Sermon
Daily Delight: Thanksgiving - with Pastor Mike Krulcik
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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You're listening to the Anchor Faith Church message podcast,
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enjoy the message. Did you have a good
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Thanksgiving? Did you eat enough?
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Did you eat too much? That's kind of where I want to
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start out today. Talking about food, I want to go
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to first Thessalonians chapter 5.
1 Thessalonians 5 chapter mention
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Kind of start off with a buffet that the Apostle Paul spoke to
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this church at thessalonica. You know, that the Apostle Paul
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was only there for a what they say, three Sabbath's or less.
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In a month. At this particular City, this
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Roman colony. And, you know, there's been
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meetings of a moment that's had a lifetime of impact.
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And so, this is a very short time that he physically spent
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with them, but it had a lifetime of impact.
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So, right out of the gate today, I wanted as Believers.
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How many Believers? Spirit-filled blood bot?
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Jesus, love and truth walking. Believers, do we have in the
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room today? So, I'm just challenge you this
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week, as you go out as you're in the marketplace, whether you're
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at the gas station, the grocery store the bank at your place of
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employment. Wherever you go, you're a change
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agent and I will God wants you to see yourself that way because
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there's meetings of a moment that's having a lifetime of
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impact and God will make Divine appointments for you this week
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to be a What we call an ambassador and second
2 Corinthians 5 chapter mention
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Corinthians chapter 5. The word says that you're an
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ambassador of Christ. You have the ministry of
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reconciliation whereby, you can tell love others, truth that
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will completely transform their life, take them out of Darkness,
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bring them out into light, take them out of fear, bring them
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into Faith, taking them out of hopelessness and bring him into
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Destiny and hope, right? So you are a Believer Spirit
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lead and God wants to use you this.
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This week in 1st Thessalonians, chapter 5, though to at the last
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chapter of this book that the Apostle Paul wrote to this
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church. He really gives a buffet type
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approach and I'm going to read this starting in verse number
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12. I know my Thanksgiving started a
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little bit early on Wednesday. We had the opportunity to
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fellowship with some church friends after service on
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Wednesday night. And in doing that, they brought
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a couple different things with them.
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One was mint chocolate chip ice cream. and the other was, if I
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got though the right flavor, it was a chocolate Trinity and it
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was divine And then we spill on into to Thursday, right?
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Get the opportunity to have Thanksgiving with some church
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family and there was just a smorgasbord of different items
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there. Hallelujah.
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They had something I tried for the first time called lamb.
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That was pretty good and they had a couple different turkeys.
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They had a honey-baked ham. Hallelujah.
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They had green bean casserole, they had some green beans.
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I think they were kind of marinated in teary Aki sauce and
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I think it had bacon too and that was good.
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I can talk to the a 30 crew like this because the 11:00 service
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may not survive. You know, their stomachs may be
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talking louder than their spirit.
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But anyways, I'm getting to a point and then, you know, you
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always leave a little bit of room for dessert, right?
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And so, I went to the dessert table and you know how it is
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when you're at a buffet, you go. The first time, just to kind of
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get a little bit of everything and then you kind of zero in on
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what you actually want, right? So, I had a variety of desserts,
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you know, there was a vanilla wafer cookies with what a this,
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this brown stuff is what my daughter called, it gray stuff,
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but it was really just some kind of chocolate But with Oreos
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crush up in it that you dip the wafers in got the traditional
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pumpkin pie but then one person have brought some cheesecake but
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pineapple cheesecake. I said, hmm, I don't have
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pineapple cheesecake go together but let me try this thing and I
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tell you was so scrumdiddlyumptious that I went
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back for seconds on that. Amen.
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Are you with me Church? Anyways, the greatest Buffet
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we're getting ready to take of right now.
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Spiritually is in 1st. After five because Paul sort of
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just lays out this great Buffet of spiritual truths and we're
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going to launch out from here today.
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So follow along with me and on your digital device or if you
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have a hard copy Bible, either one, but follow along because
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the word is, what sets us free. Hey man, I just want to
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encourage you to we're taking a little pause because pastor of
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Marcy are investing in the grandkids.
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But boy, has he been on fire with his love series and what
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great reville reville? Elation and Truth.
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Is he being laid out? I feel like you know, there's
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certain things that are being said, you know, in his day
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Martin Luther had this Revelation that the just shall
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live by faith and as pastors preaching on love, I'm thinking
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the church at hold needs this across the world because love
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has been misconstrued and missed a fine in the church needs.
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What's being sus pokin behind this Podium?
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You know on Sundays we need this Revelation on love, God's love,
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just not The the world says about love, but what does the
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word say about love? Amen.
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So first Thessalonians chapter 5.
1 Thessalonians 5 chapter mention
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Verse number 12, I'm reading from the new King James version
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and it says, we urge, you Brethren to recognize those who
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labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish.
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Ooh! Hallelujah!
