WEBVTT

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It's a privilege to have Dr. Gary Munson and

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his wife, Felicia. This is the first time Felicia's

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been able to be here. We're so grateful to have

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you here. And last night we had the privilege

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of taking them to some food that they don't get

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very often. They were just talking about there's

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certain things that in Ethiopia you just can't

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get and certain things that when you're away

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from home for a year or two at a time, things

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that you really miss. And it's an amazing thing

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we were talking about the other night that peanut

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butter is a treasured commodity. If you're an

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American around the world and you can't hardly

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get it anywhere, it is so expensive. And we can

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go to Costco and for 15 bucks have more peanut

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butter than you want to eat in a year. But over

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there you can... spend maybe $15 and get enough

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for maybe two or three sandwiches. And so steak

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is hard to come by. Some of the good stuff is

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hard to come by. So we just enjoyed their company

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last night, took them out to something to where

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their bellies felt good and had some homemade

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apple pie that we can't get that in Ethiopia

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either. And so we just had an all around American

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experience. But I'm telling you, the word of

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the Lord is not American. It is a God thing.

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Amen. And we so appreciate missionaries. We appreciate

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those that are serving on the field and doing

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the work that they're doing. And we're grateful

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to support them from this house. Would you just

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welcome, give a Life Bible welcome to Dr. Gary

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Munson and Felicia as they come and greet the

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congregation. Come on, why don't you stand? Welcome

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them this morning. Thank you so much. Awesome.

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Bless your heart. Thank you. We've got some more

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time, so let's go until about 1 o 'clock. Great.

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Good morning, church. It's so wonderful to be

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here. Great worship. Just a great time in the

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presence of the Lord. So rich. Gary and I have

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lived in Awasa seven years. We left in 1980.

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2008. 2008. Sorry. I'm on Africa time. I don't

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know. And it's been amazing. All the things that

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you imagined happened, happened. Monkeys came

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into our house and stole my bananas. All the

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things that you hear about actually happened

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to me. And it's been an amazing adventure. We

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were in our 50s when we went. And it's an odd

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time for the Lord to call somebody as missionaries.

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It's usually young people that take their children.

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But no, he didn't do it that way. He took...

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And it's been amazing. We have four children

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and seven grandchildren. So we have been blessed

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by God. Our church brings us home every year

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for a few months, a couple months, and we can

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be with our family. We are so grateful. The work

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in Ethiopia is fantastic. Come and see. What

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the Lord has done, it's just been amazing. We

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started building our administrative building,

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our academic building in 2007. It was finished

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in 2008. Then we built at the beginning of the

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worldwide economic crisis, worldwide economic

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crisis. Then we built our home. It was a miracle.

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We don't have money. And so the Lord put it on

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the heart of several people to invest in the

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ministry. And so we built this huge house. It

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has six bedrooms and four bathrooms. Please come

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and visit. We can accommodate. Probably 10 people

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at a time. So if you ever want to come, come

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and check it out. We have a vehicle. We take

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everybody around. So that was in 2009. In 2010,

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we built the dorms. Again, the worldwide economic

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crisis is happening everywhere else. People are

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losing their homes left and right. But not us

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in Africa. The Lord is blessing because it was

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a God thing. And then we built our chapel. And

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now we're building another building in a city

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not too far away, a couple hours away, where

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we have another location of the Bible College.

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So even if things are tight other places, you

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know if it's a God thing. And if God has ordained

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it, he will give you money hand over fist. And

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we are so grateful for what he's done. We continue

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on. We'll be here for a short season, and then

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we go back. It's wonderful to be there. We can

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take you to see a lot of monkeys and crocodiles

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and hyenas. Come and visit. God bless. Amen.

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Well, I want to give you just a quick testimony

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before we start just because my wife reminded

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me. And that is this. You know, when we went

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to Africa, we were going to build... our first

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building. And I remember I was in Addis Ababa

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at a conference and actually Pastor Dennis Balcom

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was with me and we were speaking to this. They

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gather 2 ,000 or so pastors from around the country

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every couple of years and we're speaking at this

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conference. And they had come from the church

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fellowship in the south. And they said, you know,

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we'd like you to build a college on our ground.

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We'll give you the land, but we'd like you to

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build this college, and that'll be your part.

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You know, so we partnered together. They requested

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the land, which you have to get from the government.

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You can't just buy. So anyway, they got the land

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based upon this project proposal that included

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our Bible college. And so they came with this

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agreement, and Pastor Dennis and I were there.

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I said, okay, Dennis, we'll just sign. He said,

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okay. He just signed. He didn't know. What's

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going on? Sure, I'll sign with you, too. So we

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signed this agreement. And the agreement says

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we're going to build this college. Well, that's,

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you know, several hundred thousand dollars just

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for the first building. And at the moment, I

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had probably 20 bucks in my pocket, you know.

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So anyway, I wasn't really sure exactly how all

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that was going to work out. But I did believe

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that God wanted us to do that. And so we went

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back to America. We began to talk to different

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ones about the vision that God had given us.

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And one of the brothers in our church came and

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said, you know, I want to help you. And this

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brother, about 15 years before this, God had

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spoken to him about his uncle, who was a very

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wealthy man but not a Christian at the time.

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And God had spoken to him about his uncle that

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his uncle was going to get saved. And he had

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no heirs. He had no family, no wife, no children.

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that when he passed away, he was going to take

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his money and put into a foundation and use for

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international missions. And so he began to talk

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to his uncle about God, you know. And over a

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process of 15 years, his uncle was not getting

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it. You know, he wasn't interested. Don't talk

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to me. I don't care about Jesus. Don't tell me

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another time I need to get saved, you know. But

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every year he'd go and he'd talk to him again.

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You know, you really need Jesus. And let me share

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with you about the love of God. And he'd say,

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no, no, get out of here. I don't want to talk

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to you. Anyway, over like 15 years, this is going

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on. Just about two or three years before we went

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to. to Ethiopia, he finally, his uncle became

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really sick. And he was told by the doctors that

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he's probably going to die pretty soon. And so

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this kind of opened the door for him to talk

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more seriously about God, because he had kind

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of given up for the last few years. But he said,

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you know, I got to talk to him. So he went to

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his house, he sat down again with him, and he

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began to share with him about the Lord. And this

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time he's open. And he said, you know what, I

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really need Jesus in my life. And he gave his

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heart to the Lord. So over the next year or so,

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before his uncle passed away, his uncle set up

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a foundation to support Christian missionary

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work around the world. And when the time came

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that we needed money to build the first building

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we were going to build, it was already there.

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He just wrote the check. He said, you can go

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build the building that God called you to build.

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Now, the great thing to me about that is that

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when I didn't even know we were going to build

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a building, God was already preparing for a building

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we didn't even know we were going to build. Amen.

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So he wasn't caught by surprise when that day

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came and they said, here, sign on the dotted

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line. We need you to build a college. God already

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had been preparing. Over 15 years before, he

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already had it. He was already ready. Amen. So

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be encouraged. You know, God has already prepared

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for you everything that you need. Amen. I want

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to read you a scripture and then we're going

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to pray. I preached this first service from a

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different scripture, so I'm going to... Be a

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little creative here, I feel the Lord wants us

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to use this scripture. It's from Hebrews chapter

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6. If you have your Bible, you can join with

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me in reading this scripture. Hebrews chapter

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6, I'm going to read in verse 17. Hebrews 6,

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17. And I'm going to read to the middle of verse

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20. It says in verse 17, even more to show to

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the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness

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of his purpose, interposed with an oath, so that

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by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible

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for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would

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have strong encouragement to take hold of the

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hope set before us. This hope we have is an anchor

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of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast,

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and one which enters within the veil where Jesus

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has entered as a forerunner for us. Let's pray.

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Father God, today we need to hear you, oh God.

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We need your voice. We need to hear your voice

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in our ear, and we know that when we hear your

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voice, Faith comes. And so, Father God, today

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I ask for an impartation of faith, an impartation

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of the encouragement of heart that we need today

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to meet the challenges that we face now. Lord

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Jesus, we need you to come to speak to our hearts,

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to encourage our spirit, and to lift us up into

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another realm of faith in you. So this morning,

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we open our hearts to you to receive your word.

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In Jesus' name, amen. God's purpose does not

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change. He has not changed his mind about you.

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Circumstances come, things take place, things

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come and go, difficulties come, challenges may

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come our way, but God does not change his mind

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about us. Amen? His mind is set. His purpose

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is clear. He has something for us to do, someone

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he wants us to be. He's got a plan for our life,

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and he is ready to accomplish that, and he's

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not changing his mind. Even when we may make

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our share of mistakes, even though we may...

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Take a wrong turn in the process. God's mind

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doesn't change. Now, we need to sometimes get

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back on track. You know, sometimes we may take

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a little detour from what God has for us. But

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God said, listen, even though you may take that

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detour, my mind hasn't changed about you. So

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you need to get back onto the track where you're,

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you know, onto the roadway that God has for you.

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And then everything's going to start working

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out again. Amen. His purpose doesn't change.

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He's not worried about the obstacles we face.

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He's not worried about the challenges and the

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attacks of the enemy that come against our life.

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And we do. I think if you look at the world today,

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the challenges that we see in the world are difficult.

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They're even frightening, or they could be. Amen?

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To look around, you see, you know, wars and rumors

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of wars. And, you know, we see disease, Ebola

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virus, you know, spreading. We see, you know,

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the terrorists active here, there, and everywhere.

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And things are happening around the world. And

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it could really grip our heart and cause us to

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be afraid. But God's purpose has not changed

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about your life. He's not concerned about those

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things. Affecting God's will concerning us. Amen.

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His purpose is settled in heaven. And his desire

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for us does not change. So this morning I want

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to encourage you by preaching to you a little

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bit about hope and its place in the life of the

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believer. He says here that in verse 18 that

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his purpose is unchangeable. And it's confirmed

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by two things that are impossible to change.

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Amen. And we can take refuge and to have strong

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encouragement to take hold of the hope that is

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set before us. to take hold of it. You know,

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there's a point in our life where we have to

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take hold of hope. I don't know about you, but

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I've traveled around the world a few places,

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and I've had the opportunity to be involved in

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some different things, and I've learned something,

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and that is that there's times when you've got

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to take hold of God. I mean, there are times

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when things do not look that... That positive.

