Sermon
Imagination - Kingdom Faith
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Thanks for checking out the Anchor Faith Message podcast
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from St. Augustine, FL.
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Now enjoy this message. So tonight I want to talk to you
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about imagination. Imagination.
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Pastor Marcy, by the Spirit last night started to get into this a
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little bit and you know one of the greatest challenges that the
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church staff has and our worship team has because Pastor Darrell
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taught me this, he said, Listen, as a pastor, you're going to
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know. What typically the flow of the
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service and the training is with your staff and especially with
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your worship leader is that when they get in the spirit, they'll
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get in the vein that you're ultimately going to bring things
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to. And what happens is it what
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could happen is that say I knew that I was going to lay hands on
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people for healing well it could be easy for pastor Marcus and
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and worshipping to start sensing that people are going to be
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healed. So he has to, while singing,
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determine is it me that does that or is that something that
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ultimately pastor and this whole service is building so that he
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is going to release that? Because you can get over into
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something that is for someone else to deliver because God is
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just setting you up so that you can receive or getting everyone
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prepared, so to speak. You know, I've had conversations
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with multiple people within the congregation that said, you
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know, the Lord was talking to me about that subject.
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Well, why was he doing that? So that when I began to minister
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it, God was setting you up so that you would receive it easier
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because you were already there. I remember one time Apostle
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Darling Turner came here with the Global Leadership
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Conference. We hosted it one year, and I was
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in the Bible on concubines. I'm like, what's the deal with
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the concubines, man? I mean, what's up with the
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concubines? I've never really took time to
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study the concubines. OK?
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And you know, these kings had a lot of concubines.
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I mean, the name just sounds horrible, right at the end of
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the day. So with that being, she
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ministered a word called concubine wives and Queens.
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Oh, it was powerful. So God was already kind of
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talking. And then he allowed her to just
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rip things out so that it just set me on a path.
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And I was like, wow, here I was in this kind of vein.
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And God used her to deliver something.
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Amen. And so, you know, a lot of times
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again in service you'll start to pick things up that is happening
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and you have to begin to ask that question.
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Do I continue to go now? Pastor Marshall was dead on last
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night because what needed to take place with people stepping
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over into committing to the new season and the reason why a lot
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of us won't go into the next phase or season or step of faith
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with God is because we lose the capacity to imagine we become
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too sight driven. Now I realized, you know, when
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it's kind of hit me, I thought, well, no wonder God built me.
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Because when I grew up, guys, I had imaginary friends, not
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because I didn't have a sister. I had a older sister.
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And my older sister, I mean, she played with me.
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I mean, she did school with me. Obviously, I did the dolls
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because she was a girl. And so obviously we had that
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convert, you know, kind of interaction.
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But then I have my boy stuff, too, and I could buy myself,
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entertain myself. But I had four imaginary
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friends, four of them. It's just part of my I didn't
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have to see them, but they existed when I played.
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Are you hear? Hear me?
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I'll say the names. RC want me to let y'all know the
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names, and they're crazy names. I cannot tell you why their
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names are this at all. It makes no sense.
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But hey, I was a little kid, so the four names of my imaginary
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friends don't try to picture what they look like based on
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their names. Hanka.
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Jonka, Lipstick and Cooler. That was their names.
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Hanka, Jonka, Lipstick and Cooler.
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That was their names. OK, And so I would tell my mom.
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You can't sit there. We're what?
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Can't sit. Why?
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Because my imaginary friend was there.
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You know what God wants us to imagine?
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He actually gave us an imagination.
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The question is, are you allowing your imagination to go
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into the realm of God and the Spirit?
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Are you imagining things that are against God?
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Are you hearing me? So let's launch out with this
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scripture, Ephesians chapter 3, verses 20 and 21.
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And it says this now to him who was able to do far more
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abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the
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power that works within us. To him be the glory in the
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church and in Christ Jesus, to all generation, forever and
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ever. Amen.
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Are you hearing me? So now to him who is able, is he
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able? I said, is he able?
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And what is he able to do? He's able to do.
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Our God is able to do. We should never take a thought
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that God's not able to do, not able to do.
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He's able to do, but not only is he able to do, He's able to do
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far more. Far more, I mean.
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These are these adjectives. Are we talking adjectives right
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now, Rod? Are we saying far more
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abundantly? Are we considering these
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adjectives? Let him think about it.
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Adverbial mixed in with an adverb that mixed in OK.
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We're describing something. It is far more.
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I mean not just far, but it's far more.
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And then abundantly. I'd like more's not enough to
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know it's not just more, it's abundantly more beyond.
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I mean these 4 words right in a row.
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Far more abundantly beyond. Far more abundantly beyond all
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that. We asked which means we're
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asking something and and basically give the Lord's life.
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You're four times off. You're four times off and what
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you just asked me I can times that by four beyond what we
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asked which it means we actually asked it.
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We we conceived it enough that we asked God, But then or think
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now there's things we're thinking that we don't even dare
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ask because it seems so outrageous.
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And the reason why it seems outrageous is because when we
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think, when that thought comes and we compare it to our
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ability, we're like, no way. And you're right.
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If you were left alone to do it yourself, no way.
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But even then, there is context that someone outside of God can
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imagine in a way and still get a result, as God said concerning
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the Tower of Babel, he said. There's nothing that they set
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their mind to that they cannot accomplish.
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The problem is what they've set their mind to is against my
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ultimate plan. And you know what?