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You know, we could stop on each of these verses and just you
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know just teach but we're going to just take this a big buffet
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and then we're going to zero in on one point.
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Amen. And it says to us esteem them
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very highly in love for their work sake and then it says this
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be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort your brother and
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warn those who are unruly that's love, isn't it?
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Warn those who are unruly Comfort the faint-hearted and
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boy, man, there's a lot going on.
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If you just watch the news, guess what you can get
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faint-hearted. It says, Is to uphold the weak
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glory to God. Be patient with some be patient
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with all. See that no one renders evil for
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evil to anyone but always pursue what is good both for yourselves
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and for all verse 16 Rejoice sometimes Rejoice, when the
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circumstances are just right Rejoice always Rejoice rejoice.
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It says pray without ceasing. One translation says, develop an
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attitude or cultivate an attitude of Prayer in
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everything. Give thanks for.
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This is, the will of God in Christ Jesus.
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For you, do not quench the spirit.
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Do not quench the spirit. Thank God for the Holy Ghost.
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But you realize you couldn't quench suppress stifle the holy
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spirit in your life. Do not despise.
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Prophecies you ever been to one of those Services where you been
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praying for people to come? A relative, a friend a co-worker
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and then all of a sudden a tongue comes that service,
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right? Usually happens when you invite
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somebody that has never heard of tongue and interpretation.
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Right? But the Bible says despise not
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prophecies that divide utterance and inspiration of God for that
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moment. All right, we want to embrace
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matter of fact. The Bible says to earnestly
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desire the best gifts and sometimes I wonder coming to
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church if it's just routine, or are we really coming with an
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expectation for the Holy Ghost to move?
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Is there an Earnest desire for you to see the Holy Ghost move?
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Because this isn't just words, it should be demonstrations of
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the spirit that take place, a man, so we don't want to despise
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prophecies, listen to verse 21, it says, Is test one
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translation, says prove, all things.
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And it says hold fast that which is good.
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He reminds me of one time that a minister came home and saw that
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a young man was holding his daughter.
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And he said, what are you doing? He said I'm holding fast to
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that, which is good. That's not that scripture.
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Amen. It says, abstain from every form
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of evil verse 23. Now may the God of Peace himself
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sanctify. You completely sanctify, you
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completely. Now, may the very God of Peace
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himself sanctify. You completely.
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Now, this is Paul by inspiration of the Holy Spirit right into
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the church. So sanctification, even though
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we've been bought through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
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the payment has been made. We are redeemed.
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There is an ongoing Fine work of sanctification in our life, not
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with your spirit, your spirits mid-may been.
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I've been made brand new. The Bible says in second
2 Corinthians 5 chapter mention
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Corinthians chapter 5, If any man be in Christ, behold, all
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things have become new old things, have passed away.
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All things have become new. What's new?
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The, the spirit man that was separated from God, that was
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born into the sin. Nature has been paid for you,
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get a brand new spirit. You're a brand new person on the
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inside, but guess what? Your body and your Soul have not
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changed. Right?
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If you were bald headed before, you got born again, your
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bald-headed after you get born again and guess what?
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Just because you come to the Altar and receive the great
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payment of what the Lord Jesus did for us when you get up from
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the altar or the prayer, worker leads you through that prayer,
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just doesn't matter. The automatically mean that your
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soul realm otter automatically your mind, your soul is your
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mind, your will, your emotions automatically is renewed.
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All of a sudden, you have all these Heavenly thoughts.
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No, There's still a battle daily between the spirit and the flesh
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is what Galatians says, right? But he, that's what he's saying.
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So I've paid the price for you, spiritually, your brand new
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creature, but listen, you need to go on in this.
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This work of sanctification in your soul realm and your body.
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Amen. Well let's just pause right
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there. Go to Romans chapter 12.
Romans 12 chapter mention
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I want y'all to see this and we'll come back to this Buffet.
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Romans chapter 12 verse number 1 and 2 says this.
Romans 12 chapter mention
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I'm getting there. All right, it says, I beseech
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you Brethren by the mercies of God that you that you that, you
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present, your bodies, a Living Sacrifice.
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Right. Holy acceptable, to God, which
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is your reasonable service. So what do you do you present
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your body, a Living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God, which is
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your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world
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but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
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That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
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will of God. So God's tell you do something
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with your body and with your mind This is the ongoing work of
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sanctification. Okay.
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So going back to 1st Thessalonians, chapter 5.
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He said I pray that your whole body, right?
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Be preserved, but sanctify be preserved blameless until the
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coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then I like what it says to
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end this section that we're reading.
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He said in verse 24 he who calls you is faithful.
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He will also do it. Hey Min sohee that called you is
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faithful and Pastor has been hammering.
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This home. Listen Church, salvation isn't
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just about getting you to heaven.
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It does include that but there is a calling, there's a destiny.
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There's a purpose for your life in the earth.
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That's why I said your change agents this week.
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As you got in the community, man.