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I've been in some places where I wondered, how

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in the world did I get here? And more than that,

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how in the world am I getting out of here? And

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there's times when you say, I really need God

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to do something here because it's really beyond

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my human ability to do something. I want to tell

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you a little story about a friend of mine. His

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name is Muhammad. outreach to Muslim people,

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or we train leaders to do that, church planters

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to plant churches among Muslims. We train more

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than 700, and they've led more than 200 ,000

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Muslims to Christ so far around the nation of

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Ethiopia. And one of those students, one of the

00:15:40.580 --> 00:15:43.379
students that I got to know that came to study

00:15:43.379 --> 00:15:46.360
at the college, his father is Muhammad. And so

00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:49.519
I was talking to Muhammad one day, and he's from

00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:54.759
a Very Muslim area of Ethiopia. Long tradition

00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:58.120
of Islam there. And he was a teacher in the mosque

00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:01.639
himself. But, you know, God began to work in

00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:03.879
his heart, and he began to have questions. Well,

00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:06.580
what about this, and what about that? And he

00:16:06.580 --> 00:16:08.440
looked at some of the things that even the Koran

00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:11.419
says about Jesus, and he said, well, what about

00:16:11.419 --> 00:16:14.740
that? And it didn't seem to fit exactly with

00:16:14.740 --> 00:16:18.879
what he was being taught by the leaders at that

00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:20.860
time and people that he could ask questions.

00:16:20.899 --> 00:16:24.340
He'd go to the imam or whoever he had access

00:16:24.340 --> 00:16:26.460
to, and he'd ask them questions, and the questions

00:16:26.460 --> 00:16:30.080
just really weren't. They weren't very satisfying

00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:32.779
to him. So he had these questions in his mind.

00:16:32.860 --> 00:16:35.159
And one day, the young woman came to his town.

00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:38.100
The town is Jemma in the western part of Ethiopia.

00:16:38.100 --> 00:16:40.740
It's got a long tradition of Islam. And this

00:16:40.740 --> 00:16:43.740
young woman came, and she began to preach in

00:16:43.740 --> 00:16:46.080
the street. And she's preaching about Jesus.

00:16:47.139 --> 00:16:49.620
Now, you know, this is a pretty scary thing.

00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:52.399
I mean, preaching about Jesus in the streets

00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:56.059
of Jemma is a fairly scary operation, I'm going

00:16:56.059 --> 00:16:58.960
to tell you. But she did. She began to preach

00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:01.279
about the Lord out right in the main part of

00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:05.319
the town. She's preaching about Jesus. And Muhammad

00:17:05.319 --> 00:17:07.680
is standing there. He's actually getting his

00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:09.799
shoes shined by some little guy there on the

00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:13.309
street. And he's hearing her. preach about Jesus.

00:17:13.450 --> 00:17:16.390
And he's getting angry by the minute. Every minute

00:17:16.390 --> 00:17:19.609
he's getting more angry. What is this woman doing

00:17:19.609 --> 00:17:22.049
in our town? We're Muslims here. Why is she preaching

00:17:22.049 --> 00:17:24.430
Jesus here? Who does she think she is that she

00:17:24.430 --> 00:17:26.750
should be preaching like that? He's getting angry.

00:17:26.970 --> 00:17:30.109
So he sees a young man, a boy, walking by and

00:17:30.109 --> 00:17:32.009
he says, come over here. And he says, okay. And

00:17:32.009 --> 00:17:34.029
the young boy comes over and he gives him a little

00:17:34.029 --> 00:17:37.029
money. He says, go and buy this kind of pepper.

00:17:38.089 --> 00:17:41.619
It's a kind of a hot pepper, a powder. And he

00:17:41.619 --> 00:17:43.380
said, go get that and bring it over here. And

00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:45.740
so the boy had got some at the market, came back.

00:17:45.940 --> 00:17:49.180
And he said, now take this and go. And it was

00:17:49.180 --> 00:17:51.220
like in a little piece of paper. He said, go

00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:53.880
and blow it like that in the face of this girl

00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:56.619
so she'll stop preaching. So this young boy does.

00:17:56.700 --> 00:18:00.539
He goes over, blows this pepper in her eyes.

00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:06.720
And so she can't see her eyes become all swollen

00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:09.559
up. She can't see. She can't talk. So she has

00:18:09.559 --> 00:18:12.720
to quit, and she goes. Well, later, to make a

00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:18.700
longer story shorter, I hope, he's at his house.

00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:21.619
And they had figured out who this boy was that

00:18:21.619 --> 00:18:24.380
had done that. And the boy had told him Muhammad

00:18:24.380 --> 00:18:26.859
had given the money for him to do that. So the

00:18:26.859 --> 00:18:29.920
police come to his house. And they figure out

00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:32.279
Muhammad is the one that was behind this. And

00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:34.180
here's this young girl that had been really injured.

00:18:34.279 --> 00:18:37.210
She had to go to the doctor and so forth. So

00:18:37.210 --> 00:18:39.829
they came to his house and they threatened him.

00:18:39.930 --> 00:18:41.970
They said, listen, we should really put you in

00:18:41.970 --> 00:18:44.089
prison. Let's go see this woman. She's a young

00:18:44.089 --> 00:18:45.990
girl. She's in the hospital. So they went to

00:18:45.990 --> 00:18:48.950
see her. And they said, basically, do you want

00:18:48.950 --> 00:18:50.750
us to put this guy in prison for what he did

00:18:50.750 --> 00:18:54.089
to you? And she said, no, I don't. I don't want

00:18:54.089 --> 00:18:57.069
you to put him in prison. And they said, why?

00:18:57.309 --> 00:18:59.170
He said, well, I just don't want you to put him

00:18:59.170 --> 00:19:01.750
in prison. She didn't preach to him. She didn't

00:19:01.750 --> 00:19:03.869
pray for him. She didn't talk to him about Jesus.

00:19:04.289 --> 00:19:07.049
She just didn't have him put in prison. That

00:19:07.049 --> 00:19:09.349
was it. Now, he had heard her preaching in the

00:19:09.349 --> 00:19:11.589
street, but that's all he heard, the same as

00:19:11.589 --> 00:19:15.710
what everybody else heard. So she leaves. And

00:19:15.710 --> 00:19:19.150
the questions in his heart are increasing. Now,

00:19:19.190 --> 00:19:21.410
he had questions before, but now he's really

00:19:21.410 --> 00:19:23.390
getting some questions in his heart. Like, why

00:19:23.390 --> 00:19:26.289
in the world would this young girl, I did this

00:19:26.289 --> 00:19:28.950
terrible thing that really hurt her. And she

00:19:28.950 --> 00:19:31.430
was willing to forgive me and let it go and didn't

00:19:31.430 --> 00:19:34.390
have me put in prison. What is that? What kind

00:19:34.390 --> 00:19:37.589
of person is that? And it really was affecting

00:19:37.589 --> 00:19:40.950
him. And anyway, through a long process over

00:19:40.950 --> 00:19:44.069
the next year or so of seeking answers and starting

00:19:44.069 --> 00:19:47.289
to read the Bible and seeking to understand about

00:19:47.289 --> 00:19:50.210
Jesus, he just gave his own heart to the Lord

00:19:50.210 --> 00:19:52.390
just by himself. Nobody was with him. Nobody

00:19:52.390 --> 00:19:55.049
prayed with him, you know, follow me in the prayer.

00:19:55.089 --> 00:19:58.940
He just prayed, received Christ himself. So he

00:19:58.940 --> 00:20:02.039
goes to the church in his area, knocks on the

00:20:02.039 --> 00:20:04.700
door, and here he is. He looks like a Muslim.

00:20:04.900 --> 00:20:06.960
Things are different in America. Everybody kind

00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:09.059
of looks the same, I suppose. I don't know. But

00:20:09.059 --> 00:20:11.180
in Ethiopia, if you're Muslim, you look Muslim.

00:20:11.339 --> 00:20:14.039
You have Muslim clothes. You have a Muslim hat.

00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:16.359
You have a beard. Christians don't have beards.

00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:20.940
Sorry. But you look Muslim, and everybody knows

00:20:20.940 --> 00:20:23.700
that's who you are because that's the way you

00:20:23.700 --> 00:20:26.730
dress and everything. So he goes and he knocks

00:20:26.730 --> 00:20:28.789
on the door of the church. He says, I want to

00:20:28.789 --> 00:20:32.529
be a Christian. They didn't believe him. They

00:20:32.529 --> 00:20:34.509
said, no, you don't want to be a Christian. No

00:20:34.509 --> 00:20:36.650
Muslim comes around here wanting to be a Christian.

00:20:36.849 --> 00:20:40.049
You're just a spy. You must have come here because

00:20:40.049 --> 00:20:42.609
later you're going to bring back a bunch of your

00:20:42.609 --> 00:20:44.509
friends and they're going to burn down our church.

00:20:44.589 --> 00:20:46.970
That's what you're going to do. So you just go.

00:20:47.049 --> 00:20:49.690
We don't want to talk to you. So the next day

00:20:49.690 --> 00:20:51.710
he comes back, knocks on the door again. I really

00:20:51.710 --> 00:20:54.539
want to be a Christian. They said, no, no, three

00:20:54.539 --> 00:20:59.400
days. No, forget it. We're not taking you. Get

00:20:59.400 --> 00:21:02.799
out of here. This is done. Finally, on about

00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:06.599
the fourth day. They said, okay, we believe you're

00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:10.079
serious. Let's talk, you know. Well, he wanted

00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:12.759
to know and be taught about Jesus. So he told

00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:15.480
them what had happened with him. But he really

00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:18.099
wanted to be taught in his own language. Now,

00:21:18.099 --> 00:21:20.559
in Ethiopia, there's 85 different languages spoken

00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:24.940
in the nation. And the national language is Amharic.

00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:27.660
which most people speak, and he actually did

00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:29.819
speak that, but he wanted to be taught in his

00:21:29.819 --> 00:21:33.680
own language, which is Oromifa. And so he said

00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:35.220
to the people in the church, please, is there

00:21:35.220 --> 00:21:37.180
someone that can teach me in my own language?

