the bill? Do you trust him to find you a job? Do you trust him to get you stable housing? Do you trust him to get you stable housing?

30:07 So you've been trusting in everybody else. and I want to see whether you'll bet on me. Will you bet on me? Do you put it all on the table to say, God, if you don't get involved, it ain't going to work.

30:33 If you don't intervene, it's going to crumble. And he's saying, bet on me. That all things are going to work together for your good. Bet on me. That weeping can only endure for a night.

30:57 But joy has got to come in the morning. I was watching the news this week. I was watching the news this week. Take your neighbor by the hand. I'm almost finished. Stretch out even across the aisles. Don't leave anybody untouched. I'm finished. My time is up. I was watching the news this week and I got so excited. I got so excited. All the bad news, everything that's happening in Washington, D.C. I got so excited. And I'm telling you, black people got excited.

31:47 They was bringing Uno to Las Vegas. Listen, I was so excited. I told Pastor Kerry, go get you a dress. I'm going to get me a white dinner jacket looking like James Bond at the Uno table. I said, the saints are going to talk about me, but I'm going. I'm going.

32:09 I said, Pastor, you can't go. I said, I got to go. I was so excited just at the possibility of going that the Lord interrupted my celebration. So Jamal, when you get to New Birth, tell them if they know how to play Uno.

32:30 then they know how to bet on me. God, I done lost half my crowd right there. I said, if you know how to play Uno, then you know how to bet on me. I said, you got enough confidence, you got enough confidence to throw out a wild card. God, y'all didn't hear what I just said. If you got enough confidence to throw out a wild card, that means the color is about to change.

33:08 Some of y'all ain't screaming because your account ain't been in the red. But God said, I got a wild card. It's getting ready to change. I know you've been feeling blue with depression and anxiety and worry and schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I don't care how blue you've been. It's getting ready to change. I can't hear no worshipers right through here. I said something wild is getting ready to happen for the person whose hand you're holding. God, I got the wrong word church in here. I said something wild is getting ready to happen for the person whose hand you're holding. Everything connected to them is getting ready to change. If you know how to play uno,

34:08 then you know how to bet on God. The person beside you has no idea that what's getting ready to happen for them in the next 72 hours is they getting ready to draw four. Come on, I got the wrong neighbor. pull on that neighbor tell him you about to draw four what's the four things you get ready to pull on miracles signs wonders and gifts i got the wrong church look at your neighbor say draw four Miracles, signs, wonders, and gifts That's the wrong word Find somebody else, tell them you only got four Miracles, signs Friends.

35:10 Somebody's hand is in your hand. I'm almost finished. if you know how to play uno, you know how to bet on God. Hallelujah. Wherever it is that you're standing, wherever it is that you're standing and everybody ought to be standing, would you just change positions with the person next to you? Just change it.

35:41 Change it. Hallelujah. Now do it again. Pastor, I don't know what just happened. God said, I just threw the reverse card. The last shall be first. The first shall be last. The lender is now a borrower. Those who are at the back of the line is about to be at the front. Somebody's hand is in your hand softly, sir. If you know how to play Uno, you know how to bet on God.

36:39 The thing your enemies do not want to hear is you shouting Uno. what scares your enemy the most is when you shout uno somebody scream it right now uno means one left God said if you give me glory uno last time depressed last time broke last time unhappy last time frustrated last time running behind last time defending yourself somebody shout oh no this is the last one If you know how to play Uno, you know how to bet on God.

37:49 Last time I need somebody's hand in your hand. Old school players, you ain't even gonna know what I'm saying. I'm pulling from the new deck. Old school players, you don't even know what I'm talking about. The wealth of the wicked. is stored up. Y'all still ain't got it. The wealth of the wicked is stored up. Maybe the people online. The wealth of the wicked is stored up. God said, if you give me glory like you got a wild card, watch this. I'm about to reverse hands. Whoever thought they had a better hand than you, come on I can't hear nobody.

38:47 Whoever thought they were better than you, whoever thought they were holding it over your head, I'm going to take what's in their hand and put it. This is the craziest shout you have given in 2025.

39:15 Craziest shout you have given in 2025. God said this last praise is not for easy stuff. is not for stuff you can get other people to help you with. This last shout on this Sunday before you pull up out of here is letting God know I'm putting everything on the line. I need you to get involved so that I can walk away with a win. I can't hear nobody. I'm sick of losing. I need to be on top. I need 500 of y'all to go crazy like you betting on God. I trust him for everything. He can do exceedingly, abundantly, beyond. I trust in God because he cares for me on mountaintops and even in the stormy sea. Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but I will trust in the Lord.

40:34 I want you to wave that hand. I'm going to pray for you. God we are completely and entirely depending on you we can't do it unless you come let your