Jehovah Nissi

0:14 How many are excited about the Word of God today? Come on, let's go to the book of Exodus. Exodus chapter 17. Exodus chapter 17. The media team, I know y'all gonna get me. Amen. I think I gave Sister Ravi verse 16, but I'm gonna read 15 and 16. Amen. So don't worry if you hear a little variation. Exodus chapter 17. I'm reading verse 15 through 16 from the new international version of scripture. And when it is that you have found it, amen, I would that you would signify it by shouting amen. And it reads on this liking, Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah Nissi. The Lord is my banner. He said, because hands were lifted against the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.

1:17 Would you bow your heads for a word of prayer? Gracious God, our eternal Father, it is once more and again that we, your humble servants, come before your holy and your righteous name. And God, on this morning, before we ask you for anything, we want to take the time to tell you thank you for everything. We thank you for your goodness. We thank you for your kindness. And now, Father, we thank you for your mercy. Now I pray that you would, in fact, and indeed, hide me behind the shadows of your cross, that the people may only hear, see, and know that you are in me. I pray now that you would help me to preach to the end that sinners are saved, lives are changed, and the body of Christ is edified. And now, God, we ask for two things, a word that is precise and right in the name of Jesus. Let the people of God shout amen, amen, and amen.

2:13 You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. For the time that's been allotted mine to share, I would like to talk to us a little bit about Jehovah Nisi. I want to preach a little bit about Jehovah Nisi. My brothers and my sisters, I have discovered that in this life, each and every one of us, at some point in our lives, will find ourselves facing the burden of battling. for someone you have already overcome some major battle in your life. Somebody else, you may very well say, preacher, it's me facing a battle right now. Maybe there is even someone who is in this sanctuary or streaming over the airways unaware that a battle is headed your way.

3:07 But at some point, what I do know is that each and every one of us either has faced or will face the burden of battling. A battle in its literal definition is simply engagement between two armed groups, units, or militias in a specified time or place within a larger war or conflict. But in spiritual warfare, we understand that the battleground of the enemy is within our minds and in our spirits. But we know that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and against powers and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness that is seated in high places. that's why Paul continues by suggesting that we as believers ought to demolish everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God he suggests that we ought to take captive to every what thought and make it obedient unto Christ that's why I believe that Jesus prepares us in John 8 44 when he told us y'all the devil is a liar I believe that Jesus wanted the believer prepared for the battle of deception because in spiritual warfare the devil will try to mess with your mind yeah the devil will try to convince you of things that God never said to you nor about you In fact, Jesus goes a step further to say the truth isn't even in him.

4:54 I believe that Jesus wants the believer fortified against the battle with the father of lies. Tap somebody and tell them that's the enemy's strategy. Tell them the enemy seeks to lie to you. See, in spiritual battle, one may face an internal struggle within oneself involving competing thoughts, feelings, desires, or values. Sometimes it's a conflict with others that controls your emotional stability and interpersonal beliefs. Sometimes it's the battle of interpersonal conflicts of motives within oneself, i.e. my duty versus my desire. Sometimes the battle is within one's cognitive processes, the thoughts that control our decision making. Sometimes the battle is within one's emotional state.

5:49 Am I wrestling with fear, guilt, shame, a lack of hope or purpose? Do I implore coping strategies or defense mechanisms that lead to ongoing tension within my spirit? Sometimes the battle can look like anxiety. It can look like fear. It can look like moral dilemma, grieving, addiction, depression, identity crisis, or internal conflicts that create emotional and spiritual warfare. Sometimes the battle is simply the trauma that made you feel like you weren't good enough. So now you find yourself hypervigilant in your defenses and emotionally exhausted trying to figure out what's wrong with you. Today I'm talking about the burden of battling. But if it's not enough that we have to endure such internal battles, it's another level of frustration, Dr. Bryan, when we have to live in a world where every day we face the burden of battling.

6:51 For some, we are battling the capacity to lose hope when we are led by an administration that bleeds contention and calamity from its Twitter accounts before American can even wake up in the morning. For some, we are battling the burden of turning on the news every day and wondering, is it fake news, AI news, or just bad news? Every day we are living in a world where we must battle misogyny and battle racism, battle sexism, battle ageism. We've got to battle politics, and y'all, Jamal got a battle target. Every day, somebody is battling something. And battles can often feel like burdens because in battle, you will find yourself at the crossroad of breaking down and breaking through. Battles produce spiritual, mental, and emotional exhaustion. And when the spirit is worn out, it will often lead to isolation and irritability. It will lead you to conflict with others and procrastination within oneself. It often leads to avoidance, withdrawal, overcompensation, perfectionism, the need for chronic validation or impulsive behaviors that in church we just call sin. Depending on the depth of what it is you are enduring, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, guilt, shame, sadness, anger, frustration, ambivalence, or even regret. Church, these These feelings can often trigger stress, upset, muscle tension, a lack of sleep, appetite changes, fatigue within your body.

