WEBVTT 00:00:23.859 --> 00:00:29.379 Every week I take time to wait on the Lord and 00:00:29.379 --> 00:00:33.740 for this for these moments, for what he wants 00:00:33.740 --> 00:00:37.240 to do in the house corporately. And this week 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:45.140 was incredibly intense of the pressures and the 00:00:45.140 --> 00:00:50.920 atmosphere. And I was in some ways almost beside 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:54.880 myself. But Lord, what am I feeling? What are 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:59.890 we resisting? What is resisting us? And of course, 00:00:59.890 --> 00:01:04.569 I do my best to get in alignment with the spirit 00:01:04.569 --> 00:01:07.950 of God and in my Bible and finding scriptures. 00:01:08.129 --> 00:01:11.150 And of course, I have things that I write and 00:01:11.150 --> 00:01:13.950 inspiration. I believe the Holy Spirit comes 00:01:13.950 --> 00:01:18.510 on me. I know it's not, it's illumination from 00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:22.530 what's in his word. But I woke up this morning 00:01:22.530 --> 00:01:29.239 early. I just had a sense. I said, Lord, you're 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:35.840 going to do something different today, huh? You 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:39.560 know, you can always tell me in advance so I'm 00:01:39.560 --> 00:01:48.519 not spending two days laboring. Anyway, I'm very, 00:01:48.579 --> 00:01:53.239 very grateful that the Spirit of God visits us. 00:01:54.670 --> 00:01:56.989 And I'm grateful that we have a leadership team 00:01:56.989 --> 00:02:02.689 and people who desire to have them moving. When 00:02:02.689 --> 00:02:04.430 I say moving, it doesn't mean like God's got 00:02:04.430 --> 00:02:09.590 a U -Haul. It means that he's living and active 00:02:09.590 --> 00:02:14.330 and bringing his kingdom and his love and all 00:02:14.330 --> 00:02:18.229 that he is, not only to us as a body, but to 00:02:18.229 --> 00:02:21.689 us individually. There's some of you that God 00:02:21.689 --> 00:02:25.370 spoke to this morning that you didn't even, Respond, 00:02:25.370 --> 00:02:31.229 but God met you where you were at. There's a 00:02:31.229 --> 00:02:33.789 lot that we have to share today, a lot that I 00:02:33.789 --> 00:02:35.909 believe that the Lord is wanting to do that he's 00:02:35.909 --> 00:02:40.669 already started. I want to, if you'll allow me, 00:02:40.810 --> 00:02:44.090 to pick up where we left off last week, and that 00:02:44.090 --> 00:02:49.129 is I want to touch again for a bit. Today is 00:02:49.129 --> 00:02:54.729 going to have, again, two messages. think of 00:02:54.729 --> 00:02:58.830 these fast weeks instead of a rifle, just think 00:02:58.830 --> 00:03:02.969 of two barrels of a shotgun. There's cartridges 00:03:02.969 --> 00:03:07.449 in each one. I want to first kind of get to what 00:03:07.449 --> 00:03:10.310 I believe the Lord prompted me to speak on on 00:03:10.310 --> 00:03:12.969 prayer and fasting. And then I want to get to 00:03:12.969 --> 00:03:16.509 our river bank update. And we have some video 00:03:16.509 --> 00:03:22.030 and we have some updates and we want to begin. 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:26.740 the process of what we started last week. So 00:03:26.740 --> 00:03:29.879 would you turn your attention to the screen as 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:31.659 we talk about prayer and fasting? Thank you, 00:03:31.659 --> 00:03:33.800 Jackie, for coming up. Thank you. Would you tell 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:35.919 Sonny and Stephanie and the team that they did 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:42.240 a great job of worship this morning? I know when 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:44.860 the Spirit of the Lord moves, it's very difficult 00:03:44.860 --> 00:03:48.580 for all of their lists that they planned. It's 00:03:48.580 --> 00:03:52.280 the same way with my message. I know their pain, 00:03:52.419 --> 00:03:55.240 hallelujah. You have a list that you see how 00:03:55.240 --> 00:03:57.259 it's gonna end and then Lord just kinda takes 00:03:57.259 --> 00:04:00.300 it and moves it and that's the whole goal. Psalms 00:04:00.300 --> 00:04:05.419 119, verse 10. This is the theme of where we're 00:04:05.419 --> 00:04:10.020 at right now as a church. With my whole heart, 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:15.120 I seek you. Could you just say that verse with 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:17.060 me? Come on, you're actually gonna memorize a 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:19.759 verse in church this morning. Psalm 119, 10. 00:04:20.350 --> 00:04:25.110 With my whole heart, I seek you. One more time. 00:04:25.230 --> 00:04:30.910 With my whole heart, I seek you. And then Luke 00:04:30.910 --> 00:04:35.689 11, 10. For everyone who asks, receives. And 00:04:35.689 --> 00:04:39.910 the one who seeks, finds. And the one who knocks, 00:04:40.230 --> 00:04:44.870 it will be opened. Church, do you believe that? 00:04:46.430 --> 00:04:49.250 The Lord is wanting us not only to pursue him, 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:54.259 But the goal of that pursuit is that those who 00:04:54.259 --> 00:04:59.019 do, those who give themselves in spiritual pursuit. 00:04:59.860 --> 00:05:03.699 Now, as Tiffany was up here and she was navigating 00:05:03.699 --> 00:05:06.120 the announcements and then giving the offering 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:08.379 scriptures, she talked about this fighting. Let 00:05:08.379 --> 00:05:10.480 me just give a little caveat. She wasn't wrong, 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:12.579 but let me just make sure you understand. This 00:05:12.579 --> 00:05:16.839 is not in the physical. You don't get to punch 00:05:16.839 --> 00:05:19.079 somebody in the nose and say, in Jesus name. 00:05:20.360 --> 00:05:23.980 Okay, that is not what she's suggesting. She's 00:05:23.980 --> 00:05:30.160 talking about the reality of your faith. Your 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:34.759 faith, right? The weapons of our war are mighty 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:39.240 in God, Ephesians 6, for pulling down strongholds 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:42.959 and every, that's actually 2 Corinthians 10, 00:05:43.160 --> 00:05:46.920 three and four, and every argument that exalts 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:50.519 itself against. The written word and the knowledge 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:55.839 of God. That's what you're fighting. Faith is 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:03.620 a violent tool in the spirit for God. That's 00:06:03.620 --> 00:06:06.560 why he says the kingdom of God is advancing and 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:09.699 those who are of faith are pressing into it. 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:13.199 It's violence. It's the violence of faith. Not 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:17.839 violence as in carnage. and bloodshed in the 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:21.139 natural, but the fact of apprehending and breaking 00:06:21.139 --> 00:06:24.759 through the crust of worldly arguments, worldly 00:06:24.759 --> 00:06:29.139 resistance, restraints that are both felt, seen, 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:32.680 because our eyes are not on the natural, but 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:36.540 that which is heavenly and bringing that realm, 00:06:37.100 --> 00:06:40.839 partnering with it to bring it to pass, releasing 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:43.819 the kingdom of God. So in that process, God is 00:06:43.819 --> 00:06:46.720 saying, listen, those who pursue me, those who 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:50.399 will seek me. The goal of pursuit is you will 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:54.660 find me. Not that I've been anywhere, but it's 00:06:54.660 --> 00:07:00.579 in the places where you've been stuck. For most 00:07:00.579 --> 00:07:03.500 of us in this room, some are brand new to Jesus 00:07:03.500 --> 00:07:07.750 and we're always wanting to. Bring those that 00:07:07.750 --> 00:07:10.129 are new to Christ into that process. He said, 00:07:10.170 --> 00:07:13.870 make disciples of all men. The door is the cross 00:07:13.870 --> 00:07:16.509 and the yielding to the Spirit of God. Then it's 00:07:16.509 --> 00:07:19.629 what? Learning to know Jesus. Understanding Jesus. 