Against Hope, Believing In Hope

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to another faith-building message by Pastor David Entry. Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God.

[0:11] May your knowledge of Jesus Christ increase as you listen. Be blessed. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

[0:22] Hallelujah! In Isaiah chapter 41 verse 10, it says that, Fear not, fear thou not, for I am with you.

[0:35] Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yea! I will help thee. Yea! I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

[0:49] Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be as nothing, and they that strive with thee shall perish.

[1:05] This is a prophetic word from the Lord to somebody in the mighty name of Jesus. Behold, they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded.

[1:18] They will be confused, worrying and wondering, what's going on here? What's going on here? They shall be ashamed and be confounded. They that were incensed against thee.

[1:29] I see them being ashamed. I see them being confounded. Amen. And he said, they shall be as nothing, and they that strive with thee shall perish.

[1:40] Amen. It will not be a worthwhile exercise. As they contend with you, as they strive with you, they are wasted. Because there's grace coming upon somebody to keep you always up.

[1:52] A bad enemy is to give you an upper hand in the affairs of life. All those who conspire to hurt you, who are conspiring to hurt you, to disgrace you, to pull you down, to limit you, to hinder you, to frustrate you, to humiliate you, they shall be confounded, and they shall perish.

[2:12] They won't do well. They won't do well. There will be no more. The wind will carry them away. There will be no more. There will be sought for, and they will not be found, because they will be gone, and you will be doing well.

[2:26] I prophesy to you the word of the Lord. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. I wish there was somebody sitting near you who you could tell.

[2:37] Prophesy to him to, don't be afraid. Look at that person near you and prophesy. That friend, that family member, prophesy, don't be afraid. Prophesy.

[2:48] Look straight into their eyeballs and tell them, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Tell somebody, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid, for God is fighting for you.

[2:59] Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid, for God is helping you. Don't be afraid. I am prophesying to you. Don't be afraid, for heaven is helping you.

[3:09] He said, don't be, do not be dismayed, for I will help you. I will help you. I am your God. I will help you. Fear not, for I am with thee. Why should you be, why should you not be afraid?

[3:21] For God is with you. For God is with you. Fear not, for God is with you. For God is with you. Nicodemus said to Jesus, no one can do these things except God be with him.

[3:36] I am also telling you, don't be afraid, because God is with you. So then, if we, by inference from what Nicodemus said, if God be with you, you do some things that are unusual.

[3:52] Your results are unrivaled. Your results are astounding. Your results are outstanding. Your results are unique, because he got with you.

[4:05] And God said, don't be afraid, for I am with you. That means that you are about to produce a certain type of result that will beat the mind of your opponent.

[4:15] That is why he said, fear not, for I am with thee. Do not be dismayed. Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

[4:25] I will strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Then he says that all those who have racist, those who are incensed against you, they shall be ashamed and confounded.

[4:38] Why? Because the results that God is about to generate in your life, as you fear not and put your faith in him, and because he's with you, the result that he's about to generate will be mind-bothering, will be perplexing, will be confusing.

[4:56] Your enemies will be confronted. What is this? What is this? We expected that. But look at what we are seeing. We expected that he'll be down and out, but he's rather up and rising.

[5:06] This is not normal. Yes, because God is with you. So he said, don't be afraid. Fear not. He said, fear thou not. You is particular.

[5:18] Don't you. You. Do not be afraid. Let me put it this way. Do you not be afraid. Okay. Do you not. You do not be afraid.

[5:29] Do you not be afraid. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. You. You in particular. He said, fear you not. Fear thou not.

[5:40] You. Don't be afraid. In the name of Jesus. The New King James said, fear not, for I am with you. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid.

[5:53] Don't. Thousands may fall by your side. Ten thousand by your right hand. That's a 91 verse 7. It will not come near you. So why are you afraid? It will not come near you.

[6:04] Thousands shall fall by your side. Ten thousand by your right hand. But. But means that. Actually. It was supposed to come near you. But. It didn't get. It doesn't.

[6:15] It can't come near you. It's not happening to you. It's not happening to you. It's not happening to you. It's not happening to you. There's a difference between not happening. It's not happening to you. The Lord to get you. Thank you.

[6:26] It will not come near you. I don't know what you are so worried about. But God said, I should tell you. It will not come near you. Amen. So don't be afraid. Don't be afraid.

