Sound of Faith

Sharon Hardy Knotts: Greetings, friends and new listeners. Welcome to this program of the R.G. Hardy 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."

R. G. Hardy: You know 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 rain falls on the good or the just and the unjust. How many say amen? And trials and test, hard places, pressing's way, come to the just and unjust. How many know that? You know, a lot of people, they have the wrong, they have a misconception. They have a 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've read that Bible all from cover to cover and lots in between.

I ain't never found no magic carpet yet. I said, I haven't found that magic carpet. How many's got that magic carpet? You got it? Put hiding that thing. Move over, let me sit down on it. How many say amen? Don't misunderstand me. The Lord's going to 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? Many. M A N Y. That means a whole lot. Does the word "many" mean a whole lot? How many believe that? Many 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 think, well, it's 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 a 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're 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. I just made it by the skin of my teeth. Well, the Bible said you're going to get in many places as a Christian that you're just going to 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.

I just got by by the skin of my teeth. Many. You're going to find yourself if you follow the Lord and 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, I ate me. Don't worry. You'll meet your boy and wife in the air. No, come!

When I used to be out on the field and hundreds and maybe thousands of miles away from Baltimore, and I said, I said, 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'll meet them in the air." What do you don't worry about it? I'll meet them up there and we'll all go to heaven.

But if you follow on 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. Many are the tight spots of the righteous. You see, it rains on the good and the bad. 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 going to go through tight spots, but I got somebody to help me. That's the big difference between being saved and unsaved. We all trying to make a way in life. How many say amen?

Calamities come to our loved ones. Finance might come. Maybe a war will come and our loved ones there. Sinner and saint. But if you're a saint, honey, God's going to make a way where there seems to 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 called on mama. I got in spots mama couldn't help. Why do you call on Daddy? I knew he wasn't going to help.

Oh, I know you're going to call my father. When I got in that tight spot with Mr. John Law, my father said, "You made your bed, now lay in it." I's in a tight spot. I didn't want to hear that stuff. That bed was hard. How many say amen? 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 knew the devil, if I really believed it was the devil and I knew him, I'd have called on him. I was in such a bad spot.

I used to call mom, and mom would drop everything and try to 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 spot. I was looking for somebody to help me. There was nobody to help me. That's what the Bible, the psalmist said, said, "They that hated David so 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 saint. Because if the sinner just to the tight spot and says, "Hey, God, get me out," God said, "No, you've got to get saved first."

I don't have to worry when I get in a tight spot. God, you got to get me out! You got to get me out. Say, "How? How do you know?" Well, the Bible told me to pay my vow to the Most High God. I know he's got to get me out. I don't pay my vows. How many ever heard that scripture? Said, "Pay thy vow to the Most High God, and do what?" He said, "Then in the time of trouble, call on me and I will deliver you." I will. Said, "Keep your vows to God and when you get in a tight spot, just call on him." Hey, Jesus, I know you are. I've seen 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 saved. I said, "I'm glad I'm a child of God." My God, I wouldn't want to be in a fix 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. With 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 say amen? I'm glad I'm saved.

You know what? You know something? I'd rather be the most tried and tested tight spot Christian that ever lived than the freest sinner right here in Baltimore. I'd rather be in all the tight spots that you can get in and be a Christian than be free and be a sinner. Because I know that if I'm in a 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, "Why's he 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'll 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 got to move for me. You got to get me out of this tight spot. You got to move." I said, "Bless God tonight, God, you've got to move!" Oh, honey, if you had everything handed to you on a silver platter, how 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 I'd have any trouble when it comes time to meet Mr. Death." I ain't going to be afraid of Mr. Death. Said, "Ain't you going to be afraid?" I'm going to say, "No, I'm going to say, 'Hey, Death, where's your sting?'" You know what it's going to take to be raptured? How many 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 when the big challenge of faith comes, we just won't have to worry. How many say amen?

When the devil comes in, tries to break your faith, at that old death bed and showing you death all around you, maybe, I don't know, maybe 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's looking at you. How many say amen? Oh, God wants to bring you to the place that you can say, "For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain for 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 begin to read the autobiography of Paul. Say, "Where did you read it?" You know, he wrote it himself. How many say amen? You know that the 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?

When did he write it? When he said, "Timothy, fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life." He said, "Timothy, I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, preach the gospel." I'd be instant in season and out of season and reprove and rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. He said, "For I'm about to be offered up and the time of my departure is at hand." He said, "This is my autobiography. I've fought a good fight."

I believe in fighting. I don't believe in fighting a defeated fight. I believe in fighting the good fight and the good fight is fight the good fight of faith. Have faith and punch the devil. How many say, "Believe God and lift up the bloodstained banner!" 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, God, and I'm punching the devil. I believe you, God, punching the devil.

Said, "Are you fighting?" "Yeah, man, I don't know how long my voice is going to stay out, but I'm fighting the good fight of faith." I'm going to preach the good news. Hey, good news, you're in a tight spot, the Lord's on the way. Hold on. Hold on.

