Watch “Willows and Palms” Jentezen Franklin, host of Kingdom Connection & Pastor of Free Chapel. www.jentezenfranklin.org
the following program is sponsored by
friends and partners of Kingdom
connection you can be a part of an
unprecedented moment in history when you
join Jensen Franklin and kingdom
connection partners around the globe to
help build the celebration center in
Jerusalem your most generous gift today
will help make a difference in the very
heart of Jerusalem helping the Jewish
people receive the Messiah and opening
the doors of worldwide revival when you
join us with your gift of $35 or more
this month you can request Jensen
Franklin’s brand new CD series the blood
the moon the feasts including three
powerful teachings and a special for
parallels to Israel’s blessing prayer
card with this set you will learn the
significance of four scriptural
blessings that we as believers can claim
and discover God’s plan of protection
for us as we enter into this significant
time in history and eagerly await the
return of Jesus Christ if God is calling
you to make a difference for his people
in a greater way with a gift of $1,000
or more we will send you the blood the
moon the feast set along with a special
gift selected just for you a beautiful
Jerusalem stone gift commemorating your
support of Israel through the
celebration Center in Jerusalem whatever
you invest in the ministry today Jenson
Franklin will take your name and the
name of your family to Jerusalem to the
Western Wall and pray for you there on
the day of Pentecost God is calling you
to be a part of his outpouring of the
Holy Spirit on all nations call now and
spark revival around the world by giving
today
I want to talk to you for just a few
moments from Leviticus chapter 23 if
you’ve got it verse 40 and you shall
take for yourselves on the first day the
fruit of beautiful trees branches of
palm trees and branches of leafy trees
willows of the brook and you will
rejoice everybody say rejoice before the
Lord your God for seven days
this scripture caught my attention
because it is a strange instruction that
God gave his people during one of the
feast the feast of tabernacles the high
priest was to go into the presence of
God with two things in eat in his hands
one in one hand one in the other God
said when you come in during this feast
to represent the people high priest I
want you to have in one hand a palm
branch and in the other hand I want you
to have a willow we would call it a
weeping willow branch and I want you to
come and rejoice before me with both of
these branches one in one hand one in
the other hand and I want you to rejoice
before me what a strange instruction it
shows us the mixture of life in these
two branches because the palm tree
represents prosperity it represents
victory it represents success it
represents joy when I think of a palm
tree I think of sunshine I think of
happy days I think of good times I think
of the beach come on I think of spring
break I think of good things I think of
you know the happy times of life that’s
why they were waving the palm branches
because in Jewish culture back then it
represented victory victory and so it’s
powerful good wonderful happy things
that are happening but then on the other
hand you have the weeping willow branch
which represents weeping I mean when you
see a weeping willow tree it looks like
tears it looks like it’s flowing it’s
crying it’s been over it’s it represents
distress
and looks like weeping and sad times and
trials and adversity and and and what’s
astonishing about this instruction is
one represents health one represents
sickness one represents prosperity one
represents destitute struggling and need
and what I love about it is that’s
really how life is that life is
constantly either one of those limbs or
the other you’re either having palme
days at this particular season that I’m
talking to you right now or you’re
having will of days where tears are
flowing and things are tough and it’s
hard and I just want to remind you that
you’re not gonna have palm tree life the
palm tree life all the time you got to
learn to worship with a willow and a
palm because whether you’re in good
times bad times palm days or weeping
willow days here’s the key God is the
same God does not change because we’re
in a different time he’s faithful his
goodness is all the time his blessings
are all the time and he said come in and
rejoice before me because I don’t let
take my favor from you when you go
through the bad times you don’t have any
more of me than you had when you were in
the good times cuz I’m not just the god
of the good times in the hills in the
mountains I’m the god of the valleys and
the tears and the weeping I’m there all
the time everybody praise Him just a
moment for the willow and the palm
hallelujah you know God puts palm days
in our life it’s just sometimes it’s
just going good I wonder how many of you
are in Palm days right now it’s just
good things happening you don’t really
have anything to complain about that’s
right see some of y’all just barely
raised your hand I said how many of you
are in Palm days right now let me see
look at there how many of you are in
Palm days well you’re not supposed to be
reserved in your palm days you’re not
supposed to be quiet about it in your