[6:37] It will not come near you. Don't be afraid. It will not come near you. Don't be afraid. It will not come near you. Why? Because the Lord is your keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

[6:48] He will preserve thy soul. Psalm 1, 2, 1. Verse 6 and 7. He will preserve thy soul even forevermore. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid.

[7:00] Yes. If that's all the Lord gives me the chance to say, I will stop saying it. Don't be afraid. Hallelujah. Don't be afraid. You are hearing all kinds of things happening.

[7:12] Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Tell me, Pastor, how am I going to? Don't be afraid. Leave the how for God. And you do what you have to do. And what you are supposed to do is not be afraid.

[7:25] Don't be afraid. Leave the how for God. Don't be afraid. For he said, I am with you. That is why you shouldn't be afraid. The reason why you shouldn't be afraid is I am with you.

[7:38] Yay! Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why? For thou art with me.

[7:51] He said, I am with you. So don't be afraid. Just cheer up. Relax. In life. Trust him. Years ago, I read a statement that never left me.

[8:05] He gets a smooth ride. Always sails smoothly. He who is carried by grace. If grace is your vehicle, you will always have a smooth ride. You will arrive.

[8:16] It doesn't matter the storms that come. You will still arrive because you are being carried by grace. So God said, I'm not going to take away the obstacle. I'm not going to take away the opposition. I'm going to take away all that.

[8:28] But I will actually increase my grace over you. And you, you, people, what stops people won't stop you. Why? Because you have extra boosts.

[8:39] Extra supply of grace. What is stopping people won't stop you. What is killing others can't kill you. What is destroying others can't destroy you. What is blocking others can't block you.

[8:51] Why? Because he said, my grace is sufficient for you. Don't keep your eye on the obstacle. Keep your eye on the Lord. Whose grace? In spite of what? The situation may not change.

[9:02] But I'm telling you, God is going to raise you. And he's going to raise you above the obstacle. And you go over that obstacle. You arrive at your destination unscathed on hand.

[9:15] In Daniel chapter 3, from verse 24, 25, 26. Particularly towards 28. He said, they said that they came out unscathed.

[9:27] They put them in the fire. But they came out of the fire unscathed, untainted. The people who put them in the fire got burned. And the set traps, administrators, governor, and the king's counselors gathered together.

[9:43] And they saw these men on whose body, Kandasha, Adei, Adei, Adei. Oh, my Lord, help me. Lord, this is too good. Can't you see this is good?

[9:54] They saw these men on whose bodies their fire had no power. Hey! Their enemies were confounded.

[10:06] They saw these men on whose bodies their fire had no power. The hair of their head was not singed.

[10:18] Can you imagine? Singed, no. Were their garments affected? They were thrown into the hottest fire to the extent that the people who cast them into the fire, the soldiers who took them near the fire, the soldiers got consumed by the fire.

[10:33] Can you imagine? The soldiers who put them in the fire got consumed by the fire. Those who were put in the fire had rather divine encounter in the earth.

[10:44] Oh, somebody. Those who went into the fire had a divine encounter in the fire. The king said, hey, hey, didn't I put three men in?

[10:59] I see a fourth man. I see a fourth man. He's like a son of man. They are four. I put three men in. But they are four. The son of man joined them in the fire and quenched the fire.

[11:11] There is no scientific development that would make fire not be able to burn a human being. Look. He answered. I see four men. Lose.

[11:22] I threw them inbound. Look at verse 24. Verse 24. The king, the Bukadnesian, was astonished, and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, did we not cast three men bound?

[11:35] They were bound into the midst of the fire. They answered and said to the king, true, O king. But the king said, look, look. He answered.

[11:45] Look. I see four men loose walking in the midst of righteousness. These are no stories. These are real life. The Bible said, by faith, they quenched the violence of fire.

[11:56] By faith. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 33. By faith, they quenched the violence of fire. He said, look. He said, we threw them bound.

[12:09] But look. Please, let's go back to that. Yeah. Look. I see four men loose in the middle of the fire, walking in the midst of the fire. And they are not hurt.

[12:19] And they are from, and the form of the fourth is like the son of man. Jesus has joined them. The son of man has joined them in the fire. Hey.

[12:30] Nebuchadnezzar saw the son of man. That he was inside it. This is what the Bible says that in Isaiah chapter 41, verse 11. Those who are in sense against you shall be confounded.

[12:43] They shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be ashamed and confounded. Why? Because these men, they believe in God and the fire could not have an impact on them.