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Now there's resistance and I'm going against the rebellion.
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Are you hearing me? So with that being said, he says
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now he is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we
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ask or think. But how is it that it's
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happening according to the power that works within us?
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So again, you don't get him to do.
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You don't get his ability to do far more abundantly beyond what
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you could think or ask without the power that's works within
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you. That's right.
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That's right. So God's not doing far more
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abundantly beyond in your life unless there's something within
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you working now. This power that works within us
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is connected to verse 21, to him be the glory in the church,
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which means what God's conceiving.
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And this thing that you could be, you could that God is able
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to do far more abundantly beyond what you can ask or think, which
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means what he's imagining is way bigger than what you're
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imagining right now. And he can work it with what is
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working in you, but it's going to glorify the Church.
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It's not here for personal glorification, nor is it for you
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to be able to say, look how God blessed me.
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And yet that blessing has no connection to the church that he
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set you in and made you a part of.
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Are you hearing me? Now?
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Let's look at this. In the amplified classic verse
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20. It says now to Him, who by in in
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in a consequence of the action of his power that is at work
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within us, is able to carry out his purpose, and do super
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abundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask, or think
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indefinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts,
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hopes, or dreams. But again now to him, who by in
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consequence of so as the new American standard said here,
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they amplify the connection of his ability to do that is mind
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blowing to us, is connected to a power working us.
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Now if we want to know what this is, you have to back up a few
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verses because Paul is talking to them about their faith.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying? He's talking to them about?
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So the what's working in you is faith working in you.
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You receive something from him. It's his work because he gave
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you the directive, believe me. And as big as that is, it's
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settled. But most of us, and I was saying
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this at Morning Prayer this morning at 6:00 AM, is that more
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people love their definition of God than God's definition of
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God. And because most love their
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definition of God more than his definition of God, they won't
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imagine. Because here's the thing, Hanka,
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Jonka Lipstick and cooler. When I say that to you, you're
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like, bro, you're crazy. And when you start talking
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invisible stuff, right, You're crazy.
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And if I just started talking to them, you're crazy, right?
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That's crazy. No one's there.
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Now we go find out next year. There are some things in the
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unseen that are there, and people are talking to them and
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they exist. And.
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They're not imaginary friends. They are spirits that are
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conversing and they're having an open dialogue.
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I saw a guy today when I left the gym.
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He was having an open dialogue with what he was hearing in his
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head, an open dialogue. Amen.
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So with that being said, let's look at this verse 20 out of the
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passion translation, this is really good.
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The Passion translation said never doubt God's mighty power
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to work in you. Because again, if a man is going
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to receive from God, he has to do it without doubting.
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You can't doubt, no doubting. Are you hearing what I'm saying?
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Now let me just put this in perspective.
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You can't tell God what you're believing, for there's plenty of
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believers that will pull scripture and tell him this is
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what I'm believing for, but they've not asked him.
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How do I apply what you're saying from your word so that I
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can believe you for it? Because God knows the whole
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situation and knows what you need to believe in order for it
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to turn out the way his will is. Or you hear what I'm saying.
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So you can actually take a no doubt position using context of
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scripture that God hasn't technically talked to you about.
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Because again, the Bible is not for intellectuals.
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It's not there for the sake of academia.
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It's there so that he can speak to you his words alive.
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And when you get in situations, even though you know where there
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are scriptures you can go to, All in all you have to say of
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these scriptures, what are you having me stand on?
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What are you speaking to me? So that I can stand?
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But again, most of the time those particular layers of faith
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are basically trying to get out of trouble.
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And I'm not even talking about getting out of trouble, 'cause
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when you're imagining you're not in trouble, an imagination is
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not. It is.
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It's carefree to any obstacle, right?
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It can be carefree in. In fact, what could stop you
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from imagining, let's say, case in point, that you are going to
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be given a yacht so that you can travel around to small islands
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and preach the gospel. The only thing that stops at is,
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well, I can't afford that Or who would give that and how much
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would that cost? I mean, we start and we take, we
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take our imagination out. I mean, I can imagine myself on
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the front of it. I can imagine most people can't
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imagine themselves having a substantial amount of wealth to
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be able to help significantly when finances are needed.
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They can't imagine that at all. They can't imagine starting
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their own business. They can't imagine going bigger
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and franchising. They can't imagine that they
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could start A5O1C3 to help in a very specific need.
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And I'm not saying these things are disconnected from your
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church 'cause you need to be connected to the church.
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I'm just saying that then all of a sudden it grows in such a way
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that that particular niche is able to help people globally.
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But most won't imagine it, because at the end of the day,
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we. Short circuit ourselves through
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the scene realm. But, he says, never doubt God's
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mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this.
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He will achieve indefinitely more than your greatest request,
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your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest
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imagination. He will outdo them all for He,
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for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying now?
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We offer up to God all the glorious praise that raises from
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every church in every generation, through Jesus
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Christ, and all that will be manifest through time and
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eternity. The Church has so much work to
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do now that we must begin to imagine ourselves a Church
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without spot or wrinkle. That we imagine ourselves as
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being in complete unity. That we imagine ourselves
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walking in love, walking in forgiveness.
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That we can imagine that we can have a not not all.
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Well, you know church, you're going to have problems and you
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know people are going to not get along.
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And why can we not imagine that when you, I don't care whether
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you're immature, you're an infant babe in Christ, carnal
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Christian, or whether you have maturity that you will say yes,
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Lord, at whatever level you are, and that yes, Lord will cause
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you to walk in love and forgiveness.
