Okay. Greetings, friends and new listeners. Welcome to this program of the R.G. Harding Ministries. I'm Sharon Knotts thanking you for being with us today because we know faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Today's message by my father brother Hardy is certain to uplift you, especially if you're in a tight place. In fact, that's the title of today's message, The Tight Spots of a Christian.
So if you are in need of encouragement, you are in tune with the right station to hear a timely word. The tight spots of a Christian. You know the the big difference Between A child of God And a sinner. One big difference. One big difference I found.
Between the child of God. And someone that doesn't know Jesus. Let me put it that way. You know, the Bible said that The ring falls on the good. Or the just and the unjust.
How many say you men? And trials and tests. Hotter places Pressing's way Come to the just and unjust. How do you know that? You know a lot of people They have the wrong they have a misconception.
They have the wrong idea. They believe that when they get saved That they're never going to have a test anymore. There's never going to be a hard spot. There's not going to be burdens. There's not going to be battles.
And consequently, they're not prepared. A lot of people think that they're going to fly to heaven. On a magic carpet. I'll tell you what. I've been serving the Lord about 20 years.
And I read that Bible all from cover to cover and lots in between. I never found no magic carpet yet. I said, I haven't found that magic carpet. Hey, but it's got that magic carpet. You got it?
Put hide in that thing. Move over. Let me shirt down. Hoard it. Everybody say amen.
Don't misunderstand me. The Lord's gonna work it all out. But you see a lot of people think that When I get saved, I'm never. going to be confronted with a bad situation anymore. There's not going to be any hard places anymore.
There's not going to be any tight spots anymore. How many thought there'd never be a tight spot?
Well, that's contrary to the Bible. You know what the Bible said? Mammy! M-A-N-Y. That means a whole lot.
Does the word medi mean a whole lot? How many believes that? Mummy? Are the afflictions Now remember I said the word affliction wasn't sickness and disease. A lot of people think when they think of the word affliction, they make well as a disease, a sickness.
But that wasn't the Hebrew and the Greek meaning of the word affliction. Anything that was a hard spot was called an affliction. The Bible said many are the afflictions of the righteous. How many say amen? The Greek word Translated affliction means A tight Spot.
It means really And narrow. confining Place. You're in a tight Spot. You just about can make it. It's rough.
And it's hard. It's a tight spot. You just. Squeezing through. Let me bring it up to the 20th century.
Somebody said, How'd you get out of that fix? I made it. By the skin of my teeth.
Well, that's what the word Affliction means by the skin of your teeth. And uh, I just made it. By the skin of my feet.
Well, the Bible says you're going to get in many places. As a Christian, That you just gonna make it by the skin of your teeth. I don't care, just so I make it. That's all that I'm interested in. A trip.
Got by the skin of my teeth. Murdy! You're going to find yourself if you follow the Lord, He tarries. Of course, maybe some of you will never learn this scripture because the Lord ain't going to be long coming. Come on, Jesus.
Right now, sire. Don't worry. You'll meet your boy and wife in the air Don't come. When I used to be out on the field, and hundreds or maybe thousands of miles away from Baltimore. And I said, I say I wouldn't care if Jesus come right now.
Somebody said, What about your wife and the family? I said, If they're living right, I'm going to meet them in the air. What do you don't worry about it? I'll meet him up there and we'll all go to heaven. But if you finally wanted to know the Lord.
You're going to get in a lot of predicaments. That if you get out of it, it's going to be by the skin of your teeth. Man, what the fuck do you got in there? Money! are the tight spots.
of the righteous. You see? It rains on the good. In the bay it And tight spots. Come to the Good and the bad.
And the only difference, see what I'm telling you. between the just and the unjust is that when the tight spot comes, they don't have Jesus. That's what it is. I got Jesus. How many say amen?
That's the difference between a sinner and a saint. We all gonna go through tight spots, but I got some other on there. That's the big difference between being saved and unsaved. We all try to make A way of life. How many say amen?
Calamities come to all loved ones. Silence might come. Maybe a war will come on our loved ones there. Sinner and Saint. But if you're a saint, honey, God's going to make a way.
Well, there she must go be no way. He's going to get you out. Come on, Jesus. Come on, Lord. The only difference between a saint and a sinner, when they get in a tight spot, they can't throw their head back and holler, come on, Jesus.
I mean, when I was in the world and didn't know Jesus, I got in tight spots. I caught Obama. I got in spots mama couldn't help. Wasn't no use calling on daddy. I knew he wasn't going to help.
I'm one of no use going to call my father. When I got in that tight spot with Mr. John Law. My father say you made your bed and I lay in it. I was in a tight spot.
