Praise the Lord. Would you lift up your hands one more time and just fill the sanctuary
with praises unto the Lord today. Father, we're so grateful for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
upon the body of Christ today. We thank you for the great works of the Spirit that are happening
in this congregation this morning. Would you just shout praise the Lord with me? Praise the Lord.
Amen. Amen. You may be seated. Praise God. Greetings, church family. What a joy it is to be
a worshiper of the Lord with you on this Sunday morning and every Sunday morning. I'm so grateful
for all of you. Violet and I love you, and we thank God for how you have received us into your
fellowship when we moved here three years ago. I tell people that we still have one foot in
Virginia and one foot in Tennessee. We travel back and forth a lot giving care for my 97-year-old
mother, but we're just delighted to be a part of this church family. Pastor Cliff is just a friend
of almost 20 years. Many years ago, we began to work together in the Pastoral Covenant Group
Ministry in our denomination, and it was in that experience that he and I, along with many other
pastors, entered into a covenant to pursue excellence in ministry, and that has just been
a wonderful, wonderful journey for which I'm so grateful. I'm so glad that he is my pastor today.
I explained to him when we moved here that we would be traveling some, and he was very understanding,
and he said, we understand that. Just make sure your tithe gets here when you're not here. So
what a wonderful pastor he is, and we thank the Lord for that. So grateful for all of our pastors,
pastors Brian and Erica. They're anointed servants of the Lord, doing a great job in so many areas of
ministry in the church. Pastors Terry and Mary Lou Bowden, our senior adult pastors, so grateful for
them and their wonderful work. Pastor Bowden is a distinguished pastor, a great preacher, teacher.
He's a wonderful golfer, and I've learned many things about him. I've learned that there is a
special prayer for golfers. He's taught me this. Whenever he takes his clubs out of the car and
walks to the first tee box, he prays, Lord, let my ball lie on green pastures and not in steel waters.
So I want to thank you for that today, Pastor Bowden. Violet and I love you, and we thank you
and we thank God for you and your ministry in the church. I'm reading this morning from the book
of Lamentations. This is a parallel book to the prophecy of Jeremiah. I would encourage you to
spend some time reading Jeremiah's prophecy as he speaks to the condition of the nation of Judah
in his day. In the book of Lamentations, he's weeping and he's calling out to God for the
sins of the people that they might repent and experience restoration and healing from the Lord.
Praise God. In chapter three, three verses of scripture that are often quoted, at least part
of them as you look on your PDA or your phone or your Bible or on the screen today, Lamentations
chapter three, beginning in verse 22, the prophet says, through the Lord's mercy, some translations
say great love, through the Lord's mercies, we are not consumed. Can you say with me, thank you, Lord,
that I'm here today because of your mercy? If it were not for his mercy, as Jeremiah said, we would
have already perished. Oh, thank you, Lord. He said because his compassions fail not. God's
compassions are new every morning, verse 23 says, great is your faithfulness. Verse 24, the prophet
says, the Lord is my portion, says my soul. Would you think about that with me for a moment?
Jeremiah says, my soul is speaking out of truth that the Lord is my portion. Praise God.
And he goes on to say, because the Lord is my portion, therefore I hope in him. If you feel
comfortable doing so, would you take the person's hand beside of you and pray with me that miracles
of the Lord, I want to say that again, I want you to specifically ask our Father in heaven for
miracles and new blessings of the Lord to be poured out upon this congregation today. Be bold
and confident that he's going to do that for us. Father, we pray in agreement today for mighty
works of God in the congregation of the Lord. We pray that you would confirm your word today
with signs and wonders and miracles. We ask Father that whatever is needed in our lives and in this
great congregation that you would do that for us today. Bless Pastor Waters as he shares in worship
with the congregation today where he's at and we thank you for what you're going to do in Jesus'
name. Several months ago in this congregation, Violet and I were in the middle section of the
sanctuary as we were worshiping the Lord with the praise team and the praise team on that particular
Sunday morning began to lead us in worship by singing the song, Made Me Glad, which was written
back in 2002 by Marian Webster. It became a very popular praise and worship song. You will remember
that song and we have sung it since then I believe. It's really based on the words of David found in
2 Samuel chapter 22 when David said, the Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. My God is my
rock. I love his declaration. In whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.