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Spiritual maturity is not necessary to walk in
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forgiveness. It is actually an elementary
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principle. Because when the master forgave
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the one guy of all his debt, that one action was enough.
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That when he went out and found his fellow slave that owed him
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money, that one action of I forgave you an insurmountable
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debt that you never could have paid, and yet you couldn't
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forgive your own. That's elementary.
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That is not spiritual maturity. That is acknowledging all.
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That God forgave you. How in the world will I not
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forgive them? That is so simple.
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That is so simple because you know what happened when he did.
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We don't like to preach that because people have the this
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belief, you know, that you know once God Forgives your sin,
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you're done. Well, guess what?
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If you don't reciprocate the the action and behavior of what he
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brought you into, that's problematic.
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And that guy went to prison and was tortured.
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Say Amen anyway, OK? He left the house debt free.
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And in less than 24 hours, he was in prison all right.
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Let's move on to happier things. So in Ephesians, he's saying
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this thing that's accomplishing in you is the power working
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within you. And the power working within you
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is that God has said something to you.
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It's called faith, and you are. Beginning to imagine what God
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has placed in your heart. And as a result of that you're
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going to see it come to pass. Period.
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Look what it says in Hebrews 11/1.
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It says this. Now.
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Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things
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what not seen right. Now, before I dissect this down
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a little bit more, remember 2nd Corinthians 418.
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We quote this quite often here. And that is Paul saying, while
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we look not at the things that are seen, but the things which
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are not seen, for the things that are seen or temporal or
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temporary, but the things that are not seen or what they're
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eternal. I said they're eternal.
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Second Corinthians 418. They are eternal.
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So what we see here is that we should be more comfortable
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imagining. And I realized, you know, again
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just recently, I'm like, well, no wonder God picked me 'cause
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I'll imagine. I'm not ashamed to imagine.
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It's empowering, actually. I'm a person who's willing to
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think beyond myself and believe it could happen.
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I have, I've, I've my whole life has been this.
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Being able to believe something outside of what I saw, period.
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And we should be this way and that.
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Listen, you can't let what happens in this world from the
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enemy to take your imagination away.
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Can't do it. And 2024 will be one of your
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greatest years ever. Because again, when trials and
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tribulation come, listen. The reason why Anchor Faith
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Church owns a mall in Saint Augustine is 'cause we could
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imagine it. And I never came off and I never
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gave you a reason to doubt. We couldn't, even though there
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were all kind of things happening behind the scenes that
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could bring a lot of doubt if I had spoken about it.
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Hallelujah. So at the end of the day, I just
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imagine and I can see myself and can see it and can see it and
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can see it, and I'm imagining other pieces of property now.
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I'm imagining myself being on the property.
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I'm imagining what it looks like, how it's going to be
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different once I acquire it because of the purpose and the
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plan and what God has. And again I get things come
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towards us that I can say. I could imagine that now, at the
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end of the day, am I naturally capable?
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No. Are we organizationally
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structured? Probably not.
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But that won't stop me from dreaming.
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Because again, whatever peace needs to get in place, can get
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in place. I don't have to see it in the
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natural before I can say, OK, now we can do this.
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We should never allow ourselves to be in that position.
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And some of us have become complacent with what we've
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accomplished in one layer of faith, but won't dare to dream
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for something more to expand your influence.
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Because the reality is, faith is a fight.
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I know when it came to purchasing them all, I knew I I
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played it over in my head. I'm like, OK, I realize what
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this means. I mean, we have won so many
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faith battles. We are living in this realm of.
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We have what we say and God is good and things are awesome.
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But if I go after that, I already see the conflict
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associated with it, because I'm not even in the Devil's devices.
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I understand the sacrifice. I did not know it would take
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five years, right? But at the end of the day, it is
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what it is and we go for it. But I had to say, you know what?
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I'm willing to continue to dream.
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I mean, we should be the most aggressive people on the planet
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to be able to pull things towards us because most of us
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think how the enemy has put things in front of our face.
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We think we can't we we can't beat the government.
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We can't overcome, you know, what's going on.
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You know, in in law enforcement, we can't overcome what's going
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on in entertainment, we can't. We just think it's too big.
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I can imagine something different now.
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At the end of the day, I can imagine that all of this going
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to go to the wayside, because my King's coming back and he's
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going to do that anyway. But I Why would we stop an
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effort? It seems like that we we if we
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don't watch out, we're like, well, we know the world's going
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to go bad, so we basically quit imagining and we really just
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want Jesus to come back. And we have no imagination to
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continue to be way more effective.
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Like, let's go ahead and take what the devil stole.
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I mean, let's keep taking from him because the gates of hell
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can't prevail against us. That doesn't stop just because
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the world goes crazy, doesn't stop just because people are
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blatantly do not want Jesus when you witness to him.
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It doesn't stop that we still should be able to do because
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people need to see that, my gosh, everything you touch, it's
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not without opposition. But you win, You overcome.
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We have to get back to imagining God's word translation of
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Hebrews. 11/1 says it this way. Faith assures us of things we
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expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot
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see. I believe in the these next 18
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days, as we're in prayer and fasting, there's going to come
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and amass. God's going to give you
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something to imagine and and listen, I'm not asking, I'm not
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trying to think that it's got to be like, you know, OK, we're
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going to, you know, take over the planet.