I didn't want to hear that stuff. That bid was hard. How many say you're in?
Now I began to call on people. I sit there, I thought about everybody. Who in the world could I I don't care who I if I if I knew the devil, if I'd really believed it was the devil and I knew him, I'd have gone on him, I was in such a bad spot. I used to call mom and mom would drop everything. And Father, get me out of that tight spot.
But honey, I got in spots mom couldn't get me out of. You know, in the beginning, mom used to be able to get me out of little spots. How many say amen? But as I got older, My spots got harder and tougher. And mom couldn't do it.
I was in trouble. I was in a tight bath. I was looking for somebody to help me. Wasn't nobody to help me. That's what the Bible to Psalmist said.
Said they that hated David's soul and gnashed on him. Said they got in trouble, they looked for help, said they even called to the Lord, and the Lord wouldn't even help them. That's the difference between a sinner And the thing Because if the sinner gets in a tight spot and says, hey, God, get me out, God said, no, you got to get saved first. I don't have to worry when I get in a tight spot, God. You've got to get me out.
Got to get me out. See how how do you know?
Well the Bible told me to pay my vow. to the Most High God. I know it's got to get me out. I've paid my bows. Have you ever heard that scripture?
Said, pay thy vow to the Most High God and do what? He said, then in a time of trouble, call on me and I will deliver you. I will. Say, keep your vows to God. And when you get in a tight spot, just call on him.
Hey, Jesus, I know you. I see you do a miracle. You're going to do some more for me. How many say amen? I'm glad I got Jesus.
I'm glad I'm safe. I said, I'm praying I'm a child of God. My God, I wouldn't want to be in a fixed I'm in and be a sinner. My Lord help me, Jesus. My lord.
I said I wouldn't want to be living in this society. I wouldn't want to be living in Baltimore City. Of all the troubles There is. And be a sinner. No, sir, honey.
I believe I'd barricade myself in a room and I wouldn't go out. I'd be scared to death. How many see you men? I'm glad I'm saved. You know what?
You know something. I'd rather be The most tried, detested. Tight spot Christian. That ever lived. Than the freest sinner right here in Baltimore.
I'd rather be in all the church spots that you can get in. And be a Christian. Then be free And be a sinner. Because I know that if I'm in the tight spot God's got to get me out. I don't have to do nothing.
He's got to get me out. He's got to.
Somebody said, well, I've got to get you out. Because number one, I'm righteous. I'm his child. And number two, his word said he'd get me out. And God's got to do it because he said it.
I will go up to God and say, God, I'm your child. The blood's on me. Put the blood on me right now. How many say, Amen? I'm your child.
Your blood's on me. You've got to move for me. You've got to get me out of this tight spot. You've got to move. I said, bless God tonight, God, you've got to move.
Honey, if you had everything handed to you on a silver platter, how do you know God can do all those things? I won't have no problem with faith when old death comes. I said, I don't believe when we have any trouble. When it comes time to meet Mr. Death.
I ain't gonna be afraid of Mr. Depp. I think you'll be afraid of him. I'll say no. I'll say, hey, Death, where's your state?
You know what it's gonna take to be raptured Who knows what it's going to take to be raptured? It's going to take faith. How many say amen? And all these little tests. It's just purifying our faith.
So that one the big challenge. The faith comes, we just won't have to worry. How many say amen? When the devil comes in and tries to break your faith at the old deathbed and showing you death all around you, maybe, I don't know, maybe the America might be invaded and they might try to make you deny Jesus. And when he's got that gun there and that demon looking at you and death looking at you, how many say amen?
Oh, God wants to bring it to the place that you can say, for me to live is Christ, but to die is gay, pull, pull that old trigger. You know, we just might be, we might just be brought to that before it's over. You know the early apostolic church The Church of the Apostles Had to have that kind of faith. As you read. The story of the apostles, you find that every one of them went out as a martyr.
As I began to read the autobiography of Paulo, Hey, where did you read it? You know, he wrote it himself. How many say a men? You know that that Greek word auto means self. The story of my own life by me.
This is the story of my life by me, Paul, the apostle. He wrote it himself. How many say amen? Wait, did he write it? When he said, Timothy, fight the good fight of faith.
Lay hold on eternal life. He said, Timothy, watch. Charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ preach the gospel of the instant in season and out of season and reprove and rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. He said, for I'm about to be offered up and the time of my departures is at hand. He said, this is my autobiography.
I fought a good fight. I believe in fighting. I don't believe in fighting a defeated fight. I believe in fighting a good fight. And the good fight is fighting a good fight of faith.