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God has a destiny. Has a plan has the anointing has
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the grace upon your life, to go out and make a difference
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through truth. Amen.
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He that called you as faithful. So there's a Divine assignment.
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Everybody say that there's a Divine assignment for me, let's
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say it again. There's a Divine assignment for
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me so doesn't matter if you're eight years old or 80 years old,
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There's still a work in the Earth for God to use you to
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accomplish through you this week.
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This month this year, he that called you is faithful and he
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will do it. Now let's go over to Ephesians
Ephesians 6 chapter mention
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chapter 6 verse number 18. Ephesians chapter 6 verse number
Ephesians 6 chapter mention
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18. And I want you to jot this down.
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If you're taking notes because you know, you got to have
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takeaways from church, And you need to study the word of God,
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okay? And so I'm going to give you a
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lots of scripture today for you to go home and be a disciple, a
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discipline learner of Truth. Amen.
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And so in Ephesians chapter 6, verse number 18 is one of them.
Ephesians 6 chapter mention
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John chapter 15 verse number 7 is another scripture.
John 15 chapter mention
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I want you to jot down and go back and look at this week.
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Amen. And of course, Mark chapter 11
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verses 22 through. 24 are some others.
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These are all. Prayer scriptures.
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That I'm giving you, okay? So Ephesians chapter 6 verse
Ephesians 6 chapter mention
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number 18, John chapter 15 verse number 7 and Mark chapter 11
John 15 chapter mention Mark 11:22–24
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verses 22 through 24. There's a lot that you can learn
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about prayer through these three scriptures.
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There's others in the Bible, obviously.
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But really, you could build a strong foundation for a
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successful prayer life off of these three scriptures.
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So, if you want to go further with God, you want to go deeper
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with God. Odd.
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If you just getting these three scriptures, you really set a
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good foundation for having a great prayer, life and great
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fellowship with the Lord, John 15:7 says, if you abide in the
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word of God and the word of God abides in you, One translation
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says, if you stay vitally connected to the word of God and
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the message lives in your heart. You shall ask what you will and
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it shall be done. Sometimes, I wonder if prayers
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are hindered or unanswered because we're not abiding in the
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word body means to be remain to be present.
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It's really like roll call at school as they're calling.
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Your last name. Are you here?
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Yes, nobody means I'm present. I'm there, I'm active in the
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word of God and one of the greatest things you can do.
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As a believer in your walk with the Lord, as a thing called
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meditation. Meditation will keep you in a
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constant state of abiding. You realize everybody's thinking
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about something. I mean you watch the news,
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right? You start to get a thought
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process about something. You look at your smartphone, you
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start to get a thought process about something, right, emails?
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Everything external. He's just driven to really
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program what we think. But God says, listen, I want you
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to abide in the word, there's no greater way to buy them to
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meditate, and if you're going to think about something, you might
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as well think about the word. What does meditation mean?
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Meditation means to revolve it over and over again in your
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mind. I like going to multiple
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translations and just looking at At it, from a little different
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view. It's all saying the same thing
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in context or in principle, but it's just a little different
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view of what's being said, right?
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And so meditation is really just muttering to yourself.
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You know, I can do all things through Christ, I can sometimes
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you just emphasize one word in the verse I can, I can not, I
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can or it might happen. Know, I can do all things.
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How through So abide in the word, stay vital United, the
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word, let the message live in your heart Mark 11:22 through
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24, another great foundation for a prayer, but listen in
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Ephesians chapter 6 verse number 18, the word of God says this
Ephesians 6 chapter mention
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and I'm going to give this to you from a few different
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translations. Hallelujah.
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Aren't you thankful for the word of God?
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Man, it is the power of God. It is the power of God.
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Ephesians 6:18 says, it's praying.
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Always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit,
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being watchful to this end with all perseverance and
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supplication for all the saints. So, praying always with all
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prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this
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end with all perseverance and supplication.
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Datian for all the saints. One translation says praying
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with all manner of prayer, another translation saying says
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praying with all kinds of prayer, so there's more than one
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type of Prayer. we kind of get stuck in a box one time and
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sometimes I think that prayers just asking God for things
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Right. Prayers are saying, Lord, this
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is my need. Please meet my need.
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But he says praying with all kinds of prayer, all manner of
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prayer and supplication in the spirit, you supplicate for
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believers because there is a prayer of intercession.
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So, we're talking about different kinds of prayer
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supplication. Is you got more umpf, more,
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desire, there's a, there's a fire on the inside and it's for
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believers, right? Kind of like, we're listening
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this love series. There's many Believers that That
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name the name of Christ. But we know that not are all are
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living up to standards are dimensions of Truth, like they
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should be. So there's an Earnest desire on
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the inside that you want to supplicate a burden, right?
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That says, father, man, I want to see the spirit of wisdom and
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Revelation, open up the eyes of their understanding, right?