00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:40.420
I would really appreciate that. And they went

00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:44.900
back and forth. Anyway, long process, they finally

00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:47.039
found somebody to teach him in his own language,

00:21:47.099 --> 00:21:51.220
and he began to be taught and discipled day by

00:21:51.220 --> 00:21:54.940
day by this person. Well, after a while, they're

00:21:54.940 --> 00:21:57.259
teaching him, and they're kind of giving him

00:21:57.259 --> 00:22:00.019
basic teaching in Christ, you know, how to be

00:22:00.019 --> 00:22:01.700
a Christian, how to live your Christian life.

00:22:01.980 --> 00:22:04.980
Well, they don't know, but at his house, he's

00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:09.000
been bringing other Muslims to his house, and

00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:12.200
he told them about Jesus, and they now want...

00:22:12.789 --> 00:22:15.069
They've received Christ in their life. And so

00:22:15.069 --> 00:22:17.109
whatever they teach him at the church, he goes

00:22:17.109 --> 00:22:20.049
to his house, and he gathers them to his house,

00:22:20.109 --> 00:22:22.670
and he teaches them what he learned at the church.

00:22:23.049 --> 00:22:25.390
So every day they teach him, and then he teaches

00:22:25.390 --> 00:22:27.329
the people gathering at his house. And the people

00:22:27.329 --> 00:22:29.190
gathering at his house, the number's growing.

00:22:29.829 --> 00:22:32.170
So it started out being five or six. It grew

00:22:32.170 --> 00:22:35.779
up to about 70 people. So by the time they finished,

00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:37.759
it took them about a year before they were willing

00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:40.099
to, you know, figure he'd learned enough they

00:22:40.099 --> 00:22:41.819
could baptize him, you know, because they were

00:22:41.819 --> 00:22:44.480
still not too sure about this guy. So after about

00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:46.519
a year, they decided, okay, you know enough,

00:22:46.579 --> 00:22:48.640
we're willing to baptize you. He said, well,

00:22:48.680 --> 00:22:50.799
you know, I got like these 70 people at my house

00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:52.420
that I've been teaching. Everything you teach

00:22:52.420 --> 00:22:54.759
me, I teach them. So they should be baptized

00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:57.119
too. And they said, no way are we going to baptize

00:22:57.119 --> 00:23:00.039
70 Muslims in this town. That is not going to

00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:02.119
happen. You know, they will come and tear our

00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:04.640
church down brick by brick. brick you know that's

00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:06.920
not going to take place and it's a legitimate

00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:10.039
fear I don't want you to think that it's not

00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:13.400
it is legitimate fear anyway they said no no

00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:16.380
we're not going to do that but we will baptize

00:23:16.380 --> 00:23:20.369
you Now, he had to persevere a little bit, you

00:23:20.369 --> 00:23:22.190
know. I mean, a lot of people would have just

00:23:22.190 --> 00:23:24.750
gotten offended and said, forget it, man. You

00:23:24.750 --> 00:23:26.509
know, if you're not going to baptize these other

00:23:26.509 --> 00:23:28.809
folks, I ain't coming. You know, I'm done with

00:23:28.809 --> 00:23:31.450
you. Goodbye. I had to knock on your door too

00:23:31.450 --> 00:23:34.829
many times, you know. Finally, you teach me something.

00:23:34.869 --> 00:23:37.210
Now I got 70 people that want to receive Christ,

00:23:37.289 --> 00:23:39.170
and you say, no way. We're not going to have

00:23:39.170 --> 00:23:43.150
them. But he didn't do that. He said, okay. He

00:23:43.150 --> 00:23:46.509
went. They baptized him. Then he went back, he

00:23:46.509 --> 00:23:49.849
taught his 70 people about baptism, took them

00:23:49.849 --> 00:23:52.890
to another place, to the river, privately, secretly

00:23:52.890 --> 00:23:57.569
baptized all 70 of them. Started his own ministry.

00:23:58.430 --> 00:24:01.849
Today, there are thousands of Muslims that have

00:24:01.849 --> 00:24:06.069
come to Christ through his life. Thousands. Now,

00:24:06.069 --> 00:24:14.720
he had to persevere through some stuff. You know,

00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:18.400
it wasn't easy. He could have easily been offended.

00:24:18.700 --> 00:24:20.960
He could have easily gotten angry. He could have

00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:23.140
easily just said, well, you know, y 'all just

00:24:23.140 --> 00:24:25.579
not very loving, you know, and I thought Jesus

00:24:25.579 --> 00:24:27.680
was supposed to be loving. Clearly you're not,

00:24:27.819 --> 00:24:30.500
so I think I'm just out of here. I mean, he could

00:24:30.500 --> 00:24:33.259
have taken a lot of different attitudes, but

00:24:33.259 --> 00:24:36.079
he didn't. He said, you know what? Jesus is more

00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:39.680
important than all of that stuff. Amen. See,

00:24:39.740 --> 00:24:43.529
God's... purpose doesn't change. You may face

00:24:43.529 --> 00:24:47.349
some obstacles. Amen? You may run into some problems.

00:24:47.470 --> 00:24:50.730
You may have some things that would knock you

00:24:50.730 --> 00:24:53.529
off course. Something that would offend you.

00:24:53.589 --> 00:24:55.309
Something that would hurt you. Something that

00:24:55.309 --> 00:24:58.450
would make you feel bad. Amen? But you know what?

00:24:58.490 --> 00:25:02.410
God's purpose doesn't change. Our part is to

00:25:02.410 --> 00:25:06.660
keep going. Amen. Don't stop. He said, I have

00:25:06.660 --> 00:25:10.819
some hope for you. Amen. There's a hope that

00:25:10.819 --> 00:25:13.440
is sure. You don't have to be afraid. You don't

00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:16.119
have to wonder. My hope and my purpose is not

00:25:16.119 --> 00:25:19.039
changing for you. And so there's a hope for you.

00:25:19.099 --> 00:25:22.410
It says. who have taken refuge and have great

00:25:22.410 --> 00:25:25.690
encouragement for the hope that is set before

00:25:25.690 --> 00:25:29.230
us. See, there's a hope that God places in front

00:25:29.230 --> 00:25:31.589
of you. And I want to tell you today that that

00:25:31.589 --> 00:25:35.390
hope is not just heaven. Years ago, of course,

00:25:35.390 --> 00:25:37.829
I was at Charlotte. Pastor Violet Kiley was my

00:25:37.829 --> 00:25:40.190
pastor the early years. She used to say it like

00:25:40.190 --> 00:25:43.349
this. She said, hope, I mean, heaven is not your

00:25:43.349 --> 00:25:48.539
reward. It's your destiny. you're going to go

00:25:48.539 --> 00:25:52.000
to heaven. Don't be in such a hurry. You'll get

00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:54.700
there. There's a lot of stuff that's going to

00:25:54.700 --> 00:25:57.460
happen between here and there. There's a whole

00:25:57.460 --> 00:25:59.480
lot of things God has for you to do that you

00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:01.900
need to do between here and heaven. So don't

00:26:01.900 --> 00:26:05.400
be in such a hurry about heaven. So your hope

00:26:05.400 --> 00:26:07.859
is more than heaven. Your hope is that God's

00:26:07.859 --> 00:26:10.819
going to do something in your life that is greater

00:26:10.819 --> 00:26:13.380
than anything you've experienced up until this

00:26:13.380 --> 00:26:15.700
moment. Amen. God is going to come into your

00:26:15.700 --> 00:26:18.420
life and your heart in such a way that transformation

00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:21.740
is going to come. Amen. He says, be transformed,

00:26:22.099 --> 00:26:24.440
he says, by the renewing of your mind. He's not

00:26:24.440 --> 00:26:26.839
just trying to get you ready for heaven. He's

00:26:26.839 --> 00:26:29.569
trying to get heaven in you. Amen. He's trying

00:26:29.569 --> 00:26:34.109
to transform your life, amen, into the likeness

00:26:34.109 --> 00:26:37.509
of Christ. Into the character of Christ. So that

00:26:37.509 --> 00:26:41.109
you also can be a child of God. He has made you

00:26:41.109 --> 00:26:44.710
his son or his daughter. And he is forming and

00:26:44.710 --> 00:26:48.009
shaping your life such that you can become his

00:26:48.009 --> 00:26:51.029
child fully and completely without reservation.

00:26:51.970 --> 00:26:55.049
See, there's a hope that he has. And we have

00:26:55.049 --> 00:26:57.470
a hope in Christ. And God's not changing his

00:26:57.470 --> 00:27:01.759
mind. He's not changing his mind. He wants this

00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:04.440
to happen in our life. And so, listen, I'm putting

00:27:04.440 --> 00:27:08.019
this hope in your heart. Paul calls it in Philippians

00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:12.259
chapter 3, he says, the upward call of God in

00:27:12.259 --> 00:27:15.319
Christ Jesus. See, he puts something in your

00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:18.059
heart. You went down to an altar somewhere along

00:27:18.059 --> 00:27:20.259
the line, you knelt and you prayed, or the pastor

00:27:20.259 --> 00:27:23.700
said, just repeat these words after me. I mean,

00:27:23.720 --> 00:27:26.519
think about it. You know, when you think about

00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:29.619
how I got saved, let me see. I heard a message.

00:27:29.660 --> 00:27:31.799
Somebody said, come on down, receive Christ.

00:27:31.980 --> 00:27:34.480
Okay, I come down. Repeat these words after me.

00:27:34.519 --> 00:27:37.140
Okay, dear Jesus, forgive me. I'm sorry. You

00:27:37.140 --> 00:27:41.960
know, come into my heart. Amen. And your life

00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:45.019
was changed. I mean, that's the amazing thing,

00:27:45.180 --> 00:27:47.700
you know. You think about the pathetic nature

00:27:47.700 --> 00:27:50.279
of that prayer, you know. That little prayer

00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:53.859
that we prayed like it mattered, like it was

00:27:53.859 --> 00:27:56.140
something. And it's just, oh, Jesus, you know,

00:27:56.160 --> 00:27:58.180
I'm sorry I sinned. Please forgive me. We don't

00:27:58.180 --> 00:27:59.859
know nothing. We don't know anything about Jesus.

