and we received Bible study requests. So we're
grateful for what God is doing in our city, amen?
Thank you for everybody that's been involved.
Many have been a part of this outreach team off
and on. So I encourage you to be a part of this.
It'll change your life. And for that, we need
Bible study teachers. We've got people saying
at their door, I want a Bible study. So if that's
you, if you feel a draw in your heart to sit
down across the table with somebody, teach a
Bible study, get with the church office, find
me after service. We want to get people plugged
in what God is doing in Winston -Salem because
the harvest is ready. The harvest is ready. Amen.
And let me encourage you before we go into our
scripture, Matthew chapter 14, beginning at verse
22. Expectation is the birthplace for the miraculous.
So why don't you just go ahead and expect God's
about to do something in your life today. Don't
expect to leave here the same that you came.
Go and say, Lord, I'm expecting that you're about
to touch my body, that you're about to give me
a victory like I've never had. Somebody go ahead
and say that within yourself. I'm expecting God
to move in my life. That's the birthplace of
the miracle that God has for you, amen? Turning
to Matthew chapter 14, beginning at verse 22
through 24, some scripture reading, a little
bit lengthy at the beginning, but we're going
somewhere, amen? Look at somebody and say, he's
going somewhere today. So thank you for your
patience. But hey, we can't read too much of
the word. I love the Bible. Amen. I love God's
word. Matthew 14 verses 23 to 24. Immediately
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and
go before him to the other side while he sent
the multitudes away. And when he had sent the
multitudes away, he went up in a mountain by
himself to pray. Now when evening came, he was
alone there. But the boat was now in the middle
of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind
was contrary. Going into the Old Testament, Psalms
chapter 97 and verse 4. His lightnings light
the world. The earth sees and trembles. I feel
a heavy word from the Lord to minister today.
Felt the enemy was really fighting back on this
message. But I feel God's about to speak to somebody
today, and I want to preach to you on this idea,
the ministry of lightning. I believe God's about
to speak into our lives. God spoke to me through
this message, and my life's never the same. So
I want to try to deliver that right now. Would
you lift your hands, and would you just ask the
Lord to give you a heart to receive? In the name
of Jesus, God, we need you today. We need your
voice. We need your presence. God, we need you
more than we ever have. God, the days are dark.
The battle's hard. The storms are loud. But God,
your voice is ringing out today. Come on, would
you just ask the Lord, would somebody break through
like was preached this morning? Come on, somebody
break through doubt. Break through unbelief right
now. God's about to set somebody free. Chains
are about to be broken. Come on, would you clap
your hands before you're seated and would you
shout with your voice? In Jesus' name, you can
be seated. Jesus and his disciples are just coming
out of the miracle of the five loaves and two
fishes. Being divinely multiplied to feed thousands
of people. They had just seen a great miracle
of provision and blessing from the Lord. And
evidently their faith was at a high point from
this never before seen miracle. Let's go to Matthew
chapter 14 going on to verses 25. Now on the
fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them,
walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw
him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying,
It is a ghost. And they cried out for fear. But
immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, Be of
good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid. And Peter
answered and said, Lord, if it is you, command
me to come on the water. So he said, Come. And
when Peter had come down out of the boat, he
walked on the water to Jesus. But when he saw
that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid.
And beginning to sink, he cried out, saying,
Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched
out his hand and caught him and said to him,
O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And
when they got to the boat, the wind ceased. If
Peter would have kept his focus solely on Jesus,
he would have never been intimidated by the storm
around him. I firmly believe that Jesus would
have walked on the water and got Peter by the
hand, and they would have walked together if
Peter would have just kept his focus only on
Jesus. The boat being tossed in the sea and the
turbulent wind was an open door to a miracle.
The storm was ministering a divine moment. It's
been said that we go through storms, and these
storms have a tendency to either make your faith
stronger or to destroy your faith. But I'm determined
to decide today that the things that we're going
through right now are not going to destroy us,
but they are going to build us up in our faith
to believe God for the impossible. How many knows
that you've been through some stuff, but we're
still here? I've been through some crazy situations,
but I'm still here because he brought me through.
Can somebody say thank you, Jesus, that you brought
me through? In Mark chapter 4, verses 36 through
39, we're not going to read through all of these,
but we see that they're in another storm that
could have been destroyed. That could have destroyed
their life, but Jesus steps out and speaks with
authority. Peace, be still. I feel there's someone
here today, maybe two or three, that just need
to receive this word right now. Peace, be still.