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I'm not saying that. I'm saying for some of you it
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could be that God just says, listen, I'm going to bless you
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so much that you'll be able to give money away at all time.
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And that may be a stretch for your imagination some.
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It could be some relationship, right?
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And it's like we can do something here.
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And next thing you know, it could be that.
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I mean, it could be multiple things.
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It could be a young person that God begins to say, I'm gonna
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utilize you in this capacity in your school and you gotta be
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able to imagine yourself. There.
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Whatever. It could be some of you in
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business to expand, whatever the case may be.
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It could be God just wants to put you on a board somewhere so
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that you can be more influential.
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I mean, again, we do have someone on a county board now,
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praise God, but I do not have a county commissioner yet.
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We need to imagine, well, how could I win an election?
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Just see if God wants you to run, because if he does, how can
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you lose? Now that doesn't mean you may
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get in the first time, because again, I'm going to give, you
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know, a, a, a context of particular individual who's no
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longer they're not even in the earth today.
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But someone spoke to them about a promotion, and they didn't get
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the first time and they got sideways with God.
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But just because God's telling you something, you may have a
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conflict right out there. But that doesn't mean to change.
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My pastor, Mike and Angie, you know, Abigail B16 coming up here
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soon. And, you know, they had a
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miscarriage, OK. And so, you know, I got a word
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that they would have a child this time next year.
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She got pregnant immediately and ended up losing the child, like
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quick. Well, that's not what the word
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of the Lord said. She obviously went back,
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listened to the Lord. There were things they wanted to
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do to her medically. She went with God, said I'm not
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gonna do that. She stood on that word.
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She got pregnant again. Abigail's here 16 years later,
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right? My point is, is that she could
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have taken this thought because, again, there were some things
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that the Lord was talking to her about that she needed to make
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some adjustments, you know, in the realm of holding the child
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in the womb. And as a result of that, we
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press on. But she could imagine that it
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will be this way and I won't be this way.
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Are you hearing me? So again, God could say
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something and you could run and not get it.
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Don't think you miss God. Keep going.
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Keep pressing. Imagine that you can do
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something. Are you hearing me?
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You know, when Bishop Garraway gave that word back at the
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beginning of the year concerning, you know that that
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he said, I see you in the corridors of power and that
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they're speaking your name in the governor's mansion.
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That word has come to pass. I just got a text from Anila
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while she's traveling over to Tanzania and she was talking to
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We're going up to Tallahassee at the end of this month.
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And this group of people that are again connected with the
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faith base, they want us to get around the legislators and that
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individual says, we are telling everybody all over the state
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about your. Church.
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So yes, we want your pastor to develop relationship with the
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legislator. In fact, we want him on a
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particular board. And this is the first step.
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Well, I can imagine, 'cause you know what the Bible shows us
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that people that were in power, as far as the government had
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someone that they could speak to, to hear how God would want
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them to handle that. And, you know, we got enough nut
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cases around here following Jesus and ain't following,
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right? You know what?
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Let's get somebody that actually will follow God, stay with the
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word, not compromise. I mean, I think God wants some
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those individual to get connected to those that are in
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certain positions. Why not us?
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I said. Why not us?
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I mean, what would it look like? If Governor Ron DeSantis called
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and said, Pastor Earl, listen, we got this situation I want to
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What will you pray about it? Tell me what you think the
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Lord's saying concerning it. I come to you and say this is
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what we're asking pray. Let's get in prayer together.
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Because we are the answer to the world's problems, right?
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So we're convinced of things we don't even see because God's
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word is truth. The amplified classic of Hebrew
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11/1 says it this way. Now faith is a substance to
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confirmation of title, deed of things we hope for being, the
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proof of things we do not see, and the conviction of their
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reality, faith. Perceiving as real fact what is
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not revealed by to the senses. So at the end of the day, I
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don't have to see it. You know, I'm not surprised that
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the Lord has me launching out January 4th, because, just to
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let you know. On Sunday, January 7th, we will
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not be in the sanctuary, so don't come here.
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You're going to come to the church like you normally do, and
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then we're going to take you into JCPenney.
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We're having service in JCPenney Sunday.
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We're going to have service in there and these chairs aren't
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going right. We're going to do crisscross
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apple salt. No, I'm kidding.
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I have chairs in there for you. You might want to come early
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because not all of them are padded.
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Just to let you know, I'm not here to make you comfortable.
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I'm here to guess vision. Are you hearing me?
-
So we're going to be in JCPenney and everybody's going to direct
-
you there. All right.
-
But even do prayer in there. We're not coming in here now.
-
I'm just going to let you know, air conditioning heater does not
-
work in JCPenney. Thank you.
-
It should be all right. I mean, considering it's pretty
-
cool anyway and it's 53,000 square feet, so I don't think,
-
you know, even if everybody shows up, we're going to create
-
so much body heat that we're going to be sweating to death.
-
But if you do get tired, bring a fan hot, bring a.
-
Fan And most of you won't be complaining about how cold it
-
is, so you can say Amen to that, all right, but we'll have to buy
-
climate control at some point. We may do multiple.
-
Services this year over there, all right.
-
But I need you to go into space and see it, because this is too
-
comfortable seating. I mean, if you all you do is can
-
imagine coming here, then you'll never imagine going over there.