8:23 And your grandmama used to tell you that stress will cause you ulcers. Ultimately, battling will lead to burnout or breakdown of the mind, the body, and the spirit if you don't have God in the middle of your battle. But today, this is where it takes a turn. And what I have come to tell you is that when you have God in your battles, you got to understand that battles are not designed to break you. But battles are designed to teach you how to build an altar so that God can reveal himself in the middle of your trouble. Can I say it again, church? Battles are not designed to break you. Touch your neighbor. Tell them this ain't going to break you. This ain't going to break you. all but battles are designed to teach you to build an altar unto the Lord so that you can see God in the middle of your trouble church today I came to preach to every person who's been facing any kind of battle to simply tell you that if you are at the end of your rope today you gotta tie a knot and hold on because after the battle comes the blessing touch somebody and tell them a blessing is on the way. Yeah. And I came to assure you today that the God of promise is in the middle of what you are facing. And because he is, I know that what you are battling will not break you. I got to move, but just lay your hands on yourself. This one ain't for your neighbor. Just declare to yourself, this ain't going to break me. Whatever you are battling, I came to tell you, this is not going to break you. Matter of fact, the Lord told me to remind you, it won't always be like this. I got to move, but just wave it down your road. Tell somebody it won't always be like this. Yeah, I came on a divine assignment today to simply encourage you to reposition your response in the middle of your battle. And the reason why I need you to do that is because I need you to understand that how you respond in battle will unlock God's response to your enemies.

10:36 Come on here. I said the way that you show up to the fight will determine how God shows up in your fight. And I know because when I find Moses and the children of Israel here in Exodus chapter 17, they are in the middle of another battle. For the Bible would help us to understand that at the onset of this episode in the life of the children of Israel that they are transitioning from bondage to better and don't you know that even in the middle of their transition they are not exempt from battling because your transitions in life does not exempt you from going through trouble church they were transitioning from bondage to better but on the way between bondage and better they still had to face some battles. They had to face a battle when they escaped Pharaoh, yet God fought for them. They had to face a battle when they came to cross the Red Sea, yet God fought for them. They had to face a battle in the wilderness church, yet God fought for them. And here they are camp at Rephidim, and the battles are far from over. Because here the Bible tells us that the Amalekites who are enemies of Israel came out to battle with them. And the Bible tells us that while the people are quarreling with Moses over water, the enemy was plotting warfare. Don't you know that in this season, you don't have time to sweat the small stuff because there is an enemy that is at war for your family, for your faith and your focus.

12:14 But I came to tell you that God is fighting for you. The Bible tells us that while they are there at Rephidim, Amalek comes to battle. And Moses and tells Joshua, go out and choose some men to meet Amalek in the valley and fight. While I go to the hilltop tomorrow to pray. And the Bible says that when the battle began, Moses went to the top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand and Aaron and Hur followed him. The Bible would tell us that when Moses held up his hands, that Israel gained victory. Y'all know the story. But when he lowered his hands due to fatigue, that Israel would begin to witness defeat. And so the Bible tells us that when the systems of support that were there, Aaron and Hur came to hold Moses' hands up, that his hands were up until the battle was won. Meaning the battle was not won without his hands being lifted.

13:16 Church, after the battle, Moses built an altar to the Lord and he called that place Jehovah Nissi, which is to indicate the Lord is my banner. And because of the battle, the Bible says that Moses receives the revelation of God as a banner of protection. So much so that when people lift their hands against the throne of God, that God will be at war with the enemies of the people of God from generation to generation. Y'all don't hear what I'm trying to tell you, church. Though the battle feels burdensome, I came to tell you that the battle is not designed to break you. but the battle is designed to show you who God is. I wish you would tap somebody and tell them, neighbor, you about to see God in this. Tell them, I don't know what you've been wrestling with but I came to tell you that God is about to show himself in your battle.