David goes on to say that the Lord is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior from violent
people. You will save me. As we began to sing that song on that Sunday morning, there are seven
declarations in that course, seven acknowledgments of the Lord, seven confessions in that song. The
first one says, you are my shield. Can you praise God that he's your shield this morning? Come on,
would you just say thank you Lord that you are my shield? Praise God. Obviously we know that
that means that God is our protector. I thank God today that he's got it. He's got the whole world
in his hands. He's protecting us from the devil. He's protecting us from the evil that's in society.
He's protecting us from a culture that's gone crazy. He's protecting us from impure thoughts.
Thank God he is our shield. Oh, I think we need to praise him for that today.
Based on that verse of scripture, the songwriter included the word strength. We know what that
means. The Lord is my strength. That means that God is the source of everything I need for power.
He constantly empowers me. He strengthens me. Hallelujah. Our strength comes from the Lord day
and night for everything we need. God is our strength. I feel the Lord in this house this
morning. The fourth declaration of that song based on that verse in 2nd Samuel says the Lord
is our deliverer. Hallelujah. Deliverance means that he has delivered us from the kingdom of Satan.
He has delivered us from sin. We've been delivered from the kingdom of darkness. Hallelujah.
We've been set free by the powerful name of Jesus. Thank God for salvation today. He lifts us up out
of the mire of clay. Thank God. He establishes our life upon the rock. Hallelujah. Of our faith in
God. Hallelujah. He's our deliverer. We know that he's our shelter. Hallelujah. We think of the word
shelter. We think of a covering over our lives. Again, it's a source of protection. As I think
about God being a shelter for me this morning, I think about those times in life when anxiety,
might be there, when worry might be just arms length away, when there's a temptation to fear.
I thank God today that when the bad news comes, when there's a problem that arises,
when challenges step in front of us, thank God we are covered by the grace and the mercy
and the power of our great God. Oh, hallelujah. I want to tell you today, don't fret, don't worry,
you're covered. You're covered by the power of the Lord. The songwriter included in that song
based on that scripture that the Lord is our strong tower. Hallelujah. That's the image of
metaphor of a fortress. That's a place where we run to a source of great strength. We know that we
can go and hide behind the walls of Jesus Christ and we're protected against the fiery tarts of
the enemy. We know that inside the fort, inside that strong tower, God is watching over our lives.
Hallelujah. His eyes are over the righteous, Peter said. He knows what's going on and inside that
fort there is an unlimited supply of food. There's an unlimited supply of refreshment. When I get
tired, when I get weary, I run to the strong tower and I find that fresh touch from the Lord.
Hallelujah. Praise God. And we all know what that last phrase means. He's my very, very present help
in time of need. Have you ever been, or recently have you been in a time of need and that word
was confirmed when God revealed at the very moment, at the very second when we need a word
from the Lord, at the very moment when we need a refreshing touch of the Holy Spirit, at the very
moment when we need a word of encouragement, our God is always going to be a present help
and time of trouble and time of need. Hallelujah. Oh, praise God. He is that for all of us today.
In that song and in that verse is the word portion. On that Sunday morning, as we were singing,
I said to myself, I know what it means for God to be my shield, my strength, my shelter,
my covering, my strong tower, my present help. But as we began to sing that song, he's my portion.
The Holy Spirit began to speak to me right back there and reminded me that I needed to learn more
what the word portion really means. I confess to you that on that Sunday morning, I was singing
that song and I had an idea of what the word portion means. But it's as if the Holy Spirit
was saying, you need to go home and you need to dig into the scriptures and you need to investigate
what the word of the Lord says about him being my portion. And in doing so, I have found out,
I've discovered that the word portion occurs 97 times in the English Bible, depending on which
translation you read. If something is mentioned 97 times in the word of God, it must be important.