Whatever's going on in your life, would you just
receive that word right now? Peace, be still.
It feels like things are stirred up so much in
your life, and your mind seems so troubled, but
the Lord is speaking to somebody. Peace, be still.
And you may be in the middle of darkness and
confusion, but let me speak a prophetic word
to you. Let there be light in the darkness. Even
through the darkness and even through the lightning,
the Lord is speaking to somebody today. That
there is ministry in the middle of your storm.
If you'll bear with me for a second, let me give
you some facts to help you understand what the
ministry of lightning is. Can I give you some
shocking benefits of lightning? No pun intended.
The lightning can completely destroy things,
or it can be a cleansing power in the atmosphere.
The study estimates that somewhere between 2
and 16 % of oxidizing or cleaning that happens
naturally in the Earth's atmosphere is done by
lightning. Why is this significant? The oxidization
process helps to reduce chemicals like carbon
monoxide and methane in the atmosphere. Many
studies of cloud electrification have suggested
that the presence of precipitation in the mixed
phase region of the cloud is essential for charge
separation and lightning initiating in the clouds.
However, observations in the rain gush phenomenon,
these are some big words, also suggest that lightning
discharge can substantially enhance precipitation
intensity at the ground. increases the output
of the raindrops that come to earth. Let's look
at scripture. Jeremiah chapter 10 and verse 13.
When he uttered his voice, there is a multitude
of waters in the heavens and he causes the vapors
to ascend from the ends of the earth. He maketh
lightnings with rain and bringeth forth the wind
out of his treasures. Overhead lightning discharges
can influence the surface rain intensity through
electrical enhanced collision. The lightning
is observed to precede the transient amplification
of surface rain by two to four minutes. There's
a delay from when the lightning happens and the
rain begins. The lightning is a precursor to
the rain. When you see the lightning, and you
hear the thunder, you can rest assured that the
rain is about to pour out. Hey, this is not just
science. This is the Word of God. The rain comes
from the storm. When you hear the lightning crashing
and something that can be so terrifying, you
just need to understand that the rain is about
to be poured out in your life. Come on. Somebody
receive this right now. Lightning is used to
portray God's power and authority. It can symbolize
his presence and his voice. The lightning isn't
just there to be there. It has a purpose. Someone
needs to take this into your heart right now.
The ministry of lightning is this. When you see
the lightning crashing and you hear the thunder
quaking, when you see the storm shifting the
things in your life, Take a minute. Put on your
spiritual raincoat. Get out your umbrella and
say, I hear the abundance of rain. I forgot my
umbrella this morning. But somebody get out your
invisible umbrella and say, I hear the rain is
on its way. It's troubled right now, but I hear
the rain. I double dog dare somebody to believe
this right now. I dare you to declare this in
yourself. I hear the rain. Oh, would somebody
lift your hands right now and just say that?
I hear the abundance of rain. I don't see it.
There's no evidence of it. But I hear it in my
life. I hear the rain. I hear the rain flowing
to my family. I hear the rain washing in my home.
There's peace coming to somebody's life right
now because I'm expecting God to do it. And this
is correct because there's a blessing in the
burden. There's victory coming out of the vile
attack. There's a fresh anointing coming out
of the crushing. There's a new sensitivity coming
out of the difficulty. There is a new faith coming
out of the failure. There's a testimony coming
out of the test. There is a new vision coming
out of the violent storm. God's wanting us to
understand that, yeah, you're going through something.
But it's just a precursor to what God is about
to do in your life. I've lived this just this
past week, Brother Mark. There was a personal
attack on my job against me. Caught me off guard
out of nowhere. And it shook me so bad. I had
to go somewhere. I had to find a place to sit
down and pray. And when I was sat there and troubled
about it, it hit me. This is not about me. God's
using this. So sitting there in my cubicle, I
said, I hear the rain. I couldn't see it. I was
so confused. I had no idea what happened. But
I just kept saying, God, I hear the rain from
this. I hear the rain coming from this. And let
me tell you, before I went home that day, God
poured out the rain in my life. God showed me
a blessing that I didn't know was even there.