14:13 And so the question becomes, preacher, what is God revealing to us about the time of battle? And I just came to give you three points. I'm gonna holler and I'm getting out of here, church. Here's the first thing I want you to understand. In times of battle, we don't worry. We worship. Would you do me a favor and help me preach my sermon? Grab somebody on your roll. Tell them, neighbor, in the middle of the battle, tell them we don't worry. We worship. We worship. We worship. Oh, God. Church, the Bible says that this is what Moses does when the battle comes. In the middle of the circumstance, even though the battle caught him off guard, Moses doesn't run, church. Moses doesn't flinch. In fact, Moses comes up with divine strategy. Tell somebody, if you're going to be successful in battle, you got to have a strategy. He told Joshua, I want you to go and gather some men and meet Amalek in the valley to go and fight. What does Moses tell him? He says, tomorrow I'm going to the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand, and I'm going to call down heaven. First thing that we see when Moses tells Joshua to meet Amalek in the valley, Moses understands that just because we didn't start the battle doesn't mean that we don't have an obligation of getting into the battle. Come on here. I came to tell somebody this is not your season to run from the enemy. Just because you didn't start the fight doesn't mean you don't have an obligation to get in the fight but I declare no weapon formed against your house oh God I need some spiritual people shall shout it will not work it will not work it will not work oh church Moses tells us that we've got to be willing to get in the fight yeah he tells Joshua go and meet Amalek in the middle I dare you look at somebody and tell him neighbor don't let the enemy catch you slipping this year tell him you got to apply as much pressure to the devil as the devil is applying to you. I'm not sitting and waiting for

16:20 the enemy to attack my house this year because I declare that the weapons of my warfare, come on here, are not carnal but they are mighty through God to the pulling. I dare somebody pull every stronghold down in this place today. Look at somebody, tell them, neighbor, we don't worry, We worship, we worship, we worship Moses, Moses, Moses. Moses sends Joshua to the valley to fight, and he goes to the mountain to pray because Moses understands that when you are in battle, you got to have as much spiritual power as you do physical strength. It ain't enough for you to know how to cuss folk out. I hope you know how to go down on your knees and cry, Father, I stretch my hands to thee. No other help that I know.

17:12 It ain't enough for you to have hands, yeah. I sure hope that you know how to go to the altar and lay hands on the sick and the sick recover. I wish you would talk to somebody. Tell them, neighbor, you need spiritual power. That's why your pastor's trying to get you in the word. Tell them you need spiritual power. You need the kind of power when the enemy comes in like a flood. you got to be able to raise up a standard in your spirit. I dare you shake your money. Tell them neighbor in 2026 go after the power. You need power for what the enemy is bringing your way. But the Bible, the Bible.

17:52 The Bible says that when Moses goes to the hill of God with the staff of God in his hand that whenever he held up his hands that the people had the victory. But whenever he lowered his hands, that they saw a defeat. Jonathan, when I read the text, at first I believed that what Moses was doing when he raised up his banner was trying to summon the power of God to come down and help the people. But Pastor Jamal, that's when I realized this is why Moses comes to know God as Jehovah Nisi, the Lord, my banner. because when Moses is in trouble, Moses does not worry. Moses raises up his banner of worship. Preacher, how do you know that Moses is raising a banner of worship? Well, you got to recognize what the staff of God is.

18:48 When Moses uses the staff of God, he's not asking God to bring the power to the people. He's asking the people to remember the power of God. This is the same stair that caused plagues of legions to come and wipe our enemy out of the way. This is the same stair that Moses put in the water and the water had to back up. This is the same stair that the power of God has flowed through all of this time. And every time he raises up this banner, the people got to remember that the same God that brought us out of Egypt and the same God that brought us over the Red Sea, the same God that brought us through the wilderness is the same God that will see us through right now. And that's why the people had their hands lifted because every time I lift my hands, I'm forced to remember that the God that saved my mama from cancer and the God that brought my daddy over at Ecclidane and the same God that kept my brother and the God that kept my children is the same God that'll do it now.

19:58 I dare you take somebody next to you and tell them neighbor, worship. Tell them, raise up your banner. Tell them, lift your hands in the middle of the battle because every time the enemy tries to wipe out your memory, you gotta lift your hands to remind yourself if he did it before, sure lift he is able to do it again church I gotta close here but I came to tell you in the middle of the battle you got to raise your worship you got to lift your hands don't be silent in the battle but you gotta open up your mouth until victory shows up you gotta open up your mouth until hell backs down. You gotta open up your mouth till generational curses are broken.

20:55 You better open up your mouth in the middle of the battle. Shake your neighbor, tell them, we don't worry, we worship. I will bless the Lord at all. and his praises hey hey hey I gotta go I dare you look at somebody and tell them don't you worry you gotta worship church I came to tell you that battles are not the place for you to worry and I also came to let you know that battles are the place where you get to experience Jehovah Nisi church I dare you shake your neighbor and tell him if it wasn't for the battle I wouldn't know God this way your grandmama used to say if I never had a problem I wouldn't know that God could solve but tell him neighbor I have learned what faith in God can do understanding of God comes to experience with God and that's why Moses had the revelation that the Lord is my banner because in the middle of the battle, the God that he served was able to shield and protect him.