[12:55] They came out of the fire on skates. Their hair was not singed. Singed. When they say something is singed. You see, when you put, you leave a hot iron, pressing iron on fabric for a while.

[13:08] And you see, like, let's say cotton. And it gets bent. It's singed. It's bent. It's not like turned into ashes, but it's bent. It's not good for anything. Their hair was not singed.

[13:20] Not even dyed. It didn't get dyed or colored. Their hair and their clothes, their clothes. I mean, nothing happened to their clothes. Their body, their fire had no power on their body.

[13:35] How much more sickness? Oh, hallelujah. How much more? The fire had no power on their bodies. The fire had no power on their bodies.

[13:47] I am here professing to you that any arrow, fiery dirt that has been thrown against you, that fire will not have power over your body.

[13:58] It will not have power over your marriage. It will not have power over your finances. It will not have power over your life. If you are the one I'm talking about, shout and believe in, amen.

[14:09] Amen. Hallelujah. We give you praise that you are with us. Thank you. You know what? The Bible says that I will be with you in fire.

[14:20] When you go through the fire, Isaiah chapter 46. It said, when you go through the fire, I will be with you. When you go through the waters, I will be with you. By the Lord, I will be with you.

[14:31] When you go, 43 said, said, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you go through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flames scorch you.

[14:45] Is that not what's happening? Yes. He said, I'll be with you. God said, I am your God. Don't be dismayed, for I am with you. I don't know whose situation is making me keep pushing.

[14:59] Keep pushing, because I'm trying to convince someone based on God's word to believe that. Believe God. When God says it, he's not joking. When he says it, he means it.

[15:10] He means it. Have you dared believe fully in God? Believe fully in his word? Why are you worrying? What's your problem? What's your problem? Don't be afraid, please.

[15:22] God is with you. God is with you. God is with you. God is with you. How do you get God to be with you? When you believe him, when you believe God, he's with you.

[15:33] I see God changing your story. And you shall have a testimony. Whatever you are going through will turn to you for a testimony. Amen. God told me, I should tell you, don't be afraid.

[15:46] Fear not. Only fear not. Just fear not. Okay. I have one, one verse I want to quote to you. And then we can stand on that and pray and receive a prophetic declaration and, and close for the night.

[16:01] I really don't want us to stay too long. Now in Romans chapter four, Romans chapter four, verse 18, Romans chapter four, verse 18.

[16:12] I really wish I would get a chance to teach on this message. He said, talking about Abraham, who contrary to hope in hope, believed.

[16:23] Abraham, contrary to hope, in hope, in hope, believed against hope, contrary. What the normal direction of hope was taking him?

[16:37] He went the opposite. There was no reason. There was no scientific. There was no rational basis for him trying to believe God for the other, for otherwise.

[16:49] So he went contrary to rationale, went contrary, opposite to natural, normal, natural progression. He went contrary. Abraham in hope, contrary to hope.

[17:04] I mean, how can I, let's say I have my daughter and now my daughter is, let's say she's 10 years old. Now I'm believing that this guy, this, my daughter will turn into a man as she's growing up.

[17:19] She just grows into a man. You know, it doesn't happen. Or you have bought a cat and then you are praying now that the cat will grow into a dog. You know, that is, you don't believe stuff like that because it's absurdity.

[17:33] It's madness. You are paid for Mercedes. You go to Mercedes car showroom or you're going to Nissan car showroom or Vauxhall car showroom.

[17:44] Both paid for it. They are delivering. And now you are fasting that by the time the car gets to your drive, it turns into a Jaguar. What a miracle.

[17:56] That Toyota will deliver Jaguar for you. Hey. It's contrary. It is contrary. It is contrary. If you have been, if you're going to a company that deals with Toyota, Jaguar, this and Bentley and all that, then you might say, they will say the one you wanted is not.

[18:16] So they are giving you this, which is a high aspect. But you ordered for Toyota. And then when they were delivering it, Mercedes Benz came or BMW 5 Series.

[18:27] That is believing contrary to hope. Now, in the Abraham's days, they were not using any of those things. But Abraham believed.

[18:39] And he, contrary to hope, believed. And his belief. Watch this. This is very important. And his belief. He was, he believed in hope that this thing I'm believing for will happen.

[18:55] Wow. Okay. Because he, don't go there. Don't go there. He said, don't go area. But he said, well, I'm believing, hoping that this will happen.