Because I didn't stay so focused on the trouble,
it could have ruined my entire week. But God
said, there's a ministry in the lightning. There's
a ministry in the storm. The rain's coming for
somebody, but you've got to receive it. Whether
I feel Jesus or I don't feel him right now, he
is with me. I know there's an outpouring, a new
authority coming to me. So if I can just praise
in the peril and worship in the worry, the rain
is right at the door. The rain symbolizes the
presence of God. The rain symbolizes the blessing
and answer to prayer. The rain symbolizes the
blessing to flow. The rain that we're desiring
symbolizes cleansing and refreshing. The rain
indicates that there is about to be an outpouring
for what only Jesus can do in our life. I feel
the Lord's given me this word today to help us
understand that we can't get so caught up in
looking at the storm all the time. Because you
can get blind to everything else when you just
keep looking at the storm. But you've got to
get your eyes on Jesus. You've got to get your
eyes in faith and say, I hear. the rain through
this mess. I hear the abundance of rain through
this trouble. We may say, when's the storm going
to end? Why did it come to me? I don't deserve
this type of trouble. Why am I even in the storm?
I didn't want to be here. I didn't ask to be
here. Is this storm going to be the end of my
life? Am I going to survive? But when the whole
time we should be asking and saying, yes, I'm
in a storm, but I hear the rain. There may be
a delay in the natural, but I know the rain is
coming. I just believe it's about to pour down
in my life. The trouble started, but just a moment,
the blessing is about to be poured out. The lightning
can be so terrifying that you miss. The rainfall.
The storm can be so intimidating that you miss
the outpouring. The trouble can be so intense
that you miss the lesson in the middle of the
mess. Don't miss the voice of God in your storm.
If you could just tune your ears to his voice,
you could hear him saying a specific word in
your life and for your situation. Somebody needs
to hear the Lord saying, peace be still. Somebody
needs to hear the Lord saying, there's a ministry
in the mess right now, but you've got to wake
up. Come on, somebody say, wake up. It's time
to wake up and not be so focused on the issues
and see what God is trying to do in our life.
For we need to understand and live this out as
Romans 12 and verse 2 declares. And be not conformed
to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind that ye may prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God. We need
to change our mindset. The Lord is saying, let
me give you a new way of thinking. This lightning
and thunder in your life right now, it's not
ideal, but I know that it's working to me for
a benefit. Just as the natural lightning cleanses
the atmosphere, the storm is removing some things
out of me that God is not pleased with. There's
some things in us that don't belong in our hearts.
Maybe that's why the storm's happening in your
life right now. God is using something to stir
somebody up in your life right now, but you've
got to wake up and understand that it's meant
not to destroy you, but it's meant to edify you.
We need to have this thought process. When an
issue happens or a problem rises up in our life,
we're going to speak in faith and say, oh, no,
devil, you have no idea what you've just done.
When an issue comes in your life, you've got
to speak up and say, you have no idea what you
have stirred up in my life. It's going to send
me to prayer. It's going to send me to fasting.
It's going to send me into a dedication and a
deeper walk with God. Don't let your problem
cause you to backslide. Don't let the storm cause
you to leave church. Don't let the issue cause
you to hate the things of God. No, you need to
get it in your mind today that there is a ministry
in the storm and I'm going to allow it to push
me closer to God. Come on, would you lift your
hands right now and would you just receive this?
There is a ministry in the middle of the problem.
You may have a sickness that you feel has destroyed
your life, but God is saying, no, you've got
to look beyond it. I'm trying to give you faith
to pray. I'm trying to get you in a place to
dedicate yourself to me. Come on, somebody, would
you just go a little bit deeper in the presence
of the Lord right now? God, there's a ministry
through this mess that I'm going through. God,
there is a purpose for everything that you let
come through our life. There's a miracle coming
out of your problem. There's a blessing coming
out of your issue. There's a miracle coming out
of your sickness. There's a provision coming
out of this need. There's a fresh anointing coming
out of this crushing. But you've got to receive
it today and know that this is a new mindset
that we've got to have in Christ. In the name
of Jesus. Somebody needs to speak this over your
life and say, if the enemy only knew what they've
done when they attacked my family, it's just
pushing me to pray more. The enemy has no idea.
You would think the devil would be a little bit
smarter than what he is. But he's really not
that smart. He should be able to see that when
you stir something up in a church, nah, the rain's
about to pour out. Revival's about to come. That's
just resistance. But if you could just push back
on the enemy and say, no, there's a ministry
in this storm. I hear the rain. I'm not going
to give up. I'm not going to hear the naysayers.
I'm not going to believe the negative report.
We are going to have a new building. We are going
to see this city reach for the name of Jesus.