palm days man life is life is so crazy
that that I’ve learned
when it’s good and things are going good
and the marriage is good and the
children are good my health is good and
the church is good I’m gonna rejoice
don’t tell me to quieten down we need to
celebrate the good times when you
haven’t palme days be happy about it
rejoice about it and here’s why
because Isaiah 15 and verse 7 said they
who have abundance shall carry it away
to the brook of the willows that means
that you can start out with a palm
branch but it’s a matter of time before
you get a willow and not a good
picker-upper today it’s the truth that’s
this is life this is the world we live
in and if you’re only gonna be happy and
rejoice when you’ve got Palm days you’re
not gonna be rejoicing a whole lot but
if you ever learned a secret of I praise
him in the good times and in the bad
times in the willow days and the Palm
days God’s good all the time we said
come to me come to me there are two
times when you’re most vulnerable number
one when you’ve got nothing
number two when you’ve got everything
that’s when you’re most vulnerable and
just because you’re having willow days
if you’re having them and you’re going
through tears and sorrow and maybe your
children or something’s going on in your
family your home your finances your
health seems to be you know in fading
from you and struggling physically just
because you’re going through willow days
this is a great lesson in this it does
not mean you’re out of the will of God
and you’re certainly not out of the
presence of God
sometimes we equate you know happy days
and blessings and successes and
prosperity to being with God but notice
that God is trying to teach us that
you’re with me not just when good things
are happening in your life but when
doors shut and when you lose your job
and when you get a bad doctor’s report
I’m the same God come with all of it and
rejoice that I’ll never leave you and
I’ll never
forsake you and I am faithful I’m
faithful
Paul said you’ve got to learn to abound
he said I’ve learned to abound I’ve
learned to be a bass I’ve learned to
worship God on my palm days when I’m on
top of the world and I’ve learned to
worship God when I’m in my weeping
willow days and it feels like my world’s
falling apart
whatever stayed if I’m in a palace or
I’m in a prison it’s ok God is with me
you know the amazing thing about it is
this that ought to be encouraging to you
is you you can start out with a Palm day
and before the days over it can become a
willow day one phone call and just like
that a Palm day can go to a willow day
you were shouting a happy and fun life
was good and just like that you get some
news and tears are flowing and trials
and burdens and weeping but miracles can
strike just as suddenly as tragedies so
you can be in weeping days and just like
that God can put a palm branch in your
hand and say the storm is over it’s time
to bounce back little palm tree and
shine and you know how those branches do
in the sunshine it’s gonna suck
here’s see the Bible says this about God
we count days as as as from morning
tonight but that’s not how God counts a
day read it when he created the days the
Bible said he started with the night and
he went to the day and then he called it
one day in other words God says it’s not
over until the Sun shines and God wants
you to understand no matter how dark
your night is he will not leave you in
the darkness he will finish and you will
finish in the sunshine you’ll go from a
willow to a palm he’s going to be
faithful to you everybody take a praise
break I don’t care what you’re going
through
willows or palms come on let me hear
from the Willows let me hear from the
people in let me hear from the palms
people who are really blessed let me
hear from there’ll be a lot of rejoicing
we ought not to have to have anybody
pump us up he said rejoice rejoice
rejoice Philippians 4 and verse 4 says
everybody say it big say it fat come on
get into it are you ready rejoice in the
Lord always and again I say rejoice turn
to somebody near you and say whether you
got a willow or a palm today the Bible
commands you to rejoice in the Lord
always and again I say rejoice God is
with you God is going to be good to you
he’s good he’s faithful
some days I walk in and I feel down so
willow day nothing going good kids
acting crazy Charisse is not treating me
right
money acting funny tore up from the
floor up jacked up everything wrong but
the Bible said bring you will ins and
still rejoice in the Lord always and
again I say rejoice
hallelujah see I’m not in a willow right
now I’ve been there though I’ve been
there I’ve had to preach through willows
I’m in Palm days right now all my
children are gone it’s a blessing I mean
in a good way I don’t mean that ugly
it’s just it’s just Palm this calm palm
it’s calm but you know I wrote this down
yesterday I’ve learned that we make a
bigger deal about our willow days than
our palm days when we get up with a
headache oh god I got a headache it’s a
willow day and we call 20 people before
we get to the kitchen I got a headache
we make a big deal about our willow days
but when we get up every one of you
pretty much got up without a headache
this morning you didn’t call anybody you
didn’t call me so I don’t have a