And as I began to look at the word portion, I found that it's such an enlivening words, a faith
building word. The Lord is my portion. Would you just say that with me? The Lord is my portion.
Hallelujah. The very first time that word, I began to look at that word, I began to discover some
rich meanings of that word. And it's as if the Holy Spirit said to me, Milton, you really need to say
every day in your life, the Lord is my portion. I've become so fixated on the phrase, the Lord is my
portion that I'm asking the Holy Spirit to help me remind me to say that several times a day.
I've actually felt the Holy Spirit saying, you need to declare the Lord is your portion over our
marriage, over our home, over our grandchildren, our children and grandchildren. The Holy Spirit
spoke to me and said, preface your prayers. When you pray for your church, pray that the Lord
will be the portion for the Hope Well Church of God. Pray that he will be our portion for wherever
we go and whatever we do. Hallelujah. I've started prefacing my prayers before I ask God
to do anything. I just spend a few moments just enjoying what it means that I'm in the presence
of one who the Bible says is my portion. Hallelujah. It's a wonderful thing to believe that. What does
the word portion mean? As you know, it literally means part of a whole. In everyday usage, it means
something that's a part of something that's been shared. Growing up in a family of five children,
before I could even spell the word Bible or the word portion, I had an understanding of what portion
means. As I would sit around the table with my four other siblings and mom at least two times a
week would make a pan of cornbread. Pastor mentioned cornbread last Sunday, so I figure that must be
inspired, so I'm going to use it again today. As the pan or the plate of cornbread would be passed
around to my parents and the five children of our home, my mother would always slice the whole into
seven to ten slices. I usually sat next to my older brother and he and I would kind of vie for who was
going to get the biggest portion. I didn't want the whole pan of cornbread, but I did want my
portion. I wanted that piece that my mother and father had planned for me to have. I can look back
now and say that my father and mother loved their children so much they made sure there was a
portion of food for every child around their table. And I'm here this morning to remind you that your
father in heaven loves you so much. He cares about you so much. His compassion is real for you. He's
ordained a portion of his grace for your life. Could I tell you this morning that on this very day
God has set in motion a plan that you and I receive a fresh portion of Holy Ghost anointing
and power. Hallelujah! When Jesus died on the cross, I'm glad today that I received my portion
of salvation. How about you? It's mine, it's mine, it's mine. There's a portion of salvation for me,
for you. Would you just praise God today that you're saved and you know that you are?
Hallelujah! Praise God! When Jesus died on the cross by his stripes, the Bible says we are healed.
I believe this morning there's a portion of healing that still flows from the veins of
Calvary today. There's healing. The gift of healing is still in operation in the church.
If you need a touch of healing today, there's a portion of healing grace that's ordained for
you on this Sunday morning. Even if you have asked him multiple times, I believe there's an
anointing of the Lord right now being poured out upon us to receive healing. Would you just gently
lay your hand if you feel comfortable doing so on someone beside of you and just pray for a release
of the healing power of God in this congregation today? Father, we believe you're releasing the
healing power of the Lord in the body at the Hopewell Church of God today. We receive it.
It's ordained. We believe the Spirit is moving now to bring forth healing in our lives. Hallelujah!
Praise God! In the Bible, the word portion in the Hebrew, the Old Testament text is very rich.
It comes from a word pronounced calic and it means five different things. First of all, it means
there's an allotment. That means that God in heaven, I get so excited to think about this,
the word portion means that God has allotted certain things for us to have. We ought to be
shouting happy today because God in his wisdom does not look past, look over, look by anyone.
He's no respecter of person and he's allotted for our lives certain blessings. Hallelujah!
And it doesn't matter how much the devil fights that, it's still ordained and appointed by the
hand of God. Secondly, the word portion means an inheritance, something shared from one of the
tribes in Israel, one of the families, perhaps a portion of land. Hallelujah! I'm glad today that I
am a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! There's an inheritance, praise God! Hallelujah!
That we have because of our faith in Jesus. Thirdly, the word portion has the connotation
of one's future. If you have a portion, if the Lord is your portion, the Bible writers meant that
you have a future. Praise God! I'm glad today that I don't have to worry about where the world is
headed. I don't have to be too concerned about who's going to be elected or not be elected.