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That they would know you the hope of your calling there's
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this this fire Jeremiah said it's like fire shut up in my
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bones and that's a supplication. Should be open to being led by
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the spirit in that recently. When I went to the Call to Arms
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with Pastor Earle, we were the Men's Conference in Oklahoma.
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We were able to have fellowship with Pastor Daryl Huffman and he
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was talking about the founder of our Bible School.
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Kenneth Hagin who's gone on and be home with gone on to be home,
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with the gone on to be home with the Lord.
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There we go. And he was talking about his
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prayer life, and he made a commitment to God.
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That said, anytime I get a burden to pray Lord, I'll stop
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whatever I'm doing and I'll pray.
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So they're at a meeting one time.
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They went out to Fellowship afterwards and he's eaten.
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They had just ordered the food just came and all of a sudden,
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he looked at the minister said, hey I need you to take me home
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right now and The Minister's like what?
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We just got our food. He said I need to go right now
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and on the way home in the car, Kenneth Hagin said, listen, I
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made a promise to the Lord. If I ever get an unction or a
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burden of pray, I'll stop whatever I'm doing and pray.
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So they walked into the place where they were staying the
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minister and just about 50 minutes.
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Brother Hagin just start praying in the spirit until we got to a
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breakthrough. Her He's but he had a
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supplication of Burden Earnest desire to pray and he prayed
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until he got a breakthrough. And so that Minister learned a
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great lesson that day from him, but he was supplicating or
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interceding for someone. So you intercede for the lost
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you supplicate for believers, those are two different types of
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prayers, right? The intercede, the word and
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means they're, you're trying to get them in to the kingdom of
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God. Right?
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And that's not an accident. It's not the sovereignty of God.
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It is seedtime and harvest It's you praying for Laborers to be
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sent across their path. So if you have a relative or
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friend, a co-worker, that's not in the kingdom of God, you can
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start praying according to the word of God and say, father, I
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pray for Laborers. Matthew chapter 9, verse 37 says
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the the harvest is plentiful. There's plenty of people that
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need truth out there but the laborers are few.
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Pray to the Lord of the Harvest. Isn't it?
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Interesting that God just as an automatically released, laborers
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into his Harvest he said you have to ask me.
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You know why? Because we are supposed to rain
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in this earth as kings. Amen.
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So we have to ask God to send out laborers into the Harvest
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field. So there's that kind of
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pressure. There's a prayer of faith, which
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that's what most of us, pray, the prayer of faith changes
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things for you. Do you realize that you really
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only have authority to pray the prayer of faith in your
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household? Right now.
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If somebody comes to me and they say, I want you to pray the
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prayer of faith with me, that would actually combine the
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prayer of agreement with them, but they have to be in faith
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when we pray. If you give access to someone
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else to agree with you, then they can join together with you
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in the prayer of faith and see things change in your life.
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But I can't pray, you know, this person's bugging me.
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And I need you to you know, you need to take care of them.
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God. That's like the sons of thunder
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call down fire from heaven. And Jesus said, you don't know
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what Spirit your of, right. So the prayer faith is really
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for you individually and really, for your household.
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Even with spouses, you can't really even prayer the prayer of
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faith for your spouse. You could pray it with your
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spouse, you get that. You can't really pray it for
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them. You could pray it with him.
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Okay, so there's a prayer Faith. There's a prayer of agreement in
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Philippians chapter 4 Hallelujah, we're getting to
Philippians 4 chapter mention
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that pineapple cheesecake, and we're going to get a couple
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slices of that today, but right now it's just the buffet.
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Amen, in Philippians chapter 4 verse number 6.
Philippians 4 chapter mention
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Philippians chapter 4 verse number 6.
Philippians 4 chapter mention
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So, there's different kinds of prayer and we need to make sure
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that we're understand that and that we want.
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Do you want your prayer life to be effective?
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You know? Do you want to be successful?
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Yes, you know Pastor. Oh, said this for years, we just
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don't. Now, we're not just a church
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that prayers where the church that gets answered.
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We're not, you're surprised were Church of gets answered prayers,
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right? And so you got to realize what
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different types of prayers, there's different types of rules
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and just like with sports, you can't take a basketball rules
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and apply them to football. Alleluia, you can't take hockey
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rules and apply them to soccer, right?
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And that's how we are sometimes. We kind of take all these
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things. We shake it together and hope
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it's going to work. But we live by faith.
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Not by just hope, right? And faith is a conviction based
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upon the word of God. So I'm telling your church.
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If you want a successful prayer life, you need to understand.
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There's a prayer supplication. There's a prayer of
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intercession, there's a prayer of faith.
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There's a prayer of agreement. There's United prayer, corporate
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prayer happens at 10:00. And man, the corporate anointing
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is strong. I would encourage you and
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challenge you at 10:00 come from 10 to 10:45 come expecting.
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Come. To participate and man, there's
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a United prayer that happens from 10 to 10:45 and an axe,
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chapter 4, when they all got together.