headache today but you make a big deal
about your willow days but you act like
the palm days are no big deal and that’s
why I’m preaching to you today that some
of you the only time God can get your
attention is when you’re in trouble
which explains why you stay in crisis
after crisis if you had ever learned
that in the good times that’s when you
really need to rejoice and come in with
your palm branch and say thanks Lord I
got a promotion this week thanks God
I’ve been blessed thanks God I sold a
house this week Lord you’ve been good to
me I don’t really worry about the will
of people because they’re desperate
they’re gonna keep coming
they’re going through trials they’re
crying they need your every service Oh
God
to help me keep me alive I worry about
the palm people because we’re not real
good at being faithful to God in the
palm days what we do in the palm days we
get in the boat that God blessed us with
and go out on the lake on Sunday instead
of coming with that success first
I mean hitch it up and bring it in the
parking lot and come and worship God and
teach your family church matters and
then go celebrate that’s that stuff
that’s what I’m preaching that’s what
I’m preaching I like this little sermon
see I’ve learned and you know and
somebody says is that how you got today
and say I feel that sometimes from I can
preach better than that but but I’m here
and you’re not
but but here’s my point this is a palm
date but what you don’t know that made
me what I am is I went through willow
days with this ministry where I didn’t
have a bunch of people and didn’t have a
lot of money and didn’t have but but if
you’re faithful through the willow days
God will give you the palm days and
people to scratch their head and they
don’t know the other side of the story
but if you’re faithful in the Willows
God will bring you to the palms
everybody take a shout opportunity right
here and praise God praising right where
you are you got a lot to praise him for
you made a big deal about your Willa’s
make a big deal about your blessings
hallelujah
I hope you shout so much you get on your
neighbours nerve I hope you shout so
much God’s been too good for you for you
to be sound the truth
bring it before the Lord the good times
and the bad times the Willows and the
ponds and rejoice the Bible City rejoice
you got a whole lot more willows or
palms than you do Willis Psalms 34 and
one everybody say this ready I will
bless the Lord at all times his praise
will continually be in my mouth Psalms
103 and verse 4 bless the Lord O my soul
and all that is within me bless His Holy
Name bless the Lord O my soul and forget
not all his benefits who forgives your
iniquities and heals all your diseases
everybody take a praise break right
there it’s a truth rejoice
one more somes 30 and verse 5 Psalms 30
and verse 5 you ready here we go
weeping may endure for a night but joy
comes in the morning you know what he’s
saying he’s saying if you’ve got a
weeping willow in your at my hand right
now don’t give up in the night don’t
quit in the night don’t throw in the
towel because I promise you that God has
a palm that’s coming your way
weeping may endure for the night but joy
palms are coming in the morning
hallelujah hallelujah
one more Psalms 115 and verse 18 but we
will bless the Lord from this time forth
and forevermore praise the Lord
what does that mean that means from this
day forward make a decision make a
choice you’re blessed the goodness of
God is still in your life you’re not out
of the will of God because you’ve gone
through some tears and some trials but
from this day forward I will bless the
Lord I will praise him there was a young
there was a preacher that I heard about
true story that was dedicating his
brand-new building and he had a guy who
was real fired up as a Pentecostal
church and this guy would really get
fired up in the praise and just erupt
and praise and they hadn’t really
trained him to not go berserk you know
and and he would get real excited and by
the way I would rather have a fool on
fire than a then a scholar oh nice
I can deal with wildfire but when you’re
dead you’re dead give me a little fire I
can calm him down a little bit but but
he was dedicating his new building this
preacher was and he and he got and he
had a bunch of dignitaries and big shots
in the town
we’re coming mayor and all that kind of
stuff you know and politicians and
people like that and so he wanted them
to be a good respectable service and so
he he had the guy he pulled him aside
before the service and he said now
listen said we got a lot of big shots
coming we want to make a good impression
we don’t want you to freak them out or
anything I know you love the Lord but
could you keep you praised a little
sedated could you keep it calm as a
matter of fact if you will not act up
and you will just sit there through the
service and not really praise God like
you normally do I will buy you a brand
new pair of cowboy boots this guy like
cowboy boots
he said my pastor I’ll do it I’ll do it
for new pair of boots
he said well you got it I’ll buy you a
new pair at the end of the service so
they got to having the service and music
was going boy the guy was sitting on the
front road they would started singing
some of his songs that he really liked