00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:01.559
We don't know anything about faith. We don't

00:28:01.559 --> 00:28:03.480
know anything about anything. Hardly. All we

00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:06.740
know is we want Jesus. And we make that little

00:28:06.740 --> 00:28:10.740
prayer, and our life is changed. Praise God.

00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:15.500
I mean, my goodness. God has his hand upon us,

00:28:15.539 --> 00:28:19.359
amen? And when you got saved, he put something

00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:21.559
in your heart. Paul calls it the upward call

00:28:21.559 --> 00:28:24.980
of God. I would say it like this. The seed of

00:28:24.980 --> 00:28:28.500
his kingdom was placed in your heart. And that

00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:31.220
seed of his kingdom is drawing you into the presence

00:28:31.220 --> 00:28:34.920
of God. Amen. That seed is the presence of God

00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:37.880
himself, his kingdom in your heart. And that

00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:42.079
is drawing you back to the Father. Amen. It's

00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:45.059
conforming every aspect of your life into the

00:28:45.059 --> 00:28:48.099
image of Christ. And so Paul says, listen, I

00:28:48.099 --> 00:28:52.960
have this upward call of God that I'm responding

00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:56.259
to. Amen. And we also have that same upward call

00:28:56.259 --> 00:28:58.559
of God. But he says, listen, I have this hope.

00:28:58.759 --> 00:29:02.519
There's a hope that I have. He goes on in the

00:29:02.519 --> 00:29:08.039
next verse. Let me put my glasses on. He says

00:29:08.039 --> 00:29:11.579
in the next verse that this hope we have as an

00:29:11.579 --> 00:29:15.920
anchor of the soul, the hope that is both sure

00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:22.960
and steadfast, and one which enters inside the

00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:29.460
veil. See, there's a hope that enters in. To

00:29:29.460 --> 00:29:34.579
what God has for us. Amen. See, hope is not passive.

00:29:35.619 --> 00:29:38.660
You know what I'm saying? Passive is. Okay, I

00:29:38.660 --> 00:29:41.079
hear something. You know, presbytery is coming.

00:29:41.140 --> 00:29:43.559
I know we do this sometimes. You know, I've been

00:29:43.559 --> 00:29:45.880
around presbytery for a long time. I've probably

00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:48.359
heard more prophecies. And I don't know, probably

00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:50.839
Pastor Brad's heard a lot too. But anyway, you

00:29:50.839 --> 00:29:52.599
know, I've heard a lot of prophecies. I've given

00:29:52.599 --> 00:29:54.059
a lot of prophecies, but I've certainly heard

00:29:54.059 --> 00:29:56.200
a lot of prophecies. And people will sit there,

00:29:56.259 --> 00:29:58.099
oh, yeah, yeah, amen, praise God, I got this

00:29:58.099 --> 00:30:02.480
word, amen. But they don't go anywhere. They're

00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:05.269
just sitting there. You know, they're not moving.

00:30:05.430 --> 00:30:08.430
They're not taking hold of that word and doing

00:30:08.430 --> 00:30:10.170
something with it. Oh, yeah, I got a word. Praise

00:30:10.170 --> 00:30:12.329
God. You know, they got their tape recording.

00:30:12.490 --> 00:30:14.470
We used to give everybody a tape recording. We

00:30:14.470 --> 00:30:17.029
used to transcribe it, you know, and we'd type

00:30:17.029 --> 00:30:19.630
it up. Okay, I got my word. You know, amen. And

00:30:19.630 --> 00:30:21.309
we'd put it in their pocket. You know, you'd

00:30:21.309 --> 00:30:23.029
talk to them later and say, yeah, I got my word

00:30:23.029 --> 00:30:24.609
right here in my pocket. Well, what are you doing?

00:30:24.630 --> 00:30:27.329
I'm just sitting here waiting for God. God's

00:30:27.329 --> 00:30:31.420
going to do something. I'm waiting. But we're

00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:33.680
not moving. We're not going in. We're not entering

00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:37.960
in to that hope. We're just waiting. Like God's

00:30:37.960 --> 00:30:39.680
going to do it all for us. No, God's not going

00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:42.079
to do it all for you. You're going to have to

00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:45.599
enter in to the word. When he puts that word

00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:49.440
in your heart, it's like a hope. It's a vision.

00:30:49.579 --> 00:30:52.700
It's a promise. Amen? And you have to lay hold

00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:55.740
of that and enter in. You see, the hope of God

00:30:55.740 --> 00:31:00.799
is a hope that enters in. To the holiest place.

00:31:01.319 --> 00:31:05.799
And everything you need. Is there. Everything

00:31:05.799 --> 00:31:10.200
you need in God. Is in that holy place. Everything.

00:31:10.440 --> 00:31:13.160
There's nothing you need that's not there. In

00:31:13.160 --> 00:31:16.019
the presence of God. Is everything we need. It's

00:31:16.019 --> 00:31:19.180
all there waiting for us. But we have to enter.

00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:24.019
You know there's a point where. In the history

00:31:24.019 --> 00:31:27.009
of the nation of Israel. They were going to enter

00:31:27.009 --> 00:31:29.089
into the promised land. It's in the book of Joshua,

00:31:29.210 --> 00:31:31.769
chapters 1, 2, 3, like that. They're going to

00:31:31.769 --> 00:31:33.970
enter into the promised land. And he said, listen,

00:31:34.089 --> 00:31:35.609
I'm going to send the Ark of the Covenant in

00:31:35.609 --> 00:31:39.529
front of you. God's presence. Amen? And this

00:31:39.529 --> 00:31:42.829
Ark of the Covenant, he said, when those priests'

00:31:43.069 --> 00:31:46.730
feet touch the water, the water is going to divide.

00:31:48.289 --> 00:31:51.630
Now, when those priests were here and the water

00:31:51.630 --> 00:31:58.069
was there, the water hadn't divided yet. See,

00:31:58.190 --> 00:32:00.430
we're standing here, you know, the Jordan River

00:32:00.430 --> 00:32:03.849
is there. And, you know, we got this promise,

00:32:04.049 --> 00:32:07.109
amen. It's going to divide, amen, hallelujah.

00:32:07.269 --> 00:32:10.009
But we want to divide before we put our foot

00:32:10.009 --> 00:32:12.690
in the water, you know. Like, yeah, I'll put

00:32:12.690 --> 00:32:17.650
my foot in, you know. He said, no, no, put your

00:32:17.650 --> 00:32:20.450
foot in and we'll divide, you know. But if you

00:32:20.450 --> 00:32:23.349
don't sign on the dotted line and say, yes, amen,

00:32:23.490 --> 00:32:26.680
we're going to do it. The water's still there.

00:32:27.339 --> 00:32:30.920
See, there's a place we've got to enter in. Amen?

00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:33.779
And it doesn't always look good before you take

00:32:33.779 --> 00:32:37.700
that step of faith. But when you take that step

00:32:37.700 --> 00:32:41.940
of faith, you find out God is there. Amen? Because

00:32:41.940 --> 00:32:44.980
he's got a promise. It's not just any promise.

00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:47.519
You know, I'm not saying take your Bible and

00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:51.160
thumb through and, you know. No, that's not how

00:32:51.160 --> 00:32:53.380
we pick. That's not how we get a promise from

00:32:53.380 --> 00:32:59.359
God, you know. Well, let's see, you know, promise

00:32:59.359 --> 00:33:02.079
of God. No, that's not how it works. You don't

00:33:02.079 --> 00:33:05.140
get a promise that way. But when God speaks to

00:33:05.140 --> 00:33:08.480
you, that might be in your prayer time. It might

00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:10.400
be through presbytery. It might be in a lot of

00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:12.640
ways God can speak to you. But when God speaks

00:33:12.640 --> 00:33:16.319
to you, that's your promise. But you're not going

00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:19.700
to see that happen until you step into it. Amen?

00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:22.799
The promise is ready. The water will divide.

00:33:23.079 --> 00:33:26.099
You just put your feet here. But as long as you're

00:33:26.099 --> 00:33:29.099
standing on the bank, the waters are not dividing.

00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:36.480
You can watch those waters all day long. Nothing's

00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:38.759
happening while you're still standing on the

00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:43.440
bank. Not until you get in that you find out,

00:33:43.500 --> 00:33:47.119
oh, the promise of God is true. The word of the

00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:50.400
Lord is true. So he says to us, listen, you have

00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:53.900
this promise. And the promise, or I should say

00:33:53.900 --> 00:33:59.980
the hope of God, is steadfast. And it enters

00:33:59.980 --> 00:34:06.119
into the veil. You see, there's an entering in

00:34:06.119 --> 00:34:11.480
that God has called us to. And it's hope that

00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:15.739
causes us to enter in. You see, if I don't have

00:34:15.739 --> 00:34:20.130
hope, I'm not going to enter in. I'm just going

00:34:20.130 --> 00:34:24.110
to sit around discouraged or whatever. Hopeless.

00:34:24.969 --> 00:34:28.250
You know, hopeless does not move me forward.

00:34:28.510 --> 00:34:31.489
But when I have hope, I begin to take steps of

00:34:31.489 --> 00:34:35.150
faith. Amen? Toward that hope. You see, hope

00:34:35.150 --> 00:34:38.760
is positive. Hope is a message from God. Hope

00:34:38.760 --> 00:34:40.980
puts faith in my heart. And so when I really

00:34:40.980 --> 00:34:44.119
catch the vision, when I see it clear, when I

00:34:44.119 --> 00:34:46.739
understand it plainly, I begin to take steps

00:34:46.739 --> 00:34:49.039
of faith toward that hope that God placed in

00:34:49.039 --> 00:34:51.679
my heart, and I see it come to pass. Now it says

00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:54.420
here in the next verse, first half of verse 20,

00:34:54.559 --> 00:34:58.440
that Jesus is our forerunner. You see, in that

00:34:58.440 --> 00:35:01.920
place, that presence of God, that place behind

00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:06.639
the veil, Jesus already went. He's our forerunner.

00:35:06.780 --> 00:35:09.739
Now, you know, the nature of being a forerunner

00:35:09.739 --> 00:35:17.139
is that somebody's running after. You can't be

00:35:17.139 --> 00:35:21.380
a forerunner with nobody coming behind. Amen.