00:07:19.810 --> 00:07:22.970 Jesus growing inside of you. Jesus maturing you. 00:07:23.170 --> 00:07:25.050 And that's the journey through the rest of our 00:07:25.050 --> 00:07:28.470 lives. And Jesus getting out of you, Lord, to 00:07:28.470 --> 00:07:31.089 help and release his kingdom. Isn't that the 00:07:31.089 --> 00:07:34.350 whole goal? Make disciples of all nations, teaching 00:07:34.350 --> 00:07:38.850 them all things to observe in my namesake. Yeah, 00:07:38.850 --> 00:07:42.189 I got one amen. Yeah, that's the Bible. Okay, 00:07:42.269 --> 00:07:46.230 just so you know, that's the scripture. So the 00:07:46.230 --> 00:07:50.269 process is you pursue him to find him. Well, 00:07:50.410 --> 00:07:54.050 when you're brand new, yes, that's the first 00:07:54.050 --> 00:07:57.100 door. But do you understand that door? doesn't 00:07:57.100 --> 00:07:59.920 mean you have to get resaved, but that door stays 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:04.319 open over every area of your life if you choose 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:08.019 to pursue him. So whatever situation and season 00:08:08.019 --> 00:08:11.240 you're dealing with, whatever circumstance is, 00:08:11.339 --> 00:08:14.439 it's the pursuit of God in that circumstance 00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:18.939 that he wants to let you find him in that arena. 00:08:19.959 --> 00:08:22.060 So I don't know about you, but I've been walking 00:08:22.060 --> 00:08:24.819 with Jesus now almost. It's almost going to be 00:08:24.819 --> 00:08:29.639 48 years walking with the Lord. And I got saved 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:31.779 at eight. My dad wasn't sure, but it really did 00:08:31.779 --> 00:08:38.620 happen. But the reality is for 48 different years, 00:08:38.840 --> 00:08:44.120 there have been doors that weren't salvation 00:08:44.120 --> 00:08:48.720 issues for me. They were hearing the king issues 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:52.629 for me where I was stuck. And how many know in 00:08:52.629 --> 00:08:57.169 the journey, we're facing a stuck moment. And 00:08:57.169 --> 00:09:00.830 yet there's only one door to go through. It's 00:09:00.830 --> 00:09:04.769 to pursue him, his voice, his counsel, his will, 00:09:04.889 --> 00:09:08.389 and to grab a hold and get from him direction, 00:09:08.710 --> 00:09:12.889 wisdom, provision. Why? That is the journey for 00:09:12.889 --> 00:09:17.100 every one of us. So the pursuit of the Lord does 00:09:17.100 --> 00:09:19.240 what? I'll just put these on the screen. The 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:21.860 pursuit of the Lord is what? He gives answers. 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:30.379 God answers. He gives insight. He brings perspective 00:09:30.379 --> 00:09:34.019 that you didn't think of. He gives you strength 00:09:34.019 --> 00:09:36.559 in the midst of where you feel like you are just 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:43.840 flatlined. He brings hope. Hope for. something 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:48.240 to change brings courage to do what the moment 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:53.320 requires. Courage to do what the moment requires, 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:57.279 then he brings restoration and divine provision 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:01.120 to accomplish it. Sometimes he brings people. 00:10:01.539 --> 00:10:06.879 Sometimes he brings tangible things. When we 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:10.120 started these 21 days of fasting, many of you 00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:11.919 have... jumped on board. But if you say, well, 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:16.620 I missed the 21 days. Oh no, you haven't. The 00:10:16.620 --> 00:10:18.860 word of the Lord for you today is there's 14 00:10:18.860 --> 00:10:29.659 more. Hallelujah. Come on. Come on. Yes. And 00:10:29.659 --> 00:10:32.019 I've, I've got people driving up and down the 00:10:32.019 --> 00:10:34.379 streets of junction, looking at the McDonald's, 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:36.159 making sure you're not in there. No, I'm just 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:40.950 kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. The reality 00:10:40.950 --> 00:10:46.750 is, this is a time for us to rally together in 00:10:46.750 --> 00:10:50.289 unity around the purpose because we want breakthrough 00:10:50.289 --> 00:10:52.950 for us as a church, but we want breakthrough 00:10:52.950 --> 00:10:54.970 for one another and our brothers and our sisters. 00:10:56.289 --> 00:10:58.750 Because listen, there are real hurts, there are 00:10:58.750 --> 00:11:02.669 real needs, there are real impasses that we're 00:11:02.669 --> 00:11:08.970 asking God to help with. I mean, I probably, 00:11:10.500 --> 00:11:14.299 Because of what God's allowed me to do here as 00:11:14.299 --> 00:11:16.820 a senior leader, I get to hear all of the stuff 00:11:16.820 --> 00:11:20.899 that every team, from pastors to restoration 00:11:20.899 --> 00:11:24.559 leaders to men's groups, women's groups to life 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:29.279 groups, the issues that are serious come to my 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:34.519 table and I get to hear it. And my job is to 00:11:34.519 --> 00:11:37.299 pray and ask God for wisdom on how to respond. 00:11:38.330 --> 00:11:42.009 And I only know a bit of all that the Lord sees 00:11:42.009 --> 00:11:47.149 in our lives. But I do know if there was ever 00:11:47.149 --> 00:11:50.629 a time that we needed him to dissolve some rocks, 00:11:50.889 --> 00:11:55.769 to remove some boulders, to bring things where 00:11:55.769 --> 00:12:00.289 our minds have come to a final judgment, the 00:12:00.289 --> 00:12:03.330 word of the Lord today was, do not bite down 00:12:03.330 --> 00:12:08.490 on that judgment. I'm the God. Who resurrects. 00:12:09.909 --> 00:12:14.649 So what are we in? We're in a now season. All 00:12:14.649 --> 00:12:17.230 we need is who God is. All we need is what he 00:12:17.230 --> 00:12:21.590 has promised. And I believe that the Lord has 00:12:21.590 --> 00:12:23.370 spoken to me and I want to release the word. 00:12:23.429 --> 00:12:26.269 I didn't release it last week. I gave you in 00:12:26.269 --> 00:12:29.649 both the first service I shared something of 00:12:29.649 --> 00:12:32.149 my time away from the Lord. In second service 00:12:32.149 --> 00:12:34.870 I shared something that was from the time away 00:12:34.870 --> 00:12:38.299 but totally different. But I held back this word 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:42.100 because I believed it was for this Sunday. And 00:12:42.100 --> 00:12:45.220 the Lord began to speak to me about his nature 00:12:45.220 --> 00:12:51.659 as a prevailing God. He prevails. He wins. It's 00:12:51.659 --> 00:12:54.759 the theme of our upcoming life conference at 00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:56.899 the end of this fast, the prevailing church. 00:12:57.059 --> 00:12:59.500 But if you just put it on the church, you forget 00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:03.440 that he's talking about you. So we could have 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:06.600 said the prevailing ones. The prevailing ones 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:11.799 make up the prevailing church. And I heard the, 00:13:11.899 --> 00:13:17.019 let me just define prevail. Prevail includes 00:13:17.019 --> 00:13:21.759 words like, English words like continuance, tenacity, 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:27.460 patience, stamina, perseverance and persistence. 00:13:28.299 --> 00:13:31.539 We're calling on the God who does not just exist. 