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Verse number 23, to in one place in one location, the place shook
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Because there was a corporate anointing, there was a United
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prayer that was taken place and corporate prayer is powerful in
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Philippians 4, though. There's also a prayer of what we
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call commitment, or casting your cares on the Lord.
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So it says this in Philippians chapter 4.
Philippians 4 chapter mention
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Verse number 6, it says be anxious.
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For some things, no, be anxious for what, nothing?
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Be anxious for nothing, be anxious for nothing, but in
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everything by prayer and supplication with with, with let
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your requests be made known to God.
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And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will
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guard your hearts and your minds through Christ.
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Jesus. Think about that.
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The peace of God. God's Peace Garden your heart
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and your mind. I don't know about you, but this
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year has been radically different than years past.
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There's been a lot going on in our nation and the world this
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year, a lot of stuff that could disturb you agitate.
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You get you anxious, fill you full of anxiety.
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From the pandemic to the riots to the election.
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Listen church, I got good news. No matter what happens with the
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election. God will see you through.
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You maintain your walk in your righteousness with him and he
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will see you through Daniel went into captivity about 17 years
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old. He went into captivity, right?
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He stayed right in captivity and came out of captivity, right?
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So you just maintain your righteousness.
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Even in the midst of captivity, Daniel serving Heathen Kings.
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And really it was a failure of the church.
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It became a kingdom sanction because through idolatry and
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living like the world. They were overthrown by the
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enemy, but even in the midst of that, you can have great peace.
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If you maintain righteousness in your walk with God, and Daniel
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was able to do great exploits. Daniel, 11:32 says those that
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know their God shall be strong and do great exploits so it
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doesn't matter. Sometimes God will show himself
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strong through the Mists of great, persecution.
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The lines in the fiery furnace, guess what?
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God delivered him out of all. So there's been a lot going on
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this year and you don't need. You do not need worldly
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medication to get peace in your life.
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I am telling the truth of the word will liberate you and set
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you free. And give you the peace of God,
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but you have to do this prayer of commitment.
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Which means cast throw, I like in funds.
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Psalms 55:22, the message says this, it says, put your burdens
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on the lowered shoulders and He will carry them.
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So you don't have to carry the burden, the weight, the anxiety
-
of what's going on. You just need to be in alignment
-
with the king of kings and with the Lord of lords.
-
Hallelujah. And he will take care of you.
-
And watch over you and sustain you, amen.
-
So another translation says this, this is the way
-
translation. It says, let no anxieties fret
-
you met in every matter. Let the things you would ask me
-
made known by means of Prayer by definite request.
-
Linked linked with Thanksgiving at God's Throne.
-
The basic translation says it like this, have no cares, but in
-
everything with prayer and praise put your request.
-
Before God, listen to what the message.
-
Translation says, the paraphrase, don't fret or worry
-
instead of worrying, pray, let petitions and praises.
-
Let petitions and Praises shape your worries into prayers
-
letting God know your concerns before you know it a sense of
-
God's holiness everything coming together for good will come and
-
settle you down. It's wonderful.
-
What happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of
-
your life? Hallelujah.
-
Uh, so that's the prayer commit, where we were just rolling
-
concerns in any situation in life, whatever happens always
-
ask yourself this question. What does the Bible say, if you
-
start to get anxious about work tomorrow, what does the Bible
-
say it Financial finance and start to worry you.
-
What does the Bible say? If you need change in your life,
-
if you need healing, what does the Bible say, right?
-
If you need strength in the marriage, covenant, What does
-
the Bible say? If you're depressed down
-
discourage, what does the Bible say?
-
Say, Amen. So this is the pineapple
-
cheesecake. And it's this thing called
-
Thanksgiving or praise. Thanksgiving her praise
-
Thanksgiving. Her praise.
-
Go with me to chapter of Acts chapter 16.
Acts 16 chapter mention
-
Acts chapter 16. And let's start in verse.
Acts 16 chapter mention
-
Number 6. Hallelujah.
-
You know what? Let's just go back to verse
-
number 1. And let's just read a good
-
portion of scripture this morning, amen.
-
So follow along with me. Verse number 1, then he came to
-
derbe and lystra and be heard, they're the behold.
-
There was a certain disciple was there named Timothy.
-
The son of a certain Jewish woman who believe, but his
-
father was Greek. One of the reasons I backed up
-
and start in verse number 1 was because it's good to see in the
-
word, the daily activities of the disciples because you need
-
to see yourself in Daily activity with God.
-
So just think about it if you put yourself in their shoes
-
their following God. And so Paul comes to do two
-
different locations. And guess what?
-
He meets a man named Timothy Right?
-
And he was well spoken of by the brother who are in lystra and
-
Iconium Paul wanted to have him, go on with him and took and he
-
took him in circumcise him because of the Jews who are in
-
that region for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
-
So an instant mentorship takes place in the life of a Young Man
-
by The Apostle. Paul, what's God going to do
-
with you this week? And as they went through the
-
cities as they went through this City's, they delivered to them
-
the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and
-
Elders at Jerusalem. So, listen, the churches were
-
strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.