[19:08] That's where sometimes people can get very crazy. Or extreme. So you are believing. The man is married. He just finished his wedding last year. Everything is fine.

[19:18] You are believing that his wife will say, okay, you go and marry your former boyfriend or girlfriend or something like that. No, please. That is, that's not what I'm talking about. That's not what I'm talking about.

[19:30] Believing that you will claim somebody's wife. No, no. That's absurdity. Okay. But there is the possibility to, a gain of soul.

[19:41] A typical example is your womb has been removed through maybe operation, medical surgery. They took out your womb.

[19:52] Because fallopian tubes are true. Womb is one. They took out your womb. And yet, you are believing God that you also have a child. You'll get pregnant.

[20:03] This is against hope. Right. Believing against, you are saying what I'm saying. Believing against hope. So, when you read the New King James, he says that against hope believed that he might be.

[20:18] So, contrary to hope, another way is against hope believed in hope. Belief. Hoping. He believed. Hoping that this thing.

[20:29] But, and what was the hope? That's very important. That he might become the father of many, a fatherless man at 100 years old. That he won't be the father of many nations. Where, where are you getting the idea from?

[20:41] Where? That he might be the father of many nations. Where did he get the idea from? Don't miss the next word. The next word. I feel like preaching. Don't miss. Sir. Sir. Don't miss the next word.

[20:52] According to that which was spoken. A spoken word came. And he decided to believe in hope. Against hope. Based on the spoken word. He heard something.

[21:03] God said it. He said, did God say it? Did God say it? Ah. I'm going to go with it. Did God say it? I'm going to go with it. Did God really say it? Pastor.

[21:14] Is that what God is saying? Is that what the word is saying? Is that what the word is saying? And I know this is for me. I'm going to be. Oh. Kabadahaya. Kabadahaya. Sakaya.

[21:25] Who told you you can't give birth? Who told you you won't get married? Who told you you are dying? The devil is a liar. They said this sickness is terminal. I believe God is a healer. I believe God is a healer.

[21:36] He can heal you. Why don't you believe God? Believe in hope against you. Believe. Believe in hope. Against hope.

[21:48] Believe. Against hope. Believe. Hoping. So it's not like your belief is in the hope. But your hope has been, another hope has been erected, has been generated based on what you are choosing to believe.

[22:05] Are you getting it? So you believed. Hoping that it will be another way. It will be against the initial, natural, normal cause of happening and thinking.

[22:18] Don't be afraid. I dare. Can you dare be violent in your believing God? But don't believe without a word.

[22:30] Because if it's going to be contrary to hope, boy, it might as well be, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. That's all.

[22:40] That's all God said. That's all God said. I feel an anointing in this place. I feel an anointing. That's all God said. All God said is, so shall thy seed be.

[22:54] My seed? A 19-year-old, 99-year-old man? My seed? How? My wife is also barren. And she's too old.

[23:05] My seed? What seed are you talking about? God said, so shall thy seed be. Huh? Me? Yes, you. So shall thy seed be. No, it's not possible.

[23:15] Forget that. Forget it. Choose to accept what God is saying. So shall. And that is in Genesis chapter 15 verse 5. Genesis chapter 15 verse 5. God took him out and showed him.

[23:26] Showed him. And then they brought him forth abroad. And the Lord said, look towards heaven. Tell the, tell, and tell the stars. If thou be able to number them.

[23:37] And he said to him, so shall thy seed be. Huh? Huh? Oh? Huh? Listen. Listen. So that was his. God brought him out.

[23:47] He said, come on, come on. You are staying in that, you are staying in that confined environment. Come on, come on, come on. God took him out. He said, lift up your eyes. Look at the stars. Can you count them? He said, no, I can't count them.

[23:58] He said, ah, okay. That's how your seed shall be. Me? How am I going to have all these children? If you can't have one. I can't. So Abraham, watch this. Watch this, brothers and sisters. Hey.

[24:08] Kodabababababashondahandi. Ileika. Hudianda. Abraham believed against. Now, so there is this normal evidence against his life, working against his life, and he knew it wasn't possible.

[24:22] And then suddenly, a word comes from God, which was different from the normal way of thinking. Huh? But Abraham said, okay. God said it. He chose.

[24:32] He believed that he would be the father against the father of all nations. And that believing was not normal, because you have to believe against all odds, against all normal standards, and against all normal evidence.