I do pray for all of that. I don't have to be afraid of wars now or future wars or all of that
because this is not my home. Hallelujah! Praise God! I don't plan on staying here too much longer.
Praise God! I believe we're on the very edge of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can shout
with all praise this morning, God is my portion. He is my future. Hallelujah! Praise God! Fourthly,
it means something shared. Praise God! Now, I know we know what that means this morning. You might
share something with a friend or a family member or a neighbor, etc. Thank God for all of that.
But the greatest sharing that takes place in our life is when our heavenly father begins to share
his love with us. When he begins to share his riches with us, I share in the joy of the Lord
this morning. Praise God! I share in the strength of God, in the victory of the Lord. I share in the
strength of God, in the victory of the Lord. Part of that belongs to us as his portion is ours today.
And lastly, the word portion means a promise. Praise God! Portion and promise. If God says
there's something that's portion to you, it is a promise. The very first time the word portion
has significance in the Old Testament is found in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18 verses 1 and 2.
This is when the children of Israel were inhabiting the land of Cana, the promised land.
And you will remember the story of how God instructed Noah, or Moses rather, that when
the tribes enter into the promised land. Oh, could you just thank God for his fulfilling
of promises today? God said, Moses, you instruct the leaders of the tribes this way, that two and
a half of the tribes are going to be on the east side of the Jordan, and the other tribes are going
to be on the west side. Everybody's going to get a portion. Every tribe, from the smallest to the
greatest. It doesn't matter that Benjamin is the smallest tribe, or this tribe is the largest tribe.
Everybody is going to get a piece of the promised land. You know what one of our biggest problems
is today in the church? We're still trying to figure out if grace really includes me,
if salvation really includes me, if God really wants to do something for me. I'm telling you
on this Sunday morning, God loves you, cares for you, and he wants you to inherit, he wants you to
receive what he has, a portion for your life. Hallelujah. But as we read in Deuteronomy chapter
18, something very unique happens when Moses began to speak the final word of how the land
would be portioned. He came to the tribe of Levi, and the Bible says that the whole
tribe of Levi, it sounds a little off when you first read it, the whole tribe of Levi,
you are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. God said through Moses that you're going
to live through the food offerings that are brought to the tabernacle that are presented
to the Lord. That's going to be your inheritance. You shall have no inheritance like your fellow
Israelites. And if you read verse two of Deuteronomy chapter 18, God says, Levi, I don't want you to
feel bad. I don't want you to feel less than. I don't want you to feel pushed out. I don't want
you to feel left out because the Lord is going to be your portion. Praise God. Praise God.
Hallelujah. The very first thing that we learn about the word portion is this, that God is a
promise giver and God is a promise keeper. Hallelujah. God was saying, Levi, you don't need
land because I'm going to provide everything that you have need of. You don't need land to grow a
garden because I'm going to be your portion. I'm going to bring the food to your very front door.
God was saying, Levi, I don't want you to worry about land for sheep or cattle. You don't need
any of that because I'm going to bring the very fruit food that you need to the front flap of your
tent. Hallelujah. Can I tell you this morning that God is your portion? And when we trust him first,
he will deliver it to our lives. He will bring it to us. He will deliver his grace, his gifts,
his answers on time when we need his touch. Hallelujah. Praise God. Levi, just serve me.
Just give yourself over to serving me and I will be your portion. The second thing we learn about
portion is that we belong to God and God promises as our portion to take care of our every need.
Hallelujah. Like Levi, we can trust God every day to take care of us and provide for our needs.
That sounds almost too good to be true. It sounds like a fairy tale, but I'm telling you,
this is the word of God in action. This is the word of God every day that we would trust him first.