00:35:21.500 --> 00:35:24.780
Now, you can be a runner by yourself, but you

00:35:24.780 --> 00:35:27.219
can't be a forerunner without somebody coming

00:35:27.219 --> 00:35:31.800
after. Amen. See, Jesus has gone in front of

00:35:31.800 --> 00:35:37.300
us. Amen. He went ahead of us because he's the

00:35:37.300 --> 00:35:40.300
forerunner, and he's entering into this place

00:35:40.300 --> 00:35:43.500
ahead of us with the idea that we're going to

00:35:43.500 --> 00:35:45.840
come after. See, Jesus said it like this. He

00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:47.360
said, I'm going to go, and I'm going to prepare

00:35:47.360 --> 00:35:51.820
a place for you so that where I am, you can be

00:35:51.820 --> 00:35:56.219
also. Now, I know, yeah, okay, if you keep walking

00:35:56.219 --> 00:35:58.940
with Jesus, you'll get to heaven, and maybe that's

00:35:58.940 --> 00:36:01.920
part of that, but it's more than that. Amen.

00:36:02.059 --> 00:36:04.900
You see, he's saying, listen, I'm going to prepare

00:36:04.900 --> 00:36:08.699
a place for you because I want you to be where

00:36:08.699 --> 00:36:11.480
I am. Now, I'm going to tell you today that where

00:36:11.480 --> 00:36:20.400
Jesus is, he is not sick. Where Jesus is, he's

00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:24.719
not sick. He's not in bondage to Satan. He's

00:36:24.719 --> 00:36:27.199
not wringing his hands. I hope I can find enough

00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:31.670
money to pay the rent. Wherever he is, he's not

00:36:31.670 --> 00:36:35.090
like that. He said, listen, I'm going to go and

00:36:35.090 --> 00:36:37.050
I'm preparing a place for you. It's a place you

00:36:37.050 --> 00:36:39.710
can live. It's a place where you can walk in

00:36:39.710 --> 00:36:41.489
faith. It's a place where you can experience

00:36:41.489 --> 00:36:45.510
the grace of God in your life. Amen? It's a place

00:36:45.510 --> 00:36:49.289
where I am making ready for you. And I'm calling

00:36:49.289 --> 00:36:52.150
you to step into that place. And when you step

00:36:52.150 --> 00:36:55.070
into that place with me, you're going to find

00:36:55.070 --> 00:36:58.039
that all of that stuff is taken care of. Amen.

00:36:58.119 --> 00:37:00.539
That when you step into this place where Jesus,

00:37:00.579 --> 00:37:02.239
I'm going to tell you something. You know that

00:37:02.239 --> 00:37:05.519
when we receive Christ, you know, we celebrate

00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:08.800
the communion and we receive the blood of Christ.

00:37:08.940 --> 00:37:11.239
I want you to think about this for a moment.

00:37:11.360 --> 00:37:14.719
We receive communion. We're receiving the blood

00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:18.699
of Jesus. And the Bible says that the life is

00:37:18.699 --> 00:37:22.000
in the blood. And when I drink that blood of

00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:25.719
Jesus, something happens to me. Amen. The life

00:37:25.719 --> 00:37:29.539
of God comes in and the blood, my blood gets

00:37:29.539 --> 00:37:33.519
transformed into a new kind of blood. Amen. And

00:37:33.519 --> 00:37:36.000
the blood of Jesus starts to run here. Amen.

00:37:36.119 --> 00:37:39.559
And wherever there's sickness. It will go there

00:37:39.559 --> 00:37:42.280
and the life of God comes. Now that's what's

00:37:42.280 --> 00:37:44.980
supposed to happen. Amen. He said, listen, when

00:37:44.980 --> 00:37:47.099
you take communion, you're not getting it yet.

00:37:47.179 --> 00:37:49.360
This is Paul, you know, chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians.

00:37:49.480 --> 00:37:50.920
He said, listen, you're not quite getting it

00:37:50.920 --> 00:37:53.800
yet. And that's why some of you are sick. And

00:37:53.800 --> 00:37:55.840
some of you even die, he says, because you're

00:37:55.840 --> 00:37:58.519
not getting it yet. This communion thing is far

00:37:58.519 --> 00:38:01.079
more than what you're experiencing just yet.

00:38:01.420 --> 00:38:03.539
There's more to this thing than what you found

00:38:03.539 --> 00:38:06.860
so far. See, the life of God is in the blood.

00:38:08.110 --> 00:38:10.190
It flows from member to member. You know that

00:38:10.190 --> 00:38:12.590
there's a gift of God in your brother or your

00:38:12.590 --> 00:38:16.070
sister. Do you know that we have a hard time

00:38:16.070 --> 00:38:18.369
receiving sometimes? I don't know. Maybe that's

00:38:18.369 --> 00:38:20.250
not. I don't know about this church. Maybe not.

00:38:20.289 --> 00:38:22.050
But I've been around churches a long time. And

00:38:22.050 --> 00:38:23.789
I've found that Christians have a hard time sometimes

00:38:23.789 --> 00:38:28.150
receiving from one another. In Ethiopia, we have

00:38:28.150 --> 00:38:31.909
tribes, you know. And 85 languages means there's

00:38:31.909 --> 00:38:35.050
85 tribes. And if I'm from one tribe, I don't

00:38:35.050 --> 00:38:37.730
necessarily get along with another tribe. So

00:38:37.730 --> 00:38:40.809
we don't have that problem here. In America,

00:38:41.030 --> 00:38:43.050
you know, we're just Democrats and Republicans.

00:38:43.309 --> 00:38:46.389
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I shouldn't go there.

00:38:46.469 --> 00:38:49.730
Anyway, we don't have tribes exactly in America,

00:38:49.750 --> 00:38:52.550
more or less. But in Ethiopia, we have tribes.

00:38:52.570 --> 00:38:54.769
And we don't like to receive from people of the

00:38:54.769 --> 00:38:57.110
other tribes. So I tell them like this. What

00:38:57.110 --> 00:39:00.650
if God put your healing? In a member of another

00:39:00.650 --> 00:39:04.230
tribe. But you don't want to receive it. Because

00:39:04.230 --> 00:39:07.110
you don't like that person. Because they're not

00:39:07.110 --> 00:39:10.909
your tribe. So you don't want that. So what if.

00:39:11.050 --> 00:39:13.789
I guess we could put that into American. Whatever.

00:39:14.469 --> 00:39:17.630
That guy is whatever. We won't name names. So

00:39:17.630 --> 00:39:21.309
he's just somebody different than me. That I

00:39:21.309 --> 00:39:24.610
have a hard time receiving from. But what if

00:39:24.610 --> 00:39:30.360
God. Put your healing there. No, I don't want

00:39:30.360 --> 00:39:34.179
to. No, don't pray for me. I'm not going to receive

00:39:34.179 --> 00:39:37.239
from that one. No, no, no. Don't even think about

00:39:37.239 --> 00:39:40.960
that. No, no. I don't need prayer. No, my healing

00:39:40.960 --> 00:39:44.139
can't be there. Because I don't like the package

00:39:44.139 --> 00:39:47.000
you wrap my healing in. So I don't want what's

00:39:47.000 --> 00:39:49.039
inside the package because the paper doesn't

00:39:49.039 --> 00:39:54.900
look good to me. So I just, we don't need that.

00:39:55.239 --> 00:39:59.590
We don't want that. But you know what? God says,

00:39:59.650 --> 00:40:02.250
listen, this is what this body of Christ thing

00:40:02.250 --> 00:40:06.889
is all about. Your healing is in some package

00:40:06.889 --> 00:40:11.369
in this room. You just need to receive it. Amen?

00:40:11.570 --> 00:40:16.110
You have to be willing to allow God to move through

00:40:16.110 --> 00:40:20.469
your brother or through your sister. Amen? And

00:40:20.469 --> 00:40:25.030
when you say, yes, I receive you, you receive

00:40:25.030 --> 00:40:28.210
the gift of God that's in their life. But you

00:40:28.210 --> 00:40:33.369
can't get the gift without the brother. Yeah.

00:40:33.469 --> 00:40:36.730
You can't get the gift without the brother or

00:40:36.730 --> 00:40:40.309
the sister, of course. Amen. So listen, he says,

00:40:40.409 --> 00:40:42.730
you're not really getting it yet about this whole

00:40:42.730 --> 00:40:48.949
communion thing. Your everything you need is

00:40:48.949 --> 00:40:52.090
in Christ. But you know what? Christ is inside

00:40:52.090 --> 00:40:55.860
your brother and inside your sister. You don't

00:40:55.860 --> 00:40:58.360
get to go directly to the right hand of the Father

00:40:58.360 --> 00:41:00.400
in heaven and get it there. You're going to have

00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:02.059
to go to your brother who's going to pray for

00:41:02.059 --> 00:41:04.039
you and say, God, heal him in the name of Jesus.

00:41:04.780 --> 00:41:07.880
And that gift is going to reach into your life

00:41:07.880 --> 00:41:13.579
and heal you. Amen. Well, he said, listen, Jesus

00:41:13.579 --> 00:41:17.360
has gone ahead of you. He's the forerunner. You

00:41:17.360 --> 00:41:21.230
know, in Micah chapter 2 and verse 13. It says

00:41:21.230 --> 00:41:24.150
it like this. It said, the breaker has broken

00:41:24.150 --> 00:41:29.429
through. It's a prophecy about Jesus. Micah 2,

00:41:29.690 --> 00:41:32.329
verse 13 is talking about Jesus. It says, the

00:41:32.329 --> 00:41:36.829
breaker has broken through, and now we can come

00:41:36.829 --> 00:41:40.409
along behind him. The breaker broke through,

00:41:40.449 --> 00:41:42.889
and now he's already gone up through the gate,

00:41:42.949 --> 00:41:45.090
and he's going out. You know that in Matthew

00:41:45.090 --> 00:41:48.510
16, verse 18, it's talking about the kingdom

00:41:48.510 --> 00:41:53.579
of God. He said, listen. Jesus says, I will build

00:41:53.579 --> 00:41:57.980
my church and the gates of hell will not prevail

00:41:57.980 --> 00:42:02.360
against it. That's what he said. So first of

00:42:02.360 --> 00:42:05.699
all, it's his church. It's not my church. Amen?