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:37.580 but he's a God who prevails in all things. All 00:13:37.580 --> 00:13:40.740 things. There's not an area that God does not 00:13:40.740 --> 00:13:44.820 prevail in. And it's the Lord who's inviting 00:13:44.820 --> 00:13:48.340 us, and this is key, he's inviting us to prevail 00:13:48.340 --> 00:13:52.860 with him, together with him. Because you can't 00:13:52.860 --> 00:13:56.970 prevail outside of him. That's what this time 00:13:56.970 --> 00:13:59.429 of prayer and fasting is about, is prepping us 00:13:59.429 --> 00:14:01.470 to do. And here's what I heard the word of the 00:14:01.470 --> 00:14:04.750 Lord speak to me on January 7th as I was waiting 00:14:04.750 --> 00:14:08.950 on the Lord. He said to me this, look to me and 00:14:08.950 --> 00:14:13.149 lift up your eyes and heart to see what is before 00:14:13.149 --> 00:14:21.929 you. The world that is around you is dark, fearful, 00:14:22.169 --> 00:14:27.379 and hopeless. Surrounded and filled by chaos 00:14:27.379 --> 00:14:32.139 and destruction. But I am light and I am the 00:14:32.139 --> 00:14:37.639 life. And the light of life is in me. I am hope 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:43.340 and peace and love. And I reward faith and those 00:14:43.340 --> 00:14:47.539 who stay in faith. And then he changed the tenor 00:14:47.539 --> 00:14:54.500 of the tune and he said, I break the plays. and 00:14:54.500 --> 00:14:58.500 I scramble the plans of the thought out ways 00:14:58.500 --> 00:15:02.679 of man. And all I could see, because that's how 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:05.919 the Lord speaks to me as he gives me a vision 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:08.860 while he's talking to me, all I could see was 00:15:08.860 --> 00:15:12.679 the broken play on the football field where all 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:15.379 of a sudden you couldn't read what was coming 00:15:15.379 --> 00:15:18.820 and what you had planned all of a sudden had 00:15:18.820 --> 00:15:22.080 to take an option because the Lord was doing 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:25.519 an option. with the church and with his people 00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:29.659 that couldn't just be drawn out. He scrambles 00:15:29.659 --> 00:15:32.519 things. How many know that? He can scramble the 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:34.620 plans of the enemy. He can scramble the plans 00:15:34.620 --> 00:15:37.320 of man. It's the Lord. We have scriptures filled 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:39.960 with that where the Bible says man has a way 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:41.879 that he wants to walk, but it's the Lord that 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:45.639 gives the direct path, right? So he said, I break 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:49.620 plays, I scramble plans and the thought out ways 00:15:49.620 --> 00:15:54.230 of man. I determine correct paths. For I have 00:15:54.230 --> 00:15:59.909 preordained plans and purposes. Hear the spirit 00:15:59.909 --> 00:16:04.129 of the Lord speaking in your ear. I am the prevailing 00:16:04.129 --> 00:16:09.110 God. I am the prevailing one. I have prevailed. 00:16:09.350 --> 00:16:13.570 I am the prevailing one and I will prevail. There 00:16:13.570 --> 00:16:16.909 is no other like me. There is no other God like 00:16:16.909 --> 00:16:19.769 me. I am the Lord most high. I am the Lord almighty. 00:16:20.409 --> 00:16:25.590 Now take your stand with me. Stand with me. Stand 00:16:25.590 --> 00:16:29.330 in me. Stand with me and stand in faith. Watch 00:16:29.330 --> 00:16:33.990 and see my prevailing power, grace, and provision. 00:16:35.990 --> 00:16:41.759 Walk with me. Stay in faith. Believe and respond 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:46.519 to me in faith. For as I prevail, so shall you 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:51.240 prevail. And so shall this house prevail as you 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:55.279 stand with me, says the Lord. Now that's simple, 00:16:55.399 --> 00:16:59.700 but it was so, I want to say the voice of the 00:16:59.700 --> 00:17:04.119 Lord was almost deafening. I could not hear anything 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:10.069 else. It was clean and crisp. and loud in my 00:17:10.069 --> 00:17:15.349 spirit. And so why? Why are we praying and fasting? 00:17:15.490 --> 00:17:20.470 Well, because I know myself, and I think I have 00:17:20.470 --> 00:17:24.849 a nature kind of like yours. I know I'm weird 00:17:24.849 --> 00:17:30.549 and probably worse than all of y 'all. But the 00:17:30.549 --> 00:17:37.289 reality is, I need to be reminded that this life 00:17:38.009 --> 00:17:42.369 Has to be lived in faith. And once I take a step 00:17:42.369 --> 00:17:47.630 in faith. I have to stand in it. And do all that 00:17:47.630 --> 00:17:50.950 I can to stay in it. Having done all. What does 00:17:50.950 --> 00:17:54.630 the scripture say? Stand. Now I thought it was 00:17:54.630 --> 00:17:57.970 interesting. That the person that had the encounter. 00:17:58.829 --> 00:18:01.750 Saw that the armor of the Lord was presented. 00:18:03.130 --> 00:18:05.349 Because that's exactly what the scripture says. 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:10.880 Having done all, stand. Put on the full armor 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:14.339 of God that you may be able to stand. It's not 00:18:14.339 --> 00:18:17.960 talking about just standing in regular knowledge. 00:18:19.579 --> 00:18:22.819 It's not talking about standing in just the logos 00:18:22.819 --> 00:18:26.380 of knowledge. It's standing in the place of faith 00:18:26.380 --> 00:18:30.619 that actually cost you to step in to the fray 00:18:30.619 --> 00:18:34.019 as you are now encountering the place of where 00:18:34.019 --> 00:18:38.640 you're stuck. I think that's the revelation that 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:40.759 people need to understand. We're so easily quote 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:42.740 that scripture thinking, well, we just have to 00:18:42.740 --> 00:18:44.559 stand against just the regular onslaught. Yeah, 00:18:44.579 --> 00:18:47.359 we do. But that's not what the apostle Paul was 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:50.220 addressing in Ephesians. He was addressing the 00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:53.400 direct warfare that was coming against the church 00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:56.660 of Ephesus. And that's why out of all the scriptures 00:18:56.660 --> 00:18:59.900 in every church he wrote to, he specifically 00:18:59.900 --> 00:19:02.900 wrote it to Ephesus who was standing against 00:19:02.900 --> 00:19:07.450 an enemy onslaught of one of the greatest, if 00:19:07.450 --> 00:19:09.630 you will, and I don't mean to lift it up, but 00:19:09.630 --> 00:19:12.430 in that time, he was standing against the God 00:19:12.430 --> 00:19:16.589 of Artemis who had built its temple and its worshipers 00:19:16.589 --> 00:19:19.950 around the world. They were fighting that atmosphere. 00:19:21.430 --> 00:19:24.609 That's the context. And if you want to get the 00:19:24.609 --> 00:19:29.589 further context, read Acts chapter 16, specifically 00:19:29.589 --> 00:19:34.099 17 through 19. where Paul is writing in the book 00:19:34.099 --> 00:19:36.660 of Acts, Luke is writing the account of what 00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:38.900 Paul was dealing with as he wrote this letter 00:19:38.900 --> 00:19:45.940 to the Ephesians. Now, standing in faith in the 00:19:45.940 --> 00:19:49.880 midst now of things that are contrary, that seem 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:55.799 immovable, that seem impossible. That's why we 00:19:55.799 --> 00:20:00.240 need prayer and fasting. Because at this point, 00:20:00.259 --> 00:20:03.500 I've got, I got 12 pages. We're not gonna get 00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:05.200 to this. We might have part three next week. 00:20:05.259 --> 00:20:08.319 We'll just see. But this is the part that I felt 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:11.660 like the Lord highlighted as fresh illumination 00:20:11.660 --> 00:20:16.480 for us today as we get ready to transition to 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:22.599 our topic on the river. Prayer in fasting is 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:25.460 key at this moment because the thing that he 00:20:25.460 --> 00:20:30.079 wants, our needs are met and our first need that 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:34.390 