WEBVTT 00:00:14.410 --> 00:00:18.809 There are special places and this is one of them. 00:00:18.829 --> 00:00:21.570 I just love coming to this church. It indeed 00:00:21.570 --> 00:00:25.050 is a well of life. It ministers life to you. 00:00:25.050 --> 00:00:28.070 It just, I don't know, just imparts something 00:00:28.070 --> 00:00:30.469 to you and it's been such a privilege to be here 00:00:30.469 --> 00:00:33.789 at this time. Those that have been with me over 00:00:33.789 --> 00:00:36.070 the ladies' conference and then this morning 00:00:36.070 --> 00:00:38.670 at the time that we just did with on relationships. 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:42.320 You know that it's been maybe a more challenging 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:45.159 time than usual when I come and that my mother 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:47.299 -in -law just passed away while on the road here 00:00:47.299 --> 00:00:53.689 in the US. And so she died on Friday. And I go 00:00:53.689 --> 00:00:56.250 home for a funeral on Wednesday. And so those 00:00:56.250 --> 00:00:57.890 are the times when you begin to decide, should 00:00:57.890 --> 00:01:00.670 I stay? Should I go? But my dear husband and 00:01:00.670 --> 00:01:04.250 son both said, no, mom, stay. Or wife, love, 00:01:04.409 --> 00:01:09.230 mom, stay. Finish the job. And we believe you're 00:01:09.230 --> 00:01:11.310 in the right place to do the right thing. And 00:01:11.310 --> 00:01:13.909 so they've released me. And I felt loved and 00:01:13.909 --> 00:01:17.189 secured here and able to do what I know God has 00:01:17.189 --> 00:01:20.239 asked us to do. And I do want to thank every 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:22.840 single person who worked at the ladies' conference 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:25.829 who did a most outstanding job. I think the men 00:01:25.829 --> 00:01:27.909 that served were outstanding, the women who were 00:01:27.909 --> 00:01:30.230 so creative. It was just the most phenomenal 00:01:30.230 --> 00:01:35.670 time of just the practical and every gift and 00:01:35.670 --> 00:01:38.650 skill and the ministry, the worship team, and 00:01:38.650 --> 00:01:41.530 all the little touches that just give an atmosphere 00:01:41.530 --> 00:01:44.450 for the word to come out. And it was just incredible. 00:01:44.469 --> 00:01:46.689 I really, really commend you. And I tell you, 00:01:46.689 --> 00:01:49.090 they deserve a great hand and a pause. I just 00:01:49.090 --> 00:01:51.650 really do thank you. You did an awesome, awesome, 00:01:51.790 --> 00:01:57.870 awesome job. I love the whole theme and design 00:01:57.870 --> 00:02:00.950 and red roses were sort of tucked all the way 00:02:00.950 --> 00:02:03.129 through. And as I explained at the ladies' conference, 00:02:03.370 --> 00:02:05.629 roses have always been one of my God's signatures. 00:02:06.189 --> 00:02:08.689 And in very individual and personal ways, God 00:02:08.689 --> 00:02:12.360 puts... roses as a sign again and again that 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:14.659 I'm in the right place and so when I walked in 00:02:14.659 --> 00:02:16.780 here and saw not just one rose but literally 00:02:16.780 --> 00:02:20.159 hundreds of red roses on printed on cards on 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:22.900 the information the bulletins and then actually 00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:25.500 in baskets and things it was just like God kept 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:28.900 kissing me with you're okay keep going girl you're 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:31.979 all right and that is something incredibly precious 00:02:33.359 --> 00:02:36.520 And I think this is the third time, is it? The 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:40.000 third time I've been here. And so this time I've 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:42.719 come with Helen, Helen Aza. Come, Helen, just 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.659 say hello for those of you who haven't seen dear 00:02:45.659 --> 00:02:47.719 Helen. Many have said, well, what's her other 00:02:47.719 --> 00:02:53.030 name? So this is Helen Azer, A -Z -E -R. Because 00:02:53.030 --> 00:02:54.870 people said, well, maybe it's an Egyptian name 00:02:54.870 --> 00:02:57.009 we can't pronounce. I mean, well, we can't. No, 00:02:57.110 --> 00:03:00.069 no. So this is Precious Helen who's been with 00:03:00.069 --> 00:03:04.289 me. And God's just, in fact, just June the 11th, 00:03:04.289 --> 00:03:07.250 she left the last church in which she was just 00:03:07.250 --> 00:03:09.469 a trainee, finished her three -year contract 00:03:09.469 --> 00:03:12.569 with them training. And in February, when we 00:03:12.569 --> 00:03:14.930 were out in Egypt, she sort of caught hold of 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:18.699 my court. and caught me by surprising. Do you 00:03:18.699 --> 00:03:21.639 think there's a way somehow, maybe, that I could 00:03:21.639 --> 00:03:25.819 shadow partner with you and just... expand my 00:03:25.819 --> 00:03:27.860 gift and teaching ability in the international 00:03:27.860 --> 00:03:30.599 area because i've got such a cry for the nations 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:34.020 and i sort of said oh now that's an idea i like 00:03:34.020 --> 00:03:36.939 and we've spent some time praying and literally 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:40.060 on june the 11th she got on a plane having completed 00:03:40.060 --> 00:03:42.900 there and came so you're this is the first fruits 00:03:42.900 --> 00:03:44.800 really it's been the most wonderful place for 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:47.319 us to partner together and be together and we 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:50.180 so on and that so do just greet them pray for 00:03:50.180 --> 00:03:54.430 me and i'll preach Yeah, I do want to just echo 00:03:54.430 --> 00:03:56.909 what Rachel's already said, but say it from my 00:03:56.909 --> 00:04:00.150 heart to thank you for what you have blessed 00:04:00.150 --> 00:04:03.210 us with. It sometimes feels like, you know, you 00:04:03.210 --> 00:04:05.129 get a visiting speaker and they come to minister 00:04:05.129 --> 00:04:07.189 to you, but actually you leave feeling ministered 00:04:07.189 --> 00:04:10.629 to. And I think we both feel that that's happened. 00:04:11.030 --> 00:04:14.689 And not only your beautiful geography, but your... 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.319 Beautiful people have ministered to us, blessed 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:22.079 us. And for me, it's just been a real amazing 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:25.879 way of just starting this new journey, new partnership. 00:04:26.120 --> 00:04:27.959 And you know what it's like when you step out 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:31.439 of the boat and you think, how's this going to 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:34.259 be? And actually, we've both looked at each other 00:04:34.259 --> 00:04:36.180 a few times this week and just thought, yeah, 00:04:36.220 --> 00:04:41.399 we can do this. And it's you who've made us feel 00:04:41.399 --> 00:04:44.259 that. So thank you. Thank you very much. Let's 00:04:44.259 --> 00:04:48.740 just pray. Jesus, we do want to just thank you 00:04:48.740 --> 00:04:51.860 and bless you for who you are and who you make 00:04:51.860 --> 00:04:54.800 us to be. And just having that whole theme of 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:57.339 beauty this weekend, Lord, we want to thank you 00:04:57.339 --> 00:05:00.779 that you are the beautiful one. And our souls 00:05:00.779 --> 00:05:03.339 just expand in your presence, God, and we just 00:05:03.339 --> 00:05:07.459 feel that sense of your touch on us. And we do 00:05:07.459 --> 00:05:09.779 thank you, Father, that for each one of us individually, 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:12.500 you kiss us with your grace, with your favor. 00:05:12.920 --> 00:05:15.360 with your blessing, with your encouragement, 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:17.699 with your strengthening, with your comfort when 00:05:17.699 --> 00:05:19.959 we need that, with your healing touch, with your 00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:21.899 forgiveness, with your mercy. And we just bless 00:05:21.899 --> 00:05:25.839 you for that, God. And we ask that tonight, just 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:27.560 as you've been doing all week, Lord, we just 00:05:27.560 --> 00:05:30.139 ask that you'd continue to pour your spirit into 00:05:30.139 --> 00:05:34.300 us and to expand our vision of who you are and 00:05:34.300 --> 00:05:36.949 who you've called us to be. Give us that sense 00:05:36.949 --> 00:05:39.189 of a greater mandate, Lord. Give us that sense 00:05:39.189 --> 00:05:42.610 of what you've called us to. And we thank you, 00:05:42.649 --> 00:05:46.930 Father, for this church, this life church. And 00:05:46.930 --> 00:05:49.370 we just bless you that you are the author and 00:05:49.370 --> 00:05:51.889 the giver and the finisher of our lives. And 00:05:51.889 --> 00:05:54.629 so we ask that as Rachel speaks tonight, you 00:05:54.629 --> 00:05:56.750 would impart greater and greater measures of 00:05:56.750 --> 00:06:00.170 your life, that life in all its fullness. In 00:06:00.170 --> 00:06:05.779 Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you. Well, I want to 00:06:05.779 --> 00:06:09.600 do a series really in the three services I'm 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:12.740 here and I'm sure you're used to that. It will 00:06:12.740 --> 00:06:16.079 be the same chapter and I'm going to go for Isaiah 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:20.160 58. I think I did Psalm 23 one year and I did, 00:06:20.180 --> 00:06:23.519 I think it was Honor, was it last year? Honor 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:26.800 last year, Psalm 23 the first. And I thought, 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:30.379 well, why break it to Drish and I started. And 00:06:30.379 --> 00:06:35.629 I'm going to do Isaiah 58. that each service 00:06:35.629 --> 00:06:38.709 will be different but the same in the sound, 00:06:38.730 --> 00:06:40.649 a little bit like I've done in previous years. 