00:42:06.480 --> 00:42:10.260
So he didn't promise me he'd build my church.

00:42:11.400 --> 00:42:13.900
But he's building his church, and I get to work

00:42:13.900 --> 00:42:16.699
with him. So thank God for that. He's invited

00:42:16.699 --> 00:42:19.659
me to participate in the building project. Amen.

00:42:20.639 --> 00:42:24.300
Thank you, Jesus. But, you know, it's a process

00:42:24.300 --> 00:42:28.679
of working with Jesus. Amen. I get to work alongside

00:42:28.679 --> 00:42:31.880
of him, but I don't get to replace him. I don't

00:42:31.880 --> 00:42:34.760
do his job, and he doesn't do my job. I got to

00:42:34.760 --> 00:42:36.820
do my job and then he'll do his part, you know.

00:42:36.920 --> 00:42:39.119
So anyway, he says, I'm going to build my church

00:42:39.119 --> 00:42:42.019
and the gates of hell will not prevail against

00:42:42.019 --> 00:42:44.500
it. In other words, there's a work to be done.

00:42:44.659 --> 00:42:47.239
There are people that are behind those gates

00:42:47.239 --> 00:42:49.980
that need Jesus. And we're going to have to break

00:42:49.980 --> 00:42:52.599
through those gates if we're going to get a hold

00:42:52.599 --> 00:42:54.960
of those people that need Jesus because hell

00:42:54.960 --> 00:42:58.300
has them locked behind a door. Hell has them

00:42:58.300 --> 00:43:01.340
locked behind a door. And he said, listen, I

00:43:01.340 --> 00:43:05.170
want you to break through that. That gate. I

00:43:05.170 --> 00:43:06.710
want you to break through. Because on the other

00:43:06.710 --> 00:43:09.389
side there are men and women and children. Lives

00:43:09.389 --> 00:43:11.769
that need to be changed and touched by the power

00:43:11.769 --> 00:43:13.769
of God. And the only way you're going to get

00:43:13.769 --> 00:43:15.989
to them. You're going to have to go through this

00:43:15.989 --> 00:43:18.030
door. And you're going to have to break through.

00:43:18.130 --> 00:43:20.409
But you know the good news is Jesus already broke

00:43:20.409 --> 00:43:23.349
through ahead of us. Amen. But you know what

00:43:23.349 --> 00:43:25.489
he said? He said something else. He said listen.

00:43:25.929 --> 00:43:28.789
In the next verse he says I have given you a

00:43:28.789 --> 00:43:32.050
key. He said I'm going to give you the key of

00:43:32.050 --> 00:43:36.110
the kingdom. And what you open is open. And what

00:43:36.110 --> 00:43:40.409
you close is closed. Now, that's a lot of trust.

00:43:40.610 --> 00:43:42.690
I don't know about you, but if I'm Jesus, I'm

00:43:42.690 --> 00:43:45.949
not sure I'm going to trust me that way. That's

00:43:45.949 --> 00:43:49.929
a big amount of trust. Here's the keys of the

00:43:49.929 --> 00:43:54.090
kingdom. He says, here, take them. They're yours.

00:43:54.849 --> 00:43:57.190
What do you want me to do? Well, I want you to

00:43:57.190 --> 00:43:59.190
open what should be open, and I want you to close

00:43:59.190 --> 00:44:01.900
what should be closed. Well, what needs to be

00:44:01.900 --> 00:44:04.599
opened and what needs to be closed? I mean, that's

00:44:04.599 --> 00:44:07.380
a lot of responsibility, Jesus. I mean, yeah,

00:44:07.500 --> 00:44:12.619
that's right. But once you open it, it's open.

00:44:13.900 --> 00:44:19.119
But if you close it, it's closed. You see, God

00:44:19.119 --> 00:44:25.360
has given us authority in his kingdom to open

00:44:25.360 --> 00:44:31.469
those things that he wants open. Our problem

00:44:31.469 --> 00:44:34.969
is we open some stuff that he really doesn't

00:44:34.969 --> 00:44:39.329
want open. How do we do that? We do that because,

00:44:39.369 --> 00:44:42.409
you see, it's not a physical key. This is how

00:44:42.409 --> 00:44:48.269
it works. If I allow something in my life, it's

00:44:48.269 --> 00:44:51.909
allowed. You know, as a Christian, you know,

00:44:51.949 --> 00:44:54.809
we have the doors back here. Let's just say the

00:44:54.809 --> 00:44:57.730
doors were closed. Satan comes knocking on the

00:44:57.730 --> 00:45:02.449
door, you know. I can open or I can close. I

00:45:02.449 --> 00:45:06.650
have authority. I got the key. Amen? I got the

00:45:06.650 --> 00:45:09.110
key. Satan's knocking on the door, but I got

00:45:09.110 --> 00:45:12.570
the key. I don't have to let him in. I got the

00:45:12.570 --> 00:45:15.969
key. But if I do let him in, I have a problem.

00:45:16.190 --> 00:45:18.650
Because, you know, when you let the thief in

00:45:18.650 --> 00:45:20.329
your house, you don't get to tell him what to

00:45:20.329 --> 00:45:23.570
steal. He's going to steal whatever he wants.

00:45:23.750 --> 00:45:26.110
Once the door is open, he can steal what he wants.

00:45:26.679 --> 00:45:28.079
You don't get to say, well, you know, you can

00:45:28.079 --> 00:45:30.840
have the television, but I want my iPod, you

00:45:30.840 --> 00:45:34.019
know, whatever, you know. I want my, don't tell

00:45:34.019 --> 00:45:36.500
you, I want my iPhone 6. I don't know, whatever

00:45:36.500 --> 00:45:39.559
you got these days. You know, you can't tell

00:45:39.559 --> 00:45:41.739
him what to steal. He's going to steal whatever

00:45:41.739 --> 00:45:45.079
he wants to steal. Amen. So the trick is keep

00:45:45.079 --> 00:45:49.099
him out. Amen. How do we let him in? We allow

00:45:49.099 --> 00:45:53.880
sin in our life. That's how we give him permission

00:45:53.880 --> 00:45:57.130
to enter in. And so God said, but listen, you

00:45:57.130 --> 00:46:01.030
don't have to do that. I gave you the key. You

00:46:01.030 --> 00:46:04.050
don't have to open the door. You can close that

00:46:04.050 --> 00:46:07.630
door. And you have the authority in your life

00:46:07.630 --> 00:46:12.210
to do that. Why? Because Jesus already broke

00:46:12.210 --> 00:46:17.769
through. Amen. Jesus already broke through. And

00:46:17.769 --> 00:46:21.809
so I'm going to give you authority. And you can

00:46:21.809 --> 00:46:25.699
open that door. You can close that door. You

00:46:25.699 --> 00:46:28.699
can do as God leads you to do, and I give you

00:46:28.699 --> 00:46:30.159
the power. Now, I'm going to tell you something.

00:46:30.199 --> 00:46:33.760
That is a lot of authority, and it's a lot of

00:46:33.760 --> 00:46:38.099
responsibility. Now, you know what? If you take

00:46:38.099 --> 00:46:41.420
that to the level of the community that we live

00:46:41.420 --> 00:46:49.460
in, who has the keys? The church. The church

00:46:49.460 --> 00:46:52.920
has the keys. You know, I hear people complaining

00:46:52.920 --> 00:46:56.000
about... The politics of the nation. Forgive

00:46:56.000 --> 00:47:00.579
me, but you all have the key. Politicians don't

00:47:00.579 --> 00:47:03.820
have the key. You got the key. Jesus gave you

00:47:03.820 --> 00:47:06.300
the key. He didn't give the politicians the key.

00:47:06.460 --> 00:47:08.599
He gave you the key. What are you doing with

00:47:08.599 --> 00:47:14.780
your key? When the church is doing the stuff

00:47:14.780 --> 00:47:18.380
that opens the door to the enemy, why should

00:47:18.380 --> 00:47:20.880
you complain now the enemy is here? He's a thief.

00:47:21.019 --> 00:47:23.809
Well, he is a thief. It's his nature. He lies,

00:47:23.949 --> 00:47:27.969
steals. That's who he is. The enemy is a thief.

00:47:28.170 --> 00:47:30.230
He's going to steal everything he can steal.

00:47:30.489 --> 00:47:33.369
So if you open the door, why should you be surprised

00:47:33.369 --> 00:47:37.050
stuff's getting stolen? Of course stuff's getting

00:47:37.050 --> 00:47:40.510
stolen. You open the door. He's a thief. It's

00:47:40.510 --> 00:47:43.750
his nature. Amen. So don't blame the politician.

00:47:43.949 --> 00:47:47.050
We as the people of God have the key. And it's

00:47:47.050 --> 00:47:49.530
time for us to stand up and say, you know what?

00:47:49.670 --> 00:47:53.070
We're going to use this key God gave us. And

00:47:53.070 --> 00:47:55.369
we are going to close some doors that have been

00:47:55.369 --> 00:47:57.909
open because they've been open too long. And

00:47:57.909 --> 00:48:01.170
it's time for us to close those doors that we

00:48:01.170 --> 00:48:04.889
have allowed the enemy into our house. And he's

00:48:04.889 --> 00:48:08.690
stealing and killing and destroying our children.

00:48:08.829 --> 00:48:14.059
And it's time. that we close the door and I got

00:48:14.059 --> 00:48:20.059
the key so I have the ability to close it I also

00:48:20.059 --> 00:48:23.219
got the ability to break through the gate that

00:48:23.219 --> 00:48:26.579
Satan has placed in front of them amen that is

00:48:26.579 --> 00:48:30.000
that is hindering them from coming into the purpose

00:48:30.000 --> 00:48:32.980
of God for their life I have the key that can

00:48:32.980 --> 00:48:36.900
open that gate too God has given me the key.

00:48:36.960 --> 00:48:39.980
And so I can open what God wants open and I can

00:48:39.980 --> 00:48:42.960
close what God wants closed. That's what God

00:48:42.960 --> 00:48:46.980
gave me to do. I have the power and the authority

00:48:46.980 --> 00:48:50.099
to do that. And I'm saying to you today, I believe

00:48:50.099 --> 00:48:53.159
it's a moment in history when God is calling

00:48:53.159 --> 00:48:56.320
the church to step up and say, now is the time.