-
Now, this next prayer is a prayer of what we would call
-
dedication. And the prayer of dedication or
-
submission to the will of God and that's just saying God, what
-
do you want me to do with my life, right?
-
So we see the Apostle Paul verse number 6.
-
Now when they are gone through fit frigg phrygia and the region
-
of galatia they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the
-
word Neza. So the Holy Spirit actually said
-
don't go to this location. The Holy Spirit, restrain them
-
from being at a certain place at a certain time, but they were
-
seeking God. And there were asking for a
-
direction right after that, come to my Zia, they try to go to
-
Bethany about the spirit did not permit them.
-
Second time the Holy Ghost restrain them from being in a
-
certain place, you know, God knows exactly where you need to
-
be when you need to be there. And it's just not a shotgun
-
approach with God. God is very accurate in his
-
dealings with humanity and with the Destiny for your life.
-
So, so passing by Messiah, they came down to troas and a vision
-
appeared to Paul in the night. So they're just seeking God with
-
all their heart asking. What direction do you want us to
-
go? Now after they had seen the
-
vision? Well let's read the vision.
-
A man of Macedonia, this is the vision stood over and pleaded
-
with Paul saying come over to me.
-
Macedonian help us. So this is a vision that he had
-
at night. Now, after seeing the vision
-
immediately, I like that immediately we sought to go to
-
Macedonia concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the
-
gospel to them. Therefore so man, they made
-
every effort to be where God told them to be there for
-
sailing from Truro, as we ran a straight course.
-
And the next day we came to neapolis and from there to
-
Philippi So they landed in Philippi which is the foremost
-
city of that part of Macedonia. So because of a vision, they get
-
to City the chief City Philippi in Macedonia, and they stayed in
-
that City for some days and on the Sabbath day.
-
So they're just looking for opportunity.
-
In this city to do, whatever God wants them to do.
-
And on the Sabbath day, we went out of the city to the
-
Riverside, where prayer was customarily.
-
Made and we sat down there and we spoke to the woman who met
-
their now, they meet, they meet a female entrepreneur.
-
Now, a certain woman named Lydia heard us.
-
She was a seller of purple from a certain city.
-
She worshipped God and the Lord opened her heart to he the
-
things spoken by Paul. So the first encounter in
-
Philippi was with a lady of female lady, that's old clothes.
-
And then it says, and when she and her household were baptized,
-
she begged us saying, if you have judged me to be faithful to
-
the Lord, come to my house and stay.
-
So she persuaded us. So one lady in her family starts
-
a church in Philippi. Now it happened verse 16 second
-
encounter. Hallelujah, it happened is.
-
We went to prayer that a certain slave girl possessed with a
-
spirit of divination met us, a fortune teller.
-
A palm reader, right? This girl followed Paul and us,
-
they cried out. And she cried out saying, these
-
men are the Servants of the most high, God, who proclaimed to us
-
the way of salvation. And this she did for many days.
-
So can you imagine some of us went last five minutes.
-
If somebody's following you around a fortune teller saying
-
this is the servant of most high God.
-
It'll be annoying, right? But for many days, they didn't
-
say anything. But then Paul it says he was
-
greatly annoyed. Hallelujah.
-
Turn and said to the spirit member, we don't wrestle against
-
flesh and blood but against principalities and Powers rulers
-
of wickedness in high places, he turned to the spirit that was
-
motivating and driving this woman.
-
And he said, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ, man.
-
This week's going to be exciting for you.
-
Come out of her. And he came out that very hour.
-
Whoo, so Deliverance. So you think things are going to
-
get better. Let's read verse number 19.
-
So we start with the lady. That was an entrepreneur.
-
Her family gets born again, we get another demonically
-
possessed, lady delivered. So we're seeing the church start
-
to increase with a variety of people, right?
-
It says, when her master's the palm reader, the fortune tellers
-
Masters, saw that their hope of profit was gone.
-
They seized Paul and Silas. Silas.
-
Right. And they drag them into the, to
-
the marketplace, to the authorities.
-
They brought them to the magistrates and said, these men
-
being Jews. They trouble our city,
-
Hallelujah. And then a days ahead.
-
We need to be ready. Church.
-
You know, America has had a great time of being having a
-
great amount of religious freedom.
-
But there are certain principalities and Powers
-
working behind people that want to restrict that and even
-
persecute that and prosecute that Are you with me?
-
I'm telling you, there's certain principalities and powers that
-
one, a lock-up religious freedom, even meeting in a place
-
like this, being able to hear the word of God freely.
-
They want to not just persecuted, but prosecute it put
-
a clamp down on what you can and can't say such as the biblical
-
definition of marriage. But we're of good.
-
Share. We stay in the will of God, we
-
maintain our righteousness and God will take Take care of us.