needs to be met if you're anything like me, is 00:20:34.390 --> 00:20:37.630 that you need to be assured that what you've 00:20:37.630 --> 00:20:40.789 stepped in faith in, he's actually spoken to 00:20:40.789 --> 00:20:44.750 you to do. And he assures you in that fellowship 00:20:44.750 --> 00:20:50.049 that you are in his will and you are contending 00:20:50.049 --> 00:20:53.329 according to his purpose. Because if you don't 00:20:53.329 --> 00:20:57.230 have that, you'll start questioning it. You'll 00:20:57.230 --> 00:21:01.500 start doubting. And then, It'll be like a bad 00:21:01.500 --> 00:21:04.220 battery. Sometimes you'll have a charge and sometimes 00:21:04.220 --> 00:21:07.819 you won't. Sometimes it'll, have you ever jiggled 00:21:07.819 --> 00:21:10.660 the connectors on the battery and you got it 00:21:10.660 --> 00:21:13.440 to start? You just drove it, you let it sit and 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:15.299 all of a sudden, click, click, click, click, 00:21:15.319 --> 00:21:17.940 click. How did that happen? There was a loose 00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:21.380 connection. Times of prayer and fasting does 00:21:21.380 --> 00:21:25.779 what? It connects you to the source. That reminds 00:21:25.779 --> 00:21:29.680 you to do and to stay in with what he encouraged 00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:32.920 you to step out with. Why? He's the author of 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:36.839 that idea or that place of what you're contending 00:21:36.839 --> 00:21:41.859 for. And that, what do we call that? We call 00:21:41.859 --> 00:21:46.920 that fellowship. We have a different idea of 00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:50.000 fellowship in the natural. But there is a spiritual 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:53.180 fellowship that takes place. that oftentimes 00:21:53.180 --> 00:21:56.660 we don't go until we get into a place of faith, 00:21:56.779 --> 00:21:59.819 and that's when we need the conversation with 00:21:59.819 --> 00:22:04.339 the Lord in our heart. It's not just saying words 00:22:04.339 --> 00:22:07.519 or repeating some phrases of repetition in prayer. 00:22:07.660 --> 00:22:10.039 That has nothing to do with anything. This is 00:22:10.039 --> 00:22:12.500 what we're talking about here in times of prayer 00:22:12.500 --> 00:22:15.960 and fasting is real communication of being honest 00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:18.700 with our heart's condition, our emotion, and 00:22:18.700 --> 00:22:24.170 the situations we're facing. should be made in 00:22:24.170 --> 00:22:28.029 states of vulnerability and in those places of 00:22:28.029 --> 00:22:32.150 vulnerability it's made when we're really praying 00:22:32.150 --> 00:22:35.269 to the Lord it's made in a place where our heart 00:22:35.269 --> 00:22:39.309 is exposed to him and we're not covering our 00:22:39.309 --> 00:22:43.049 heart to try to seem religious we're being very 00:22:43.049 --> 00:22:46.990 real with the situation that we're facing and 00:22:46.990 --> 00:22:53.910 the turbulence in our own heart about it. Prayer 00:22:53.910 --> 00:22:57.750 is our spiritual connection to the Lord, who 00:22:57.750 --> 00:23:00.670 is God and who is father, who is love, who is 00:23:00.670 --> 00:23:03.769 compassion, who is mercy, grace, light, and truth. 00:23:03.930 --> 00:23:07.569 And the key to prayer in this season is the drawing 00:23:07.569 --> 00:23:12.559 near part. This is the special part when we say 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:15.960 we are setting time to pray and fast. We're not 00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:19.259 setting time to Jenny Craig it. We're not setting 00:23:19.259 --> 00:23:24.019 time to have a diet plan. Although it's working 00:23:24.019 --> 00:23:29.480 for me, but I don't like it, that part. The whole 00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:36.579 point is I'm setting time to draw near in a greater 00:23:36.579 --> 00:23:41.099 place of vulnerability in seeking him. Not just 00:23:41.099 --> 00:23:44.099 in seeking him that there's passion and pursuit 00:23:44.099 --> 00:23:50.140 of it, but in me, it reveals areas that have 00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:54.259 not, maybe I have just haven't been vulnerable 00:23:54.259 --> 00:23:59.339 in. If I don't understand the drawing near part 00:23:59.339 --> 00:24:03.460 and I miss this most important ingredient to 00:24:03.460 --> 00:24:07.380 that type of prayer, I will miss this important 00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:10.789 ingredient that actually then. gives me power 00:24:10.789 --> 00:24:13.910 and strength for other types of prayer. You see, 00:24:13.930 --> 00:24:17.269 let me just say it. Fasting and prayer moments 00:24:17.269 --> 00:24:21.490 of drawing near have fellowship with God and 00:24:21.490 --> 00:24:24.910 his spirit, which I'm supposed to hear and I'm 00:24:24.910 --> 00:24:28.349 supposed to have, I pray for veils of my eyes 00:24:28.349 --> 00:24:31.650 to be open, pray for my ears to have everything 00:24:31.650 --> 00:24:35.329 dead cut away so I would hear that my heart would 00:24:35.329 --> 00:24:38.130 receive. any area that he wanted to deal with 00:24:38.130 --> 00:24:41.869 where I would be real and raw. It's not professionalism. 00:24:41.890 --> 00:24:44.829 It's getting vulnerable and talking to the one 00:24:44.829 --> 00:24:48.230 who knows me in and out. And yet it's that process 00:24:48.230 --> 00:24:51.809 that he wants to step into with you and me. And 00:24:51.809 --> 00:24:55.269 if I don't get that process, then what I'm losing 00:24:55.269 --> 00:25:00.670 is I'm losing an element. of how then I'm supposed 00:25:00.670 --> 00:25:03.190 to be operating in other prayers. What other 00:25:03.190 --> 00:25:05.670 prayers? Other prayers like intercession for 00:25:05.670 --> 00:25:08.730 others. When it doesn't affect me, but it affects 00:25:08.730 --> 00:25:13.390 them. If I don't have that place tuned, dialed, 00:25:13.390 --> 00:25:16.589 and filled with his power and presence, I actually 00:25:16.589 --> 00:25:19.329 do a disservice, even though they may not know 00:25:19.329 --> 00:25:22.910 it, because I've actually not been in the presence 00:25:22.910 --> 00:25:27.670 to actually pray for them. Praying for healing, 00:25:27.829 --> 00:25:29.829 praying for deliverance, praying for breakthrough. 00:25:29.950 --> 00:25:34.210 It comes from these moments when I get together 00:25:34.210 --> 00:25:37.710 with the Lord and we do business in here. It 00:25:37.710 --> 00:25:42.670 helps me do business out there. The single most 00:25:42.670 --> 00:25:45.890 important aspect of prayer is drawing near to 00:25:45.890 --> 00:25:48.589 fellowship with the one who already knows us. 00:25:49.109 --> 00:25:52.369 And let me just give you this scripture. First 00:25:52.369 --> 00:25:57.500 John. First John 1. verses one through four, 00:25:57.539 --> 00:25:59.920 I want you to listen how the apostle John writes 00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:04.900 this. That which was from the beginning, which 00:26:04.900 --> 00:26:07.960 we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, 00:26:08.140 --> 00:26:11.339 which we looked upon and have touched with our 00:26:11.339 --> 00:26:14.759 hands concerning the word of life. Stop. Now, 00:26:14.779 --> 00:26:18.420 if you understand the gospel that John wrote 00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:22.019 first, first John is letters to the church. The 00:26:22.019 --> 00:26:25.900 gospel of John is the account. of Jesus's ministry. 00:26:26.259 --> 00:26:29.519 And as John was writing that about his time with 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:32.140 Jesus in the three and a half years, what was 00:26:32.140 --> 00:26:35.240 John's opening line in the gospel of John? In 00:26:35.240 --> 00:26:38.539 the beginning was the word of God. The word came 00:26:38.539 --> 00:26:41.740 forth from God. The word came and was made flesh 00:26:41.740 --> 00:26:44.240 and we beheld him and we handled him, right? 