00:48:57.119 --> 00:49:00.219
I'm going to do what God called me to do. I'm

00:49:00.219 --> 00:49:03.940
going to. Take my key and I'm going to use it

00:49:03.940 --> 00:49:06.800
for Jesus. I'm going to close the things that

00:49:06.800 --> 00:49:08.760
need to be closed. And I'm going to open some

00:49:08.760 --> 00:49:12.579
things that need to be opened. And I have the

00:49:12.579 --> 00:49:15.760
keys to my community. If I want to say what's

00:49:15.760 --> 00:49:17.960
happening in my community, I'll tell you what,

00:49:17.980 --> 00:49:22.599
you have the key. The people of God have a key.

00:49:23.880 --> 00:49:26.300
So ain't nothing happening here except what we

00:49:26.300 --> 00:49:30.519
allow or don't allow. That's the truth. Amen.

00:49:30.559 --> 00:49:33.460
We have the authority. It's time that we begin

00:49:33.460 --> 00:49:35.940
to use that authority. Listen, there are folks

00:49:35.940 --> 00:49:40.519
trapped behind the gates of hell. See, he's not

00:49:40.519 --> 00:49:42.619
just saying go beat up the gates of hell because,

00:49:42.699 --> 00:49:44.800
you know, I care about beating up the demon.

00:49:44.840 --> 00:49:47.019
No, there are people trapped behind those gates

00:49:47.019 --> 00:49:50.780
that you need to go set free. And he's already

00:49:50.780 --> 00:49:56.210
broken through. So you don't have to do it on

00:49:56.210 --> 00:49:59.110
your own power. All you got to do is follow Jesus.

00:49:59.309 --> 00:50:02.849
He's already broken through. Amen. He's already

00:50:02.849 --> 00:50:05.750
gone through the gate. All you got to do is come

00:50:05.750 --> 00:50:08.940
on behind. He's the forerunner. He already entered

00:50:08.940 --> 00:50:11.980
into the presence of God. He's there already.

00:50:12.280 --> 00:50:14.179
You don't have to break through. You don't have

00:50:14.179 --> 00:50:16.360
to tear down the veil. You don't have to be the

00:50:16.360 --> 00:50:18.860
one to break through on your own. No, all you

00:50:18.860 --> 00:50:21.619
got to do is follow Jesus. And in fact, when

00:50:21.619 --> 00:50:24.380
Jesus is talking to his disciples there in the

00:50:24.380 --> 00:50:26.500
Gospels, what does he say at the beginning of

00:50:26.500 --> 00:50:28.920
every one of his relationships with every one

00:50:28.920 --> 00:50:31.179
of his apostles? What does he say to them? He

00:50:31.179 --> 00:50:35.619
says, follow me. That's our job. This is not

00:50:35.619 --> 00:50:40.039
complicated. You know, this is not deep truth

00:50:40.039 --> 00:50:42.480
that I'm sharing with you today, okay? It really

00:50:42.480 --> 00:50:48.340
isn't. It's so simple. Just follow Jesus. Now,

00:50:48.380 --> 00:50:51.059
I'm going to tell you where Jesus is going is

00:50:51.059 --> 00:50:56.599
not into sin. Trust me on that. Amen? That's

00:50:56.599 --> 00:50:58.739
not where he's going. You following Jesus, that's

00:50:58.739 --> 00:51:01.659
not going to be your problem. Because when you

00:51:01.659 --> 00:51:03.940
follow Jesus, you're following him into holiness

00:51:03.940 --> 00:51:07.820
and power and anointing and authority and the

00:51:07.820 --> 00:51:11.139
presence of God. You see, it's the veil. He entered

00:51:11.139 --> 00:51:13.659
in behind the veil. It's the holy of holies.

00:51:14.940 --> 00:51:18.079
It's the holy of holies. He's sending the Holy

00:51:18.079 --> 00:51:23.280
Spirit. You know? Oh, spirit come. No, it's the

00:51:23.280 --> 00:51:27.460
Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes, you

00:51:27.460 --> 00:51:34.679
know what? He's holy. Yeah. Amen. That's a whole

00:51:34.679 --> 00:51:40.380
new revelation. Yeah. See, it's time to break

00:51:40.380 --> 00:51:43.460
through. And he said, listen, I'm going to build

00:51:43.460 --> 00:51:48.380
my church. And I'm going to give them the authority

00:51:48.380 --> 00:51:53.519
to enter in. Amen. He said, you're going to break

00:51:53.519 --> 00:51:57.000
through. Jesus broke through. And now you're

00:51:57.000 --> 00:52:00.960
coming in behind him. Amen. So don't stand outside

00:52:00.960 --> 00:52:06.280
and watch. See, Jesus said, I do what I see the

00:52:06.280 --> 00:52:08.960
Father doing. That's what I do. What's our job?

00:52:09.099 --> 00:52:11.639
What I see Jesus doing, that's what I got to

00:52:11.639 --> 00:52:15.460
do. Amen? Jesus is breaking through. I got to

00:52:15.460 --> 00:52:19.860
follow on. Amen? That's my part. And when I do,

00:52:19.960 --> 00:52:23.760
I find that I have all the authority I need to

00:52:23.760 --> 00:52:26.719
accomplish what God has given me to do. We have

00:52:26.719 --> 00:52:30.320
the keys of the kingdom. Amen? We have the keys

00:52:30.320 --> 00:52:34.320
to lock or unlock. We have it today. Jesus gave

00:52:34.320 --> 00:52:38.000
it to us as the people of God. Amen? We have

00:52:38.000 --> 00:52:41.400
those keys. If we want to see change, let's see

00:52:41.400 --> 00:52:45.340
it. Amen? Let's see it. The first place it needs

00:52:45.340 --> 00:52:49.059
to start is right here. Amen? You know what,

00:52:49.139 --> 00:52:52.219
James chapter 4, verse 7, it says like this.

00:52:52.360 --> 00:52:57.579
It says, submit to God, resist the devil, and

00:52:57.579 --> 00:53:01.420
he'll flee. We like to just step over that submit

00:53:01.420 --> 00:53:04.380
to God part and go right to the resist the devil

00:53:04.380 --> 00:53:08.719
part, you know. Yeah. Amen. In the name of Jesus,

00:53:08.900 --> 00:53:12.900
I rebuke you, Satan, you know. And worse, I step

00:53:12.900 --> 00:53:15.000
on the head of the enemy. I've been in those

00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:18.880
prayer meetings. Amen. Hallelujah. Glory to God,

00:53:19.039 --> 00:53:23.820
you know. But you know what? It's got to start

00:53:23.820 --> 00:53:26.960
right here. Amen. I got to step on the head of

00:53:26.960 --> 00:53:29.469
the enemy here. Before I can step on the head

00:53:29.469 --> 00:53:33.170
of the enemy out there. Amen. And once I get

00:53:33.170 --> 00:53:36.849
the enemy's head good and crushed here. I'm in

00:53:36.849 --> 00:53:39.829
good condition. I can rebuke him out there. Amen.

00:53:40.610 --> 00:53:44.610
See we've been trying to rebuke the devil. But

00:53:44.610 --> 00:53:48.389
we're not dealing with him here. God's called

00:53:48.389 --> 00:53:51.030
us. He said listen I'm giving you the key. You

00:53:51.030 --> 00:53:54.389
have the authority. You can lock or unlock. You

00:53:54.389 --> 00:53:58.130
can loose or bind. You can stop or you can allow.

00:53:58.550 --> 00:54:02.809
It's up to you. Amen. It's up to you. It's your

00:54:02.809 --> 00:54:07.510
life, your community, your family. But if you

00:54:07.510 --> 00:54:12.389
let into your family evil, don't be surprised

00:54:12.389 --> 00:54:17.550
when they rob from you. But you have the authority

00:54:17.550 --> 00:54:22.929
to lock that door. Amen. Let's lock what needs

00:54:22.929 --> 00:54:25.940
to be locked. Let's open what needs to be opened.

00:54:26.139 --> 00:54:29.039
And let's break through the gates that are holding

00:54:29.039 --> 00:54:32.539
men and women who need Jesus behind those gates.

00:54:32.619 --> 00:54:35.980
Let's go and bring them out. Amen. In Jesus'

00:54:36.179 --> 00:54:39.300
name. He's already broken through. Hallelujah.

00:54:39.920 --> 00:54:43.380
Amen. The veil's been removed. The presence of

00:54:43.380 --> 00:54:46.099
God is open. There's nothing to stop us. Amen.

00:54:46.420 --> 00:54:49.320
There's nothing to stop us. It's the time. I

00:54:49.320 --> 00:54:52.300
believe this is the day. I truly do. I believe

00:54:52.300 --> 00:54:55.940
this is the day. That God is going to speak into

00:54:55.940 --> 00:54:59.179
a people and somebody is going to say, yes, Jesus.

00:55:00.039 --> 00:55:02.119
I'm telling you, somebody is going to say, yes,

00:55:02.119 --> 00:55:04.920
Jesus. I don't care about nothing else. I don't

00:55:04.920 --> 00:55:07.000
care about anything else in my life. I got no

00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:10.980
other goal in my life but to please Jesus. That's

00:55:10.980 --> 00:55:14.139
it. That's my goal. I got nothing else to do

00:55:14.139 --> 00:55:20.559
but obey God. So why not? Amen. Why not? Why

00:55:20.559 --> 00:55:23.269
shouldn't this be the day? Why shouldn't we be

00:55:23.269 --> 00:55:27.550
the people? That's good. Amen. Let's pray. Father,

00:55:27.610 --> 00:55:30.309
I thank you for this people. They're a great

00:55:30.309 --> 00:55:33.809
people. They're an anointed people. They're a

00:55:33.809 --> 00:55:37.130
prophetic people. They're a people whose heart

00:55:37.130 --> 00:55:41.150
is after you. I see it. I can hear it in their

00:55:41.150 --> 00:55:44.650
worship. I see it in the spirit. This is a great

00:55:44.650 --> 00:55:47.929
church. And this is a great people. And they

00:55:47.929 --> 00:55:51.170
truly and honestly want to seek you. And I pray,

00:55:51.210 --> 00:55:53.789
Father God, that you would come by your presence

00:55:53.789 --> 00:55:59.349
today. Touch our hearts fresh in this season

00:55:59.349 --> 00:56:03.530
of time. Over this, even this next week of presbytery

00:56:03.530 --> 00:56:06.050
and preparing our hearts and hearing from God.