-
You'll never imagine it. And again, I don't need it to be
-
pretty, because people who have an imagination already see it
-
beyond the state it's in. And let me just tell you this,
-
you're you need to be thanking God that I can see beyond
-
current states, because looking at some of y'all, y'all in a
-
mess right now. But I see you in Christ
-
somewhere different. Know that.
-
So don't come to me with your problem thinking all all I see
-
is your problem. I only see you in Christ of
-
Victor, a champion only thriving and doing your fit and purpose.
-
So any bumps along the road, that's easy.
-
We'll pick you up and drive on 'cause I only see you as a
-
champion now if you felt if you want to lay down, that's on you.
-
But but when I stand before, I said I saw him as a heavyweight
-
champion the whole time and I kept trying to call that out.
-
Are you hearing me, 'cause I can imagine you being a chain, a
-
person that changes the world. Why is that?
-
Cause Hebrews 1320 and 21 says this Now the God of peace, who
-
brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep.
-
Who's that? Jesus, through the blood of the
-
eternal covenant. Even Jesus, our Lord.
-
Look at verse 21. Equip you in every good thing to
-
do his will, working in us that which is what pleasing in his
-
sight through Jesus Christ, to whom the glory, to whom be the
-
glory forever and ever. Amen.
-
Notice here in verse 21 that he is equipping you for every good
-
thing to do his will. So Christ, the reason Christ
-
died and rose from the dead was not just to forgive you of your
-
sins. So when you die you go to heaven
-
is so that you can be forgiven and be made in the likeness of
-
God. Again, have your rulership again
-
go back to the dominion that God originally gave man.
-
And then he said, now I want you to imagine all we're going to do
-
together, so working in us that which is pleasing.
-
Now this word pleasing is important because Hebrews 11/6
-
says without faith it's impossible to please God.
-
So anything that's pleasing in his sight, remember what he said
-
about Jesus here. This is my beloved Son in whom
-
I'm well pleased. And he says that because
-
previous just before Jesus gets done, he says John permitted at
-
this time so that all righteousness can be fulfilled.
-
In essence, I have to do what the Word has said about me.
-
It's my purpose. It's what God's commanded me to
-
do. I'm going to be obedient it to
-
the crossing of the T and the dotting of the I I'm going to
-
fulfill it all. And God said I'm pleased because
-
this my son is operating in faith and that's what he wants
-
us. He's equipping us so that we can
-
do his will. That way he'll be pleased with
-
us. He wants us to imagine.
-
Hallelujah. He wants us to imagine.
-
The crazy thing about imagination is there's things
-
that pop up that I didn't imagine.
-
I imagine what God said I do, but I'd never imagined it would.
-
This would show up. But it doesn't matter because
-
that is subject to this. What I've heard from the Lord
-
period is subject to it because what God has said, he'll bring
-
it to pass, and not only would it be able to do it, he'll do it
-
far more abundantly beyond what we could think or ask.
-
Got a call today from a third year Ramos student that's going
-
to be graduating and they want to talk with me because they
-
believe God is sending them to us.
-
Well, praise the Lord, we have things to do.
-
I know what's been trained. So I have expectation.
-
Are you hearing me? And I don't think this would be
-
uncommon. Why is that 'cause we are
-
confessing that God is adding adults to us that are submitted
-
and committed to division and they going to come from all?
-
Over the place, all over the world to do the work.
-
Can you imagine that We could fill up JC Penney and we're
-
like, could you imagine, can I get crazy with you, Could you
-
imagine that we would leave this 25 1/2 acres, have to buy 200
-
acres somewhere else? Keep this as a mall to continue
-
to funnel us and build a whole other campus.
-
Could you imagine that? I could imagine that.
-
I could imagine it. Yeah, I could imagine where the
-
University of Saint Augustine left.
-
We take, I can imagine that. I mean there's no piece of
-
property I can't imagine. I just need a yes.
-
So I drive around, I look, I'm like I'm listed.
-
No place is out of my price range because I have the
-
currency of the Kingdom and man, it's not out of my price range.
-
Interest rates mean nothing to me based upon what God wants us
-
to do. Oh my, my my.
-
And here's the thing. I believe Jesus is coming back
-
quick. Which means then I got to
-
believe this can happen in a extremely fast time frame.
-
Amen. Not decades.
-
All right? Not decades.
-
It's got to come to pass. I mean, we have been asked to
-
get on the CRA board in West Augustine to help develop that
-
area. I can imagine, and I know what I
-
imagine will have opposition, but all I got to do is do what
-
he tells me to do and it will transform and I will pull the 2
-
billion that is on the east side of US one over to the West side.
-
But I'm telling you right now, as a whole, the community's not
-
ready for 2 billion because mentalities have to change.
-
Are you hearing me? And it starts with simple stuff.
-
OK, I can imagine. Hallelujah.
-
I walked through the Tennessee Aquarium and I'm like, they're
-
running this thing by grants. I mean, I dropped some money to
-
go into thing, but at the end of the day, there's grant money
-
here. I led to my Donald Law,
-
Brittany, I said. There's grant money here.
-
We, we, I mean they they probably getting grant money for
-
these turtles. I'm gonna start a petting zoo in
-
the middle of the mall and get grant money for it.
-
Right. I can imagine.
-
I can imagine getting it from everywhere, right, 'cause, I
-
mean, if you're paying taxes and they're giving away in grants,
-
might as well come to us. Are you hearing me?
-
Hallelujah. I can imagine.
-
I can imagine having a place We already have put it together.