00:26:44.380 --> 00:26:46.339 I'm paraphrasing, but that was the nature. That's 00:26:46.339 --> 00:26:49.019 right in the first eight verses he describes 00:26:49.019 --> 00:26:52.240 it. Now he's writing to the churches and he's 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:55.009 reminding them. Many, many, many years later, 00:26:55.150 --> 00:26:58.150 some people say 40 plus years later, he's now 00:26:58.150 --> 00:27:00.269 writing this letter to the church. And what does 00:27:00.269 --> 00:27:03.430 he do? In the beginning, that which we heard, 00:27:03.529 --> 00:27:05.730 that which we've seen with our eyes, that which 00:27:05.730 --> 00:27:07.890 we looked upon, that which we touch with our 00:27:07.890 --> 00:27:11.250 hands, concerning the word of life. So he's calling 00:27:11.250 --> 00:27:16.970 Jesus what? The word of life. Why is that so 00:27:16.970 --> 00:27:20.450 important? Because when you go to prayer, you 00:27:20.450 --> 00:27:24.230 are not just listening. to something that is 00:27:24.230 --> 00:27:28.250 wrote or practiced. You're listening to the word 00:27:28.250 --> 00:27:32.849 of life himself. That's why it was so important 00:27:32.849 --> 00:27:35.029 today as the word of the Lord came into this 00:27:35.029 --> 00:27:37.750 place saying, I am the resurrection life. Why? 00:27:37.950 --> 00:27:41.549 That word is still living, active, and alive. 00:27:42.930 --> 00:27:45.650 My goodness, I get excited. All right, calm down. 00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:50.079 And he says concerning the word of life, the 00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:55.480 life was made manifest and we have seen it and 00:27:55.480 --> 00:27:59.859 we testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal 00:27:59.859 --> 00:28:03.460 life which was with the Father and was made manifest 00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:05.839 to us which we have seen and heard. We proclaim 00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:11.460 to you that you too may have fellowship with 00:28:11.460 --> 00:28:18.750 us. And indeed, here it is. Our fellowship is 00:28:18.750 --> 00:28:22.470 with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 00:28:25.210 --> 00:28:31.049 So the goal is twofold. The goal of what God 00:28:31.049 --> 00:28:34.029 is doing is that you would know the word of life, 00:28:34.210 --> 00:28:39.109 the one who was the word came forth. out of the 00:28:39.109 --> 00:28:42.170 Father as the word that was made flesh, that 00:28:42.170 --> 00:28:45.789 took on human form, that paid for our sin and 00:28:45.789 --> 00:28:51.549 rose again. That living word of life is meant 00:28:51.549 --> 00:28:57.130 to know Jesus. He sent his Holy Spirit to remind 00:28:57.130 --> 00:28:59.750 you of his word and to make his word personal 00:28:59.750 --> 00:29:02.730 in your life. And with that, everyone that he 00:29:02.730 --> 00:29:06.029 draws to himself, everyone that he saves, everyone 00:29:06.029 --> 00:29:09.230 that he knows now, his goal is that they would 00:29:09.230 --> 00:29:14.109 have common fellowship around who he is, his 00:29:14.109 --> 00:29:17.869 nature, his character, his will, his purpose, 00:29:17.990 --> 00:29:21.029 and that you would be filled with his love in 00:29:21.029 --> 00:29:26.730 doing those things. As much as we do those things, 00:29:26.910 --> 00:29:30.930 our goal in all of it is that you would have 00:29:30.930 --> 00:29:35.430 fellowship with father and son and that you would 00:29:35.430 --> 00:29:40.890 hear him personally. So there is a will of God 00:29:40.890 --> 00:29:43.950 that is extended to his body that's very clear. 00:29:44.970 --> 00:29:47.329 That we can know and discern the will of God. 00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:51.240 to make disciples of all men. He's building his 00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:53.799 church. He's building people. He's building bodies 00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:56.480 of Christ. He's set in elders in every city, 00:29:56.559 --> 00:29:58.980 every place where God is. He's still doing that. 00:29:59.079 --> 00:30:01.660 He's still planting churches. He's still extending 00:30:01.660 --> 00:30:04.319 the kingdom. But in the midst of it, he is also 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:08.160 developing and trying to deepen you that you 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:11.779 would have fellowship with the Father and the 00:30:11.779 --> 00:30:16.059 Son. I know this is simple, but it is profound 00:30:16.059 --> 00:30:19.400 because the only way you go deeper in that is 00:30:19.400 --> 00:30:22.579 that you have to have times where you set aside 00:30:22.579 --> 00:30:26.039 the things that have become routine to get vulnerable 00:30:26.039 --> 00:30:29.579 with the Spirit of God. The areas that have become 00:30:29.579 --> 00:30:32.660 common and blocked you get removed. The little 00:30:32.660 --> 00:30:34.259 perspectives, that's why it was so important 00:30:34.259 --> 00:30:37.440 this morning, little stones that begin, it can 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:43.220 divert the stream of your heart. The whole point 00:30:43.220 --> 00:30:47.359 is to remove the rocks that you would stay in 00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:51.660 the flow of the Spirit. And that's what that 00:30:51.660 --> 00:30:55.700 word fellowship is, the word koinonia. And it 00:30:55.700 --> 00:31:01.500 means partnership, participation, interacting 00:31:01.500 --> 00:31:06.019 socially. Just as much as that is fellowship 00:31:06.019 --> 00:31:09.240 this way, the same word is fellowship this way. 00:31:11.690 --> 00:31:15.349 The American church has a problem with fellowship 00:31:15.349 --> 00:31:21.309 this way. Most all church services in Western 00:31:21.309 --> 00:31:25.390 America try to deal with three points, three 00:31:25.390 --> 00:31:28.230 little how -tos, and try to get you to fellowship 00:31:28.230 --> 00:31:33.890 on this way. Very few actually dig in and dive 00:31:33.890 --> 00:31:37.950 to get you to have fellowship this way. And the 00:31:37.950 --> 00:31:41.619 issue is it's supposed to be both. That's why 00:31:41.619 --> 00:31:45.259 it says they continued in the apostles' doctrine 00:31:45.259 --> 00:31:47.799 to know what the will of God is and they broke 00:31:47.799 --> 00:31:52.319 bread house to house. It's both. There's fellowships 00:31:52.319 --> 00:31:54.839 and groups and getting into people's lives and 00:31:54.839 --> 00:31:57.099 ministering to one another. It's absolutely essential. 00:31:57.299 --> 00:31:59.339 Ministering to the community. Ministering to 00:31:59.339 --> 00:32:02.160 the hopeless. Absolutely there has to be a stream. 00:32:02.279 --> 00:32:05.720 But if you don't have this stream, this turns 00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:11.039 into a soul -led perspective. because then everyone 00:32:11.039 --> 00:32:13.579 does what's right in their own eyes with the 00:32:13.579 --> 00:32:16.920 ministry they think is important rather than 00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:20.180 actually connecting of ministering to him personally. 00:32:21.140 --> 00:32:27.259 Are you there? All right. I'm gonna close that 00:32:27.259 --> 00:32:30.799 part. Can you just say amen? Okay, you can come 00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:32.519 to church today, say I got preached a message. 00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:42.359 And now to the church. Second course. Can we 00:32:42.359 --> 00:32:51.000 do that? All right. I would like some more time. 00:32:53.500 --> 00:33:06.200 Let me get here. Raise the wall. Arise and build. 00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:10.079 That's the theme that we believe that the Lord 00:33:10.079 --> 00:33:14.940 has directed us to. The scripture is Nehemiah 00:33:14.940 --> 00:33:23.500 chapter 2, 18b. Let us rise and build, and then 00:33:23.500 --> 00:33:28.180 they set their hands to do this good work. We're 00:33:28.180 --> 00:33:32.460 saying, let us rise and build, and then we will 00:33:32.460 --> 00:33:36.990 set our hands to do this good work. I'd like 00:33:36.990 --> 00:33:40.849 you to take a look as we have a video, the video 00:33:40.849 --> 00:33:44.130 that is the one that I've made, James, that you 00:33:44.130 --> 00:33:46.430 shot on the riverbank. Let's show that right 00:33:46.430 --> 00:33:51.690 now, if we can. Church family, MFI family, Brad 00:33:51.690 --> 00:33:54.170 Neuschwander from Life Bible Church here, coming 00:33:54.170 --> 00:33:57.029 to you right on the bank of the Willamette River. 