Have faith and fights the devil. Amen. Believe God and lift up the bloodstained data.
Somebody said Fighting. I'm fighting now, honey. You don't know how I'm fighting now. I'm fighting for my life. Amen.
I believe you're God, and I'm punching the devil. I believe you're God. Punching the devil. Said, oh, you're fighting. Yeah, man.
I don't know how long my boys are going to stay out, but I'm fighting the good fighter faith. I'm going to preach the good news. Hey, good news, you're in the tight spot. The Lord's on the way. Hold on.
You know God. In every circumstance and situation That will get in has promised to make us the victors. In fact, as we study the word And we find out the word. We find out that wherever we are. If we're an obedient child of God.
God let you there. I'm gonna let that sink in. I said. Yeah. You All obedient Children Of God.
Wherever you are at... Whatever circumstance you're in, God led you there.
So, don't let the devil tell you God doesn't know anything about you. He led you there. He ordered you there. Let me change it. and really get biblical.
Yeah. You have been obeying the Lord. Wherever you're at. Whatever your circumstance. God ordered you there.
The steps of a righteous, that's somebody that's obeying God. That's somebody that's not disobedient. That's somebody that's not living in sin. That's somebody that's not living in Rebellion. That's somebody that hasn't broken any law.
to be guilty. They are righteous. The steps of a righteous man are what? Oh, God ordered you just wherever you are. God ordered you to get right in that tight spot.
God said get in that tight spot He said, Hardy, You've been obeying me. You've been doing what I told you. Preaching my word. Pride lift up Jesus. Not compromising.
Play it all out! Spare it not. Lifting up holiness. Quiet out against sin. He said, get in that tight spot.
I said, all right, Lord. He said, because I'm going to get you out of it. How many say amen? Hey, did you ever read in the Psalms where God promised the psalmist that I will lead you into a large place? What do you think he was talking about?
What's a large place mean? What do you mean, Lars?
Someone taking out that tight spot? You know what happens? When you're righteous and you obey the Lord. The Lord leads you into that tight spot. You know what happens?
The devil comes running. Bless God, you in a tight spot. Look at you. You've obeyed the Lord. You've been righteous.
You're trying to get yourself righteous now. She didn't mean to tell me the Lord loves shit. Led you into this tight spot. I said this is just a door. And here you are, Obey Con led you in a tight spot.
What kind of God is that? Why don't you quit serving him? Why don't you give up? I ain't about to give up. Not that place.
If I'm gonna give up, I ain't gonna give up no tight spot. Are you crazy? You mean tell me I'm gonna get in the tight spot and don't see no way out and I'm gonna quit God there? I need him then. If I'm going to quit him, I'm going to wait until he gets me in the large place.
I ain't going to quit him in a tight spot. See what I'm talking about. Hey brother, you ought to be glad you didn't quit God Wednesday. Ain't you glad you stood up there and helped me preach and shout and pray for the sick and take them through the line? Aren't you glad?
Somebody said, Why? I'm glad he didn't quit God Wednesday. Why? 'Cause somebody stuck a gun in him. When was it Thursday or today?
Wednesday after the church. Over four. I'm glad you didn't quit him Sunday. Stuck a gun at him? Took his money Took his watch.
How many say amen? He was in a tight spot. Didn't have his watch, couldn't tell what time it was. It's time to praise the Lord. Say why should he praise God that man could have pulled that trigger, that's why.
What did the Lord do? You were in a tight spot. Didn't have your watch, so you knew what time it was. Didn't have his money. But the brother's been given to the Lord.
He's been sacrificing and God saw it. And the devil said, Bless God, I'm going to rob him. I'm going to take his watch and his money. And you know what? God saw him given.
And you know what God did? Made them police catch him boys and take his watch back and his money back. Him in the same man. Curry Bless God, I wouldn't I wouldn't be a shitter now for nothing. I'd stay in the house.
We heard a story. Just like this just a little while ago. about somebody. That a friend hollered to them, they stopped the car and got in the back of the car. They wasn't so fortunate.
Because when that man threw the gun on him he shot him right in the heart boom Because he didn't know Jesus, honey. How many? That was the difference. The Lord was in the car with you, brother. He let that gun get locked, y'all.
He let that finger, trigger finger, get paralyzed. You know that? You know that the Lord can paralyze them triggers when they want to kill you? That old devil once you came, the Lord just wanted him to do it. I imagine them lines when they had Daniel in that den smelting.
This is the sweetest piece of meat I smelled. Oh God.
So no, I've been getting some stinking dirty devils. Said, this is some of that righteous holiness stuff. Said, man, this is a good clean meal. I said, I like to eat him. Dan said, You'd like to eat him, but shut up, boy.