-
Where we can have a transitional home for the homeless,
-
especially those that are part of the VA process or veterans I
-
can already imagine, told the county to every county
-
commissioner, every one of them to their face, I said we have
-
the personnel and the capacity to do it.
-
Today you need to give us property.
-
You're telling the county to give you land?
-
Well, everybody else is. Did they give it to me?
-
No. Today.
-
But praise the Lord. Look at Ephesians 210.
-
It says, for we are his workmanship.
-
You, you. You're not going to have this
-
unless you can imagine. Now again, it's not your
-
personal imagination you're trying to get God to bless.
-
I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is I'm keeping
-
it in the context. When we imagine we're we're,
-
we're in a place that's not real or to our senses real, but we've
-
made it real in our minds. And when God's word penetrates
-
our heart and we let it transform our minds, then it
-
becomes a part of our minds eye. And we imagine that that word is
-
reality, and as a result of that it comes to pass.
-
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for what
-
good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would what
-
walk in them. Now?
-
Nobody goes to verse 10. Everybody only stays at verse
-
nine. That we're saved, not of our own
-
works that any man should boast. That is the grace of God through
-
faith. It's the free gift, and
-
everybody stops there. But verse 10 says you got saved
-
to work. And here's the thing.
-
The things I have for you, I've already prepared for them to
-
walk in. I've already imagined what your
-
whole life is before you ever came out of your mother's womb.
-
I just need you to hook up with my imagination.
-
I'm like, Lord, let me and you know, you know how we cry out.
-
These are the things we cry out. Which is a little frustrating to
-
me because again it's so elementary.
-
Oh Lord, let me see with your eyes and and and let me have the
-
compassion you had. And I get it for the law.
-
I understand that. But everybody wants to just
-
know, God, on how he sees the lost.
-
You know how he sees the lost finished?
-
He sees the lost without excuse. It's done.
-
Now. I'm not saying you shouldn't be
-
compassionate. You don't go around to the lost
-
and say, bro, you're going to hell, man, I'm sorry for you.
-
I'm not saying you're callous, but I'm saying all we wanted to
-
learn about God is how he sees the loss and God's like.
-
Why don't you learn to see how I see creation?
-
Because before man became lost, I wasn't thinking about the
-
lost. He had a plan to save the lost.
-
I know because the Lamb was slain before the foundation of
-
the world. My point is, is that God always
-
saw the existence of just believing and creating.
-
Nobody wants to dare God. Let me dream like you.
-
Think about it. There was a time in eternity
-
that God had a thought when it was all by himself, Father, Son,
-
the Holy Ghost. And it was well thought out,
-
because before he ever spoke, he already saw the end from the
-
beginning. But the.
-
Minute. He began to speak.
-
He was able to imagine every star, every planet, DNA strands
-
and the multiplicity of how it would make a person look and how
-
much hair would be produced. On the individual.
-
I mean, this is like, right? And we're just asking God to
-
give us his eyes to see the lost.
-
Lord, give me your eyes to see, to imagine like you imagine.
-
Because if I begin to flow like that with the Lord, I'm telling
-
you to get the lost attention because they're going to.
-
They'll determine real quick you are not of this world.
-
You do not act like us. What is going on with you?
-
I'm glad you asked. Are you hearing me?
-
So he's created this work for us beforehand that we walk in and
-
we just only have to imagine, you know, I know there's a
-
Christian song out there. I don't want to pick it apart.
-
I can only imagine. I mean, I'll have to actually
-
imagine what it'd be like because the Bible tells me what
-
it'd be like, and they tell me exactly what I'd be doing.
-
So if the guy would have read the Bible, he wouldn't have had
-
to imagine actually, and people wouldn't be crying over the song
-
about what they would be like when they get in front of him.
-
Because if they read the word, they know what it would be like.
-
But we need to go and be imagine in more than heaven.
-
Let's imagine what we can do now.
-
Are you hearing me? OK Lord, if you are business
-
owner, stand up. Hebrews 12/1 and two.
-
Hebrews, Hebrews 12/1 and two. This is the passion translation.
-
Look at this for us. We have all of these great
-
witnesses who encircle us like clouds, so we must let go of
-
every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall
-
into. When we are able to run, then we
-
are able to run life's marathon race with passion and
-
determination, for the path has been already marked out before
-
us. We look away from the natural
-
realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus, who birth faith
-
within us and who leads us forward into faith's perfection.
-
In essence, he's the author and finisher of our faith.
-
The author and finisher of our faith.
-
Are you hearing me? And so there are many that have
-
gone before, the only thing that stops you from accomplishing or
-
imagining. Again, number one, you got to
-
get rid, got to deal with your wound.
-
All of us have wounds. All of us.
-
Somebody has said something, both a, a believer who was
-
carnal and fleshly and acted in the flesh instead of in the
-
spirit. We've all had been wounded by
-
them. We've all been wounded by the
-
world, every one of us. But are you going to hold the
-
wound? Are you going to let it continue
-
to fester, or will you heal it through forgiveness so they're
-
no longer your puppet master #2? If there's something that you
-
repeatedly see yourself and you know it's not God's will, yet
-
you're doing it. When I say that again, don't see
-
sin as 10 commandments, you know, well I don't steal.
-
Well, I don't commit murder. Listen, the Bible says if you
-
know what to do and you don't do it to him, it's sin.
-
So it's it could be a general sense that you know you're not
-
and you're doing it. And at the end of the day that's
-
sin and you easily fall. You got to eliminate those.