Hallelujah. That we would call upon him first and believe him first that he would provide for our
needs. Hallelujah. Oh, would you just lift up your hands and give him a wave offering of praise
this morning. He wants to do that for us. He wants us to trust him first like Levi and hold on to the
promise that he will provide. Hallelujah. Praise God. I call them the big five. When I think about
being a follower of Jesus Christ, he has promised to give me an abundant life. You know what my
portion is, I believe. Part of my portion is that Jesus came to give me life and give me life more
abundantly. That's my portion. It's going to be there every day. What does that mean? I'm going to
have an abundant supply of love, an abundant supply of peace, and an abundant supply of joy.
Hallelujah. I believe there will be an abundant supply of the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God.
It'll never run out. Praise God. He is our giver of abundant life. That's our portion. Secondly,
he's promised to answer my prayers. Hallelujah. Praise God. I said he's promised to answer our
prayers. I said he's promised to answer your prayers. I said the Lord is your portion and God
says over and over, ask and I'm going to just give to you. Seek me and you shall find. Knock on the
door of heaven because I'm your portion. I'm going to open up the door for you. Hallelujah. Peter said
the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. Hallelujah.
I'm glad I can say, Father, you are my portion on this Sunday morning. You'll be my portion on
Monday morning, on Tuesday morning, and if I call upon your name, you will open the windows of heaven
and pour out your blessings upon me. Praise God. Thirdly, he's promised to give me a fruitful life.
Hallelujah. Our life is going to produce something that will bring him glory. I bump into a lot of
people, especially in pastoral ministry, who just were called to a life of misery. I met one lady,
she was actually a member of the church in one place where we pastored and I think she thought
worry was a gift, a spiritual gift. She worried constantly and everything was anxiety to her.
And I remember the day that she began to realize that God could take care of all of her cares
because he cares for us. Hallelujah. He is our portion. He promises to give us an overcoming
life. Hallelujah. Oh, praise God. We are more than overcomers. We are more than overcomers.
I think I'm going to say that a third time just to make sure we know what we're talking about here
this morning. We are more than conquerors, more than overcomers is what the connotation is.
We can conquer, overcome everything that comes in our lives. There are times when it seems like
the problems of life become insurmountable. I can recall chapters in my life when it seemed like
there was just one problem after another. I remember on one day going into the sanctuary
of the Lord and just wanting to be in a place of talking to the Lord. That was back in the day
when we had hymnals. Do you remember what hymnals are? They were those little book-like things that
we used to sing out of. I went around the church and gathered some hymnals and I began to stack
them up right in the middle of the altar. I said, Lord, this hymnal represents this problem
and this hymnal represents this situation and this hymnal represents this family and this hymnal
represents what's going on over here. It was becoming a pretty large stack. I just stood there
and I said, God, you're either going to help me to step over all of these problems. You're either
going to help me to go around all of these problems or you're supernaturally going to remove
these problems from my life. Praise God. But God, whatever you do, I'm standing here today strong
in the Lord and in the power of your might. Praise God. Because your grace is sufficient,
the power of God will strengthen me to be a conqueror. Oh, praise God. Oh, Holy Spirit,
help someone to conquer right now. In the name of Jesus, I pray that the Holy Spirit
would release some overcoming anointing in this congregation. Come on, saints, begin to intercede
with me. Somebody here today, you've been struggling with something. There's been a
problem there. You've been wondering when is it going to go away. I'm telling you this morning
that God will help you to overcome that problem today. Oh, let's lift up both hands and thank God
for a release of his anointing in this sanctuary this morning. Somebody, you're being liberated
right now. Just begin to praise God out loud, church. Somebody's finding new victory here this
morning. Oh, I feel it, Holy Spirit, that you're doing something great for us. Praise God.
Hallelujah. Praise God. Several years ago, many years ago now, Violet and I and our family,
we were in a seven-year church plant situation outside of Richmond, Virginia. We'd been asked
to go to this fast-growing suburb and plant a new church. It was a challenging situation
for many reasons. I'll not go into all those details, but there was a mission to go to this
place. I'll not go into all those details, but there was a missionary couple, Sam and Lydia Selick,
who lived about 75 miles. Sam Selick had been Violet's former pastor, and they said
to us, we're going to join your church. We'll only be able to come once a month,
but we want to join. We want to put our tie there. We want to help you plant this church.