00:06:40.730 --> 00:06:43.870 We'll look at it from different angles. And as 00:06:43.870 --> 00:06:46.389 I was just praying, and if those of you who've 00:06:46.389 --> 00:06:48.149 been at the ladies' conference have picked up... 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:50.899 I've just felt that this whole area of the northwest 00:06:50.899 --> 00:06:53.120 of America, there is something that God wants 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:56.319 to break through here. I believe it's a breakthrough 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:01.139 time. And God wants something that has been resisted 00:07:01.139 --> 00:07:03.459 for so long. You know, you can hit a wall, you 00:07:03.459 --> 00:07:05.860 can hit a wall, and it feels like you're not 00:07:05.860 --> 00:07:08.540 making much impact. But suddenly you've done 00:07:08.540 --> 00:07:11.860 enough shaking to loosen it, and it doesn't take 00:07:11.860 --> 00:07:14.220 much of a blow for suddenly the thing to give 00:07:14.220 --> 00:07:18.290 and go. And I feel that in the whole of this 00:07:18.290 --> 00:07:21.829 northwest region, there are all sorts of strongholds 00:07:21.829 --> 00:07:24.750 that have stood and seem to be very established 00:07:24.750 --> 00:07:28.250 and be stronger. But I also believe that there's 00:07:28.250 --> 00:07:31.629 a cart cry and a war cry that's been rising in 00:07:31.629 --> 00:07:34.509 the church that is shaking and irritating these 00:07:34.509 --> 00:07:37.470 strongholds. And on the outside, they look very 00:07:37.470 --> 00:07:40.029 secure. But actually, many of the foundations 00:07:40.029 --> 00:07:44.649 and the inside has actually been shaken out of 00:07:44.649 --> 00:07:46.889 a lot. alignment and it just needs a little bit 00:07:46.889 --> 00:07:49.290 more pushing and shoving and it's actually going 00:07:49.290 --> 00:07:53.110 to come down and I really feel that and I know 00:07:53.110 --> 00:07:56.649 that this year is the 40 year anniversary of 00:07:56.649 --> 00:08:00.790 the Jesus movement and I hadn't really connected 00:08:00.790 --> 00:08:03.610 that when I was in California in our central 00:08:03.610 --> 00:08:08.189 coast California and just ministering and suddenly 00:08:08.189 --> 00:08:10.649 I found myself prophesying there's time for another 00:08:10.649 --> 00:08:14.230 Jesus movement. Well in the audience was Jesse 00:08:14.230 --> 00:08:17.790 Engle, Lou Engle's son. And just at that time, 00:08:17.829 --> 00:08:20.209 they were praying and seeking and God had said 00:08:20.209 --> 00:08:22.209 to them that they were to start certain things. 00:08:22.329 --> 00:08:26.230 The Nashville call, 7707, all sorts of things. 00:08:26.410 --> 00:08:28.430 And they were all to be triggers because God 00:08:28.430 --> 00:08:32.129 wanted to celebrate 40 years, but also end a 00:08:32.129 --> 00:08:35.049 tyranny and begin something. And so in my spirit, 00:08:35.070 --> 00:08:36.929 I thought, okay, what's going on in this West 00:08:36.929 --> 00:08:39.850 Coast? What is this 40 years? What's going on? 00:08:40.049 --> 00:08:43.340 And I believe 40 years is a new generation. And 00:08:43.340 --> 00:08:46.320 that which has been birthed generationally is 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:49.360 then going to come forth. And so God is doing 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:52.519 something for the Northwest. And I really do 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:55.879 believe California, Oregon, Washington, there's 00:08:55.879 --> 00:08:59.809 something in this. particular area of geography 00:08:59.809 --> 00:09:03.809 that God wants to display and bring forth. I'm 00:09:03.809 --> 00:09:06.330 sure many of you are aware of Bill and Belly 00:09:06.330 --> 00:09:09.409 Johnson, too, in Redding, California, and the 00:09:09.409 --> 00:09:13.289 School of the Supernatural. And they have really 00:09:13.289 --> 00:09:16.429 begun to press in with the prophetic prayer and 00:09:16.429 --> 00:09:19.549 begin to just believe that God can do miracles. 00:09:19.990 --> 00:09:23.049 And I've partnered with them on different occasions 00:09:23.049 --> 00:09:25.509 and just seen the extraordinary things. But again, 00:09:25.610 --> 00:09:27.779 it's like hit the ground. strike the ground, 00:09:27.899 --> 00:09:29.759 strike the ground, strike the ground, strike 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:31.740 the ground, strike the ground, strike the ground. 00:09:31.779 --> 00:09:35.639 Oh, now some fruit is falling off the tree. And, 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:39.399 you know, so often we hear the story when it's 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:41.659 exciting, but we don't hear the journey when 00:09:41.659 --> 00:09:46.870 it wasn't. And so when I walked in here and then 00:09:46.870 --> 00:09:49.750 I was told that last year, and I remember it, 00:09:49.789 --> 00:09:52.730 we really prayed, if those of you here that remember, 00:09:53.029 --> 00:09:55.350 for the breakthrough of the barren ground. And 00:09:55.350 --> 00:09:58.210 as a sign, we said that babies are going to come 00:09:58.210 --> 00:10:01.029 forth and those that were barren were going to 00:10:01.029 --> 00:10:04.009 bring forth children. And so I've had great delight 00:10:04.009 --> 00:10:07.090 in cuddling lots of little babies and being told 00:10:07.090 --> 00:10:11.330 that 18, 20, 22, somewhere in that region, babies 00:10:11.330 --> 00:10:13.490 have either been born or... We're about to be 00:10:13.490 --> 00:10:17.090 born because God is breaking forth. And as in 00:10:17.090 --> 00:10:19.570 the natural, I want to prophesy so in the spiritual. 00:10:20.009 --> 00:10:22.250 Because that's what we did last year. We said, 00:10:22.289 --> 00:10:24.289 come on, something's going to break through. 00:10:24.429 --> 00:10:29.230 Barren ground is going to yield. And life is 00:10:29.230 --> 00:10:33.220 going to come. forth in Jesus' name. And so I 00:10:33.220 --> 00:10:37.000 want to go to Isaiah 58. And I thought that maybe 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:39.580 being a good scientist person, my background 00:10:39.580 --> 00:10:41.820 is I'm a scientist, I should be logical and go 00:10:41.820 --> 00:10:45.460 ABC 123. And it seemed to start at number one. 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:48.379 But because we've been in the worship and all 00:10:48.379 --> 00:10:51.360 the time, I just could hear the momentum of the 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:53.980 Spirit saying it's time to loose chains. We're 00:10:53.980 --> 00:10:58.340 going to start at verse six. And maybe I'll do 00:10:58.340 --> 00:11:01.360 one to five sometime tomorrow. Maybe I won't. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:05.600 Maybe we'll go from verse six on. Isaiah 58 verse 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:09.559 six. Is not this the kind of fast I've chosen? 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:14.679 To loose the chains of injustice. To untie the 00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:17.639 cords of the yoke. To set the oppressed free. 00:11:17.799 --> 00:11:22.440 And to break every yoke. Is it not to share your 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:25.100 food with the hungry? And to provide the poor 00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:28.230 wanderer with shelter? When you see the naked 00:11:28.230 --> 00:11:35.789 to clothe him and not turn away from your own 00:11:35.789 --> 00:11:38.850 flesh and blood, then your light will break forth 00:11:38.850 --> 00:11:41.990 like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear. 00:11:42.269 --> 00:11:45.309 Then your righteousness will go up before you 00:11:45.309 --> 00:11:47.970 and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 00:11:48.250 --> 00:11:51.429 Then you will call and the Lord will answer. 00:11:51.590 --> 00:11:55.659 Then you will cry, help, and he will say. panic 00:11:55.659 --> 00:12:01.120 not here I am and so as we look at this I want 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:03.879 you to see it both for your own life but see 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:06.860 it for the regional I want it neighborhood nation 00:12:06.860 --> 00:12:10.700 or little and large micro macro and I want you 00:12:10.700 --> 00:12:14.799 to hear is Not this, the kind of fasting I've 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:17.299 chosen. And if you read back the previous verses 00:12:17.299 --> 00:12:20.440 two to five, God begins to challenge our attitudes 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:23.259 and motives where we begin to say, well, God, 00:12:23.259 --> 00:12:25.419 I've done this. I've checked these boxes. Now 00:12:25.419 --> 00:12:29.340 you owe me. And there's this whole bit. It says, 00:12:29.460 --> 00:12:31.539 you know, for day after day, they seek me out. 00:12:31.580 --> 00:12:35.259 They seem eager to know my ways as if they were 00:12:35.259 --> 00:12:38.919 a nation that does what is right. And has not 00:12:38.919 --> 00:12:42.320 forsaken the commands of God. And really, I believe 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:44.460 in these days, it is a bit of an indictment both 00:12:44.460 --> 00:12:48.419 to Britain and to America. I know we exported 00:12:48.419 --> 00:12:50.399 some bad stuff, but we did export you some of 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:52.799 our best. We exported you the pilgrim fathers 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:55.740 that were carrying revival. And they actually 00:12:55.740 --> 00:12:59.980 came to America with a vision to plant or birth 00:12:59.980 --> 00:13:04.100 the holy nation. And at that time, Britain was 00:13:04.100 --> 00:13:06.639 actually turning into a lot of apostasy, turning 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:09.679 their back. And America was to be founded by 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:12.360 the founding fathers to be a true illustration 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:15.879 of what a nation that belongs to God looks like. 