You know, God in every circumstance and situation that we'll 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 led you there. I want to let that sink in. I said, if you are an obedient child of God, wherever you are at, whatever circumstance you're in, God led you there. So, don't let the devil tell you, "God don't know anything about you." He led you there.

He ordered you there. Let me change it and really get biblical. If you have been obeying the Lord, wherever you're at, whatever your circumstance, God ordered you there. The steps of the 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, crying, "Lift up Jesus." Not compromising. Crying aloud, sparing not. Lifting up holiness, crying out against sin. Said, "Get in that tight spot." I said, "All right, Lord." He said, "'Cause 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 and said, "I will lead you into a large place." What do you think he was talking about? What does "a large place" mean? What do you mean in a large? Someone take you out of 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're in a tight spot. Look at you. You've obeyed the Lord. You've been righteous. Trying to get you self-righteous now.

Said, "You mean to tell me the Lord loves you, led you into this tight spot?" I said, "This is just a door." Said, "Here you are, obey God, 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 in that place. If I'm going to give up, I ain't going to give up no tight spot. You crazy? You mean tell me I'm going to get in a tight spot, don't see no way out, I'm going to quit God there? I need him then. If I'm going to quit him, I'm going to wait till he gets me in the large place. I ain't going to quit him in the 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? Ain'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. Oh, before. I'm glad you didn't quit him Sunday. Stuck a gun on 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.

Said, "Why should he praise God if that man could have pulled that trigger?" That's why. What did the Lord do? He got, he was 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 giving 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 them boys and take his watch back and his money back. How many say amen?

Hey, bless God, I wouldn't I I I wouldn't be a sinner 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 him, they stopped the car and got in the back of the car. They weren't so fortunate. 'Cause when that man threw the gun on him, he shot him right in the heart. Boom! 'Cause 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 jaw. He let that finger trigger finger get paralyzed. You know that? You know the Lord can paralyze them triggers' fingers when they want to kill you? That old devil wants to kill you. The Lord doesn't want them to do it.

I imagine them lions when he had Daniel in that den, smelling, said, "This is the sweetest piece of meat I smelt, Lord God." Said, "Oh, 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." Said, "I'd like to eat him." Daniel said, "You got to eat him, but shut up, boy." He's going to give you lockjaw. You smell, but you can't eat.

Hey, you're going to go home if you want to. 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 I'm I'm like Jacob. How many ever read the story about Jacob? Old Jacob, he was a, we call him a conman now. If he was living now, he'd have him one of them fancy hats. He'd have them big dark glasses on. I mean, he'd be super fly. He'd be down there slim-flamming all them cats. That's what he did. The Bible said he was a supplanter. Huh? He got it by being a conman. Even got his mother in on it. She worked with him. Didn't she?

The mother got it in and said, "Jacob," said, "I named you right, supplanter, conman." Huh? By trickery, flim-flam, you're going to get the blessing. I'll tell you what, I don't blame Jacob. The blessing of God's so good, I'd even flim-flam the kitten. What are you talking about? Hey, I said the blessings of the Lord's so good, I'd even use conman's tactics to get it. I said, "Lord, bless me. I don't care what it takes." Just bless me. Esau ran to his father, and his father said, "Your brother got your blessing." 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 it. Tight spots, cramped spots, bruised ankles, kick shins, punch your nose, give me the blessing. Quit God? You kidding? I believe I'm a little bit like Jacob. Oh, Jacob used anything he could to get out of a tight spot. Didn't he do it? Tricked his brother, starving to death and stole his birthright. Huh? With his mother, conned his father to think he was somebody else. Put sheepskin, goatskin on. Put his brother's clothes on, smelled like his brother. Father was blind. Said, "I can't see, but I'm going to smell you."

Said, "You talk like Jacob," said, "But you feel like Esau." And his father blessed him and gave him everything. Bless God, I'd put goat skins 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 going to fool around. His brother was going to turn him every which way but loose. He knew his brother was a wild man. His brother said, "I won't kill him now while we're mourning, but as soon as we get our father to the sepulcher and get all the mourners out, I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him."

How many say amen? And I mean Jacob knew he was in a tight spot. You know what he did? He left that blessing. He left all that things that his father gave him and he ran. I said, he ran. He left everything. He was in a tight spot. That man was going to kill him. That man wasn't going to do no talking. He said, he couldn't tell that man, "I won't give you the blessing." The man said, "I'm going to kill you in heaven anyhow." How many say amen? He ran. Didn't he do it? And on his running 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 was going to kill us. And the only thing Jacob had, his sole sum and total of his belonging was a stone for his head. Huh? And while he had his head on that stone, God found him.

Sharon Hardy Knotts: 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 were 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. First 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 P.O. Box 1744, Baltimore, Maryland, 21203. Till next time, this is Sharon Knotts saying, "Maranatha."