He's got nothing to give you Loxol. Just you smell, but you can't eat. Hey, you go out and go home if you want to. It's all right. I'm preaching to Hardy anyhow.
I'm preaching to myself. I ain't about to quit God. God I'm like I'm like Jacob. Have you ever read a story about Jacob? Oh, Jacob.
He was a, we call him a consman now. If he was living now. He'd have been one of them fancy hats. He'd have them big dark glasses on. I don't mean he'd be super fly.
He be down there, flim slimming over them cats. That's what he did. The Bible said he was a supplanter. How? He got it back.
Being a consman He even got his mother in on it. She worked with him. Didn't she? Mother got innocent. Said Jacobson, I named you right.
So planter, congressman. Amen. By trickery. Flu flam, you're gonna get depression. I'll tell you what, I don't blame Jacob.
The blessing of God is so good, I'd even use Swim Flam to kidnap it. What are you talking about? What do you mean? Hey! I said the blessings of the Lord so good, I'd even use Kahnsman's tactics to get it.
I say, Lord, bless me. I don't care what it takes. Just blush me. Esau ran into his father and his father said, your brother got your blessing. He said, I don't care.
Bless me. I don't care. Give me some kind of a blessing. How many say amen? Honey, I want the blessing of God.
I don't care what it takes to get tight spots, cramped spots, bruised ankles, kicked shins, punching the nose. Give me the blessing. Quit God and quit God's feet. Quit God! You can I believe I'm a little bit like Jacob.
Oh, Jacob used anything he could. to get out of a tight spot. Can you do it? Tricked his brother. starved to death and stole his birthright.
How? with his mother. calmed his father. To think it was somebody else. Put sheepskin, goat skin on.
Put his brother's clothes on, smelt like his brother. Father was blind, said, I can't see you, but I'm gonna smell you. Said you talk like Jacob. Say, but you feel like Esau. And his father blessed him and gave him everything.
Bless God, I'd put goatskins on too to get everything, wouldn't you? These folk don't believe that. And all of a sudden, He heard that Esau was going to kill him. Oh, he was in a tight spot. He knew his brother wasn't no fool boy.
He ain't gonna fool around. His brother was gonna. Turn him every way but loose. He knew his brother was a wild man. And his brother said, I won't kill him now while we're mourning.
But as soon as we get our father in the sepulcher and get all the mourners out, I'm going to kill him. I'm gonna kill him. And when they say amen, and I mean Jacob knew he was in a tight spot. And you know what he did? He left that blessing.
He left all that things that his father gave him and he rotted. He ran. I said he run! He left everything. He was in a tight spot.
That man was gonna kill him. That man wasn't gonna do no talking. He said, he couldn't tell that man, I'm going to give you the blessing. The man said, I'm going to kill you and have it anyhow. How many say amen?
He ran! Didn't he do it? And on his run and in his tight spot. He ran into God. That's a good one to run into.
How many say amen? He didn't have anything. That's when God finds us. I mean if God wasn't going to help us, why does he wait till we ain't got nothing when everybody's against us? How many say amen?
Esau's going to kill us. And the only thing Jacob had, his sole term, sum and total of his. Belongus was a stone for his head. Free money? And while he had his head on that stone, God found him.
Hey, hey. Amen. What an inspiring word of encouragement by God's servant Brother Hardy, the tight spots of a Christian. The Scripture says, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all.
Now the term afflictions does not refer to a sickness, but rather to a narrow, confining place, as though you are being squeezed or as Apostle Paul described, being pressed in the spirit, and even pressed out of measure. In other words, a tight spot. Many are the tight spots of a Christian, but God has promised to deliver us out of every one. 1 Corinthians 10.4 states, There is no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that which you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way to escape that you may be able to endure.
Child of God, your tight spot will not destroy you because God is faithful to bring you out. And James reminded us that we have the examples of the Old Testament saints who also suffered great afflictions, and they did so with patience. And Peter stated that the same afflictions, the very same tight spots, are accomplished in our brethren around the world. We believe this message is one you might need to hear again, or you may know someone who is in a tight spot that you want to share it with. It can be ordered on CD for a love gift of $10 or more for the Radio Ministry.
Request offer 127 and mail to Archie Hardy Ministries, P.O. Box 1744, Baltimore, Maryland, 21203. or go online to archiehardy.org. Friends, even if you do not wish to order, we want to hear from you and we need your financial support to continue on this station. But to receive the tight spots of a Christian, request Offer 127, mail to PO Box 1744, Baltimore, Maryland, 21203.
Till next time, this is Sharon Ad saying Maranatha.