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:19.480 And so, you know, God bless America wasn't a 00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:23.279 cliche. It was a very heart cry of revival carrying 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:26.259 young men and women who crossed the seas at great 00:13:26.259 --> 00:13:29.159 expense to find land at which they could establish 00:13:29.159 --> 00:13:33.019 something that looked like God. And on the dollar 00:13:33.019 --> 00:13:35.039 bill, you know, in God we trust, it wasn't a 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:37.720 cliche. They were fighting for their lives, establishing 00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:40.620 economy, going through winters, feeling a good 00:13:40.620 --> 00:13:42.960 night, especially over the west side where they 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:46.759 pioneered through heaven and hell and, you know, 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:50.399 winter and summer and all the rest of it to get 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.980 here. The west was the hard place to come to. 00:13:53.659 --> 00:13:56.220 But there was a heart cry, let's see if we can 00:13:56.220 --> 00:14:00.899 build a nation that looks like God. And so all 00:14:00.899 --> 00:14:03.059 of that, actually as you come to Jaffa, that 00:14:03.059 --> 00:14:06.019 is your heritage. That was the very cry of what 00:14:06.019 --> 00:14:09.659 founded America. And it's interesting, it was 00:14:09.659 --> 00:14:11.899 the two movements of reformation. It was that 00:14:11.899 --> 00:14:15.960 that came out of British soil and German. It 00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:19.419 was a British -German union. I don't know if 00:14:19.419 --> 00:14:22.639 you know, but you are only English speaking because 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:26.009 of one vote. Did you know that? It was a holding 00:14:26.009 --> 00:14:29.590 vote in your house and it was 50 -50 split right 00:14:29.590 --> 00:14:31.850 down the middle whether America would speak German 00:14:31.850 --> 00:14:35.210 or English. And the chairman of that table of 00:14:35.210 --> 00:14:37.769 the things they prayed and he voted English. 00:14:38.889 --> 00:14:43.250 And that's why America is an English -speaking 00:14:43.250 --> 00:14:45.970 nation. If you then consider what happened in 00:14:45.970 --> 00:14:49.190 the 20th century with the world wars, how different 00:14:49.190 --> 00:14:51.549 the geography and the history might look today 00:14:51.549 --> 00:14:57.549 if America had been German -speaking. Just some 00:14:57.549 --> 00:15:00.870 thoughts of just who you are. You know, all the 00:15:00.870 --> 00:15:03.990 destiny and the footprints. And so, yes, we can 00:15:03.990 --> 00:15:06.710 joke the British are coming and the British are 00:15:06.710 --> 00:15:14.850 going. Back up here to hide. But there's destiny 00:15:14.850 --> 00:15:17.570 in all of this. And right here, right in verse 00:15:17.570 --> 00:15:20.610 6, it says, is this not the kind of fasting I've 00:15:20.610 --> 00:15:23.610 chosen? Come on, precious America. Come on, precious 00:15:23.610 --> 00:15:26.830 Britain. Don't hide behind protocol and plastic 00:15:26.830 --> 00:15:31.700 stuff. You know, day after day, you see me. You 00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:34.179 ask me for just decisions. You seem eager to 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:37.000 come near. But actually, it's all become a plastic 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:41.509 cover -up. And you can feel the irritation of 00:15:41.509 --> 00:15:45.450 God. No, no, no. Get past the plastic cliches. 00:15:45.450 --> 00:15:49.870 Get past the appearances. You seem, Eda, you 00:15:49.870 --> 00:15:53.210 seem to be a God -fearing nation. You seem to 00:15:53.210 --> 00:15:56.210 love the commands of God. You seem to just adopt 00:15:56.210 --> 00:15:58.450 it when it suits you and chuck it out when it 00:15:58.450 --> 00:16:00.649 doesn't. And there's something in the heart of 00:16:00.649 --> 00:16:03.259 God that says, no, I've had enough. And then 00:16:03.259 --> 00:16:05.960 in verse three, it goes, why have we fasted, 00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:10.480 they say? And God, you didn't do your side. And 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:13.200 why have we humbled ourselves and God, you didn't 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:15.960 notice? As if God owes us something because we 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:19.559 just do what's right. And you see, we can have 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:21.659 that attitude sometimes even with tithes and 00:16:21.659 --> 00:16:23.759 offerings. Well, I've given mine. God doesn't 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:26.179 give back to me. Why should I tithe? That isn't 00:16:26.179 --> 00:16:29.860 the motivation. We don't obey because we're saying, 00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:32.139 well, God, I'm doing mine. Now, God, you owe 00:16:32.139 --> 00:16:36.500 me. But that sneaks in, you see. And so God's 00:16:36.500 --> 00:16:38.960 dealing with the attitudes and motivations. Well, 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.620 if I'm doing my right, then God is indebted to 00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:45.620 me. The maker of all heaven. And that sneaks 00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:48.600 in so quickly. And very quickly we get offended 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:51.259 with God. Well, I'm doing my right, so now God 00:16:51.259 --> 00:16:53.399 owes me. And so right at the beginning of this 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:57.179 chapter, Isaiah the prophet is exposing, revealing 00:16:57.179 --> 00:17:00.259 some of the wrong attitudes that are coming in 00:17:00.259 --> 00:17:03.940 when we're seeking God. And you see, the raw 00:17:03.940 --> 00:17:07.160 cry was right. The heart cry was right. But the 00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:09.400 wrong motivations and attitudes have got mixed 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:12.690 up in the cooking, as it were. And then it says, 00:17:12.769 --> 00:17:14.930 because these attitudes are coming in, verse 00:17:14.930 --> 00:17:18.849 2 and 3, then on your day of fasting, you do 00:17:18.849 --> 00:17:22.430 as you please. You exploit your workers. In other 00:17:22.430 --> 00:17:25.349 words, you've got this great hunger for God at 00:17:25.349 --> 00:17:28.869 one level, but your actual lifestyle is contradictory. 00:17:29.829 --> 00:17:32.049 You're saying, I really want to seek God, but 00:17:32.049 --> 00:17:34.970 actually where I go to work, I don't do well. 00:17:37.459 --> 00:17:39.880 I'm exploiting my workers. I'm not really working 00:17:39.880 --> 00:17:42.480 with grace and mercy and things. I've got my 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:45.200 church life where I'm seeking God. I'm passionate. 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:47.559 I'm out there for God. And then when I go home 00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:50.759 and I go to work, I'm not a nice person to be 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:54.000 around. I think one of the saddest testimonies 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:56.819 that we have is that Christians are nasty people 00:17:56.819 --> 00:18:03.420 to work with. And unfortunately, that's fairly 00:18:03.420 --> 00:18:07.019 common. And to work for a Christian company is 00:18:07.019 --> 00:18:08.720 one of the nasty ones because we play on the 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:15.200 grace and not on the... And so you see God saying, 00:18:15.299 --> 00:18:21.819 you know what? Make it all measure up. Yet on 00:18:21.819 --> 00:18:23.900 the day of your fasting, you actually are still 00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:26.039 living for yourself. But the whole thing of fasting 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:28.680 is you're laying down your rights and you're 00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:30.660 demanding your rights from God. God, you owe 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:33.190 me. And you're demanding your rights from the 00:18:33.190 --> 00:18:35.549 workers and those you have authority over. But 00:18:35.549 --> 00:18:38.410 really, you're not dealing with the I issue at 00:18:38.410 --> 00:18:40.490 all. You're not dealing with the selfish issue 00:18:40.490 --> 00:18:42.750 at all. And the whole thing about fasting is 00:18:42.750 --> 00:18:47.970 just die and die fast. You know, get over yourself. 