[24:47] He, based on God's word, please, don't forget, not arbitrary. It's not arbitrarily believing. Believing arbitrarily, thinking, what should I even believe? What should I please believe? Don't forget it.

[24:57] If you are not thinking of what you believe, forget it. It's not faith. If you are not thinking of what you believe. Faith is a word comes to you. He says, ha, God paints a different alternative.

[25:10] God paints an alternative possibility about your health through his word. He paints an alternative possibility about your marriage through his word.

[25:21] He paints an alternative possibility about your family through his word. He paints an alternative possibility about your career, about your marriage, about your finances, about your children.

[25:32] He paints it through his way. And suddenly he says, ha! Oh, yes! Is this what God is saying? Ha! Then you look at the previous contrary situation.

[25:44] You look at what God is saying. And now you have to make a choice. You have to make a choice. You have to make a choice. You have to make a choice. You listen to what the others are saying. They'll say, my friend, don't waste your time.

[25:54] But Abraham believed against him. You can understand why they will tell you don't waste your time. Because it doesn't make sense. But sometimes you have to do the ridiculous to experience the miraculous.

[26:06] He believed against him. This year, you might be sick. You might not be feeling well. Don't worry about what the doctors have said. I'm not listening to what I didn't say.

[26:17] Let me just add this caveat. Because nowadays, there are too many people who are trying to pick up on what pastors say. Twist it. I didn't say, do not accept what the doctors say.

[26:28] Or don't take medication. I didn't say that. What I'm saying is that there is a higher reality. So doctors have said it. You choose to focus and believe on what God is saying.

[26:39] Believe in God's word. Believe in God's word. If you haven't received the word, then you are left to what you have by the circumstances and situation. But if a word has come to you, sister, sister, stop worrying.

[26:54] Stop fretting. Brother, stop worrying. Why are you worrying that there is no God? Why? Why are you worrying so much as though there is no God? Why? What's your problem? God is real.

[27:05] God is here. Can't you see what he's doing for others? Can't you see all around you? He's manifesting his goodness. You are next. He's doing all these things to show you diarious. Diarious.

[27:16] That when you are told your doctor is dead, he will tell you, fear not. Fear not. That same God who healed the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years. And she wasn't getting any better.

[27:28] She just touched the hem of Jesus' garment. And the 12-year-old problem was gone. God, Jesus is saying that that same woman, that same God who healed that 12-year-old blood issue is healing your 12-year-old daughter.

[27:44] It's going to heal your soul of your old daughter. So what's your problem? Don't fear. Jesus said, fear not. Only believe. I don't want to belabor the point.

[27:54] God gave me a prophetic word to somebody. That fear not. Only believe. Believe in hope. Contrary to hope. Believe in hope.

[28:06] Against hope. Yeah, I know there will be some other things that are speaking against. But you know what? In hope. I won't be able to go further into that. That text is very strong.

[28:17] That is what made Abraham, Abraham. That's what made Abraham. That's what started the journey of Isaac. Before he even believed God to kill Isaac, he believed God to have Isaac against hope.

[28:32] Against hope. And even though his body was dead, the word he believed became the healing. So the word of God became a seed and bypassed sidestep, circumvented his original situation.

[28:48] And God produced children. The word he believed. The word is potent enough. If you can believe in the word. The word has everything it takes to deliver. In spite of what is not there. If you can believe.

[28:59] The Bible says that whom against or contrary to hope, believed in hope that he might be the father of many nations. According to what was spoken.

[29:12] That's so important. If you have a Bible, that Bible is yours. You have to underline according to what was spoken. That's more important than believing in hope. According to what was spoken.

[29:25] According to what was spoken. And you see an exclamation mark. They quoted it from Genesis. Bam! So shall thy seed be. That's all he heard. In spite of the stars. The stars were not important.

[29:35] But that word that was trying to give the stars as an example. Is that word he believed. Not the stars. Is the word. You might have heard testimonies. Okay. It's good.

[29:45] The testimonies you've heard. But would you believe the word that is coming based on these testimonies? Believe in the word. He accepted the word. So shall thy seed be.

[29:57] That changed everything. Because he embraced it. Fear not. Believe. Amen. Contrary to hope. Or against hope. Believe hoping.

[30:09] Believe hoping. That what God said is what you experience. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Thank you for listening.

[30:20] To hear more from David Entry. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Why don't you subscribe to our YouTube channel at Karis Church. And subscribe to our podcast so you are always up to date.

[30:35] Be blessed.