So once a month, Brother Sam Selick, an 80-year-old former missionary, he would come,
and the first thing he would say to me is, are you in the Mollegrubs? That was his catch phrase.
He would say, I don't want you to be down or discouraged, and he would pray. And I thank God
that there are people around us that can help us to stay strong in our faith. Hallelujah.
Such a blessed couple they were to us. One day, Sister Selick sent me a personal letter.
She had typed it out on an old Royal or an Underwood typewriter. I mean, it was fresh
off of an old typewriter, and she was just so generous in her spirit to me. And she called me
by name, and she said, the Lord brought you to my mind today. And she typed out on that piece of
paper several verses of scripture. She said, Milton, every morning when you wake up, I want
you to declare these verses of scripture. And I started doing it. I followed her advice. She said,
every day that you wake up, confess openly, declare Psalm 118 verse 24. You know this verse.
This is the day that the Lord hath made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it. I have decided
that because the Lord is my portion, I can wake up every day and say, today is going to be a blessed
day. Today is going to be a day of favor. Today is going to be another day of the Lord. I don't
have to be pushed down or pushed back. The Lord is my strength. The Lord is before me, behind me,
and all around me. This is the day the Lord hath made, and I will rejoice. We will rejoice and be
glad in it. Could I tell you this morning, before you even opened your eyes this morning, before you
even had any thoughts of today, God had already put in motion a plan to take care of you and a
plan to bless you and a plan to help you in whatever you face. The Lord is our portion.
Praise God, and I'm going to rejoice in that. Sister Selig said, Milton, I want you to pray.
I want you to declare. I want you to acknowledge. I want you to confess the words of Deuteronomy
chapter 33, 25, as my days are so shall my strength be. Hallelujah. She said, every day, wake up and
declare that as my day is, God is going to be my strength. I believe it would revolutionize this
church, this community, this nation, if we would begin to look to the Lord as the strength of our
lives every day. Hallelujah. She said, Milton, declare every day, Psalm 27, the Lord is the
strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? She's been gone for over 35 years. I preached her
funeral a number of years ago. There are some days when I can get up and I can see little old frail
Sister Selig walking with her cane pointing her little finger at me and saying, Milton Carter,
don't you forget what I told you. Don't you be afraid of anything today. Don't you fear
don't you walk in fear. Don't you feel intimidated. Don't you feel pushed back because God is your
strength. I declare today that that's my portion. Oh, praise God. She said, declare every day the
words of Psalm 91 verse 10, and I've been doing it for many years. No evil shall befall me.
Neither shall any plague come near my dwelling. Praise God. Father, I just pray for a hedge of
protection. Come on church. I pray for a hedge of protection around this body this morning,
over your life, over your marriage, over your children, over your grandchildren. I pray for a
hedge of a Holy Ghost protection round about you this morning. Would you give him a clap
offering this morning? Praise God. Hallelujah. I won't give you every declaration that Sister
Selig gave me, but she said every day, quote, 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 14, for he always
makes me to triumph. Hallelujah. Oh, praise God. I may not look like much to you. It doesn't matter
to me about those kinds of things, but I do know what God thinks about me this morning. God is in
me. God dwells in me. God lives in me. Praise God. God has given me promises after promise. Praise
God. He anoints us with the Holy Spirit that we would not be weak, but we would be strong and that
we would triumph over every trial, that we would make it through every temptation. He causes us to
triumph. Praise God. Oh, hallelujah. Praise God. She quoted in that letter, 2 Timothy chapter 4,
for he hath delivered me. I love this one. She said Milton every day, confess this,
for he hath delivered me and yet shall he deliver me and preserve me unto his eternal heavenly home.
Hallelujah. That is a futuristic verse. Not only has he delivered me in the past,
but he yet will deliver me. Thank God. Oh, I want to tell every demon of hell that's camped around
us this morning that you are defeated. You are no more powerful in our lives. I want to tell you
that before you even knock on my mind, before you even knock on my door, God says I've already been
delivered from you. If I would trust in the person of Jesus Christ, he will, he will deliver me.