00:18:49.410 --> 00:18:52.750 Stop worrying about what you want. And so the 00:18:52.750 --> 00:18:56.839 prophet here is saying, you know what? It's not 00:18:56.839 --> 00:18:58.779 very good. And then verse four, it says, and 00:18:58.779 --> 00:19:02.000 so because of these attitudes sneaking in that 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:05.940 the I factor is not dying, your fasting and your 00:19:05.940 --> 00:19:08.000 prayer meetings end up in fighting meetings. 00:19:10.140 --> 00:19:12.839 Your fasting ends up in quarreling and strife, 00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:16.039 striking each other with a fist. You cannot expect 00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:20.440 to fast today as you do with your motivations 00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:22.720 attitude and really expect it to bring you a 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:25.960 breakthrough in the heavens. God, I've done 21 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:28.960 days. I lived 40 days. Nothing changed. What 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:33.380 was that about? No, no, no, no, no. It wasn't 00:19:33.380 --> 00:19:37.599 about that at all. I've given this. I've tied 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:39.920 this. I've sacrificed. I've spent so much time 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:42.680 in church. I'm always serving. And God says, 00:19:42.779 --> 00:19:45.799 no, no, no, no. If actually all your fasting 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:50.240 and service to God ends up in an angry, fighting, 00:19:50.380 --> 00:19:54.720 strife. being spirit, then you've lost the plot. 00:19:56.740 --> 00:20:00.900 And so that all your pressing into God ends up 00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:05.259 in striving, fighting. And there's two dimensions 00:20:05.259 --> 00:20:07.960 always. And you see Isaiah 58 is picking this 00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:10.920 up. Either against God. So why do you say against 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:13.059 me? Where are you God? Or against one another. 00:20:14.460 --> 00:20:18.380 Or against the leadership thing. Well, I don't 00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:20.880 agree. I don't think we should do this. I'm fed 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:24.720 up. And so a strifing, horrible spirit comes 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:27.640 in. And so that's the background. And in the 00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:29.960 middle of that, we come to verse 6. And then 00:20:29.960 --> 00:20:34.759 God says, no, no, no. Is this not the kind of 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:41.279 fast I've chosen? And he begins to describe the 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:44.859 atmosphere and attitudes that need to grip our 00:20:44.859 --> 00:20:49.890 spirits. So that we have fasting that is heard 00:20:49.890 --> 00:20:51.589 on high. Do you get what I'm saying? Because 00:20:51.589 --> 00:20:53.630 if you've got all these attitudes, don't expect 00:20:53.630 --> 00:20:55.789 to fast and it make any difference. It's not 00:20:55.789 --> 00:20:58.890 going to penetrate. But is this not the kind 00:20:58.890 --> 00:21:00.930 of fasting I've chosen that's going to make a 00:21:00.930 --> 00:21:04.130 difference? Because fasting really, what is the 00:21:04.130 --> 00:21:07.029 number of fasting? Coming to a place of sacrifice 00:21:07.029 --> 00:21:10.190 to see a breakthrough. It's actually putting 00:21:10.190 --> 00:21:12.869 sacrifice with your prayer and your lifestyle 00:21:12.869 --> 00:21:15.509 to actually penetrate further. And he says, is 00:21:15.509 --> 00:21:18.549 this not the kind of fasting I've chosen? To 00:21:18.549 --> 00:21:22.789 break the chains of injustice. To break the cords 00:21:22.789 --> 00:21:28.369 of the yoke. And to lift off the oppression. 00:21:28.930 --> 00:21:33.799 And to let every yoke. go free. Is this not the 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:37.220 fast? Have you noticed immediately the kind of 00:21:37.220 --> 00:21:40.339 fast that God has chosen is focused out, not 00:21:40.339 --> 00:21:43.579 in. You see, verse two to five is all about, 00:21:43.660 --> 00:21:46.420 well, what about me? God, I've humbled myself. 00:21:46.599 --> 00:21:48.880 God hasn't noticed. I've given up this time. 00:21:48.980 --> 00:21:51.900 God didn't care. I've done this. Nothing happened. 00:21:52.140 --> 00:21:55.240 I'm now in a bad attitude and fighting and God 00:21:55.240 --> 00:21:58.480 doesn't seem to care or worry about me. Our nation 00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:00.819 is doing the right thing, but God isn't blessing 00:22:00.819 --> 00:22:04.859 us. We seem, we're seeking God and God doesn't 00:22:04.859 --> 00:22:07.019 seem to know. And it's all about what I'm doing, 00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:10.059 God. Hello, God. Check in. I'm a good girl. I've 00:22:10.059 --> 00:22:12.720 ticked the 21 day fasting. I've done this. I've 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:15.589 done that. Our nation's good. Our nation says 00:22:15.589 --> 00:22:18.109 the right things. We're in the right place. It's 00:22:18.109 --> 00:22:21.589 all about I, I, I. Do you see what I mean? And 00:22:21.589 --> 00:22:25.289 suddenly God says, hello, is this not the kind 00:22:25.289 --> 00:22:28.430 of fast I've chosen? Look in a different place. 00:22:28.470 --> 00:22:31.769 Stop looking at you. Begin to look out. And the 00:22:31.769 --> 00:22:36.670 first thing he asks us to do is break the chains 00:22:36.670 --> 00:22:41.869 of injustice. And as I looked at this, break 00:22:41.869 --> 00:22:44.490 the chains of injustice, this is external. This 00:22:44.490 --> 00:22:50.710 is actually the cry that takes concern for injustice 00:22:50.710 --> 00:22:53.269 that's happening around you. It's not on your 00:22:53.269 --> 00:22:55.829 life. It's actually happening in community social 00:22:55.829 --> 00:22:59.789 life. And so it's like we have to begin to look 00:22:59.789 --> 00:23:02.410 around us and hear the sound of our community. 00:23:02.869 --> 00:23:08.309 What is going on that's unjust? What is the cry 00:23:08.309 --> 00:23:11.589 of injustice in the Northwest region or America 00:23:11.589 --> 00:23:17.329 in 21st century? If you read Exodus chapter 2, 00:23:17.390 --> 00:23:22.089 23 to 25. Exodus chapter 2, 23 to 25. During 00:23:22.089 --> 00:23:25.509 that long period, the king of Egypt died and 00:23:25.509 --> 00:23:28.630 the Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried 00:23:28.630 --> 00:23:32.309 out and their cry for help because of their slavery 00:23:32.309 --> 00:23:35.569 went up to God. And God heard their groaning 00:23:35.569 --> 00:23:39.390 and he remembered his covenant with Abraham and 00:23:39.390 --> 00:23:42.250 Isaac and Jacob. And so God looked down on the 00:23:42.250 --> 00:23:45.089 Israelites and was concerned about them. Then 00:23:45.089 --> 00:23:48.369 across into Exodus 3, 7 to 10. And the Lord said, 00:23:48.470 --> 00:23:51.829 I've indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. 00:23:52.049 --> 00:23:55.289 I've heard them crying out because of their slave 00:23:55.289 --> 00:23:58.369 drivers. And I'm concerned about their suffering. 00:23:58.529 --> 00:24:01.809 So I have come down to rescue them from the hands 00:24:01.809 --> 00:24:04.049 of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that 00:24:04.049 --> 00:24:08.730 land into a good and spacious land. And you see, 00:24:08.730 --> 00:24:11.130 I wonder when God looks down on our community, 00:24:11.289 --> 00:24:14.910 what is the cry that is penetrating heaven? And 00:24:14.910 --> 00:24:17.230 you see, he looked down and he saw the cords 00:24:17.230 --> 00:24:19.849 and the chains of injustice on these people who 00:24:19.849 --> 00:24:22.950 are burdened and enslaved. And he got concerned 00:24:22.950 --> 00:24:26.750 because no one else was concerned. And something 00:24:26.750 --> 00:24:28.690 began to trigger in the heart of God. And he 00:24:28.690 --> 00:24:31.470 said, come on, there's such chains of injustice 00:24:31.470 --> 00:24:35.470 here. Where is the cry to break those chains? 00:24:35.630 --> 00:24:40.910 Where is the cry? To break through. If you look 00:24:40.910 --> 00:24:44.930 at Sodom and Gomorrah, why would you say God 00:24:44.930 --> 00:24:50.069 came against Sodom and Gomorrah and obliterated 00:24:50.069 --> 00:24:51.990 those cities? What would you say is the main 00:24:51.990 --> 00:24:59.049 reason? Immorality. Would we agree? That God 00:24:59.049 --> 00:25:02.190 came down and he completely wiped out Sodom and 00:25:02.190 --> 00:25:04.589 Gomorrah because they were immoral and they're 00:25:04.589 --> 00:25:07.250 homosexual. Would we agree? I want to show you 00:25:07.250 --> 00:25:10.289 that I think we're wrong. Or you're wrong. If 00:25:10.289 --> 00:25:16.910 you turn to Ezekiel chapter 16 verse 49. This 00:25:16.910 --> 00:25:19.549 is what God said was the reason he was first 00:25:19.549 --> 00:25:21.730 triggered to come against Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:25:22.349 --> 00:25:26.309 Ezekiel chapter 16 verse 49. Now this was the 00:25:26.309 --> 00:25:31.289 sin of your sister Sodom. She and her daughters 00:25:31.289 --> 00:25:35.730 were arrogant. They were overfed and unconcerned. 00:25:35.809 --> 00:25:39.730 And they did not help the poor and needy. They 00:25:39.730 --> 00:25:43.190 were haughty. and then did detestable things 00:25:43.190 --> 00:25:47.910 before me. Therefore I did away with them, as 00:25:47.910 --> 00:25:52.190 you have now seen. How many know that's pretty 00:25:52.190 --> 00:25:58.910 scary? That's Ezekiel. Chapter 16, verse 49. 