00:56:06.289 --> 00:56:11.099
Let this be the season. where we hear something

00:56:11.099 --> 00:56:15.300
fresh in our spirit that plants hope in our heart,

00:56:15.380 --> 00:56:19.239
that causes us to take steps of faith into the

00:56:19.239 --> 00:56:22.179
future that you've already prepared for us. And

00:56:22.179 --> 00:56:25.039
Father God, teach us how to break through those

00:56:25.039 --> 00:56:27.699
barriers and teach us how to use the keys that

00:56:27.699 --> 00:56:30.219
you've given us. Let us walk in the authority

00:56:30.219 --> 00:56:33.119
that you have placed in our hand and let us see

00:56:33.119 --> 00:56:36.239
miracles. happen in our families, in our homes,

00:56:36.280 --> 00:56:38.980
in our lives. Father God, this is the time. Let

00:56:38.980 --> 00:56:43.280
it come to pass now. Why should we wait another

00:56:43.280 --> 00:56:48.960
day? Why not this day? In Jesus' name. Amen.

00:56:59.340 --> 00:57:03.840
This morning, would you stand with me? Just in

00:57:03.840 --> 00:57:07.900
that spirit of the prayer and message, maybe

00:57:07.900 --> 00:57:09.800
just bow your head and close your eyes for a

00:57:09.800 --> 00:57:14.480
moment. I just had what I believe is a God thought

00:57:14.480 --> 00:57:27.239
this morning. Dr. Munson was talking about those

00:57:27.239 --> 00:57:31.539
beginning stages of the touch of God on our heart.

00:57:35.949 --> 00:57:39.010
I believe that the Lord is here to draw people

00:57:39.010 --> 00:57:43.670
to himself. I believe there's many kinds here

00:57:43.670 --> 00:57:47.349
in the sanctuary this morning, but there's a

00:57:47.349 --> 00:57:50.030
gamut between two places. One, if you don't know

00:57:50.030 --> 00:57:55.989
Jesus, he wants to know you. He wants to draw

00:57:55.989 --> 00:58:00.730
you to himself. And from the beginning stages

00:58:00.730 --> 00:58:04.130
of knowing him, Where you're at this morning

00:58:04.130 --> 00:58:06.369
as you've come to Life Bible Church to hear the

00:58:06.369 --> 00:58:12.409
gospel being preached. Or maybe you're here in

00:58:12.409 --> 00:58:15.789
this place and all of a sudden the hand of the

00:58:15.789 --> 00:58:17.909
Lord just came upon your heart and your mind.

00:58:17.989 --> 00:58:20.829
You've been a Christian before. But the veils

00:58:20.829 --> 00:58:24.829
of your eyes and your mind just something happened.

00:58:25.389 --> 00:58:28.949
You heard those words. I want to be one of those

00:58:28.949 --> 00:58:34.960
ones. That all I care about. I've had a life

00:58:34.960 --> 00:58:37.940
of mixture, but I want to care about the things

00:58:37.940 --> 00:58:41.880
of Jesus. That's what I want my life to be about.

00:58:44.039 --> 00:58:46.900
He's wanting to transform our hearts and our

00:58:46.900 --> 00:58:50.179
minds. If you're in any one of those places,

00:58:50.199 --> 00:58:53.960
you want to accept the Lord today. You're here.

00:58:54.440 --> 00:58:57.159
You've heard the message of His grace and His

00:58:57.159 --> 00:59:00.519
love. He's died for you. He loves you. He's opened

00:59:00.519 --> 00:59:03.800
the way for you to come to Him. And he wants

00:59:03.800 --> 00:59:07.219
to change your life. I invite you. Step out where

00:59:07.219 --> 00:59:09.119
you're at right now. Come meet me down here.

00:59:10.820 --> 00:59:12.760
If you're here this morning and all of a sudden

00:59:12.760 --> 00:59:15.659
you just had a revelation of God's touch. Just

00:59:15.659 --> 00:59:17.380
like it was when you got saved. You say, you

00:59:17.380 --> 00:59:20.760
know what? My life needs to be more about pleasing

00:59:20.760 --> 00:59:24.099
Jesus. I want to respond to that today. Would

00:59:24.099 --> 00:59:27.159
you just step out of your seat and meet me right

00:59:27.159 --> 00:59:35.579
here? Come on. Thank you. Gary, would you come?

00:59:37.559 --> 00:59:43.139
Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Riley, come. Are there

00:59:43.139 --> 00:59:55.960
any others? Come on up. Awesome. I'm going to

00:59:55.960 --> 00:59:58.199
have you just stand right here. Awesome. Come

00:59:58.199 --> 01:00:03.219
on up. Linda, come. Are there any others? Something.

01:00:04.170 --> 01:00:06.309
The word of the Lord came to you just right there

01:00:06.309 --> 01:00:08.610
in that moment. Something was touching your heart.

01:00:10.110 --> 01:00:13.110
It's calling you. It's making a change in your

01:00:13.110 --> 01:00:15.650
journey. It's moving some obstacles out of the

01:00:15.650 --> 01:00:17.849
way. Maybe you're here and you say, you know

01:00:17.849 --> 01:00:21.150
what? I need Jesus. I need to know this one.

01:00:21.230 --> 01:00:26.590
Come on, Abdels. I need a transference of where

01:00:26.590 --> 01:00:30.530
I've been, where I've come from. I need to know

01:00:30.530 --> 01:00:35.719
him. See, it's in moments like this, everyday

01:00:35.719 --> 01:00:38.139
moments where we're in the presence of the Lord,

01:00:38.179 --> 01:00:40.559
that the hand of the Lord comes and touches a

01:00:40.559 --> 01:00:44.360
heart and says, will you give me this? We make

01:00:44.360 --> 01:00:47.480
that choice, even as we said this morning, with

01:00:47.480 --> 01:00:51.139
a key. Will I open my heart to the purposes of

01:00:51.139 --> 01:00:53.639
God for my life, or will I close it for what

01:00:53.639 --> 01:00:56.960
I think? God's coming to open some hearts today.

01:00:57.440 --> 01:01:06.409
Are there any others? I'd like you to stretch

01:01:06.409 --> 01:01:08.590
your hands, church, just toward them right now.

01:01:10.670 --> 01:01:12.829
Gary, I'd just like you to lay hands on them

01:01:12.829 --> 01:01:14.949
and just pray that impartation of that message

01:01:14.949 --> 01:01:17.409
in Jesus' name. Come on, let's just pray for

01:01:17.409 --> 01:01:19.949
them. Just begin to ask the Lord to touch them

01:01:19.949 --> 01:01:22.969
right now in the core of who they are, opening

01:01:22.969 --> 01:01:28.849
their heart to the purposes of God. Opening their

01:01:28.849 --> 01:01:31.750
heart to the purposes of God. Thank you, God.

01:01:32.710 --> 01:01:37.510
Thank you, Jesus. Release that anointing. We

01:01:37.510 --> 01:01:40.849
release that touch now. Lord, as they stand and

01:01:40.849 --> 01:01:43.030
they've just turned the key right now in Jesus'

01:01:43.170 --> 01:01:47.309
name, we say come and fill. Come and open even

01:01:47.309 --> 01:01:52.710
now in Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. Thank you,

01:01:52.730 --> 01:01:55.449
O God. Thank you, O God. Lord, we just ask for

01:01:55.449 --> 01:01:58.670
more of the presence of the Lord even now. Coming

01:01:58.670 --> 01:02:03.269
in. Coming in. Removing every obstacle. Removing

01:02:03.269 --> 01:02:08.659
every... every sense of the of i can't but now

01:02:08.659 --> 01:02:12.340
i will in jesus name opening that up even now

01:02:12.340 --> 01:02:47.079
in jesus name You give life. You are love. You

01:02:47.079 --> 01:02:54.500
bring light to the darkness. You give hope. You

01:02:54.500 --> 01:03:08.239
restore every heart that is broken. Let's just

01:03:08.239 --> 01:03:10.179
worship the Lord in this place this morning.

01:03:11.079 --> 01:03:17.300
You give life. You are love. You bring light

01:03:17.300 --> 01:03:26.139
to the darkness. You give hope. You restore every

01:03:26.139 --> 01:03:41.420
heart. Lord, we've heard your voice. We've heard

01:03:41.420 --> 01:03:45.059
the message of the Lord. Lord, I'm asking now

01:03:45.059 --> 01:03:47.320
for every believer that's been given a key by

01:03:47.320 --> 01:03:51.679
you. Lord, that that message of opening our hearts

01:03:51.679 --> 01:03:55.900
to you, closing off that which is not of you

01:03:55.900 --> 01:03:59.460
and opening the gates, Lord, that you have already

01:03:59.460 --> 01:04:03.539
walked through. Lord, to receive the people,

01:04:03.639 --> 01:04:06.539
to love the people in our lives, in our community.

01:04:07.659 --> 01:04:10.719
We bless you this morning and I bless your church.

01:04:11.000 --> 01:04:14.059
I ask that favor come upon them in every area.

01:04:14.260 --> 01:04:17.280
The sensitivity to your spirit would be quickened

01:04:17.280 --> 01:04:20.340
in every moment. Lord, we thank you for what

01:04:20.340 --> 01:04:25.619
you're doing now. In Jesus' name, amen. God bless

01:04:25.619 --> 01:04:27.440
you. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for

01:04:27.440 --> 01:04:29.780
your kindness of just waiting this out. And thank

01:04:29.780 --> 01:04:31.800
you for praying for your brothers and sisters.

01:04:31.900 --> 01:04:35.059
Have a wonderful day in God. We'll see you Wednesday

01:04:35.059 --> 01:04:44.179
night. Thank you so much. If you are interested

01:04:44.179 --> 01:04:46.960
in hearing other podcasts or contacting Life

01:04:46.960 --> 01:04:51.019
Bible Church, go to www .lifebiblechurch .org

01:04:51.019 --> 01:04:55.079
or call us at 541 -995 -8282.