-
So because this lady got delivered, she quit doing what
-
she was doing. There was repentance in her
-
life, she turned from fortune telling and start to serve God
-
and then the people that were her master's got mad because all
-
their money disappeared from the palm reading.
-
She's doing. So they take Paul and Silas,
-
they said we're going to you're messing with our profit.
-
We're going to mess with you. And so, listen, they, they went
-
through before the city council and the magistrates tore their
-
clothes, commanded them to be beaten with rods.
-
And when they laid, many stripes on them, they threw them into
-
prison. Commanding in the commanding,
-
the Jailer to keep them securely.
-
Having received such a charge. He put them in the inner prison
-
and fastened their feet in the stocks or in Chains.
-
So man. Could you imagine they tried to
-
go to two different places? The Holy Spirit forbid them,
-
they had a vision to go to fill a pie and mash Donia, they went
-
and here. They find themselves in prison.
-
Some people thinking God, did I miss you?
-
That wasn't a dream. That was a nightmare. but right
-
in the midst of it, Right in the midst of it, they knew their in
-
the will of God, they knew there's a Grace there, there's
-
the anointing, the Holy Ghost. And verse number 25, what they
-
do? They start to complain.
-
Do they start to gripe? Do they start to grumble?
-
Right. It says, at midnight, Paul and
-
Silas were praying and singing they were praying and they were
-
praying, and they were praying. And so there's a combination of
-
things going on, right? They were praying and singing,
-
Now, this wasn't This Little Light of Mine, I'm gonna know
-
that. Listen, they were singing hymns
-
of God, the prisoners were listening, so they were vocal
-
about it. They were allowed about it. and
-
listen, it says, suddenly Some people want suddenly is in their
-
life. Things to happen breakthrough.
-
Are you lying in yourself up through faith, median, the
-
god-given qualifications for a suddenly to happen.
-
I guarantee you if they were grumbling, if there were
-
complaining, if they were backbiting, if they were
-
doubting, I guarantee you there's no.
-
Suddenly that takes place. The Bible says they were praying
-
and singing hymns to God and the prisoners heard them.
-
And then suddenly there was a great earthquake.
-
So the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all
-
the doors were open and everyone's chains were loosed.
-
The Keeper of the prison Awakening from sleep and seeing
-
the prison doors open. Supposing the prisoners had fled
-
drew, his sword is about to kill himself.
-
He knew that the prisoners escaped, it was on his life.
-
But Paul called with a loud voice saying, do yourself no
-
harm for we all here and then he called for a light.
-
He ran in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
-
So he start at a by the riverbank with Lydia, we see a
-
demon girl, that was possessed, get delivered, we see her
-
master's get mad because their prophets God throws him into
-
prison. Now, we see a Jailer, what a
-
great way to start a church. A jailer.
-
Falling down before them and he said, sir, what must I do to be
-
saved. So they said believe on the
-
Lord, Jesus Christ, you and you and you will be saved you and
-
your household, then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and
-
all who were with him in the house, he took in that same hour
-
the night and washed their stripes, man, it's amazing.
-
What the love of God will do. They were beaten with rods but
-
this same jailers cleaning the wounds man.
-
Only the kingdom of God can cure prejudiced.
-
As many laws is America or any other Nation tries to put in
-
place to get equality across the board.
-
It's the kingdom of God, that truly, truly, truly liberates
-
and brings people together. And unites I'm looking at a
-
multi-ethnic church right now. Hallelujah of Believers that
-
love one another. With the love of Christ, because
-
we abide by the love, the love and the law of God.
-
Amen. And so says immediately hit his
-
family were baptized. Now when he had brought them
-
into his house, he said food before them and he rejoiced, and
-
I had believed in a god with him and all of us household, I like
-
that because it's just not one person getting saved whole
-
households coming into the kingdom of God.
-
Now, let's go back to Philippians chapter 4.
Philippians 4 chapter mention
-
Because where was Paul at in Acts chapter 16 at Philippi.
Acts 16 chapter mention
-
So we get a glimpse in his letter.
-
Of things that he's experiencing right while he was there.
-
So we go back to Philippians chapter 4.
Philippians 4 chapter mention
-
And verse number 6, it says be anxious for nothing, right?
-
But in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving,
-
let your requests be made known to God.
-
Do you realize that Paul practice what he preached?
-
So he was at midnight and then that can be symbolic in your
-
life of the darkest moment, or the most distressed, you're
-
having or the most oppression, you're experiencing, or the most
-
impression that you're going through midnight.
-
They literally wrap, midnight, singing, hymns and songs to God.
-
But at midnight in your life, A lot of us have experienced
-
difficult times tribulations trials, but God's telling the
-
church today there is a prayer of Thanksgiving that you need to
-
mix with your other prayers. If you want to get breakthrough
-
in your life, it says with prayers and praise or with
-
singing and praise and thanksgiving.
-
Go hand-in-hand. So I'm asking your church hat.