00:25:58.970 --> 00:26:00.930 This was the sin of your sister Solomon. She 00:26:00.930 --> 00:26:03.809 and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, unconcerned. 00:26:03.809 --> 00:26:06.210 And they did not help the poor and needy. They 00:26:06.210 --> 00:26:09.609 were haughty. And so were given over to do distasteful 00:26:09.609 --> 00:26:14.529 things. So I did away with them. And so I began 00:26:14.529 --> 00:26:19.809 to think, what is the root of the fruit of homosexuality, 00:26:19.829 --> 00:26:26.390 sexual immorality, and disgusting things? That 00:26:26.390 --> 00:26:29.750 arrogant pride thing, but that attitude that 00:26:29.750 --> 00:26:34.140 does not care for. the poor needy, is not concerned 00:26:34.140 --> 00:26:37.700 about anyone else, that is self -indulgent, feeds 00:26:37.700 --> 00:26:40.539 itself. Do you get what I'm saying? Because when 00:26:40.539 --> 00:26:43.599 we read this, and actually that root of independence 00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:46.220 is that I look after me. I'm going to make sure 00:26:46.220 --> 00:26:48.359 I'm okay. I'm going to feed myself, look after 00:26:48.359 --> 00:26:51.819 myself, make sure my space is done. That grows 00:26:51.819 --> 00:26:54.759 up into the arrogance pride. That arrogance pride 00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:57.759 leads into the homosexual thing. And then God 00:26:57.759 --> 00:27:01.289 steps in and has time. But the fruit is necessarily 00:27:01.289 --> 00:27:05.849 the root. Do you get what I'm saying? And so 00:27:05.849 --> 00:27:08.650 when we come to Isaiah 58 and we look at those 00:27:08.650 --> 00:27:12.789 chains of injustice and we hear all the way through 00:27:12.789 --> 00:27:15.829 the Bible, if you read the Bible, God is triggered 00:27:15.829 --> 00:27:18.150 very quickly when there's a lot of injustice 00:27:18.150 --> 00:27:20.470 around. Have you noticed that? Something stands 00:27:20.470 --> 00:27:23.250 up in that father heart of God that begins to 00:27:23.250 --> 00:27:28.440 cry, it's enough, finished. And I haven't got 00:27:28.440 --> 00:27:30.680 time to read all the verses, but I've got this 00:27:30.680 --> 00:27:34.400 sense that God wants to put a cry in the church 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:37.660 of the Northwest that begins to actually carry 00:27:37.660 --> 00:27:41.920 the Father heart of God against injustice. And 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:44.480 I believe we need to begin to look in our communities 00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:47.539 and begin to see where is there an atmosphere 00:27:47.539 --> 00:27:52.180 that's overfed, unconcerned, arrogant and haughty 00:27:52.180 --> 00:27:56.960 and does not care for the poor and needy. Because 00:27:56.960 --> 00:28:01.400 that was the trigger that provided fertile ground 00:28:01.400 --> 00:28:05.380 for that haughty, arrogant spirit to grow into 00:28:05.380 --> 00:28:12.220 homosexuality and sexual perversion. And so if 00:28:12.220 --> 00:28:14.920 we come in the opposite spirit and we're going 00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:17.740 to break those chains of injustice, we've got 00:28:17.740 --> 00:28:21.380 to go find these roots that have begun to grow 00:28:21.380 --> 00:28:25.180 in the Northwest, which were unconcerned, overfed. 00:28:26.250 --> 00:28:28.470 Did not care for the poor and needy, independent 00:28:28.470 --> 00:28:30.829 thing. And we're going to go, how many of you 00:28:30.829 --> 00:28:32.769 like to go for the root rather than just fruit? 00:28:35.809 --> 00:28:39.430 Come on, you're farmers, you know. You know, 00:28:39.470 --> 00:28:41.289 you can fruit pick for the rest of your life. 00:28:41.670 --> 00:28:47.069 But let's get the roots out. And so God's saying, 00:28:47.170 --> 00:28:51.230 is this not the kind of fast I've chosen? To 00:28:51.230 --> 00:28:56.519 break those chains of injustice. And you see, 00:28:56.519 --> 00:28:59.480 as God looks, and I read those scriptures from 00:28:59.480 --> 00:29:03.079 Exodus, and he begins to hear the cry of the 00:29:03.079 --> 00:29:06.579 land, of all the injustice. Far the heart of 00:29:06.579 --> 00:29:09.079 God is, I'm going to send a deliverer. I'm going 00:29:09.079 --> 00:29:11.720 to raise up a Moses. And Moses is going to go 00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:14.079 stand in that bed of joggery and say, let my 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:17.579 people go. And I want to prophesy to this life 00:29:17.579 --> 00:29:20.000 church. I believe God wants to put a Moses anointing 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.339 on you. He wants to put a deliverance. I believe 00:29:22.339 --> 00:29:24.700 that a deliverer anointing is coming to this 00:29:24.700 --> 00:29:27.460 house. I believe it's a season to understand 00:29:27.460 --> 00:29:31.480 how to be deliverers. How to carry the anointing 00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:34.380 of deliverance. And God wants to raise up a cry 00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:37.440 in this house that says, let my people go. That 00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:39.759 you can break the powers of sexual perversion 00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:42.559 and sin that traps people. Break alcoholism. 00:29:42.579 --> 00:29:46.630 Break drug abuse. Break gambling. Break anger. 00:29:46.950 --> 00:29:50.109 Break tormenting fears. And deliverance will 00:29:50.109 --> 00:29:52.490 come to the house because the Moses cry is going 00:29:52.490 --> 00:29:55.170 to raise up and say, no, it's enough now. Let 00:29:55.170 --> 00:30:00.329 my people go. But you see, is this not the kind? 00:30:00.390 --> 00:30:03.950 We have to begin to recognize the chains, the 00:30:03.950 --> 00:30:08.009 injustice. We have to open our ears. And I just 00:30:08.009 --> 00:30:10.710 love, I mean, you can go home, put it through 00:30:10.710 --> 00:30:14.230 your... computer or your concordance and just 00:30:14.230 --> 00:30:17.250 see the incredible passionate heart cry of God 00:30:17.250 --> 00:30:20.869 to be a deliverer for those that are suffering 00:30:20.869 --> 00:30:25.720 under injustice he just he just says I will I 00:30:25.720 --> 00:30:29.259 mean Psalm 82 verse 3. I will defend the cause 00:30:29.259 --> 00:30:31.839 of the weak and the fatherless. I will maintain 00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:34.680 the rights of the poor and the oppressed. I will 00:30:34.680 --> 00:30:37.619 rescue the weak and the needy and I will deliver 00:30:37.619 --> 00:30:41.019 them from the hand of the wicked. Come on, that 00:30:41.019 --> 00:30:43.680 should be a good cry for the church. This is 00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:45.819 why we're here in the Northwest because we're 00:30:45.819 --> 00:30:47.799 going to be those that defend the cause of the 00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:50.339 weak. and the fatherless. We maintain the rights 00:30:50.339 --> 00:30:52.440 of the poor and the oppressed. We will rescue 00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:54.759 the weak and the needy. We will deliver them 00:30:54.759 --> 00:30:59.119 from the hand of the wicked. Then you read over 00:30:59.119 --> 00:31:03.259 in Psalm 89, verse 14. I mean, I could preach 00:31:03.259 --> 00:31:06.640 on this for the whole weekend. Psalm 89, verse 00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:11.240 14. Righteousness and justice are the foundation 00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:15.960 of your throne. Love and faithfulness go before 00:31:15.960 --> 00:31:22.359 you and surround you. Very foundation stone of 00:31:22.359 --> 00:31:25.900 the throne of God. And so God wants that cry 00:31:25.900 --> 00:31:29.420 to come out. So first of all, we've got to look. 00:31:29.640 --> 00:31:33.220 What is going on in the area? How can we begin 00:31:33.220 --> 00:31:36.980 to challenge and be the deliverers that break 00:31:36.980 --> 00:31:40.740 those chains of injustice in our community? But 00:31:40.740 --> 00:31:44.119 then it goes on to say, untie the cords of the 00:31:44.119 --> 00:31:47.700 yoke. Is this not the kind of fast I've chosen? 00:31:47.740 --> 00:31:52.519 Break the chains of injustice. Untie. The cords 00:31:52.519 --> 00:31:56.200 of the yoke. And I want to suggest that as I've 00:31:56.200 --> 00:31:58.539 studied this and looked and looked for definitions, 00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:01.500 why chains of injustice, cords of the yoke. The 00:32:01.500 --> 00:32:04.259 cords of the yoke are more personal. It is those 00:32:04.259 --> 00:32:08.619 areas of restriction and confinement that the 00:32:08.619 --> 00:32:11.359 enemy has put around your life to contain you. 00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:14.700 You've tied into ungodly yokes and partnerships 00:32:14.700 --> 00:32:18.380 where the enemy has put stuff on your life. How 00:32:18.380 --> 00:32:19.759 many of you know there are times in your life 00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:21.660 you want to go and it's just like this. stuff 00:32:21.660 --> 00:32:26.440 on you can feel it on you and so not only are 00:32:26.440 --> 00:32:29.319 we called as the church to stand up and to actually 00:32:29.319 --> 00:32:31.799 be a voice that breaks that Moses anointing that 00:32:31.799 --> 00:32:34.160 breaks the chains of injustice in the community 00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:38.759 but he's also skilled us to untie the yokes that 00:32:38.759 --> 00:32:43.140 the devil has put on people's lives so that we 00:32:43.140 --> 00:32:47.500 can go to them Isaiah 61, for the spirit of the 00:32:47.500 --> 00:32:50.859 sovereign Lord is upon me because he's put the 00:32:50.859 --> 00:32:54.579 anointing of God upon me so that I can go up 00:32:54.579 --> 00:32:57.759 to captives and set them free. I can go to the 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:00.920 prisoners and say, be loosed. I could go to the 00:33:00.920 --> 00:33:04.640 blind and help them see again, both naturally 00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:09.039 and spiritually, I believe. And so we've got 00:33:09.039 --> 00:33:15.170 to untie those yokes. And we are yoked into the 00:33:15.170 --> 00:33:17.089 wrong ways of thinking. How many of you know 00:33:17.089 --> 00:33:19.690 that? Just because of our society, we've been 00:33:19.690 --> 00:33:23.190 yoked. Many of us, most of us, suffer fear at 00:33:23.190 --> 00:33:25.589 some level. Because that's the devil's atmosphere. 