Ho wave "..vid of chong on vacation, east coast, 102 degrees ..prayer "take my yoke.."..father we pray as u lead us ..no mttr what we r faciing.darkness confusion..pray let people know u r here..be yoked w us..carry our burdens..give us yoke easy & light..feed us ..in Jesus name .amen..begin..ask q "rite of passage" refers to process...test..evnt.transition fr one phase 2 another..if u hav children pre-adolescent .."hi mom"..suddenly deeper voice..pimples..strange odor..hair where never hair before..called puberty..rite of passage..field of academics..dissertation..law school ..lsat..business gmat ...us marine..crucible..final rtst marine recruit must complete..54 hours..only 3 times eat this time..cover 48 miles..phys endurance..mental challege q's..b/f becomes marine..test to punish..mentally physically.....rite ..for those who follow Christ..they too..the wilderness..this is our crucible.our rite..our wilderness..remember when came to christ 1st time..newness vitality..renewed hope.happiness..bible so new & alive..prayer effortless..church enjoyable..fellowshp look forward to..somewhere along way..st changes..bible sermons not so exciting ..prayer takes work..devotions less..church boring bible study mundane..christianity becomes blah..that's when u know u entered the wilderness..same for israel..when taken out of wilderness..snse of joy..leaving egypt..to promised land..but they too changed..no more snginng dancing..apathy boredom..hopes of better life....confusion despair..q's why god ? Why bring us ehre..hy take us out for this ? Israel just entrd their "wilderness"..spiritually dry..apathetic..hwhhthr church scr fllwshp..no impact..start feeling tired..lots of energy...lose intrst..apathy..lose enrgy..think god doesn't care anymor..can't make sense..wildernss q's abound, place of trial, diffclty hardship,,,appear as if wilderness least desirable u think..tell u ..not the biblical perspecv..not just doom gloom..wildrness is place of strngth, new beginn..new journey..any man woman desire to be used by god..must endure the crucible..not just nce but multiple ..calvin spurgeon edwards..endured droughts..spent time w god ...guess..many of u ..know exactly what's that like.I'm there w u..ui uncover. 3 main reasons for wilderness..what purpse..why god takes us thru ilderness.find out..turn to deut ch8 ..v 1-6..be careful..follow every command..remember lord god,,humble test u..know what's in your hearts ..your clothes did not wear out..man not live on bread alone..lord bring to streams pools..1st reason..to humble us..context..by time..spent 40 yrs wilderness..abt to enter prom land..intrsting..actually has them look back, process, evaluate, reflect..wxperince wilderness..first valuable reasons..why god took them..simply this..to humble them..how god led u..to humble u ..what does this mean to be humble..what look like..for many people..modesty..u did good..oh it was nothing ..in eyes of god..humilty not just abt modsty..abt dependence..reliance..main source of trust ..in v 3 fod says..humbled..causing u to hunger..take away natural means.in wilderness..no stores farms gardens...nno reg source..of food utter deeppend on god...so god provided sprntrl means..manna..take away natrl..god teaching central truuth..man not by bread alone..lives on every word that comes fr mouthof god ..relies on sprntrl means..only god can provide..man nnot by bread alone..none other than jesus himself..hungry tired..satan challngd jesus..tuurn these stones..jesus ha every right & means to do so..but he choose not to rely on own strngth power..quotes fr this chap.."not by bread alone.."..father I trust in uu.I rely on u ..u who sustains gives me life..beautful fisplay..humble reliance..dependent trust..wilderness season.see god as sole prvider.sufficient.not bymy natural means alone..trusting in u..my daughter..nearing. 2 yrs old..already started to declare independence..those of u w teens say..thono..nothing wait til teens..as baby always wants to be held..hold hands..always depend on me..wanti to feed la.be next to her..now older..dependency not ther doesn't want to be held so much..down downshe says..feed self.play self..she calls me "jeff" not papa ..I get so sad..2 weeks ago..to beach..sh ..she doesn't like new things..put her on sand..start crying..new o to her..crying.went to crystal cove..already anxious..up up..down.she's not letting go.crying.just sand..okk..why torturing daughter..mixed moment..so scared..but I was happy b/c she was hanging on tome..like a monkey..felt good ..had that feeling of her hlding on..intimate bond connection...wha seemed gone when she startd becoming independent..dels..how does god feel when we delclare indpendencefr god..sogod will take u thru momoment of trial, challenge..make way back to god..hold membrace me.don't let me go..even so painful diff..hard..forsaking self-reliance..mving vcloser to father..natrl tendency to go alone..struggles pile up...don't endure it, embrace it & him..will carry u thru..rely depend..amen ? 2nd reason..season..not just to humble but to test us..purpose of testing.reveal hat is in our hearts..story..2007 state of florida drought..okachobee..lake dried up..completely dried up lake bed..allowed scientiest to make discovery..lake receded..sewage line leak..released into waters..cannisters..found boats..fr hurricane..leaking oil..bf drought nobody knew this was taking place..of all things..it was a drought tht revealed this..share this because sometimes d...dryyness.midst of droughts spirituallly what s lurking..somtms not actions or reactions that reveal..who we r .whatmade up of..shows true quality of faith..wildeness exposes.q what.as I am going..season of wilderness..what truing to brig u.p..iin my heart..pride, filue to love..discipline self-control, not in hi but low times..god reveals true cond of ..not to condmn u but to convict u..condemn turns us away, but conviction leads us back to god cross love..imp to distinguish..expose things to do new work,edifying..stronger insideout..previ..precious metal..first dug..impurities..in fire burned off..comes out clean pure..smtms only way god could do that work in our hearts..stick us in fire..stiings painful...come out ..refined as gold..pure..swhat lord desires..inside outside..not just to humble & test us but to prepare us..many think god is puunishing..banishing..but no..but to prepare..deut 8 again..v16 "in the end it will go well w u"......if u r inwildernss..try to be sensitive..but all great of faith were of wilderness..but remained faithful trusting..moses wilderness wanderingg fearful..came out bold w tenacity to chall...david..paul..arabia persecutor came out as great apostle..wilderness jesus 40 days..there god prepared..in wilderness..cross to come..men & women who find selves refined..prepared what god is doing next..large amts of people who hv endured wilderness..maybe our church is in wilderness..maybe true..but god is doing prep work..your life & life of church..isaiah..remember not the former thing...do u not perceive it.will make way in wilderness..make rivers..place o hearts of pastors..maybe wilderness personally corporately..but god is preparing way..wilderness god's sign..son daughtr u r ready.4 what's next..every time prayed..give me better..smtms..god answers ..by giving wilderness..shar 1 thing..there is no easy way out of wilderness..know as much as god led u into the wilderness..god will lead u out..jesus went thru more than 1 wilderness journey..jesus knows what its like to be alone confused rejected..he knows the basic q..why have forsaken me ..why.let u know u have savior.hi priest..able to sympathize..he will be the person to lead u out