00:33:57.130 --> 00:34:00.630 What you're seeing behind me is a massive pile 00:34:00.630 --> 00:34:04.059 driving machine and crane. that is getting ready 00:34:04.059 --> 00:34:06.980 to start operating tomorrow morning as we are 00:34:06.980 --> 00:34:11.860 putting in a 500 -foot steel wall, Z -pile, to 00:34:11.860 --> 00:34:14.760 save the buildings and the riverbank. All of 00:34:14.760 --> 00:34:17.579 the geologists and people we've had out said 00:34:17.579 --> 00:34:21.239 if we don't do something within this year, we 00:34:21.239 --> 00:34:23.619 won't have any buildings. As you can say, this 00:34:23.619 --> 00:34:27.269 is our youth. It has our commercial kitchen and 00:34:27.269 --> 00:34:30.070 the motel that we purchased this property 12 00:34:30.070 --> 00:34:33.289 years ago is all being threatened on this end. 00:34:33.389 --> 00:34:37.929 And just south of us, we have lost over 40 feet. 00:34:38.030 --> 00:34:41.110 There used to be a giant oak tree, a full patio, 00:34:41.250 --> 00:34:44.690 fire pit. You can see sidewalks gone, landscaping, 00:34:44.690 --> 00:34:47.889 of course. Those all can be replaced. But buildings 00:34:47.889 --> 00:34:51.369 and property and land can't be replaced as over 00:34:51.369 --> 00:34:55.739 the last... 18 years, we have lost almost 100 00:34:55.739 --> 00:35:01.639 feet of property. We're standing on a $2 .25 00:35:01.639 --> 00:35:05.719 million project that I'm just presenting now 00:35:05.719 --> 00:35:08.880 to our congregation because we were told no for 00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:11.900 two and a half years. Our city finally has intervened 00:35:11.900 --> 00:35:14.920 and said, we'll give you a window and you have 00:35:14.920 --> 00:35:17.800 to be within 20 feet of the river. I want to 00:35:17.800 --> 00:35:20.599 thank you for partnering in prayer. Your prayers, 00:35:20.699 --> 00:35:23.079 your contacts of people that you might know. 00:35:23.159 --> 00:35:26.619 We've tried legislators, senators. We've gone 00:35:26.619 --> 00:35:29.860 from the state houses even to our national houses. 00:35:30.079 --> 00:35:33.400 We're just believing God to do a miracle through 00:35:33.400 --> 00:35:36.539 his people and bring resources that we know not 00:35:36.539 --> 00:35:39.300 of. Thank you. Thank you for partnering with 00:35:39.300 --> 00:35:42.260 us. Thank you, church family and MFI family, 00:35:42.340 --> 00:35:45.460 for being willing to partner with Jenny and I 00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:47.280 and our whole church eldership team and church 00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:50.619 body. In this moment of crisis for us. We love 00:35:50.619 --> 00:36:01.400 you. Thank you very much. Of course James didn't 00:36:01.400 --> 00:36:03.639 tell me that my mustache was crooked. But anyway. 00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:09.800 The only thing I can watch is why is it crooked. 00:36:09.900 --> 00:36:16.469 Anyway. Apparently I didn't have a makeup crew, 00:36:16.550 --> 00:36:21.670 but hallelujah. All right. As I stand before 00:36:21.670 --> 00:36:26.809 you this morning, I'm doing something that I 00:36:26.809 --> 00:36:34.730 don't like to do. When I talk about finances, 00:36:34.949 --> 00:36:37.690 when I talk about what the Lord does, I like 00:36:37.690 --> 00:36:41.329 to do things on the basis of principle. And the 00:36:41.329 --> 00:36:44.719 things that we've... instituted, if you will, 00:36:44.780 --> 00:36:46.960 in the culture of Life Bible Church have all 00:36:46.960 --> 00:36:49.840 come from the revelations of the scripture and 00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:52.320 why we do what we do and how we steward finances. 00:36:52.539 --> 00:36:55.420 And if you know anything about me, maybe you're 00:36:55.420 --> 00:36:59.260 new to Life Bible Church, I am a good little 00:36:59.260 --> 00:37:04.860 German boy in the fact of I like plans and I 00:37:04.860 --> 00:37:09.190 like order. I don't know. I can shoot from the 00:37:09.190 --> 00:37:11.510 hip prophetically and people say, how does that 00:37:11.510 --> 00:37:13.989 possible that you, you've always lived like you're 00:37:13.989 --> 00:37:16.670 on the seat of your pants? Yeah. But when it 00:37:16.670 --> 00:37:19.769 comes to finances, I don't live that way. You 00:37:19.769 --> 00:37:23.230 can ask my wife. I have things budgeted and planned 00:37:23.230 --> 00:37:27.110 out five, five year increments, seven year increments, 00:37:27.130 --> 00:37:29.050 10 year increments. And it kind of drives her 00:37:29.050 --> 00:37:34.619 nuts because I recognize in my life I probably 00:37:34.619 --> 00:37:39.539 have more time than I have money. Now, I want 00:37:39.539 --> 00:37:42.300 God to bless me and I want to increase those 00:37:42.300 --> 00:37:44.539 things, but I also have to have a plan. I'm a 00:37:44.539 --> 00:37:47.719 budgeter. I'm a planner. I'm a guy that likes 00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:49.980 to take things and just, all right, here's how 00:37:49.980 --> 00:37:54.039 we eat this thing one bite at a time. So to be 00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:59.429 forced into an area. that I'm faced here is not 00:37:59.429 --> 00:38:03.150 something that I relish or even want to do, but 00:38:03.150 --> 00:38:05.889 it is something that I believe that I am supposed 00:38:05.889 --> 00:38:08.730 to do and that God doesn't really care how I 00:38:08.730 --> 00:38:12.269 like things. Now, I don't like that either, but 00:38:12.269 --> 00:38:16.130 that is just the way it is. And so I am coming 00:38:16.130 --> 00:38:21.550 to us saying we have an urgency. You've heard 00:38:21.550 --> 00:38:24.489 me say we have a $2 .25 million project. That 00:38:24.489 --> 00:38:29.320 is the scope of the whole The beautiful thing, 00:38:29.340 --> 00:38:31.400 as I said last week, the city of Harrisburg, 00:38:31.579 --> 00:38:35.699 the city council, the city administrator, out 00:38:35.699 --> 00:38:38.119 of all the times we've rejected by every other 00:38:38.119 --> 00:38:42.760 organization, this plan that was come up with 00:38:42.760 --> 00:38:47.360 TVP Engineering and given to the city, this is 00:38:47.360 --> 00:38:52.239 our only shot at this because as you can see, 00:38:53.070 --> 00:38:56.130 We barely have enough land to get that machine 00:38:56.130 --> 00:38:59.389 in to hold its weight and to keep 20 feet back. 00:38:59.469 --> 00:39:03.389 Once that 20 foot mark would erode and we don't 00:39:03.389 --> 00:39:06.730 have a wall there, we will not be able to do 00:39:06.730 --> 00:39:10.110 anything on our own land. So the time is now. 00:39:10.190 --> 00:39:13.949 Fact is, they told me when we got back from our 00:39:13.949 --> 00:39:17.909 time of just being away, the week as we got here, 00:39:17.989 --> 00:39:19.889 he said, I want to show you this because I need 00:39:19.889 --> 00:39:22.750 you to see the urgency. On the south end of the 00:39:22.750 --> 00:39:29.130 corner, our general maintenance guy had cut the 00:39:29.130 --> 00:39:32.630 tarp where our patio bricks back within an inch 00:39:32.630 --> 00:39:34.969 of the edge so that it would not flap and all 00:39:34.969 --> 00:39:37.530 that tarp that we put on those patio bricks that 00:39:37.530 --> 00:39:39.630 we had to remove. He cut it back to about an 00:39:39.630 --> 00:39:42.489 inch, inch and a half. It now has another seven 00:39:42.489 --> 00:39:45.570 feet of whip in the wind. So just seven feet 00:39:45.570 --> 00:39:48.969 of land in that corner has eroded in three weeks. 00:39:50.190 --> 00:39:54.949 That gives you an idea of the rapidness that 00:39:54.949 --> 00:39:57.690 I'm saying this with urgency. So what did we 00:39:57.690 --> 00:40:01.690 have to do? By faith, we had to, as an eldership 00:40:01.690 --> 00:40:05.079 team, we had to sign contracts. and we had to 00:40:05.079 --> 00:40:07.320 make a decision. Lord, are you bringing? Is this 00:40:07.320 --> 00:40:09.559 our answer? For two and a half years, is this 00:40:09.559 --> 00:40:11.679 our answer? And we believed as a leadership team, 00:40:11.739 --> 00:40:14.699 it was. And we still believe that. We believe 00:40:14.699 --> 00:40:17.199 that this was a God moment, that God sent that 00:40:17.199 --> 00:40:19.519 engineering firm, that God sent that man and 00:40:19.519 --> 00:40:21.980 that team that are working with us, and that 00:40:21.980 --> 00:40:27.059 it is a God moment. Do I ever like the price? 