00:33:25.750 --> 00:33:29.910 Would you agree? Just as God is love, the devil 00:33:29.910 --> 00:33:33.369 is fear. Because love and fear are opposites. 00:33:33.369 --> 00:33:36.470 The perfect revelation of the love of God drives 00:33:36.470 --> 00:33:41.950 out all fear. Do you agree with me? And so you 00:33:41.950 --> 00:33:45.710 see, we start life in our journey with God with 00:33:45.710 --> 00:33:49.250 fear. And as we step more and more into the revelation 00:33:49.250 --> 00:33:52.049 of the perfect love of our Father, fear gets 00:33:52.049 --> 00:33:57.250 broken off our life. The first time fear enters 00:33:57.250 --> 00:34:00.690 the Bible is in the Garden of Eden where Adam 00:34:00.690 --> 00:34:04.309 and Eve sinned. And immediately they sinned. 00:34:04.309 --> 00:34:06.589 What was the first yoke that came on them? We 00:34:06.589 --> 00:34:11.539 hid because we were? Afraid. Fear. Up to that 00:34:11.539 --> 00:34:14.300 time, fear is never mentioned in the Bible. But 00:34:14.300 --> 00:34:17.840 because they sinned and they lost their communication 00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:20.980 with God, the yoke that came on them instantly 00:34:20.980 --> 00:34:26.710 is be afraid. Be afraid of God. And so many times 00:34:26.710 --> 00:34:28.969 there's a hunger in us that says, oh God, I want 00:34:28.969 --> 00:34:31.750 to give you all that I am, all that I have. And 00:34:31.750 --> 00:34:35.150 that limitation, that yoke of fear holds us back 00:34:35.150 --> 00:34:40.039 from a total yieldnessiness to God. Do you agree? 00:34:40.199 --> 00:34:43.400 So we play hiding and we feel God in the garden. 00:34:43.480 --> 00:34:46.139 We can feel his presence. Maybe you walked in 00:34:46.139 --> 00:34:48.179 here tonight and you thought, whoa, what's that? 00:34:48.280 --> 00:34:50.199 It's a bit over the top, but it was good and 00:34:50.199 --> 00:34:53.579 bad, sweet and sour, nice and nasty. And you're 00:34:53.579 --> 00:34:57.559 not quite sure. And you go through this thing, 00:34:57.619 --> 00:35:03.320 but there's a yoke on you. And of that fear, 00:35:03.539 --> 00:35:06.739 don't go there. They're only after your money. 00:35:08.170 --> 00:35:11.550 The devil's got all the off pattern. They'll 00:35:11.550 --> 00:35:13.289 reject you. They'll just want you for a while 00:35:13.289 --> 00:35:15.570 and then they'll leave you. And all the fears. 00:35:15.769 --> 00:35:19.630 Don't let God really get in your world. He'll 00:35:19.630 --> 00:35:24.090 only work for a little while. And we get yokes 00:35:24.090 --> 00:35:27.929 on us. Fear is one of the main ones. The other 00:35:27.929 --> 00:35:31.369 one that I think is almost endemic in the whole 00:35:31.369 --> 00:35:34.920 world is rejection. Poor self -esteem, lack of 00:35:34.920 --> 00:35:37.539 identity. Because you see, God is all about giving 00:35:37.539 --> 00:35:40.920 you destiny, purpose, identity. The whole heart 00:35:40.920 --> 00:35:43.480 of God is to build you up and make you look good. 00:35:43.559 --> 00:35:45.860 Would you agree with me? Everything about the 00:35:45.860 --> 00:35:50.340 Bible is to affirm. And first it affirms you 00:35:50.340 --> 00:35:53.400 and then it just corrects you to affirm you to 00:35:53.400 --> 00:35:56.920 a greater level. Would you agree? And that is 00:35:56.920 --> 00:35:59.860 mirrored in parenting. You know, when we first 00:35:59.860 --> 00:36:02.480 have a child, what do we do with it? We affirm 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:05.400 it. We love it. We kiss it. We cuddle it. Babies 00:36:05.400 --> 00:36:08.579 are great because you can just love them. And 00:36:08.579 --> 00:36:10.679 then they begin to get to toddler stage. And 00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:12.059 then as a parent, you're beginning to think, 00:36:12.119 --> 00:36:14.599 oh no, now I've got to do this parent thing of 00:36:14.599 --> 00:36:20.559 correcting and loving. But the first sound that 00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:25.300 ever touches. us should be pure affirmation. 00:36:26.280 --> 00:36:29.579 And that then gives us a right to bring in correction. 00:36:31.059 --> 00:36:33.920 And that is how God is with us. The whole of 00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:36.159 the Bible is, I affirm you, I love you, you're 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:39.340 valued, you're honored, you're special. But the 00:36:39.340 --> 00:36:42.199 devil is totally the opposite. The first sound 00:36:42.199 --> 00:36:45.559 he speaks is to accuse night and day, night and 00:36:45.559 --> 00:36:49.190 day, night and day. Do you agree with me? And 00:36:49.190 --> 00:36:52.030 so he tears down, destroys your identity, makes 00:36:52.030 --> 00:36:54.429 you insecure. You don't know who you are. And 00:36:54.429 --> 00:36:56.989 so most of us suffer that yoke on our lives. 00:36:57.289 --> 00:37:00.130 Am I okay? Am I not? Will I make it? Will I not? 00:37:00.230 --> 00:37:02.550 Will I be good enough? Will I not? Will people 00:37:02.550 --> 00:37:05.250 like me or not? You know, you walk into church 00:37:05.250 --> 00:37:08.110 even. And last week, the person who is most friendly 00:37:08.110 --> 00:37:10.250 seems to ignore you the next week. And suddenly 00:37:10.250 --> 00:37:15.440 it's like, it's yokes. And we've got to begin 00:37:15.440 --> 00:37:18.440 to realize there is a devil out there and he 00:37:18.440 --> 00:37:21.480 loves to put yokes. But we, is this not the kind 00:37:21.480 --> 00:37:24.139 of fast I've chosen? That we begin to notice 00:37:24.139 --> 00:37:26.900 the yokes on people's lives. It matters to me 00:37:26.900 --> 00:37:30.099 that you're not looking good. It matters to me 00:37:30.099 --> 00:37:33.239 that you're not upgraded into all the fullness 00:37:33.239 --> 00:37:35.820 of God. It matters to me that you're not going 00:37:35.820 --> 00:37:38.559 for your destiny. It matters to me that the devil's 00:37:38.559 --> 00:37:41.199 got you tied in the wrong place and your destiny 00:37:41.199 --> 00:37:44.639 and purpose is not accelerated and released to 00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:48.659 be all that you are. Is this not the kind of 00:37:48.659 --> 00:37:51.699 fast I've chosen? That you take personal responsibility 00:37:51.699 --> 00:37:57.820 to go untie the yokes. It's not enough that my 00:37:57.820 --> 00:38:00.320 life's looking good. It's together we're going 00:38:00.320 --> 00:38:02.900 to upgrade. Together we're going to cross that 00:38:02.900 --> 00:38:05.340 line. Together we're going to be formed in Christ. 00:38:05.420 --> 00:38:11.800 Together. And we've got to kill the fear and 00:38:11.800 --> 00:38:15.679 the rejection identity thing. And so how do we 00:38:15.679 --> 00:38:18.800 do that? Well, my Bible says, I think it's Hebrews 00:38:18.800 --> 00:38:21.800 10 verse 25, where it starts verse 23. It says, 00:38:21.880 --> 00:38:24.860 so let us spur one another on towards good works. 00:38:28.230 --> 00:38:30.449 We've got to be cheerleaders for one another. 00:38:30.849 --> 00:38:35.250 We've got to begin to see the good. And so often 00:38:35.250 --> 00:38:38.269 the church environment or the religious spirit, 00:38:38.369 --> 00:38:39.949 let's not blame the church, that's called the 00:38:39.949 --> 00:38:44.309 religious spirit, will correct all the time and 00:38:44.309 --> 00:38:47.210 rarely affirm. Because there's this little sound 00:38:47.210 --> 00:38:48.949 that goes, well, we're not going to make them 00:38:48.949 --> 00:38:51.210 arrogant and proud, so we won't say too much 00:38:51.210 --> 00:38:53.469 to build them up. We'll just make sure they know 00:38:53.469 --> 00:38:58.309 the truth, brother. And it's all... this thing 00:38:58.309 --> 00:39:02.570 of just hitting your side hair. But actually 00:39:02.570 --> 00:39:05.989 the Bible and the biblical sound is a firm, a 00:39:05.989 --> 00:39:10.510 firm, a firm, a firm, a firm. And it is the religious 00:39:10.510 --> 00:39:13.409 spirit sound that wants to tear down and kill. 00:39:15.889 --> 00:39:19.150 So God says, come on church, is this not the 00:39:19.150 --> 00:39:21.730 kind of fast I've chosen? Lose those wretched 00:39:21.730 --> 00:39:25.880 yokes of people. And in Isaiah chapter 10, oh 00:39:25.880 --> 00:39:29.800 no, I was in Hebrews 10, 23 to 25. Let me finish 00:39:29.800 --> 00:39:32.460 that. So let us spur one another towards good 00:39:32.460 --> 00:39:34.780 works. And then it goes on, it says, for let 00:39:34.780 --> 00:39:38.380 us not forsake gathering together while it is 00:39:38.380 --> 00:39:42.079 still called today. Why? Why do we come together? 