This storm is just getting us ready for the rain
to fall. Come on, would somebody look up in faith
and say, I see the rain. I see the rain pouring
out in my church. I feel the rain. I feel the
rain pouring out at our schools. I feel the rain
pouring out at our job sites. I feel the rain
pouring out in our streets. Come on, lift your
hands one more time. Somebody's getting this
right now. Somebody's catching this. There's
a ministry in the mess. There's a ministry in
the lightning. We've all got to understand that
we're all in different stages of our life. You're
either coming out of a storm. You're either about
to go in one. Or you're about to go into a new
one. There's different stages. But I'm telling
you, the storm is going to come. But it is not
to destroy you. It is to build you up. So please
hear me. Hear this message for you. Get your
umbrella ready. The rain's coming. The storm
that you're coming out of, or you're in right
now, or you're about to go into, there is a treasure
in the lightning and in the thunder that you
can't miss. For first and foremost, Jesus is
with you. He will never leave you. He will never
forsake you. The lightning is ministering. That
there is an abundance of blessing that's about
to be poured out. Come on, you need to look at
your trouble a little bit different than what
you have. There is a ministry in this. Come on,
somebody, would you hear the abundance of rain
in your life? You've got to get your eyes off
the storm and say, I see Jesus in the middle
of this mess. Come on, would you say that one
more time? I hear the abundance of rain. I hear
the abundance of rain. Come on, say it out of
faith right now. I hear it. I may not even know
when it's going to come, but I know that it is
on its way. In the name of Jesus, I hear the
rain. I hear the rain. In Matthew chapter 14,
looking at verse 29 through 30, another storm.
So he said, come. And when Peter had come down
out of the boat, he walked on the water to go
to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,
he was afraid. How many has ever been afraid?
There's been some bad storms. But it's okay.
Because Jesus is coming out on somebody's storm
right now. And beginning to sink, Peter said,
he cried out, Lord, save me. How many has ever
been there in your life to where you don't know
what to do anymore by yourself? Somebody just
needs to cry out with a loud voice and say, Lord,
save me. Lord, there's nobody else that can do
what I need in my life. Peter was looking at
the wind blowing, and it caused him to sink.
But we've got to understand, when my eyes are
on the master, they're not on the elements. When
my eyes are on Jesus, this is the true place
of peace. When you're lost and focusing on the
storm, you can't see the master of the storm.
All you can see is the mess. All you can see
is the storm. But let's get a new visual and
a new perspective today. And let's look back
at one of our original verses in Psalms 97 and
verse 4. His lightnings light the earth. The
earth sees. and trembles. We can't see the lightning
as the world does because they're terrified.
They're trembling. The lightning that comes from
God, it's not to scare you. It's to illuminate
what's happening in your life. It's not meant
to shake you to where you fall down in pieces.
It's meant for you to be able to see. Peter looked
at it with the wrong perspective. Which is so
natural for us to do. And this is what we've
got to understand. Don't believe your flesh.
Don't believe the lies of the enemy. Don't miss
what the Lord is saying in the storm. Don't overlook
his presence in the middle of the pressure. When
your eyes are on Jesus, the same storm that would
normally shake your life is just going to stir
you up to pray more. It's going to stir you up
to fight more. If you'll lift your faith to a
new level, there's a new anointing coming to
somebody today. If you'll lift your faith to
a new level, there's a new blessing being dispensed
on somebody today. But you've got to receive
it. Because the lightning in your life is to
bring light. so that you can overcome frustration.
And as your frustration turns to anticipation,
Jesus receives adoration in your storm. You thought
it was tribulation, but Jesus is bringing a graduation.
Somebody's graduating today from fear to faith.
Somebody's graduating today from backsliding
to stepping up in your walk with God. Yes, the
lightning is crashing, but it's also preaching
something to us today. The rain is right behind
the lightning. The storm in your life is preaching
a message to you that you almost missed, but
the Lord gave me this message to help you understand
that this storm will not destroy you as long
as you don't lose focus on Jesus. Don't look
at the right. And don't look to the left. And
God forbid, don't look back. Somebody's got to
look forward. You've got to move forward and
keep your eyes on Jesus. No longer focusing on
the storm. No longer just focusing on the lightning.
But I see Jesus in the middle of this issue.
I see Jesus reaching for me through this issue.
Would somebody just look up and would you see
God blessing you right now? Expectation is the
birthplace of the miraculous. Come on, would
you lift your hands one more time? The Lord is
really wanting to give us a revelation right
now, but you've got to anticipate and expect
that God is about to do it. You don't have to
leave here the same that you came. That's just
not another word. That's a fact. You don't have
to leave here with the same problem. You can
leave here. With faith and victory. Somebody
needs to declare that no matter what come my
way, my life is in his hands. That no matter
what happens in my life, I give it to you, Jesus.