-
Then you're going to be able to run.
-
I said you're going to be able to run.
-
And I heard in my spirit when I had you stand up, the Lord says
-
command them to dream again. Not a suggestion.
-
The Lord said command them to dream again.
-
Command them. See, some of you are thinking if
-
you don't watch how you'll think so.
-
So you're like, well you know, I'm just self-employed, you
-
know, what kind of do? Can you imagine taking it and
-
handing it over to a manager and handing it over to where you
-
actually can step back, Literally, as the business
-
owner, you don't have to be there all the time and go ahead.
-
And instead of, you know what, I'm just doing this, you know,
-
well, you know what, I could get back in the game and I could
-
develop this thing so that it goes beyond my lifetime.
-
Should the Lord tarry and you go that your company name goes on,
-
why does it have to die with you?
-
I mean, you could be that person.
-
Now again, I don't know whether you're international or not.
-
I'm not asking. I don't know that God may know
-
that some of you are traveling in those directions even now.
-
And what's crazy is this. Listen, if God is birth and his
-
will for you is to be this absolutely strong, local
-
business thrive, you're doing what God's asked.
-
Nobody can do better, even if they become a global company.
-
You only are to do what you're assigned, what he's marked out
-
for you before beforehand to walk in.
-
But are you doing it with everything?
-
Are you imagining how it could go more?
-
Or does the number scare you? Do the taxes scare you?
-
Do the personnel that you're going to have to hire scare you?
-
Do you scare yourself because you know you're going to have to
-
change in order to handle? Because some of you can't even
-
imagine you could handle that many?
-
Because you get frustrated when it gets that big, But the
-
reality is you can change. Because you have the reigning
-
spirit on the inside of you. You do And I heard the Lord say
-
in my spirit, Command them to dream.
-
Command. Them to dream and write down
-
crazy thoughts, Matt, right now. Crazy thoughts.
-
I mean, just crazy stuff, Stephen.
-
Crazy things, Ernie. Crazy Seth, Crazy stuff, Elliot.
-
Just the most obscene idea. If it pops in, write it down
-
because then you can vet it to determine is it God or something
-
else. Because you know God's voice,
-
Chris. Think of something crazy, Chris.
-
Just crazy. Now, it may be a process.
-
I get it. I came here and the only thing I
-
ever got from the Lord is don't buy 5 acres.
-
That's what I got right out. Don't buy 5 acres.
-
Because what you are and what you're going to do, you got
-
going to be able to do on five acres.
-
Don't do it. So that's why it took so long
-
because we looking for land now I actually am hearing I'm
-
listening to God about some land I tied up once.
-
Determine maybe I shouldn't have let go of it because it may have
-
never been for the church but it may be If you want to know what
-
that property is, where the trend galley barn is, that's 51
-
acres that we got in contract with and they built a pond with
-
the trunking company but then they encroached on wetlands and
-
then they end up having to mitigate and tie it up and I
-
would have only had eight. Acres.
-
And it wasn't even connected, although I could have filled in
-
the pond that was 15 acres, which would have put us back to
-
23. But that takes time.
-
At the end of the day, I went away from it.
-
And I do have some people in a town right now that are saying,
-
well, you know, they would believe in God for that and
-
didn't do it. So I'm like, Lord, did I miss
-
it? Should I just stayed with it?
-
It wasn't. For the church.
-
So I'm asking because if he wants me to have it, I'm going
-
to take it. Are you hearing me?
-
Because I could. Do something with that barn.
-
Are you hearing me? Some other ideas?
-
Now my point is, is dream. Imagine.
-
Write it down. Crazy stuff, but you've that
-
kind of stuff takes you out of your comfort.
-
The Lord commands you to imagine, which I believe.
-
In the next 18 year days, you're going to hear some stuff.
-
Write it down, write it down. And then at that point, let the
-
Holy Ghost prioritize it. Hallelujah, you can be seated.
-
I am a pastor, but I'm also an apostle.
-
Because I'm an apostle, I actually own businesses that are
-
connected with the church. You know what?
-
My son came to me in our creative team and had a crazy
-
idea. And so why don't we start a
-
nonprofit? They used to have one as ALC,
-
but let's make it nonprofit called Citizen Studios.
-
We already knew we wanted to do this with them all because
-
again, the way we look, we want to have control of the design.
-
Because I'm not going to have people writing with a Big Magic
-
marker on the side of their building or their storefront and
-
say open and these are ours, We tear that stuff down, OK, we
-
want a presentation, all right. That being said, he says, you
-
know, based upon our workload, we have people coming to and
-
talking to us about our design. And so we have contracts with
-
other companies right now that are paying us monthly to create
-
content for them. That takes our guys about two
-
hours a week. So for eight hours with one
-
company I get $1000. What do we do with that money?
-
We move it right into the creative area and.
-
Because those guys are working a percentage.
-
Of it, The majority of it goes for the ministry.
-
The other percentage I give them bonuses.
-
Because they created an economy. When our creative team goes on a
-
trip with us to document for you, they also begin to do other
-
things. It's 'cause we began to imagine
-
when we went to Poland, Chase took pictures of Poland, came
-
back, sold the drone footage and the pictures for over $3000.
-
Yeah, and what did what? What?
-
Because he they're feeding the church and the church is feeding
-
them creative, Very creative. It's amazing.
-
There's another little venture I'm fixing to jump into, but
-
I've been talking about doing this for years, things that we
-
would have. So I can have it on the fly.