-
How's your prayer of Thanksgiving like your praise
-
life. You're worshipping of God
-
worship is just not slow music. Worship is an attitude of the
-
heart. Where your over filled with
-
gratitude for what Christ has done for you and your bowing
-
down on the inside and saying, my God, my God, my God, thank
-
you that you're for me. Thank you that you've redeemed
-
me. You know, we have the gospel,
-
the good news. Thank God, that he's saved us.
-
We're going to heaven, but there's also a promise of
-
healing man, if you've been through trouble as a child, if
-
you've been abused, if you've been neglected, Jesus said, the
-
spirit of the Lord is upon me to heal the brokenhearted.
-
Broken hearted, man. That's a praiseworthy thing.
-
When you say all the mess that I've been through, you've turned
-
it into a message. All of the tests that I've been
-
through, you turned it into a testimony.
-
I know this boy, this young man in 1993, after I graduate from
-
high, school had no idea what I wanted to do lost man without an
-
anchor drifting in the ocean so to speak nothing.
-
It had no idea what I wanted to do drinking party and lifting
-
but God But God, but God one of the friends I used to run with
-
in high school that party with me that lifted with me.
-
You know. He got born again.
-
I didn't. Well I stayed away from him
-
because he was always talking about the things of Jesus and I
-
didn't want to hear about it, but he was relentless what
-
Relentless pursuit of Christ? Are you going to have this week
-
in this community? And he would not give up on me
-
and he kept on, calling me, finally, I just gave in to
-
really get them to get off my back and went to a church
-
conference and got born again. Hallelujah.
-
Gave my life to the Lord in 1997.
-
And you know what? It's been the best adventure for
-
the last 23 years. And I'm thankful to God Almighty
-
for all that he has done. All that is doing and man God is
-
faithful to plant me at Rhema. Christian Center in Columbus,
-
Ohio faithful to get me out of there to go to Broken Arrow.
-
Oklahoma to go to Bible school and God just makes everything
-
work out. Do your eyes or I'm thankful.
-
That I connected with Pastor Earle Marcy.
-
At that time, I mean we did jail Ministry together, youth jail
-
detention center Ministry with him for a season stay connected
-
with him in 2004. When they said they were going
-
to start the church, we prayed about said we need to come.
-
I'm thankful to God Almighty for his leading for his provision
-
but it's with prayer and Thanksgiving that things are
-
going to be manifest in your life.
-
You'd have you heard people say I prayed and I prayed and I
-
prayed and I prayed, but nothing changed.
-
Have you heard that before? But have you ever heard?
-
Anybody say I have praised and I've praised and I praised and
-
nothing changed. No, you don't hear that.
-
Because praise will get a breakthrough for you.
-
Praise will bring down the walls of Jericho when you lift up your
-
voice and say, oh my God, thank you for redeeming me.
-
Thank you for the holy spirit's activity in my life.
-
Listen, I want to close with this testimony and challenge you
-
this week. Man, if you want true
-
breakthrough, sustaining in your life, no matter what the
-
circumstances are learn, how to activate a life of Praise.
-
Did you notice in Philippians 4, it says make your requests known
-
to God with one translation had linked together with
-
Thanksgiving. You know, as a parent, it's one
-
thing when your kids come up to you and say, hey can I have some
-
money? You know, you want to bless your
-
kids. It's nothing.
-
Like when they say, hey, I took out the trash, I put up my
-
laundry. I appreciate you as a parent.
-
You're got you like well, let me just give you some money, right?
-
I'm not talking about flatly. I'm talking about a sincere
-
authentic. Thanksgiving, how much more God
-
sometimes? The Bible says in Psalms that
-
the the Melton the the mountains will melt like wax in his
-
presence. So those things that seemed like
-
a mountain sometimes, if you just getting praise, you don't
-
have to pray about the situation.
-
God just says, let me give you some of this.
-
We need to take some time before the throne and thank him.
-
So the testimony I want to share with enclosing with you in this.
-
There was a Pentecostal missionary years and years ago
-
that during the smallpox disease.
-
It was going on in the nation in the world, she contracted it.
-
And so she came off the mission field.
-
I went to the doctors and she was praying about God healing
-
her during that time. And nothing was changing in her
-
body with that small pipe smallpox.
-
But she had a vision and God showed her scales.
-
Do you remember the old balance scales?
-
It for weights where you put an item on one side of certain way
-
and it would go down. And then if you want to see if
-
it was equal, you'd find something that was pretty
-
similar in weight and put on the other side and would balance out
-
the scales, right? Well, God told her, when your
-
prayers and your praise Become equal, you're going to have
-
breakthrough within 24 hours. She was healed of the smallpox
-
without a vaccine. Coronavirus rious election and
-
the midst of everything that's going on this year or whatever
-
else is going on in your life, balance out your prayer life
-
with heartfelt, gratitude, that's active language daily to
-
the king. Father, we thank you for your
-
word, it's incorruptible. Thank you so much for listening
-
to this message. If you want more subscribe to
-
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-
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