00:39:42.699 --> 00:39:49.480 Let us encourage one another daily all the more 00:39:49.480 --> 00:39:52.920 as we see the day approaching. And what day is 00:39:52.920 --> 00:39:54.920 that? Well, yes, of course, there is the final 00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:57.699 day when Jesus appears again. But for some of 00:39:57.699 --> 00:39:59.860 us, we've got a day when we're going to die before 00:39:59.860 --> 00:40:02.699 that day comes. It's whatever that day of assessment 00:40:02.699 --> 00:40:05.320 and judgment is, when we're going to have to 00:40:05.320 --> 00:40:08.139 give account for our lives. And our job while 00:40:08.139 --> 00:40:10.840 we're on earth and people are alive is to affirm 00:40:10.840 --> 00:40:13.659 them, encourage them, motivate them, inspire 00:40:13.659 --> 00:40:16.739 them to do the best they possibly can for the 00:40:16.739 --> 00:40:19.780 kingdom of God. And that's why we come together, 00:40:19.900 --> 00:40:22.059 because we've got an energy. that's going to 00:40:22.059 --> 00:40:24.460 put a yoke on us that tells us, you're no good, 00:40:24.559 --> 00:40:26.860 Rhonda. You're not doing it, Rhonda. Heather, 00:40:26.940 --> 00:40:28.920 you're missing it. Elton, you can't do it, et 00:40:28.920 --> 00:40:31.440 cetera, et cetera. You're just missing it. And 00:40:31.440 --> 00:40:34.320 so we need to come together not to hear, yeah, 00:40:34.380 --> 00:40:37.409 well, you've got a problem. We need to come and 00:40:37.409 --> 00:40:39.389 say, you know, I see the destiny of God on you. 00:40:39.510 --> 00:40:43.090 I see the hot cry of a mother and father on you. 00:40:43.170 --> 00:40:46.590 I see that which is for the local given to build 00:40:46.590 --> 00:40:50.389 up a firm train and courage. I see that. Don't 00:40:50.389 --> 00:40:52.889 forget it. Don't let the other sounds distract 00:40:52.889 --> 00:40:55.750 you. And we break the yokes that the devil tries 00:40:55.750 --> 00:40:58.230 to put on us. Because when we come into the house, 00:40:58.309 --> 00:41:04.570 we're here to cheerlead one another. And so then 00:41:04.570 --> 00:41:08.429 we go into Isaiah chapter 10 verse 27. And it 00:41:08.429 --> 00:41:11.789 says, in that day, I will break their yoke off 00:41:11.789 --> 00:41:16.190 your neck. In that day, I will break their yoke 00:41:16.190 --> 00:41:20.530 off their necks. What day? In the day of the 00:41:20.530 --> 00:41:26.329 anointing. Because you have grown so fat. That's 00:41:26.329 --> 00:41:29.630 what it says. In that day, I'll break their yoke 00:41:29.630 --> 00:41:34.340 off your necks. Because of the anointing that's 00:41:34.340 --> 00:41:37.440 upon you. Because you have grown so fat. How 00:41:37.440 --> 00:41:40.500 many of your Bibles say fat? Some say because 00:41:40.500 --> 00:41:43.519 of the anointing oil. But most translations say 00:41:43.519 --> 00:41:45.579 because you've grown so fat. Isaiah 10 verse 00:41:45.579 --> 00:41:49.739 27. And as a woman, I don't like that word fat. 00:41:49.980 --> 00:41:52.599 You see, it doesn't have good connotations. We 00:41:52.599 --> 00:41:54.739 don't like the thought that the more anointed 00:41:54.739 --> 00:41:58.349 we get, the fatter we'll become. You know, maybe 00:41:58.349 --> 00:42:01.210 we're back in the ladies' concert. So I puzzled 00:42:01.210 --> 00:42:03.309 about this. I said, God, I want a nice explanation 00:42:03.309 --> 00:42:10.050 for being fat and anointed. And so I began to 00:42:10.050 --> 00:42:12.929 think about it and pray about it. And this is 00:42:12.929 --> 00:42:15.150 what God spoke to me. And he says, if we're going 00:42:15.150 --> 00:42:20.260 to break the yoke off the necks. What it is, 00:42:20.260 --> 00:42:22.760 is that God begins, because of the anointing, 00:42:22.760 --> 00:42:25.239 that affirmation, that word of encouragement, 00:42:25.460 --> 00:42:28.599 that word that we begin to speak, it makes that 00:42:28.599 --> 00:42:33.079 spirit man grow. And as that spirit man grows, 00:42:33.199 --> 00:42:36.420 it becomes fatter. You see, we don't want just 00:42:36.420 --> 00:42:39.739 nice words. You don't want to come to church 00:42:39.739 --> 00:42:43.739 and just get a nice little, ah, you know, a little 00:42:43.739 --> 00:42:45.699 tickle. And we all go out and say, wasn't that 00:42:45.699 --> 00:42:49.039 a nice thought for the day? That was cute. Cute 00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:51.000 words aren't going to change us. It's anointed 00:42:51.000 --> 00:42:53.880 words. It's words that carry the anointing, that 00:42:53.880 --> 00:42:56.719 started in the mouth of God, ended in the mouth 00:42:56.719 --> 00:42:59.039 of a preacher, and ended up written on your heart. 00:42:59.800 --> 00:43:03.039 That's the word that makes you fat. And so in 00:43:03.039 --> 00:43:05.239 Hebrews we read in verse 8, he says, you know, 00:43:05.300 --> 00:43:07.239 you're going to know me from the least to the 00:43:07.239 --> 00:43:10.079 greatest because I'm going to start writing these 00:43:10.079 --> 00:43:14.219 words on your heart. How many of you know when 00:43:14.219 --> 00:43:15.760 you've been in the presence of God and he's been 00:43:15.760 --> 00:43:19.139 writing, you've become his scribble pad? And 00:43:19.139 --> 00:43:23.320 you know he's writing stuff on you. And you just 00:43:23.320 --> 00:43:26.840 think, okay, God. And that, if you will then 00:43:26.840 --> 00:43:30.480 meditate on it, will grow inside you and make 00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:36.539 you fat. Now here's a picture for you. For those 00:43:36.539 --> 00:43:39.179 of you, I didn't show you, but the ladies saw 00:43:39.179 --> 00:43:41.119 it and those who came this morning saw it. I 00:43:41.119 --> 00:43:43.820 haven't got a grandbaby yet, but I have got the 00:43:43.820 --> 00:43:47.860 most adorable chocolate Labrador puppy. and when 00:43:47.860 --> 00:43:50.199 we bought this little puppy he was a darling 00:43:50.199 --> 00:43:53.900 but we couldn't get a collar to fit him oh they 00:43:53.900 --> 00:43:58.460 got him you see he's cute and when he's there 00:43:58.460 --> 00:44:01.079 we're not going to tell him this because I might 00:44:01.079 --> 00:44:03.019 have to go through affirmation rejection take 00:44:03.019 --> 00:44:05.800 yokes off him but that I think is still the cat's 00:44:05.800 --> 00:44:10.619 collar because we couldn't find him a dog's collar 00:44:10.619 --> 00:44:14.139 but that puppy ate and he ate and he grew and 00:44:14.139 --> 00:44:18.369 the next one He's no longer got the cat's collar 00:44:18.369 --> 00:44:21.889 because he got fat. And as he got fatter, the 00:44:21.889 --> 00:44:24.469 collar of the cat broke off him and he's now 00:44:24.469 --> 00:44:30.909 a man and a dog. And you know, that's going to 00:44:30.909 --> 00:44:33.250 happen to you. As you start eating the right 00:44:33.250 --> 00:44:36.769 food, you're going to break the wretched yoke 00:44:36.769 --> 00:44:39.909 of the devil. And as we start feeding each other 00:44:39.909 --> 00:44:42.130 with the right food, we're not going to have 00:44:42.130 --> 00:44:45.329 to, we will just watch people get fat. Turn to 00:44:45.329 --> 00:44:54.769 your friend and say, fat is in. How many of you 00:44:54.769 --> 00:44:59.809 are happy? Pastor Brad's happy. He's laughing. 00:45:03.190 --> 00:45:11.710 You won't forget that, will you? Is this not 00:45:11.710 --> 00:45:14.710 the kind of fast that I've chosen? To break every 00:45:14.710 --> 00:45:22.250 chain of injustice. To untie every yoke. And 00:45:22.250 --> 00:45:24.690 then, I think it is, I'm doing a lot from memory 00:45:24.690 --> 00:45:29.409 because I'm too lazy to run up and down. So you 00:45:29.409 --> 00:45:34.469 can check me out. And then it goes to set the 00:45:34.469 --> 00:45:37.889 oppressed free. And so it's really interesting 00:45:37.889 --> 00:45:39.630 because you've got the external, you've got the... 00:45:40.440 --> 00:45:42.400 Personal yoke. And then you've got the atmospheric. 00:45:42.440 --> 00:45:44.719 This is set the oppressed free. This is much 00:45:44.719 --> 00:45:47.199 more about oppressive atmospheres. It's about 00:45:47.199 --> 00:45:49.440 the oppression of the devil, oppressive spirits. 00:45:51.239 --> 00:45:54.639 And it can be upon a person or it can be upon 00:45:54.639 --> 00:45:56.639 an area. How many of you know that there's certain 00:45:56.639 --> 00:45:59.739 areas of Eugene, Harrisburg and this area where 00:45:59.739 --> 00:46:02.119 if you go at night, it's got a totally different 00:46:02.119 --> 00:46:05.679 appearance, feeling. than during the day. And 00:46:05.679 --> 00:46:07.719 you know, pieces can look great during the day 00:46:07.719 --> 00:46:09.719 with the sun out and all the view. And suddenly 00:46:09.719 --> 00:46:12.599 at night, the atmosphere changes. And you could 00:46:12.599 --> 00:46:15.300 just walk down certain parts of the street and 00:46:15.300 --> 00:46:17.820 suddenly you're like, ooh, what's that? And there's 00:46:17.820 --> 00:46:20.219 not a person around you, but you've just hit 00:46:20.219 --> 00:46:24.400 an oppressive atmosphere. There's occultic powers 00:46:24.400 --> 00:46:27.019 here. There's witchcraft stuff here. There's 00:46:27.019 --> 00:46:29.519 slime. I don't know what you call that. But you 00:46:29.519 --> 00:46:31.360 know what? There's just times you feel slime 00:46:31.360 --> 00:46:35.000 and you think, ugh. And how many know that's 00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:38.659 an oppressive atmosphere? It's not because it's 00:46:38.659 --> 00:46:41.440 just a bad wind blew. There are spiritual forces. 00:46:44.159 --> 00:46:46.860 And God says, is this not the kind of fast I've 00:46:46.860 --> 00:46:50.760 chosen? To put a heart cry in you, to break those 00:46:50.760 --> 00:46:52.780 chains of injustice, get the yokes off, and then 00:46:52.780 --> 00:46:56.599 clear the airwaves. To begin to address those 00:46:56.599 --> 00:47:00.139 spiritual powers and atmospheres so that people 00:47:00.139 --> 00:47:07.300 can just breathe. And to break every yoke at 00:47:07.300 --> 00:47:09.780 every dimension, the external, internal and atmospheric. 