00:40:27.340 --> 00:40:33.530 No. If you know anything about me, I don't usually 00:40:33.530 --> 00:40:37.269 settle on the first price. Because that's how 00:40:37.269 --> 00:40:40.289 my dad raised me. And if you want to find out 00:40:40.289 --> 00:40:43.409 how deep not accepting the first price is, just 00:40:43.409 --> 00:40:50.289 talk to him. He's on the second row. The reality 00:40:50.289 --> 00:40:53.469 is we try to be great stewards of everything 00:40:53.469 --> 00:40:58.130 that comes here. And this price that we have 00:40:58.130 --> 00:41:02.760 received. is an incredible price. Compared to 00:41:02.760 --> 00:41:04.840 what everybody else has quoted us between six 00:41:04.840 --> 00:41:07.860 and eight million, all the other engineering 00:41:07.860 --> 00:41:11.079 firms and all the other things, this price is 00:41:11.079 --> 00:41:15.820 in essence a third. And I believe if I'm just 00:41:15.820 --> 00:41:18.059 saying this, I say it in faith and with truth, 00:41:18.280 --> 00:41:22.119 that is a miracle price for us. Does it seem 00:41:22.119 --> 00:41:25.539 staggering? Yeah, to our natural minds, it does. 00:41:26.500 --> 00:41:32.409 But To God, it's not. And so we have to write 00:41:32.409 --> 00:41:37.469 checks about every 30 days in the amount of about 00:41:37.469 --> 00:41:42.530 700 ,000, just doing rough figures. That just 00:41:42.530 --> 00:41:44.750 makes you go weak in the knees a little bit. 00:41:45.989 --> 00:41:50.090 It's staggering, but we've stepped into faith 00:41:50.090 --> 00:41:54.159 now. We've stepped in as a, not just a leadership 00:41:54.159 --> 00:41:56.920 team, but as a congregation. And here's our part. 00:41:56.940 --> 00:41:59.920 Here's how the math works. And this is the simplest 00:41:59.920 --> 00:42:04.139 way I can put it to us. There is 500 feet of 00:42:04.139 --> 00:42:08.780 bank, 500 feet of river bank, plus a little more 00:42:08.780 --> 00:42:11.400 than that, but for numbers sake, because I just 00:42:11.400 --> 00:42:14.920 like things simple. Every one of those steel 00:42:14.920 --> 00:42:18.000 pilings, and James, I don't know if we can, can 00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:20.570 we do some more drone footage? And let's watch 00:42:20.570 --> 00:42:23.630 this video as you see the 500, you see the beginning 00:42:23.630 --> 00:42:39.230 of the wall. That is the line of where the wall 00:42:39.230 --> 00:42:42.349 is going to be. That crimson cord that we laid 00:42:42.349 --> 00:42:44.969 out is almost exactly where the wall is going. 00:42:47.469 --> 00:42:49.730 And there you see, one, two, three, four, five, 00:42:49.809 --> 00:42:52.510 six, seven, seven or eight piles that have been 00:42:52.510 --> 00:42:59.869 driven in already in the ground. Getting some 00:42:59.869 --> 00:43:02.389 live footage there. You see them lifting up on 00:43:02.389 --> 00:43:05.750 the right -hand side there. That's a full 56 00:43:05.750 --> 00:43:09.050 -foot piece of steel that's being moved into 00:43:09.050 --> 00:43:13.230 place even right now on this video. You can see 00:43:13.230 --> 00:43:17.110 where the bank has eroded. You see them moving 00:43:17.110 --> 00:43:19.909 and setting I -beams to begin to just have a 00:43:19.909 --> 00:43:26.969 place and a guide to put those in. All right, 00:43:27.030 --> 00:43:30.210 so those steel pilings right there, those steel 00:43:30.210 --> 00:43:35.650 pilings are basically bent to create like a W. 00:43:36.030 --> 00:43:39.030 So you got half of a W and a half of a W and 00:43:39.030 --> 00:43:41.389 then they join together at the end and then another 00:43:41.389 --> 00:43:46.909 W. So it becomes kind of a corrugated, wall all 00:43:46.909 --> 00:43:52.730 along. Each one of those sections or pieces of 00:43:52.730 --> 00:43:57.210 steel represent a foot. And so by the time they're 00:43:57.210 --> 00:43:59.190 bent, even though they're larger than a foot, 00:43:59.250 --> 00:44:02.550 by the time they bend, they're a foot in, I guess, 00:44:02.570 --> 00:44:06.829 linear feet. And so two pieces make one piece. 00:44:06.929 --> 00:44:10.849 That means two feet. So one section, if we could 00:44:10.849 --> 00:44:16.050 put my equation back on now, 500 pieces. at one 00:44:16.050 --> 00:44:19.469 foot of 500 pieces of river bank with 2 .25 million, 00:44:19.590 --> 00:44:22.309 and this is just good old German Mennonite math, 00:44:22.550 --> 00:44:28.389 equals $4 ,500 per piece. That's what it costs. 00:44:28.590 --> 00:44:33.429 We got 500 of those to raise at $4 ,500 a piece. 00:44:34.929 --> 00:44:38.650 So that's what I'm placing before you. I'm reminding 00:44:38.650 --> 00:44:45.940 you of Exodus 35, verses 21 and 22. It says, 00:44:45.960 --> 00:44:47.659 and those whose hearts were stirred and those 00:44:47.659 --> 00:44:50.179 whose spirits were moved came and brought and 00:44:50.179 --> 00:44:52.559 sacrificed their offerings to the Lord. Both 00:44:52.559 --> 00:44:56.780 men and women came, all whose hearts are willing. 00:44:58.599 --> 00:45:01.519 Just a moment now, I'm gonna have the ushers 00:45:01.519 --> 00:45:05.280 come forward and they're gonna give us some raise 00:45:05.280 --> 00:45:09.219 the wall, arise and build commitment cards. I'm 00:45:09.219 --> 00:45:13.050 asking you. to take a card per family, or you 00:45:13.050 --> 00:45:15.250 can take as many cards as you want. That'd be 00:45:15.250 --> 00:45:19.030 awesome. And there are different levels of commitment 00:45:19.030 --> 00:45:21.070 that you might be willing to do. I'm asking you 00:45:21.070 --> 00:45:24.590 to pray. It's not a sense that I wish that we 00:45:24.590 --> 00:45:27.969 could plan two years and just figure out how 00:45:27.969 --> 00:45:30.309 we're going to do this in incremental steps. 00:45:30.409 --> 00:45:33.989 We may have to adjust that in time, but the point 00:45:33.989 --> 00:45:39.440 is, in the next 20 to 30 days, God's got to provide 00:45:39.440 --> 00:45:43.820 another $700 ,000. And then he has to do it again. 00:45:44.760 --> 00:45:48.900 And I think there's scriptures where God fed 00:45:48.900 --> 00:45:53.760 the multitude several times, right? So we have 00:45:53.760 --> 00:45:56.480 great biblical basis to do that. As you get that 00:45:56.480 --> 00:45:59.059 card, if you know what you're supposed to do, 00:45:59.119 --> 00:46:03.199 great. Fill it out and get your seed in the ground. 00:46:03.760 --> 00:46:05.219 Here's what we're going to do. If we could put 00:46:05.219 --> 00:46:09.849 the graph on the screen for me, please. Deanna 00:46:09.849 --> 00:46:14.750 and James are working together. And as she gets 00:46:14.750 --> 00:46:17.369 things, we don't see amounts that people do and 00:46:17.369 --> 00:46:19.949 what they give individually, she does. And then 00:46:19.949 --> 00:46:22.269 she's gonna say, okay, you can add another X 00:46:22.269 --> 00:46:24.769 amount of money to our graph. So this is the 00:46:24.769 --> 00:46:27.409 graph that we're gonna start showing every week 00:46:27.409 --> 00:46:31.190 right now already, which is an absolute, I wanna 00:46:31.190 --> 00:46:34.789 give praise to God. Between $75 ,000 and $80 00:46:34.789 --> 00:46:37.590 ,000 have already come in and I haven't even 00:46:37.590 --> 00:46:39.590 talked about that. So let's just give the Lord 00:46:39.590 --> 00:46:46.230 a thank offering for that. That is awesome. The 00:46:46.230 --> 00:46:48.769 fact is, I want to just say I got a text this 00:46:48.769 --> 00:46:52.130 morning. I sent that video to our MFI family. 00:46:52.190 --> 00:46:54.789 I've had several texts this morning say, Brad, 00:46:54.889 --> 00:46:57.010 we're standing with you in prayer. We've just 00:46:57.010 --> 00:46:59.369 sent a check. We're standing with you at help. 00:46:59.449 --> 00:47:02.329 I'm telling you the body of Christ. is incredible. 00:47:02.469 --> 00:47:05.409 We've had another church that wrote us a five 00:47:05.409 --> 00:47:09.630 figure check already just to help. I want you 00:47:09.630 --> 00:47:11.929 to know that we're not alone in this. Obviously 00:47:11.929 --> 00:47:15.269 we know that, but God is doing some miraculous 00:47:15.269 --> 00:47:19.429 things. So every, every time we meet a percentage 00:47:19.429 --> 00:47:23.010 of that 2 .25 million, you're going to see a 00:47:23.010 --> 00:47:26.800 little. Now, James couldn't make 500 little bars. 00:47:26.940 --> 00:47:29.820 So he's cutting it by one fifth. There's a hundred 00:47:29.820 --> 00:47:32.460 bars up there. So we can just do the math divided 00:47:32.460 --> 00:47:35.440 by five and you'll see the bar. But every time 00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:37.219 we do that, we'll put that up on the screen. 