it his tapping his toes but he’s he was
suppressing that praise and not really
getting into it calming himself down he
was doing good till the preacher got the
preaching halfway through his sermon he
quoted his fat hits favorite verse and
when he quoted his favorite verse
something hit that boy and he shot up on
his feet and he said preacher boobs are
no boots I’ve got to praise the Lord
sometimes you need to tell the devil
boots are Nobu’s blessing are no house
or no house promotion or no promotion
whether I get it or I don’t get it I’ve
got to praise the Lord
Willis or Palms give him praise
that’s the message today and I’m saying
to you that if you keep praising God in
your weeping and your will of days it’s
a matter of time before you will it
becomes upon God won’t leave you in your
darkness but I found something that’s
gonna bless you if you have your Bible
turn there with me to Revelation chapter
7 and verse 9 Revelation chapter 7 and
verse 9 and this is what it says and
after these things I looked and behold a
great multitude which no man can number
of all nations and tribes and peoples
and tongues standing before the throne
in heaven before the lamb clothed with
white robes watch what they had with one
palm branches in their hands when I read
that I heard the Lord say notice what’s
missing
in life we have days always of both but
when we get to heaven there’ll be no
more weeping there’ll be no more sorrow
there’ll be no more sickness there be no
more dying there’ll be no more crying
there be no more diseases there be no
more trial so you ought to get happy all
we’ll have is good days happy days
joyful days we’ll lay our burdens down
forever
so I want you to get up on your feet and
I want everybody I don’t care if you’re
a teenager I don’t care who you are I
don’t care if you’re multi millionaire
I don’t care if you drove up in a
Mercedes or you wrote a meal I don’t
care I want you to take in one hand
you’re willows the trials the problems
the adversities and I want you to take
in the other hand the blessings your
health the goodness of God you got
clothes you got foods you got a house
you got family you’re blessed and I want
you to take both of them and I want you
to rejoice for just a moment and say God
you’re worthy of the praise I thank you
I thank you I praise you even while
you’re praising God can turn your willow
into a poem
so so let me say this so listen check
this out so so the Lord impressed me I’m
careful when I say that but I really
felt this that that we do make a bigger
deal about our willow days than we do
our palm days and the Lord said I want
you to give a different altar call this
morning if you don’t know Jesus as your
Savior he can turn your weeping into
dancing he can turn your sorrow into joy
and turn your shame into praise and this
is your chance to receive him I promise
you he won’t turn you away this can be
the greatest day of your life I’m
getting thrilled in my soul because
somebody’s been through hell but God’s
gonna use the bad stuff to make a good
thing happen in your life only God can
do that
you’ve been weeping long enough it’s
time for the palm the good times in your
life and your family pastor pray for me
I need a change in my life right where
you’re standing be bold as a lion if you
want Jesus to save you we can’t pull you
down front but if you’ll acknowledge him
his grace will come
pastor pray for me I need a change in my
life I need to repent I need to get
right with God pray for me that you
raised your hand boldly all over this
ring hina lift it up all over this room
hi it’s awesome
raise them high don’t be ashamed don’t
be ashamed keep them up a moment keep
them up you raised your hand keep them
up all over this ring that’s amazing
raise them high raise them high keep
your hand up now if you see someone with
their hand raised gently put your hand
on their shoulder right now gently do
that just as an act of kindness and
agreement
gently put your hand on their shoulder
pray these words are you ready
Lord Jesus I thank you for the cross you
came into Jerusalem and everybody was
waving palm branches five days later
your palm became a willow and you were
hanging on a cross bleeding for me
your mother was weeping at the foot of
the cross and I thank you that you love
me that you wash me that you are on my
side
and I receive your forgiveness the blood
of the Cross washes all my sins I am
forgiven and it looked bad but then you
turn that willow three days later
into a pond when you rose from the dead
I believe therefore I receive eternal
life in Jesus
register now for forward conference 2015
with special guests Steven Furtick Beth
Redman
Reggie dad’s rich Wilkerson jr. banning
leecher Jenson Franklin McRae
elevation worship and Jesus Culture for
more information and special group rates
go online at forward Qumran so Archie
life is real
there’s joy there’s laughter and chaos
lifelong friendships are forged love is
found moments cherished and never
forgotten
gift and together we are real family
real friends real people experiencing
real life this is free chapel this
program has been brought to you by the
friends and partners of Jenson franklin
media ministries for more information on
this broadcast or for additional
resources go online at Jensen Franklin
dot o-r-g