-
And again, people can say, well, how can you do that?
-
How does it take away from your pastor?
-
And don't take away. I don't actually do it.
-
I empower those to do it. And as a result, we reap.
-
The benefit base. Are you hearing me?
-
Yes. There's one particular thing
-
that came. Through a particular musical
-
artist contacted. US through Citizen Studio and.
-
May want us to do a music video for.
-
Them at the. Sound of 10 to 15. $1000.
-
Amen. How do you do you imagine?
-
Now let me say this. Are we going to build this
-
ministry? Where?
-
You don't ever have. To tithe and give an offering
-
again. Well, if you want to go broke,
-
then sure. I'm not telling you additional
-
income so that you can. Say, oh, great pastor is getting
-
all kind of money we can hold. Ours.
-
I mean, this is a biblical principle of giving that's
-
between you and God at the end. Of the day, I mean you.
-
Really want to get out there and do something amazing?
-
Let me just say to you, as a business, you need to be giving.
-
On your business. And some of you have done.
-
It some of you got involved with what, Bishop?
-
Said and. Man, you have come through.
-
We'll talk about that next week. What's come in?
-
Because what took us five years to get them all, We have more in
-
the. Year.
-
Did you hear what I said? What took the church?
-
Five years based upon what people would sow and was making
-
and came into their possession. Took us five years to do 250.
-
$1000 more came in in a year. To be able to.
-
Pay the mall. Off, which means you prospered.
-
Because of your other giving, there's increase that has taken
-
place. Are you hearing what I'm saying?
-
So God wants us to imagine now, I did business tonight.
-
I just did what I had unctioned by the Spirit.
-
At the end of the day, all of us need to imagine, need to be
-
asking God these next. 18 days. Lord, what's my purpose here?
-
What's my connection here? How do you want me to, you know,
-
continue to thrive within the vision here?
-
But also what? How do you want to use me?
-
Because some of you are thinking retirement.
-
And you shouldn't. Rod, we got a lot of books to
-
write, don't we? Yeah.
-
He initially imagined. That I would write the great.
-
American novel, right? And then he came here, And then
-
the Lord says, Nah, what I meant for.
-
You. Having a a.
-
Book that would go all over the world got connected here and it
-
is doing that and I received a copy.
-
Of the forest in Greek last week and in Vietnamese Hallelujah,
-
we're hitting the nations because his word's the most.
-
Important word. Anyway, not a fictional novel.
-
Not that he still couldn't write one.
-
All right. Or you hear me, I got some
-
little kid books that I would do under a pseudo name, but.
-
I won't talk to you all about that.
-
Stand to your feet. Come on, stand to your feet.
-
But everybody standing. If you're here today and you've
-
never made Jesus the Lord of your life, I'm telling you, God
-
planted ideas are amazing. I am living proof.
-
I wish I could load you. All up on.
-
Multiple charter buses, maybe even actually a plane from Saint
-
Augustine and we. Fly into.
-
Gainesville And then we take a little trip out to a town called
-
Archer where there's one light. Because Archer decided it was
-
not going to grow. And I could take you past my
-
house and you would say, can anything good come out of
-
Archer, I'm telling you. But man, what God has done.
-
Through a kid who was raised in Archer, Florida.
-
Because I can imagine. I can imagine.
-
I can imagine. That I can.
-
Ignite the city, impact the nation and influence the world
-
and be great at all three. I can imagine that when I'm
-
influenced in the world that you are thriving, igniting the city.
-
When I'm not here. I can.
-
Imagine that when you're out in. The nation doing something, and
-
I'm here locally, we're thriving together.
-
I can imagine, because I can imagine that this prophecy will.
-
Come to pass. For us in 2014.
-
Prophet John. Todd said this.
-
He has meditated for some time. That it is yet to be seen what
-
could be done through a man who gave himself wholly to the Lord,
-
the Holy Spirit said. It is yet to be seen.
-
What could be done through a whole church that gave
-
themselves wholly to the Lord? I believe Anchor Faith Church is
-
that Church the gates of hell shall.
-
Not prevail against it. And then he said, I bind up
-
strife and division. He went on to say God is
-
building his. Church and Anchor Faith Church
-
is part of his church. This is not something that man
-
is orchestrated, but the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have
-
orchestrated this. God gave vision to Pastor Earl,
-
gave vision to Pastor Marcy, and you all have come and hooked up
-
with that vision. Anchor Faith Church is going to
-
do that. Anchor Faith Church is not a
-
local organization. It's not a state organization.
-
It's not just a national organization.
-
It is an international organization.
-
Man, I believe that. I can imagine.
-
Of what it looks like. For a whole Church to wholly
-
give themselves to the Lord. I can see it.
-
I see the fire of. God over every one of your
-
heads. Right now, I see the anointing
-
in your lives. I see the power of God.
-
Wanting. To flow through you, I see us
-
all in unison. All in Unity all walking and I
-
see it and we create such. A culture of it, that.
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Everyone that gets added loves to be here because of the love
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and the environment of God and they quickly shed.
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Off their. Carnality.
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They quickly repent. They quickly change their
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thinking. I can imagine.
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It and I see you in it. So this year?
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As we get into some really significant stuff.
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Can you maintain the imagination?
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That together we're stronger and don't let anything pull you from
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this vision. Thank you so much for listening
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to this message. If you want more, subscribe to
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our message podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and
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SoundCloud. Rating and leaving a comment
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