22:17 A banner in ancient times was often raised to rally the troops. Whenever you would raise a banner, you were literally sending out a rallying cry for everybody to get on one accord. I came to tell you in this season, You got to raise your banner so that everybody around you will start indicating victory with you. You got to raise your banner so that the people in your circle understand what type of time we on. Ain't no losing in this season, but I got victory all around me. And if you ain't got victory with me, you better find a new team. But the team that I'm on Is a winning team I dare you push your neighbor And ask them Whose side Are you leaning on leaning on the Lord's side because I know the God of Israel is able to protect and keep me.

23:29 Would you tell your neighbor to stop being afraid of what you are fighting because there is a God that wants to reveal himself. There is a God that wants to show you his power. There is a God that wants to show you his presence. There is a God that wants to show you his protection. I dare you look at your neighbor and tell him, thank God for the battle. If it wasn't for the battle, I wouldn't know a battle act. If it wasn't for the battle, I wouldn't know a burden bearer If it wasn't for the battle I wouldn't know a heavy load sheriff But I'm so glad That I had a battle Because I've learned to thank him For everything I go through So I praise him for the mountain That he brought me over I praise him for the valley That he's seen me through Is there anybody that can tell God, thank him for the battle.

24:42 I got to close here, but on my way out of here, I want to let you know that after God reveals himself, that's when Moses comes to find out that the blessings of God are full and sure. And what I love about Jehovah Neset is that he's not just fighting this battle, But Moses said for every person whose hands are raised against the throne of the Lord. The Lord has made a promise that he will be at war with them from generation to generation. If you're not shouting by now, it's because you don't understand what a throne is. If you aren't shouting by now, it's because you don't understand that you are the throne of the Lord. For a throne is a place where the Lord sits.

25:44 The throne is the place where he rules with power. When you make your worship unto the Lord, you create a seat for the Lord to rule from the throne of your heart. And the Bible says that every enemy that lifts his hands against the throne of the Lord, that the Lord is going to fight from generation to generation. You ought to look at your neighbor and tell them, neighbor, don't you worry. Everything battling you, God is battling back. Everything fighting you, God is fighting back. Everything after you, God is after it.

26:39 Don't you give up. God is battling every battle you're facing. I am the altar I am Bethel I am the place where God lives that's why the Bible says touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm because every enemy battling me God is battling back I dare you seek somebody Tell him, neighbor, he fights for me. He's fighting depression. He's fighting rejection. He's fighting cancer. He's fighting poverty. He's fighting poverty. And nowhere, people.

27:33 Nowhere, people. Nowhere. formed against me shall be able to prosper with the push your neighbor and tell them neighbor we serve Jehovah Nisi and he's fighting for you day after day hour after hour moment after moment second after second he's fighting for you and if you're glad I dare you find three people and tell them neighbor don't give up in the battle Jehovah Nisha is fighting for you don't you quit in the battle Jehovah Nisha is fighting for you so lift up your hands Oh ye gates and be lifted up Ye everlasting door Jehovah Nesha has come in I dare you raise your banner Over your sickness Raise your banner over your trouble Raise your banner over your problem And he said it, I'll be lifted up.

28:59 Raise your banner! Raise your banner! Raise your banner, raise your banner Let everything that have breath Raise your banner Raise your banner Till sickness falls Raise your banner Till the government shuts down Raise your banner till they give us what we do Raise your banner He's battling back. He's battling back.

29:57 Everything that's over your head. God is fighting for you.

30:22 Hey! I feel cancer coming down in this room. I feel mental illness coming down in this room. I feel depression dying in this room. I said raise your banner. You're bad! Stand up!

31:15 I am the throne. I am the place where God sits and reigns. He lives here. In fact, he inhabits my worship and my praise.

31:38 When I raise my banner, I give God a seat. and Moses says that for every one of your enemies that has raised his hand against the throne of the Lord. He says every one of those enemies that's raised his hands against this is what I love about Moses. Moses says while they are raising their hands against the throne of the Lord I will lift my hands to the hills. he says I will raise my hand in worship in reverence in remembrance for what the Lord has done I'm moving but right before we go would you just lift your hands in remembrance would you wave your banner what would you wave your banner over depression this morning would you wave your banner over sickness this morning some of you have been battling some of the most difficult things that you could ever face in the mind, in the body, in the soul, in the spirit. You've been battling with grief. You've been battling with heartache. You've been battling with loss. You've been battling with divorce. And you've been battling with all the side effects of the betrayal and the hurt that you've been through. But today, raise your banner above it. Raise your banner above rejection this morning. Raise your banner above, above abandonment and above what your mama didn't do.

33:16 I hope you are energized that you don't need an energy drink. What you just heard should have you off and running, chasing your dreams, pursuing your purpose, and answering your call. If this was a blessing, share it with somebody else. Don't be selfish. This is what God gave you so that you can be a blessing to somebody who needs it worse.