00:47:37.940 --> 00:47:40.840 We're going to keep track of what gifts have 00:47:40.840 --> 00:47:43.280 come in outside of the body of Christ percentage. 00:47:43.639 --> 00:47:45.880 You're not going to know who gave them. And we're 00:47:45.880 --> 00:47:47.619 going to keep track of what the body of Christ 00:47:47.619 --> 00:47:49.659 is doing among us. We'll keep track of that. 00:47:49.739 --> 00:47:53.260 I want everybody to be in on this process. There 00:47:53.260 --> 00:47:55.840 is nothing hidden. Everything is being open. 00:47:55.960 --> 00:47:58.960 There is full transparency. We've got to see 00:47:58.960 --> 00:48:03.500 God do a miracle. But I'm believing as we've 00:48:03.500 --> 00:48:05.599 all stepped into this place, the Lord is going 00:48:05.599 --> 00:48:09.000 to speak to you about what he wants you or your 00:48:09.000 --> 00:48:12.980 family to do. Now, as I sat down late last night 00:48:12.980 --> 00:48:16.820 and I was here after dark and I prayed up and 00:48:16.820 --> 00:48:19.719 down the river and I was... just putting thoughts 00:48:19.719 --> 00:48:21.780 down to what the Lord wanted me to say today 00:48:21.780 --> 00:48:25.139 in this portion. I felt like the Lord said, I 00:48:25.139 --> 00:48:28.079 want you to remind them of things. And here's 00:48:28.079 --> 00:48:30.599 what he reminded me. He said, there's some that 00:48:30.599 --> 00:48:32.599 have stored silver and some that have stored 00:48:32.599 --> 00:48:35.500 gold and some that have stored precious metal 00:48:35.500 --> 00:48:40.360 and crypto. Is this not the time, says the Lord? 00:48:41.920 --> 00:48:44.780 Is this not a time of why I've allowed those 00:48:44.780 --> 00:48:50.130 to increase in your hand? And I would just humbly 00:48:50.130 --> 00:48:52.909 present that to you, to myself, to those that 00:48:52.909 --> 00:48:55.449 happen to have those type of resources, that 00:48:55.449 --> 00:48:58.070 that may be something that you would take out 00:48:58.070 --> 00:49:02.190 of. And Deanna is at a conference right now, 00:49:02.230 --> 00:49:03.969 but I told her, I said, you need to be ready. 00:49:04.250 --> 00:49:08.309 I don't know who owns crypto. I care. I bless 00:49:08.309 --> 00:49:12.010 you. But now's the time to decryptify yourself 00:49:12.010 --> 00:49:17.570 in Jesus' name. You know, however it is, we'll 00:49:17.570 --> 00:49:20.989 make sure that the gift is tax deductible because 00:49:20.989 --> 00:49:23.670 this project is all tax deductible and we'll 00:49:23.670 --> 00:49:25.869 make sure letters get written and you'll come 00:49:25.869 --> 00:49:29.190 on your tax receipts. But we are standing at 00:49:29.190 --> 00:49:32.550 a moment where we need the Lord to move through 00:49:32.550 --> 00:49:38.289 us and beyond us. Amen. Would you allow me just 00:49:38.289 --> 00:49:41.269 to pray over you and to pray over these cards 00:49:41.269 --> 00:49:45.360 and just. See what the Lord would do as he stirs 00:49:45.360 --> 00:49:50.960 our hearts and our faith. Father, in Jesus' name. 00:49:52.880 --> 00:50:00.559 Lord, we're standing at a pivotal moment. We're 00:50:00.559 --> 00:50:03.320 standing at a pivotal moment. Calvin, if you'd 00:50:03.320 --> 00:50:05.820 come, you had a word. I want you to come and 00:50:05.820 --> 00:50:08.519 give that word right after I pray. We're standing 00:50:08.519 --> 00:50:13.519 at a pivotal moment. Lord, you spoke to me this 00:50:13.519 --> 00:50:19.579 morning. Someone handed me a watch. And you said 00:50:19.579 --> 00:50:21.800 immediately, I heard the Spirit of the Lord say, 00:50:21.920 --> 00:50:26.840 this is a new time for this church. You're stepping 00:50:26.840 --> 00:50:32.079 into a new time that I am increasing your understanding 00:50:32.079 --> 00:50:37.360 of life in the Spirit. So Father, I pray for 00:50:37.360 --> 00:50:41.239 faith. I pray for a release of courage. And I 00:50:41.239 --> 00:50:45.000 pray for miracles. Lord, let the miracle, as 00:50:45.000 --> 00:50:47.860 you said in Exodus, blessed will you be in your 00:50:47.860 --> 00:50:51.039 bowl and blessed will be your bread. Lord, let 00:50:51.039 --> 00:50:56.559 the bread multiply even as we give. Let it multiply. 00:50:56.579 --> 00:51:00.320 Let it be supernatural. Let provision come that 00:51:00.320 --> 00:51:05.739 is unheard of in Jesus' name. I now say in Jesus' 00:51:05.900 --> 00:51:09.780 name, let your favor be upon your people. who 00:51:09.780 --> 00:51:15.659 are calling now on your name. Calvin. The Lord's 00:51:15.659 --> 00:51:20.840 just been really impressing upon my heart how 00:51:20.840 --> 00:51:24.219 absolutely crazy, crazy is good in my world, 00:51:24.280 --> 00:51:29.539 how absolutely crazy good it is that every pile 00:51:29.539 --> 00:51:32.599 of that wall is being driven in the season of 00:51:32.599 --> 00:51:37.090 the fast. And this morning, as we were in the 00:51:37.090 --> 00:51:39.170 prayer room, the Lord gave me this picture. I 00:51:39.170 --> 00:51:44.110 was in the airport this week and I saw a currency 00:51:44.110 --> 00:51:48.070 exchange. And he gave me this picture of a currency 00:51:48.070 --> 00:51:50.110 exchange and the gate rolling up. And he said, 00:51:50.130 --> 00:51:53.949 Calvin, for our church, that we are not building 00:51:53.949 --> 00:51:58.449 a wall. We are building a bridge, a bridge to 00:51:58.449 --> 00:52:06.539 a new season. And that God is exchanging the 00:52:06.539 --> 00:52:11.699 currency in this body and in the kingdom of God 00:52:11.699 --> 00:52:16.880 right now into a new season. And every physical 00:52:16.880 --> 00:52:21.099 thing that we spend is the currency in which 00:52:21.099 --> 00:52:24.619 we build the kingdom with. And there is something 00:52:24.619 --> 00:52:28.679 shifting. There is something moving. There is 00:52:28.679 --> 00:52:31.280 something when that last pile goes in the ground, 00:52:31.400 --> 00:52:34.480 God is declaring a new season over this place 00:52:34.480 --> 00:52:39.420 and a new season over his people. And I just 00:52:39.420 --> 00:52:41.199 declare to you today that many of you were at 00:52:41.199 --> 00:52:44.440 the altar today, you were giving stuff. Your 00:52:44.440 --> 00:52:47.639 stuff was, as you watch those piles go in, it 00:52:47.639 --> 00:52:50.179 takes a lot of force to drive them down, but 00:52:50.179 --> 00:52:53.400 everything on them gets peeled off as they go 00:52:53.400 --> 00:52:58.159 in. It just gets peeled off. And today it's good 00:52:58.159 --> 00:53:01.539 news for the church because everything you are 00:53:01.539 --> 00:53:04.099 giving this morning, everything you're going 00:53:04.099 --> 00:53:07.099 to be giving in this days ahead, it's all not 00:53:07.099 --> 00:53:10.840 giving a one way thing with God. It is an exchange 00:53:10.840 --> 00:53:14.880 and he is exchanging something that you're giving 00:53:14.880 --> 00:53:17.800 for something that you can't believe. And it's 00:53:17.800 --> 00:53:19.980 going to cost you something, but it's going to 00:53:19.980 --> 00:53:23.570 give you so much more. So let's just get a hold 00:53:23.570 --> 00:53:26.670 of that in the kingdom and let's begin to take 00:53:26.670 --> 00:53:30.570 on this kingdom of exchange, this exchange for 00:53:30.570 --> 00:54:00.599 the physical. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Get 00:54:00.599 --> 00:54:07.699 in a place of faith. It's urgent. But we want 00:54:07.699 --> 00:54:11.900 you to hear the Lord. And next week we'll receive 00:54:11.900 --> 00:54:14.340 some of those cards. We're going to just let 00:54:14.340 --> 00:54:16.940 them come in. And let's just do this together 00:54:16.940 --> 00:54:22.179 as a family. Thank you for taking the time to 00:54:22.179 --> 00:54:25.119 listen to this week's message. We are so grateful 00:54:25.119 --> 00:54:27.719 for those who tune in each week. and have given 00:54:27.719 --> 00:54:30.960 generously to this ministry. If you would like 00:54:30.960 --> 00:54:33.500 to give, click the link in the episode description 00:54:33.500 --> 00:54:36.679 below. You can also help us by subscribing to 00:54:36.679 --> 00:54:38.800 this podcast and sharing it with your friends 00:54:38.800 --> 00:54:42.179 and family. Lastly, if you are in need of prayer, 00:54:42.320 --> 00:54:48.119 send us a text message at 541 -625 -1365. We 00:54:48.119 --> 00:54:49.320 would love to pray with you.