Because when I try to fix it, I mess it up. How
many knows that when you try to fix the problem,
it's just a bigger mess? But I found out when
I give it to him. He's able to heal it. He's
able to move the pieces around. He's able to
bless. He's able to promote. He's able to take
that situation and shape it into a blessing.
Because there is a ministry in the lightning.
There's a story as I'm coming to a close of a
long time ago, a widow lady. was going to an
apostolic church, and the church lost everybody
for some reason, and the church shut down over
time. But she was searching around for a new
church in the area, and she was trying out this
church and this. So she went to this one church.
It was a little cold, a little dry. And the preacher
hit a little hard, a good note, and she said,
Amen! And people looked at her. And the preacher
kept preaching, and he said another good point,
and she said, Hallelujah! And everybody turned
around and at her and just gave her a bad look.
And the preacher hit another good point. And
she said, thank you, Jesus. And an usher came
to her and said, ma 'am, you can't do that here.
We don't do that here in our church. You got
to keep quieter. We're going to take you out
the back door. And she said, oh, I'm sorry. I've
got a condition. He brought me out. Somebody's
leaving here today with a condition. He brought
me out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a
rock to stay. He put a song in my mouth. Even
praise to the Lord. I'm sorry. You might look
at me crazy, but I've got a condition. He took
me out of sin. He healed my body. He touched
my mind. He saved me just in time. Come on, everybody
stand right now. I'm going to praise his name
because he brought me out. I've got a condition
because I see that there is a ministry in the
lightning. I'm not going to see the issue in
my life the same ever again. Come on, would you
lift your hands one more time? The Lord's speaking
to somebody right now. There is a victory. In
the middle of your sickness, there is a healing
that's flowing in the middle of that problem.
Come on, somebody, receive it right now. Receive
it right now. Your storm is the very place you're
going to discover your testimony. And it's going
to better enable you to be a witness to Jesus.
Come on, somebody's leaving here with a testimony.
He brought me out. He healed my body. He touched
my mind. He made a way when there seemed to be
no way. I thought I was going to be in this problem
the rest of my life, but Jesus has turned it
for good with the enemy thought that was going
to take me out. God took me back in and gave
me a testimony. I dare somebody to say that you've
tried everything else and nothing has brought
fulfillment in your life. You may be desperate.
That's why you're here today. You may have tried
everything else. You may have looked at every
other way but have come to a dead end. But God
is ready to do something in your life. And you
may not even know what that something is. I know
that if God doesn't do it, it won't get done.
Has anybody ever said that before? If God doesn't
do it, you realize that if something doesn't
change, you don't know where you're going to
turn next. God is allowing the storm and the
trouble to disturb you into your destiny. You
might feel disturbed in your life, but hold on
for a second. The rain is coming. Your destiny
is right at the door. God is using the problem
for his glory to edify you, to lift you up. For
the trials and the testing are not to destroy
you. They are to edify you and to build you up
in the most holy faith. Let me give you a word
today before we come to this altar. I know what
I was looking for years ago. And I know many
here can say what you were looking for you found
in Jesus. That was the outpouring of the Holy
Ghost in your life. And no doubt that there are
people here today that you have not been filled
with the Holy Ghost. This is what you've been
looking for your whole life. I was praying with
a lady in Philadelphia. And she was praying for
the Holy Ghost, praying, praying, seeking God.
And I just felt to give her that word. I said,
this is what you've been looking for your whole
life. And when I said that, she broke through
and she received the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
I just want to give that word to somebody else.
This is what you've been looking for. This new
mindset to see that God is using the trouble.
to turn your life around to him. Because the
Holy Ghost, it gives peace. It brings joy. It
brings healing. It supplies every need. It is
the very presence of Jesus desiring to fill our
lives today. And it's been said that you should
never make a life -changing decision when you're
in the middle of a trouble. But I'm here to encourage
you. This is the right time to make a life -changing
decision in the middle of your storm. Make the
decision. I'm not looking at it like this ever
again. I hear the rain. Would you come to this
altar right now, and would you not come begging
God for victory? Would you come receiving the
rain right now? Don't come to this altar pleading
God to change things. But would you come saying,
God, I receive a downpour of rain. Would you
come expecting the miracle to happen? Would you
come expecting that God is about to turn it for
your good? It's about to go away.