Hallelujah. Oh, praise God. Lastly, this morning, the Lord is our portion and God will always be
enough. Praise God. I want you to praise God for that this morning. Praise God. God said, Levi,
I am your portion and I will always be enough. There will not be any shortages. The shelves are
not going to run bare because I am your portion. Praise God. Our God is more than enough this
morning. He is our comforter. He is our healer, our provider, our redeemer. He's more than enough.
Praise God. He is our heavenly father, our friend. He is our advocate. He comes alongside of us in
the person of the Holy Spirit. Oh, praise God. He's always at our side. He's always in our heart.
He's more than enough. Oh, come on, church. I said God is more than enough. He's more than enough.
I don't have to look to any other source because the Lord is my portion. He's always going to be
my helper. He's always going to be my counselor. He's always going to be my guide, my teacher.
He's more than enough. Hallelujah. Oh, praise God. Praise God. Would you stand with me this morning?
Praise God. The Lord is your portion today. I'm asking the Holy Spirit. I've been asking him for
a few days now. Holy Spirit, touch the congregation on Sunday morning and let 50, 60, 70 people
walk out of that sanctuary saying the Lord is my portion. Will you do that this morning?
Would you just begin to let the Holy Spirit seal in your spirit to declare that the Lord
is your portion? Oh, praise God. Praise God. About 25 years ago, I was pastoring out in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I have firsthand knowledge of what I'm going to tell you.
In not too far, about five hours north of Albuquerque in Colorado Springs, there was a great
prayer meeting. It was called a prayer summit. Worldwide Pentecostal Charismatic Leaders
converged together at Life Church in Colorado Springs. They didn't have an agenda. They did
not have special speakers or breakout sessions. The invitation was, if you want to be a part of
the church, the invitation was, if you want to come and pray for the future of the church
around the world, that's what this prayer meeting is all about. It was such a glorious thing
for people to come together for the single-minded purpose of praying for a great outpouring of the
Holy Spirit in the last days. They were literally praying as we came up on the anniversary of the
Pentecostal outpouring. They were literally praying that God would pour out another Pentecostal revival
upon the church in America and on the continents of the world. In that prayer gathering, there was a
word of prophecy spoken. I'm so encouraged by this. The word was, God said, I am
going to send a revival in the last days. Can anybody praise God for that? Hear me again. God
said, I am going to send a revival. I am going to send a revival in the last days. There's going to
be a renewing of the body of Christ. But the prophecy said it will not come as previous
revivals. It will not be as you've known before. God was saying, I'm going to raise up
regional churches all over the land. And regional churches are going to be a place that are going to
preach the gospel and worship me. And I'm going to use those churches to be places of revival that
will spread throughout their communities. It was just a short time after that when the great
Pensacola, Florida revival broke out at the Assemblies of God. Thousands and thousands of
people, I believe it was a confirmation over that word of prophecy. It was not long after that in
Columbia, Missouri. There was a way out in the sticks. There was a revival that broke out that
went on for a year and other places like after other places. When I heard that, I began to say,
God, I want one of those churches to be the church that I'm a member of. I've pastored two
churches since I heard that prophecy. And I went to both churches with the vision, God, I want this
place to be a place of spiritual renewal, a spiritual revival. God, I want you to do what you
said you were going to do right here because you're my portion. Praise God. I tell you this morning,
church, I come before you with this on my heart. I really want the Hopewell Church of God. I said,
I want the Hopewell Church of God. I pray that the Hopewell Church of God, I pray that the Holy
Spirit would begin to stir us and speak to us this morning and say, we want this church
to be a part of the end time revival before the rapture of the church. I believe we've been on the
verge of it time after time, Sunday after Sunday. Praise God. If you believe he can do that for us,
would you lift up both hands as if you were going to touch the clouds? Would you begin to pray,
God, you're my portion? And I believe that you can start a revival right here with me. I believe
this congregation could be one of your revival churches in the last days. Father, we believe it.
We accept it, Lord, as a divine plan that you want to do in our lives. We thank you for doing
that today. Praise God. Give him a clap offering this morning. Praise God.