00:47:12.400 --> 00:47:17.230 Because it's a new day. And there's new things 00:47:17.230 --> 00:47:19.730 that God wants to do in this atmosphere. And 00:47:19.730 --> 00:47:22.409 I just believe that God wants to give this church 00:47:22.409 --> 00:47:26.309 such a breakthrough anointing. I just believe 00:47:26.309 --> 00:47:29.510 that, I don't know, I just had a sense, I mean 00:47:29.510 --> 00:47:32.110 maybe, that you've been doing a series or you've 00:47:32.110 --> 00:47:33.989 been looking at the whole thing of deliverance. 00:47:34.050 --> 00:47:35.829 And you've been teaching in deliverance. And 00:47:35.829 --> 00:47:38.530 there's been a training in the area of deliverance. 00:47:38.590 --> 00:47:41.409 And God says it's very key because he wants to 00:47:41.409 --> 00:47:45.650 put that deliverance tool in your hand. There's 00:47:45.650 --> 00:47:48.489 an anointing that needs to come upon the northwest 00:47:48.489 --> 00:47:53.170 area to break chains, loose yokes, set oppressed 00:47:53.170 --> 00:47:59.869 free. I also felt as I was just praying that 00:47:59.869 --> 00:48:03.210 God really wants just you to get a whole new 00:48:03.210 --> 00:48:06.349 vision that when we come to fast, it's very easy 00:48:06.349 --> 00:48:08.829 to look at our needs and ourselves. But is this 00:48:08.829 --> 00:48:11.389 not the kind of fast I've chosen to look out? 00:48:12.269 --> 00:48:15.530 We're fasting for the out, not fasting for what 00:48:15.530 --> 00:48:18.829 I need. And I believe that God wants a whole 00:48:18.829 --> 00:48:23.510 new fast to come that is going to bring a breakthrough 00:48:23.510 --> 00:48:26.889 of the atmospheres for the release of signs, 00:48:26.989 --> 00:48:31.369 wonders and healing. It's going to be a healing 00:48:31.369 --> 00:48:38.489 time. A deliverance time. And he wants that breakthrough 00:48:38.489 --> 00:48:42.329 of those oppressive spirits. And then I'm just 00:48:42.329 --> 00:48:45.710 going to just give you a few lines from verse 00:48:45.710 --> 00:48:50.070 7. Just as a counter for, because yes, this is 00:48:50.070 --> 00:48:52.809 all the spiritual. But I do believe, is this 00:48:52.809 --> 00:48:56.030 not the kind of fast he's chosen? Is it not to 00:48:56.030 --> 00:48:58.769 share your food with the hungry? To provide the 00:48:58.769 --> 00:49:01.869 poor wanderer with shelter? When you see the 00:49:01.869 --> 00:49:05.469 naked to clothe them, do not turn away from your 00:49:05.469 --> 00:49:08.239 own flesh and blood. And I believe in these days 00:49:08.239 --> 00:49:11.079 God is really challenging us as a church to put 00:49:11.079 --> 00:49:14.179 natural with spiritual. And that it's not enough 00:49:14.179 --> 00:49:18.300 just to do all the spiritual prayer and fasting 00:49:18.300 --> 00:49:21.280 and then close our eyes when we see the physical 00:49:21.280 --> 00:49:26.480 needs of the people we've delivered. Because 00:49:26.480 --> 00:49:29.280 you see, I believe we've been through those times. 00:49:30.429 --> 00:49:33.070 Where, remember, we really preached about, you 00:49:33.070 --> 00:49:36.829 know, integrity and sexual morality and all that 00:49:36.829 --> 00:49:39.889 stuff. And so we didn't want abortion. We're 00:49:39.889 --> 00:49:42.590 saying no abortion. But then for those that have 00:49:42.590 --> 00:49:44.949 already got themselves in a compromised situation. 00:49:45.960 --> 00:49:47.780 Do we just turn our eyes and do the spiritual 00:49:47.780 --> 00:49:50.420 stuff and leave them pregnant with no home, no 00:49:50.420 --> 00:49:53.099 shelter? No, the church had to pick up the mandate 00:49:53.099 --> 00:49:56.039 of pregnancy crisis centres, houses for young 00:49:56.039 --> 00:49:58.599 mums and single mothers. And then when we get 00:49:58.599 --> 00:50:00.739 a single mother join the church with a baby, 00:50:00.900 --> 00:50:03.480 we shouldn't be looking down our nose. Come on, 00:50:03.500 --> 00:50:05.539 we just said don't have an abortion. So why are 00:50:05.539 --> 00:50:07.000 we giving her a hard time? Because she's got 00:50:07.000 --> 00:50:09.639 a baby. You know, we've got to sort some of this 00:50:09.639 --> 00:50:13.780 stuff out. And so, you know, is this not the 00:50:13.780 --> 00:50:16.300 kind of fast I've chosen? You do the spiritual 00:50:16.300 --> 00:50:18.400 stuff, you break the yokes, you break the oppression, 00:50:18.679 --> 00:50:20.880 but those that got caught in those atmospheres, 00:50:20.880 --> 00:50:25.059 we then have to be real practical about. We've 00:50:25.059 --> 00:50:27.239 got to begin to acknowledge that actually this 00:50:27.239 --> 00:50:29.400 may be the social welfare system isn't looking 00:50:29.400 --> 00:50:35.139 after them and they need housing. believe God 00:50:35.139 --> 00:50:37.219 has begun to challenge certainly us in Britain 00:50:37.219 --> 00:50:39.579 and I believe there's a challenge in America 00:50:39.579 --> 00:50:42.280 too is this not the kind of fast I've chosen 00:50:42.280 --> 00:50:46.000 come on America take care of your own that are 00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:48.739 naked and not struggling to dress and take care 00:50:48.739 --> 00:50:51.579 of your own that are looking for shelter And 00:50:51.579 --> 00:50:54.199 I would say both in Britain and America, in the 00:50:54.199 --> 00:50:56.960 church, we've had incredible generosity. Well, 00:50:57.039 --> 00:50:59.760 especially America. I mean, you are outstandingly 00:50:59.760 --> 00:51:02.800 generous in missions. Look at tsunami and all 00:51:02.800 --> 00:51:06.340 these things. I mean, you are exemplary at giving 00:51:06.340 --> 00:51:09.960 to the poor and needy across the sea. The way 00:51:09.960 --> 00:51:13.519 that you have clothed the naked, built orphanages 00:51:13.519 --> 00:51:16.920 all across the world, provided for the poor and 00:51:16.920 --> 00:51:19.639 needy. I mean, I'm a missionary kid. I grew up 00:51:19.639 --> 00:51:23.340 in India and in Africa. And the American generosity 00:51:23.340 --> 00:51:28.599 towards the third world is exemplary. But I hope 00:51:28.599 --> 00:51:30.699 you know I love you enough. I wonder, is this 00:51:30.699 --> 00:51:32.820 not the kind of fast I've chosen? What about 00:51:32.820 --> 00:51:35.760 across the street? Because there is something 00:51:35.760 --> 00:51:38.239 a little bit in the American psyche that goes, 00:51:38.380 --> 00:51:41.559 well, you made your bed, now lie in it. You've 00:51:41.559 --> 00:51:46.300 sowed, now you reap it. But the thing is, is 00:51:46.300 --> 00:51:48.840 this not the kind of fast I've chosen? There's 00:51:48.840 --> 00:51:51.139 been a lot of yokes, a lot of oppression, a lot 00:51:51.139 --> 00:51:54.099 of chains of injustice. And so that's why I believe 00:51:54.099 --> 00:51:57.099 what you do is life church. You know, July the 00:51:57.099 --> 00:51:59.400 4th and these expressions in community need to 00:51:59.400 --> 00:52:02.199 just be right through the very heart cry of your 00:52:02.199 --> 00:52:05.760 life. That it is both totally spiritual and totally 00:52:05.760 --> 00:52:09.780 natural. And you see at the end of that verse 00:52:09.780 --> 00:52:12.699 7, there's a little phrase that the Holy Spirit 00:52:12.699 --> 00:52:16.860 so got hold of me. And do not turn away from 00:52:16.860 --> 00:52:20.480 your own flesh and blood. And you see, it's very 00:52:20.480 --> 00:52:23.719 easy to give to Africa. It's very easy to give 00:52:23.719 --> 00:52:26.300 to India. But what about giving to an American? 00:52:28.599 --> 00:52:31.400 And you see, it's quite easy for us to turn away 00:52:31.400 --> 00:52:35.280 from the American that's got himself in a pit 00:52:35.280 --> 00:52:38.159 and can't get dressed and got drunk and in the 00:52:38.159 --> 00:52:41.420 thing. And you'll send it to Sudan and Africa. 00:52:43.239 --> 00:52:45.159 And they've got themselves in holes because of 00:52:45.159 --> 00:52:48.099 wrong choices too. I've lived in these nations. 00:52:48.420 --> 00:52:50.300 They're not all innocent victims. Do you get 00:52:50.300 --> 00:52:52.619 what I mean? But somehow in our own streets, 00:52:52.699 --> 00:52:55.179 and I'm not just saying it's you Americans, it's 00:52:55.179 --> 00:52:57.360 us British. It's that first world church thing. 00:52:57.460 --> 00:52:59.659 I believe God is now challenging us. Come on, 00:52:59.659 --> 00:53:02.659 don't turn away from your own flesh and blood. 00:53:04.460 --> 00:53:07.260 So what about those in Harrisburg, Eugene and 00:53:07.260 --> 00:53:10.699 in this area? Is this not the kind of fast I've 00:53:10.699 --> 00:53:17.119 chosen? You. Clothes. The naked. You take care 00:53:17.119 --> 00:53:19.800 of those that need housing, shelter, set up housing 00:53:19.800 --> 00:53:24.280 programs. You take care of the practical social 00:53:24.280 --> 00:53:25.679 needs. Well, that's the government's fault. That's 00:53:25.679 --> 00:53:28.420 why I pay my taxes. Actually, I don't believe 00:53:28.420 --> 00:53:32.980 any one government can do it. That's why there's 00:53:32.980 --> 00:53:35.920 the kingdom of God and the government of his 00:53:35.920 --> 00:53:40.679 peace. And it's time for the church to step back 00:53:40.679 --> 00:53:45.550 in. To social welfare programs. We can't keep 00:53:45.550 --> 00:53:50.550 turning away from our own flesh and blood. Is 00:53:50.550 --> 00:53:53.489 this not the kind of trust I've chosen? Then, 00:53:53.489 --> 00:53:59.590 then, then, light will break through. Let's pray. 00:54:06.539 --> 00:54:08.840 If you are interested in hearing other podcasts 00:54:08.840 --> 00:54:13.579 or contacting Life Bible Church, go to www .lifebiblechurch 00:54:13.579 --> 00:54:18.380 .org or call us at 541 -995 -8282.